[Article Text] Wollongong will be awash with the colour, sights, and sounds of the Middle East when the inaugural Wollongong Belly Dance Festival shimmies into town this weekend.

Proudly presented by Virginia Keft-Kennedy of Wollongong's very own Cinnamon Twist Belly Dance, the thee-day festival hits the ground running on Friday with a night of belly dance and Hollywood glamour at the CBD Bar in Rydges Hotel. There will also be two spectacular shows featuring traditional Egyptian and Turkish belly dance as well as 12 workshops for aspiring belly dancers and professionals during the festival which wraps with a massive "Market Bazaar" for the whole family on Sunday.
    Ms Keft-Kennedy said the event, was dedicated to bringing the art of belly dance into the public domain and to foster a sense of community through dance. " To anyone who has seen belly dancing and thought, "gee that looks like fun, I'd like to try that!' well now here's your chance," she said. "whether you're a spectator, a curious beginner or a seasoned professional, the festival promises to be and exciting and fun-filled weekend of dance for all." Ms Keft-Kennedy, who has a PhD on the history of bell.y dance, said the art form was embraced by women of all shapes and sizes, nationalities and ages. "This unique festival will take audiences along on an intoxication journey through the dances of Middle East - from the dramatic to the classical, the festival embraces the fusion of movement, colour and sensuality that makes up the art of belly dance," she said.

Agron Latifi, "Belly Dancing Festival Shimmies into Town", Shellharbour Advertiser, Wednesday October 26, 2011: p5

Article Text: A little shimmy, sparkle and cinnamon spice will dance its way through Wollongong later this month, with the 2011 Belly Dancing Festival to hit the region. The festival celebrates the diverse traditions of belly dance and Middle Eastern movement, and fuses traditional rhythmic beats with modern music. "The festival promises to be an exciting and fun-filled weekend for all," director and principal of Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dancing Virginia Keft-Kennedy said.
    "Wollongong will experience two spectacular evening shows featuring traditional Egyptian and Turkish belly dance".
    The Cinnamon Twist school is dedicated to the public presentation and preservation of contemporary dance culture from the Middle East.
    "This unique festival will take audiences along on an intoxicating journey through the dances of the Middle East", Ms Keft-Kennedy said. "From the dramatic to the classical, the festival embraces the fusion of movement, colour and sensuality that make up the art of belly dancing".
    The festival fosters Middle Eastern dance communities and provides dancers with the opportunity to expand their knowledge of [belly dance] and culture through workshops and master classes from some of the country's best performers. "Belly dancing is constantly evolving and that is what I find so interesting about it", Ms Keft-Kennedy said. "It's a full body workout [...] that has lots of health benefits which improve flexibility, tone and co-ordination".
Mathew Tsalidis. "Belly dance spectacular", The Illawarra Mercury, Saturday October 8, 2011: p17.

Article Text: Wollongong Belly Dance Festival is an exciting 3 day event to be held from 28th - 30th October 2011. The festival aims to celebrate the diverse traditions of belly dance, folkloric Middle Eastern dance, and its modern fusions.
    Over three days, twelve workshops will be presented by some of Australia's most talented teachers and choreographers plus two spectacular nightly shows (inclucing a dance party with live music by Percussion Junction!) and of course, the staple ingredient of any festival worth its sequins, the market bazaar and showcase.
    Workshops for all levels and styles will be on offer including traditional Egyptian dance with Rachel Bond and Tamara Taylor, Turkish Kolbasti with Leonie Sukan, innovative Tribal style combinations with Devi Mamak and Jacqueline Peperkamp, Shimmies & Drum Solo with Virginia Keft-Kennedy, Burlesque-Belly with Kylie Morrison, Latin-Belly Fusion with Lisi Hannan and glamorous modern bellydance prop work such as Fan Veil Technique with Jrisi Jusakos plus more. Whether you're a spectator, a curious beginner, or a seasoned professional Wollongong Belly Dance Festival promises to be and exciting and fun weekend of dance for all.
     The festival will be held at the Novotel Northbeach on the beautiful South Coast of Wollongong only 1hr 15mins drive from Sydney. The  festival is the first of its kind for the Illawarra and South Coast and is dedicated to fostering a sense of community and to provide dancers from around Australia and beyond the opportunity to expand their knowledge. Festivals are a great way to meet other like minded dancers and try other styles.
    There really is something for everyone and you can see all the details online. The festival is produced by Virginia Keft-Kennedy, principal and artistic director of Cinnamon Twist Belly Dance, the Illawarra's largest centre for the study of traditional Middle Eastern dance and contemporary belly dance. For bookings for workshops, evetns, stallholder and performance bookings visit www.bellydancefestival.com.au or contact Virginia Keft-Kennedy Ph: (02) 4226 1861.
Oasis Magazine, Issue 24, 2011.

Caption - "A cultural twist: Cinnamon Twist belly dancers Renee Tsiantarlis (left) and Mel Robson perform at the Shellharbour TAFE 'Bridging Cultures' Diversity Day. The event was held at the campus last Thursday and included dancing, stalls, a living library and graffiti art. The aim of the day was to break down cultural myths and stereotypes".

"A Cultural Affair on campus" The Lake Times, Thursday June 16, 2011: Front page, & article on page 7.

Article Text: Women will perform in candle headdresses and use heavy swords for props in a belly dance routine in Wollongong that blurs the line between traditional and modern entertainment values. El Mirage is the project of Wollongong co-producer and dancer Virginia Keft-Kennedy, who has collaborated with choreographers Jrisi Jusakos, of Sydney, and Devi Mamak, of the Blue Mountains.

Ms Keft-Kennedy (pictured) completed a PhD on belly dance in 2005. "As an artform, Middle Eastern dance is richly varied across a large geographical area, not only in style but also in costume, music and the use of props," she said. "El Mirage is unique in its dramatic and extensive use of traditional and modern props such as heavy swords, giant Isis wings, silk veils and even Shamadan, an Egyptian headdress made up of lit candles which balances on the dancers head." El Mirage is at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre on Saturday from 7.30pm.
Illawarra Mercury, Wednesday March 30, 2011

Caption: Flaunt it Kim Elchaar and Virginia Keft-Kennedy will be on stage at the Spring into Corrimal Festival.
Article Text: Fancy a cinnamon twist? Keep your eye on the main stage at the Spring into Corrimal festival on Sunday. Wollongong's Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance will be among a host of talented acts set to delight crowds at the annual festival. Owner Virginia Keft-Kennedy said their act never failed to entertain. "It's an inclusive sort of dance," she said, with festival-goers encouraged to join in and show off their belly dancing skills. Corrimal's population is expected to swell by tens of thousands as stalls, vibrant floats and acts to ertertain the whole family take over the Princes Hwy and adjoining streets from 10am. The event is hosted by Corrrimal based Access Community Group and sponsored by Bevans Corrimal. In line with the spring theme, flower, plant green and sustainable living stalls and free environmental workshops will be on offer. Co-ordinator Jodie Pryor said the festival had "come together beautifully this year".
"Belly dancers sure to add flavour to spring festival" Illawarra Mercury, September 2010.

Article Text: The University of Wollongong is celebrating its multicultural diversity with International Week. The annual event gives UOW staff and students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the variety of cultures on campus. "The activities that are planned are a good combination of fun, food and performance while also delivering some important messages and cultural lessons,"coordinator April West said. The week kicked off yesterday with a lunchtime belly dancing exhibition. Today, students and staff are encouraged to dress in their traditional cultural clothes, with prizes awarded to standout participants. Tomorrow, university clubs and societies will set up tables to promote handmade wares. Later on at night there will be a trivia competition.
On Thursday, students can grab a UOW passport and travel the Global Highway, visiting and sampling the culture of more than 20 international stalls around campus.
Laura Patton, "Wonderful sights along the global highway". Illawarra Mercury Tuesday August 24, 2010: 13

Caption: Don't miss seeing Virginia Keft-Kennedy and her harem perform at the annual Harem Night this weekend.

Article Text: It's that time of year again as Virginia Keft-Kennedy, artistic director of Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance, gets set to stage Wollongong's premiere belly dance event - Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance 5th Annual Harem Night.

Cinnamon Twist's annual Harem Night is a women-only event that is expected to draw up to 200 women from around the Illawarra and South Coast to celebrate the energy, diversity, and beauty of belly dance. This year's theme Moon over Marrakech promises to deliver a host of breathtaking performances,. One of the featured dances of the evening includes a dramatic and earthy Moroccan Guedra dance, which is a traditional trance dance performed entirely on the knees and accompanied by a live band of Arabic percussionists, vocalists, and drummers.

In addition, the evening will showcase a spectacular sword dance and a debut dance by the Illawarra's only dedicated prenatal belly dance class. Virginia, who is currently 22 weeks pregnant herself, began teaching belly dance for pregnancy after the birth of her first baby in 2007. The gently circular and rolling motions of belly dance have long been associated with pregnancy and childbirth and belly dancing is a particularly good form of prenatal exercise. Apart from the important physical benefits of exercise during pregnancy, belly dancing also promotes a feeling of well-being and offers women a fun and social way in which to experience their changing bodies. With no other annual public event like it, Cinnamon Twist's Harem Night has fast become an important annual social event for women of the Illawarra.
"Belly kind of Rhythm", Lake Times, Thursday, December 3, 2009: p24

Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance was the winning entrant in the Grande Parade at Spring into Corrimal last year and will be back to defend the title this Sunday, September 13. All dancers will be involved on the day and will perform on the main stage at 1pm. Director/Principal Virginia Keft-Kennedy said the performances would include a number from the Cinnamon Twist Little Genies (9 -14-year-olds) and a practical workshop demonstration. "We'll be getting people from the audience involved", she said. Cinnamon Twist opened in 2004 and is Wollongong's largest centre for the study of traditional Middle Eastern dance and contemporary belly dance. After years of training, Miss Keft-Kennedy's teaching philosophy is based on the notion that dance is a community endeavour as much as a personal journey. She said the Cinnamon Twist Belly Dance Troupe represented a vital part of local community events and cultural festivals in the region. The troupe range in age, background and experience, and share a love of Middle Eastern dance.
"Middle Eastern with a Twist", Wollongong & Northern Leader, Thursday, September 10, 2009: 33

Caption: Virginia Keft-Kennedy of Cinnamon Twist Belly Dance will be leading the belly dancing during Nowra’s Harmony Day activities on Saturday.

Article Text: HARMONY Day on Saturday is being used to help promote better relations within the Nowra community. Activities on the day are being organised by the YWCA, and centre on Parramatta Park in East Nowra where a wide range of cultural activities will be staged. “Harmony Day on March 21 celebrates the cohesive and inclusive nature of Australia and promotes the benefits of cultural diversity,” said project coordinator Lissa de Sailles. “The Harmony Day 2009 theme is everyone belongs, and that is particularly relevant to our area.” On the day at Parramatta Park there will be a welcome to country, dance performances and cultural displays, along with a harmony walking trail featuring 12 stations where people will be able to participate in cultural activities. They will include African drumming, belly dancing and Aboriginal art.
"Sweet Harmony Set for Saturday", South Coast Register, 18 March 2009

Article Text: Are you looking for a dance that is visually stunning to watch, is earthy and sensual, graceful and strong? Well, you b better give Virginia Keft-Kennedy from Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance a call then. Opening the school in 2005, it is the largest school for the study of Middle Eastern and belly dance in the Illawarra. Apart from classes for adult beginners through to the advanced, the school also offers post-natal Mums and Bubs Belly Dancing, as well as children's belly dancing classes.

Profoundly passionate about the dance style - now with a doctorate in belly dancing to prove it - Virginia revealed that she danced throughout her pregnancy, both performing and teaching right up until 38 weeks. "Some students are there for fun and fitness, others to improve their confidence, and some are recovering from some trauma in their lives," she said. "But all of them are connected by a desire to have fun, get together with other like minded women and enjoy the music and movement of an ancient dance form.
Thompson, Jenna. "Working those belly muscles", Lake Times, Thursday January 8, 2009

Article Text: A range of cultural activities are being held on Saturday to help draw together the different elements of the Nowra community. Harmony Day is being held on Saturday and the YWCA has planned events in Nowra to help foster community harmony. "Harmony Day celebrates the cohesive and inclusive nature of Australia and promotes the benefits of cultural diversity," said project coordinator Lissa de Sailes. "The Harmony Day 2009 theme is every one belongs, and that is particularly relevant to our area."
   
Various events and activities are planned for the day, centred on Parramatta Park in Nowra East. As part of its Harmony Day involvement the Nowra YWCA will host the harmony walking trail and family fun day, joining with more than 2000 schools, local government, community and other groups celebrating the day across the country. In Nowra plans for the day also include a welcome to country, dance performances and cultural displays.  The harmony walking trail will feature 12 stations where the public can participate in cultural activities including African drumming, workshops Indian temple dancing and belly dancing. The event is a key part of the E Team project, funded under the Diverse Australia Program which is managed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
"All Welcome to Celebrate Diversity", Shoalhaven and Nowra News, 3 March 2009.

Article Text: A new belly dance class for mums and their babies is off to a great start in Wollongong. Virginia Keft-Kennedy of the Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance established the new class for mums with babies under 12 months after having a baby girl. "I realised just how few opportunities there were for brand new mums like myself to enjoy fun and healthy activities that also involved their babies," she says, "so I decided to run a class where mums can enjoy the benefits of belly dancing with their babies, without the stress of putting bay into child care."

The class is designed for new mums after a fun, low-impact, and baby-friendly way to exercise. "We incorporate belly dance movements with strengthening and toning exercises as well as stretches to help mums get back into shape while learning to belly dance at the same time." Keft-Kennedy says.

"The babies are placed on large mats on the floor and we dance around them - much to their amusement! Or, mum can hold baby and dance." There's advantage for both mum and baby. "Dance has been proven to enhance baby's awareness of space and helps with the development of co-ordination." The classes are held at the school on the corner of Kenny and Burelli Streets.
"Belly dancing bubs", Your Child, Illawarra Mercury, Tuesday April 22, 2008

Article Text: Wollongong's Virginia Keft-Kennedy was impressed when she first saw a belly dancing performance more than 12 years ago, but did not realise the traditional art may have been in her genes. "I liked the way the women's hips seemed to dance all on their own, without the women having anything to do with them" she said. After she learned the shimmies and shakes of the ancient dance, she began to look into its ancient history, and her own. "I did some research on my family name, Keft, and it's Egyptian," she said. "Keft originated back to an area in Egypt, called Keft, the people who lived there were silver workers who traveled around selling their silver".

Yesterday Ms Keft-Kennedy performed with her advanced troupe at an expo in Sutherland. "The really amazing thing about performing is being part of people's lives," she said. "I perform at a lot of weddings, Egyptian and Turkish weddings, and it's amazing to be part of such an important day".
"Belly dance comes naturally to Virginia'", Illawarra Mercury, August 18, 2008

Article Text: Among the live acts at Sunday's Spring into Corrimal 2008 festival will be a performance from Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance. Dancer Virginia Keft-Kennedy said the belly dance performance had been among the festival's entertainment line-up for the last eight years. "What I love about the Spring into Corrimal festival is the community spirit and the family atmosphere," she said. "Belly dancing is right at home in this community event because historically belly dancing is done at family and community occasions." Ms Keft-Kennedy will perform with up to 20 of her students including those from her children's class. The ancient dance was more than just some hip shimmies, Ms Keft-Kennedy said. "It's amazingly strong and feminine," she said. The festival will get underway at 9am with the grand parade due to begin at 10am. Throughout the day there will be carnival rides, stalls, farm animals, street entertainment and live performances.
"Festival dancers shimmy into spring", Illawarra Mercury, Friday September 12, 2008: p21.

Article Text: Myth and mystery surround the art of belly dancing so JODIE DUFFY decided to get the facts from a Wollongong instructor who has a PhD on the subject.

There's something sensual and mesmerising about the ancient art of belly dancing. The large volume of colourful fabric swishing against the legs, the wreaths of jangly coins and bells and the exposed belly rolling to an ancient, tribal drum beat. Like the bulging, stretched belly of a pregnant woman, a female's swaying tummy is an affirmation of feminine strength and beauty. Dr Virginia Keft-Kennedy thought so when at the age of 19 she first wrapped a jewelled, studded scarf around her hips at a Fairy Meadow belly dance class... Read the full article 'Move with the Times' here.
Jodie Duffy "Move with the Times" The Weekender, Illawarra Mercury, Saturday July 19, 2008.

Article Text: The emphasis was on positive body image when the largest gathering of belly dancers in the Illawarra shimmied at the 4th annual Harem Night on Saturday. More than 180 belly dancers aged from four years up performed modern, contemporary and folkloric items on the night, held at the Master Builders Club. This year's theme at the women-only event was Rak the Casbah, a play on the Arabic name for belly dance, raks sharqui.

Performer Virginia Keft-Kennedy said dances from Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt were showcased at the event presented by the Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance. Ms Keft-Kennedy said Cinnamon Twist comprised women of varying ages and backgrounds who shared a love for the Middle Eastern dance. "The annual Harem Night provides the opportunity for women to dress up, let their hair down and shimmy the night away to the rhythms of the Middle East," She said. One of the most important roles belly dance plays was to encourage a positive body image. "Belly dance is a dance form that is open to women of all shapes and sizes ... the involvement of women serves as an introduction to various countries and cultures.
"Women Twist night away to feel good" Illawarra Mercury, Monday November 17, 2008.

Listen to the interview here.
[text accompanying interview] With roots dating back 300 years, the various styles and flavours of belly dancing will be celebrated in Wollongong later this month.
It's a dance with Middle Eastern origins, spectacular costumes, lots of jingling bells and often quite a lot of flesh. But one consistent part of belly dancing is the fun factor.
    This is the inaugural year for the Wollongong Belly Dance Festival which will be held in the city on the 28th-30th October.It's a three day event featuring plenty of colour, music and a lot of hip shaking.
    The festival's organiser is belly dance instructor Virginia Keft-Kennedy, or should that be Dr Keft-Kennedy - she has a PhD in the history of belly dancing, which stretches back as far as the 18th-19th century in North Africa and the Middle East. When I meet her she's wearing a striking red, gold and black crop top with a matching flowing skirt of the same colours and the silver bangles on her wrist jingle whenever she moves.
    "Everyone likes the costumes - they are by far one of the most appealing things about belly dancing," she said.
    "People come in wearing their ordinary clothes and gradually transform into these magical creatures with fantastic skirts and colourful belts and people really enjoy that side of it."
    She says the dance genre is always evolving, and recent Middle-Eastern flavoured pop music by artists like Shakira and the Pussycat Dolls has been incorporated into modern performance belly dancing.
    "There's always strong hip movement and that's crucial to what the dance is about," Virginia said.
    "I tell my students to learn to love it and enjoy the way your body moves and feel that heaviness we have - it's not a dance form about floating about the room."

Interview April 2011.
Transcript coming soon!

Interview 10th August 2008.
Transcript coming soon!

Read an interview with Virginia by Sydney's acclaimed dancer and teacher Amera Eid.
Keft-Kennedy, Virginia. Interview by Amera Eid.

The Palace Magazine. Issue 39, May 2006: p10-13. Feature Cover: Virginia Keft-Kennedy

*Text coming soon!

The art of belly dance or “raks sharqi” as it is known in the Middle East is one of the oldest surviving dance forms in existence. It has ancient associations with pregnancy and childbirth, with family celebrations such as weddings and engagements and can be earthy, dramatic, joyful, or graceful. It is a dance style that transcends the generational divides and suits the female body at every stage of life. There are no boundaries to who can try belly dance. At Cinnamon Twist School of Belly Dance we attract women, kids and babies of all ages, all body shapes and sizes, and all cultural backgrounds. Since belly dance was first introduced to the West in the late nineteenth century women and kids of all ages have been drawn to it. It continues to captivate us for... Read the full article 'Belly Dance for Kids' here.

Women of the Middle East have ‘hip circled’, ‘shimmied’ and swayed their way through pregnancy for centuries. Belly dancing is one of the earliest surviving dances and with its ancient connections with pregnancy and childbirth it is no wonder that this dance is experiencing a revival in the West as a unique form of prenatal conditioning. The gentle circular and rolling motions of belly dance have long been associated with the intuitive movements that many women have found to ease the discomfort of pregnancy, and even the pain of labour. Belly dancing is an especially good form of prenatal exercise because it is low impact, promotes good posture, and improves the abdominal control and awareness needed during pregnancy, childbirth, and in the postpartum recovery period. Since the late 19th century the American film industry has single-mindedly emphasised the seductive elements of belly dance. In fact, the idea that... Read the full article 'Belly Dance through Pregnancy' here.