PRINCE ANDREW ~~ Male Belly Dancer:

As young children we were all bedazzled by the magical tales spun by a clairvoyant great aunt who had been a dancer in the “Roaring 20s.” Her animated stories of her wild adventures on the stage and her reminiscences of her supernatural experiences with her powerfully psychic mother all colored our imaginations and inspired our spiritual and performing interests.

I was performing risque moves and exotic dances from a very young age, which had no basis in the “Euro-mutt” heritage I came from. Admittedly, even my eccentric family looked a bit askance at my bawdy and seductive dancing outbursts and my elder brothers teased me mercilessly.

Whenever I caught glimpses of old movies with Eastern or Middle Eastern dancers, I was intrigued. But, how would I ever be able to learn such dances?

In the ‘70s, the “belly dancing” phenomenon spread, especially in light of the hippie climate of the day, and classes were taught locally in my hometown of Tucson, Arizona. When one of my elder sisters actually took a belly dance class, I was silently and secretly jealous. Not for long, however...

As a teen I managed to get into a public alternative school. Our physical education classes started with yoga, Sufi dancing and massage! Great school. On my own I began also studying meditation and the pranayama techniques of Self-Realization Fellowship. This became my lifelong path.

The next semester the yoga/Sufi dance teacher, Siddiqi, invited her belly dancing teacher, Dixie Roundtree, to perform for the students. There was such an enthusiastic response that Siddiqi offered belly dancing as a P.E. class the next semester. My secret desire was at last to be fulfilled. I began to study the dance every week as part of my high school curriculum!

While Siddiqi and other female students were mostly supportive, there was one student who was openly sarcastic about me belly dancing. As the young women all started getting opportunities to perform right away, she would bitingly chide that no one would ever want to see me perform. Her comments found their mark and I did a good bit of soul-searching about continuing. This was before the days of the likes of Chippendale’s and  male dancers performing for female audiences. I didn’t really have any male role models I could follow in this art form at this time, especially in Tucson, Arizona! I realized that in my heart of hearts, that should no one ever want to see me perform, that I would dance always for myself, for my own soul’s satisfaction.

I took heart in seeing a picture of Ibrahim Farrah on the back of Eddie Kochak's "Strictly Bellydancing" album.  Ah, there were other male belly dancers and I was going to be one of them!

Soon thereafter, our class did its first public performance. I had never danced outside of the classroom and was leery as to how the mixed audience would respond to a male belly dancer. I steeled myself for the worst response. I inhaled deeply and just decided to face my fears as a warrior, with confidence and passion. I leapt onto the stage with bravado and to my surprise the audience reacted with such enthusiasm and appreciation that my fears were soon conquered.

Prince Andrew (age 17) performing at
the 4th Avenue Street Fair with Kareema, Tucson, Arizona

My first experience of learning from a male Middle Eastern dancer was from Roman “Bert” Balladine, who was giving a workshop in Arizona with the late (Vegas based) “Dalilah.” I was inspired by the way Bert danced duets with flair, flourish and deference to his partner. I gained an appreciation for the value of dancing with a partner and the symbiotic energy that could flow between two dancers.

As a teen, in the late 70s, I moved to Los Angeles and was recruited to perform in a variety show, “the Hollywood Harem” that was to tour in Japan.  John Compton came down from San Francisco and was supposed to go with the first group and I was to follow in a second group.  I was powerfully impressed with John’s enigmatic performance. He was very playfully flirtatious with his audience and very charismatic.  I thought myself rather self-conscious and overly serious as a performer in comparison.  Seeing him perform with such delight and humor helped shift my own attitude and helped elevate my dance style and my audience interaction.

In later years I took workshops from both John Compton and Kamal and very much enjoyed their classes.

As a college student, I happily danced at many international dance festivals, private parties and did “bellygrams” for an entertainment company that Mesmera (Laurie Rose) was involved in. Since I was struggling to put myself through school, I never joined any of the Middle Eastern dance associations, or competed or performed at the belly dance festivals.  So, I was known only to a select few in my dance community.

In Los Angeles I did perform at some of the well-known restaurants like Dar Magreb, did a couple of bellygrams at Moun of Tunis and danced for a short time at Marrakesh in Studio City.

After college I was swept up by the Hollywood movie biz and my belly dancing became a side hobby that I continued to dabble in, but was not my main focus.

In 1985, I was blessed to see a very spiritually uplifting performance of the Shakti dance company, which performed in the South Indian Classical dance style, Bharata Natyam. I approached the director of the dance company, Viji Prakash, after the show and discussed the possibility of studying with her. I decided that studying Bharata Natyam would be a sublime way of bringing together my meditation practice and my love for dance. In 1986, I began the arduous spiritual journey into the heady discipline of this ancient dance form. It is a powerful blend of spiritual storytelling and channeling of the Divine creative force, Shakti, into dance. I did Bharata Natyam performances of Buddha, Shiva, Krishna and various deities at temples and performing arts centers for several years.

In 1993 and 1994, I traveled with the California AIDS Ride as part of a support team. I was a massage therapist and we did bodywork on thousands of bicycle riders who were raising money for AIDS. On the 1994 Ride I also was asked to be part of the entertainment as well and belly danced for a couple thousand weary riders. An article described me as a “Gumby-like dancer.” Does anyone even remember the rubbery, clamation character, Gumby?! Yikes!

In the mid-90s I began to feel a greater pull toward my dancing and the healing arts as my main focus of expression. I seemed to be harkening back to my high school days where I first learned massage, yoga and belly dancing! I began studying more bodywork techniques and enrolled in both an Oriental medical school for acupuncture and herbology training and in the American University of Complementary Medicine to study homeopathy and Ayurvedic medicine.

At the same time, I started dancing regularly at a Moroccan restaurant, Babouch, in San Pedro, doing both solo and duet dancing. My first partner there was the dazzling Maria.  Maria has since retired from Babouch, but has been utilizing her talented creative powers as my costumer!  I then danced at Babouch for several years with the sizzling Juliette.  Currently, I am performing at Babouch with the deliciously passionate dancer, Brianna. 

Meanwhile, I also started dancing at more parties, events and started teaching.  The Egyptian owners of Babouch, Kamal & Yousef Keroles, were the ones to begin calling me "Prince Andrew" and I have used the title ever since.

In 1998, I decided to return to college and began studying in graduate programs for natural medicine:  Chinese medicine, Homeopathy and Ayurvedic medicine.  In the study of the life force energy (qi or prana) in the channels, meridians and points that are common to Eastern healing, I found a profound link to the movements and healing power of Eastern dances.  Where there are blockages, there is imbalance physically and emotionally.  Use of these ancient movements help to release stagnation and create a positive and transformative flow physically, emotionally and spiritually!

Finally, in 2002, I decided it was time to perform for “my community” and danced at MECDA’s Cairo Carnivale held in Glendale with Juliette. Juliette and I were tickled to have our picture featured in the L.A. Times from that performance; but, oddly, the accompanying article was all about belly dance being a “celebration of femininity” and mentioned nothing of the men involved. Hmmmm.

In the fall of the same year, I was included with a wonderful group of musicians and dancers in a fusion performance called “Anima” that was held at the Velvet Room in Los Angeles. There was Indian jazz fusion, Middle Eastern jazz fusion and African jazz fusion in three wild performances of dance, body paint and fire! It was one of the most organic and powerful dance programs I have ever been involved in.

In 2003, I did the unthinkable and actually participated in a competition, “Belly Dancer of the Universe!” The name of that always makes me smile. I decided that I must be representing some distant planet from another galaxy. I competed in the “Fusion” category and blended belly dancing with Bharata Natyam. I was awarded the championship for that category and tied for a “People’s Choice” award. To be honest, I’m not the competition type, it’s all so subjective, isn’t it? But, I did feel it was a good way to become known to my belly dancing family...and I also needed the cash! Ha!

In 2004, I continued to expand my performances and explored more fusion with Indian dance, even choreographing some group performances that tell the stories of ancient India with both dance styles.

I had the opportunity to learn some Dabke dancing from male Lebanese dancer, Karim Cheikh-Ali, and performed in a group dance in a production called "Arabesque" produced by Juliet Arroyo at the Alex Theatre.

I decided to be bold and entered myself in the Bellydance Superstars competition, a show featuring females only.  I ended up a finalist and was invited to compete in the finals competition.  To my great joy most of my fellow finalists were all amazing dancers that I had done dance duets with in various performances.

Over the years of studying Indian dance and being strongly connected with the South Asian community, I was heavily exposed to Hindi Filmi "Bollywood" dances featured in many of the movies produced in India. I have often performed to these songs and enjoy their choreographies.  These dances are a wonderful fusion/masala of North and South Indian dance styles, belly dancing, pop, jazz and hip-hop. While I am not especially trained in jazz or hip-hop, I do like to blend belly dance, Bharata Natyam and other dance styles in performances to these very invigorating songs.  I began teaching a "Belly to Bollywood" dance class for those who are interested in exploring this fusion of exciting styles.  In 2005, I also joined blue13dance company and began to perform in group Bollywood shows.  Our group has danced at various venues in Southern California and in Arizona.  The highlight was dancing in the invigorating Bollywood fairytale, "Karishma," which was inspired by Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night's Dream."  It premiered at the Ford Amphitheatre to a packed and appreciative audience and received glowing reviews.

Also, in 2005, I began expanding my performances and instruction to  international venues.  To date I have danced in Costa Rica, Spain and Toronto and London, Canada.  It is wonderful to travel, dance and meet new friends.

As I mature and see more and more men explore this art form, I am pleased to witness the climate increasingly welcoming us. The internet also connects us and offers us role models and opportunities to share, connect and learn from one another. Gradually we are coming together and celebrating the force of Spirit and Nature intertwining together in profound and magical ways as dancers and friends.