At the 2009 8th Persephone's Masquerade
Romka', as they do every year at this event, performed their unquiet unique innovative postmodern punk/Goth way of taking belly dance to a whole other level. This year they started going into the audience and pulling people onto the dance floor to try and match their hip undulations and bosom shimmies. Soon it became a free for all rushing to the dance floor.

I waited for one of the Romka' women to pull me up from my chair... as I hit the dance floor I busted some very basic Belly Dance 101 moves. Her expression showed astonishment as she exclaimed "Oh my, you dance so well!" Well, she was being generous. But with the encouragement I managed to match her shimmy for shimmy. She used easy techniques for me to follow along with, not her advanced level of creative synchronized choreography.

Could it really be so surprising they would find belly dancers at this event they've gotten to know so well? There were dozens of fellow amateur belly dancers undulating in our midst. I didn't find out that irenejericho was across the room from Diana and me until later. Each of us was surprised to see the other there. Or I would have totally reprised the belly dance class we took together a few years ago. I bet Irene remembers she and I were the only two good students there.