“Close the car door,” is a move that most women have performed dozens of times, as they swing a hip to shut the door of a car, while holding a toddler or carrying bags of groceries. It is also a belly dance move that a dozen women practiced while participating in a belly dance-tribal fusion dance class at the Gateway Foundation building on Saturday morning in Pocatello.   

    Dance instructor Letty Limbach taught the group of women classic belly dance moves, including the “close the car door” swing of the hips, the “snake arms” move, and the Egyptian Basic, along with various graceful arms and hand movements.

    The class started with some yoga-type warm-ups, and then moved on to practicing the basic moves that make belly dancing a real workout. By the end of the class, the group was performing a combination of dance moves that exercised the abdomen and the arms, and were thoroughly enjoying themselves. “This loosens you up, and makes you happy,” said class participant Marlene Darling.    

Belly dance instructor Letty Limbach is a graduate of Pocatello High School, and has been involved in the art of dance for 15 years. She now lives in Seattle, where she works as a graphic artist, and regularly teaches and performs in the Seattle area. She also performs as half of the belly dance duo, CopperCreek. “We just did a production in Seattle,” said Limbaugh. “It was Alice in Wonderland, all in belly dance.”

Limbach explained the particular benefits of belly dancing, in contrast with other styles of dance. “It uses different muscle groups and helps you to learn how to energize those muscle groups,” she said. “It energizes your body, and even helps your brain, because in practicing the moves, it forms new connections with individual muscle groups,” Limbach explained.

In addition to teaching belly dance and tribal fusion dance for seven years, Limbach has also trained in many styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, modern dance, clogging, West African dance, hula, and salsa.  

    Dance Instructor Molly Jorgensen helped to arrange Saturday’s special belly dance class, through her connection to the Gateway Foundation, the Extend Dance program, and Limbach’s visit to the Pocatello area. “The Gateway Foundation is a non-profit theatre and dance organization,” explained Jorgensen. Jorgensen’s group, Extend Dance, uses the facility to host monthly dance classes in various styles, in order to teach the joy of dance.

    Jorgensen has earned a Master’s Degree in Dance from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and is also on the dance faculty of Idaho State University. “I think anyone can dance,” she said. “Dancing is a way to connect and feel alive.”

    Pocatello resident Terry Kaufmann participated in the class as her first experience in attempting belly dance. “It’s helpful to learn how the different muscles work, and how to work them and control them,” Kaufmann said. “This was a good exercise workout,” she added, “and it was a lot of fun!”