A conversation on race in the Belly Dance world | Patrice D’Evans

For many years I believed that the belly dance community was a shining example of openness and inclusion.

In the wake of the racist tensions rocking the US and beyond many dancers have spoken out to the contrary and I’ve found myself having to question those previously held beliefs.

So I’m reaching out – to organizations at the forefront of this struggle to offer support, to people of color to hear their voices and their experiences, and to friends and fellow dancers to be able to openly and thoughtfully communicate in a non-judgemental manner in order to find the next steps in the anti-racism journey we need to make together.

This is a recording of one of those conversations.

I am honored to have had the opportunity to speak with the amazing Patrice D’Evans – an actress, belly dancer and minister who was called to the dance and has made a niche for herself by combining her talents. It’s an open and honest discussion of one African-American woman’s experience in the belly dance world – what is working, what is not, and how we can move forward together towards a more just, equal and racially-diverse future.

You can learn more about Patrice on her various platforms:

YouTube:  @Patrice D’Evans 

Facebook: facebook.com/PatriceDEvansCaribbeanStyleBellyDancerActress/

Instagram: instagram.com/bellydancefitwithpatrice/

Website: patricedevans.com

I hope you will listen to this with an open heart and mind and use it to inspire conversations and action in your community and to help right the many years of wrong that have been happening on our watch.

Let’s keep the conversation going and include every voice.

Add your thoughts below. (Racist or inflammatory remarks will be deleted. Please respect one another in civil discourse.)

Thank you for being a part of the movement.

#blacklivesmatter #raceandbellydance

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