Belly dancers coin it in
4:06pm Friday 29th August 2008 in News By Julian Thorpe
Four members of the UCAN Shakers, from left: Susan Temple, Dawn Booth, Elsie Byron and Janet Szabo
A GROUP of belly dancers livened up a dry meeting by shaking their booties in a novel appeal for funding.
The UCAN Shakers, made up of seven women from the Oldhams Estate, Astley Bridge, put on a performance for councillors at an area forum at Sharples School when they asked for a £500 grant.
Although they decided against a full musical show, four dancers demonstrated their skills to people as they filed into the meeting.
The women, who have been a hit at numerous events around Bolton, want the cash to commission professionally-made belly dancing costumes.
The group is using homemade costumes but, in the face of their increasing popularity, they want to take their performances to the next level by wearing the full regalia. Dancer Janet Szabo said: “We want the costumes to make us look more professional.
“We’ve been doing quite a lot of performances now and we want to look the proper part of real belly dancers.”
The dancers started learning the art of belly dancing in January when Moroccan Fatima Rae, who runs the creche, offered to lead classes.
Sessions are held at the Oldhams Estate UCAN Centre every Thursday between 10am and 11am.
