The Belly Dances : Not only is it invigorating exercise, it manages to stretch the mind and a sense of feeling good as well.
Grace Gary of Camarillo, a 74-year-old with a zest for living, lends credence to the adage about snow on the roof but fire in the hearth.
Back in 1918, the year Gary was born, vaudeville acts were popular. And everyone was talking about Maxfield Parrish’s painting, “The Garden of Allah.” That picture must have had a delayed effect on Gary too. Because 10 years ago she took up belly-dancing with a vengeance.
“Belly-dancing perpetuates your sense of femininity and desirability as a woman,” she said. “When you look good, you know you’re going to be attractive to a man.”
And look good she does, 5 feet tall, 95 pounds. In fact, Gary, whose dance name is Saroya (which means “royal princess”), has a figure most women half her age would envy.
But lest anyone think Gary is corporeally centered, she also believes strongly in the creative power of thought. Hence she became ordained as a minister with the National Metaphysical Institute in 1969. Although Gary has never held a ministry, she and her husband regularly attend services at the Church of Religious Science in Camarillo, which, she said, emphasizes a nondenominational philosophy encompassing the religions of the world and the Golden Rule.
“Basically it’s a philosophy of life using the creative power in the relationship between mind and body,” Gary said.
And she keeps her body in shape by swimming, working out with three-pound dumbbells, and taking a fast one-mile walk after breakfast. Gary recommends belly-dancing because it provides stretching and toning movements without hard impact on the joints.
Her friend, Sally Westover, an instructor in Carpinteria, calls belly-dancing “Arabic aerobics.” “It’s good fun and good full body exercise because it isolates each body part as we dance.” Westover, 47, said many of her students never choose to perform in public. “But older women seem adept at picking up belly-dance moves because they’ve been through life. And they can experiment now and don’t care what other people think,” Westover added.
Gary credited her energy and terpsichorean talents to dance lessons since age 7. She competed in exhibition ballroom dancing for many years before taking up the hula. Then Gary and her five fellow Leisure Village Leilani’s performed at charitable events until the group dispersed three years ago.
The hula hip action seemed a bit too tame for Gary, who began belly-dance lessons at Ventura College in 1982 followed by four years of private lessons. “I prefer belly-dancing because it you can do solos and it is more creative and glamorous,” Gary said, “but we don’t like the term belly-dancing even though it best describes it to the public. We prefer the term Middle-Eastern dancing. “
“Thank goodness my present husband approves of my belly-dancing and is proud of my talents,” she said. “My last husband thought it was something that happened at stag parties. He was ashamed so it was hard to keep making my costumes.” But, he changed his mind about her hobby, Grace said, after she took him to a Middle-Eastern dance program at the college.
Grace and Hugh Gary, 79, married a year and a half ago. Both had become widowed within seven weeks of each other. For 10 years before that, they had been neighbors in Leisure Village.
“I made it very clear I always had soft eyes for him,” Gary said. “And he made it clear that he did for me too. I was afraid he’d get away. I didn’t want anyone else to grab him. And I knew he’d be happy with me.”
Hugh confirmed that opinion tenfold. They enjoy playing golf together and, when they take a cruise, his bride dances in the talent shows. She has no children of her own. “But I’ve got 17 great-grandchildren,” Hugh said. “So every year we send Christmas and birthday checks. And then we get lost.”
They also belong to the Ventura County Chapter of the 1918 Club, an international social and charitable club for people, like Grace, who were born in that year. Spouses participate as associate members. Many of the county’s 51 members take bus trips together. And they plan fund-raising projects for the Ventura County Rescue Mission during monthly luncheon meetings.
“That was one of the reasons I wanted to join,” Grace Gary said. “We help others as well as socialize.”
BELLY-DANCING CLASSES
* Oxnard College will offer beginning and intermediate belly-dancing from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for six Saturdays beginning Sept. 12. Fee $35. To register beginning in late July, call 986-5822. Similar classes will be offered in the fall by Moorpark College, 378-1408, and Ventura College, 654- 6459. Registration information will be available later this summer. Call your local senior center for classes as well.
* Sally Westover teaches beginning belly-dancing at Carpinteria Fitness Center, 901 Linden Ave., Carpinteria 684-2299.
* The 1918 Club has annual membership dues of $6 per person, $7 per couple. Luncheon meetings are held at 11:30 a.m. on the second Monday of each month in restaurants around the county. For more information, call 658-7037.