By Rachel Shuster

Belly dancing might be one of the world’s oldest forms of dance, but belly dancer Amaya is keeping the Middle Eastern tradition alive right here in Worcester. Amaya, whose real name is Bayda Asbridge, is enriched with travel experience; she was born in Syria, grew up in Kuwait, and lived in England for a good portion of her life before moving to the US. Amaya’s love for dancing started at an early age, and although she has no formal dance training, Amaya says, “I was brought up with it, it’s a part of my culture.”

It was in England that she “…fell in love with belly dancing.” Struggling to find work, but fluent in Arabic, Amaya decided to focus on her belly dancing, and has since made a solid career out of it for the past 10 years. Along with that is her career as an English teacher, which she also enjoys.

You can now find Amaya at Morocco at 172 Shrewsbury Street in Worcester. She performs primarily on Fridays and Saturdays, occasionally on Thursdays. “I tried the rest of the restaurants around here, but was disappointed. I found an article in the newspaper about Morocco and went with my friend who was looking to be a waitress. I’ve been there for five months now, since it opened.” She is very lucky to have found Morocco, and Morocco is very lucky to have found her!

Some of Amaya’s credits include a 2003 National Vocational Qualification in Arts Development & Teaching, Level 3, Lincolnshire Dance, Lincoln, UK, 2004 Oxford Cambridge RSA Examinations: Level 3 in Assessing Candidates in Dance Using a Range of Methods. Lincolnshire Dance, Wellingore, Lincoln, UK, 2004 Duty of Care Course by Jabadao, the Foundation for Community Dance, Lincolnshire Dance, Wellingore, LINCS, 2000 – 2006 Director of Middle Eastern Dance Studio, Lincoln & Nottingham, UK, 2004 – 2006 Dance Development Worker for the City of Lincoln Council, Lincoln Drill Hall, Lincoln, coordinating for 2 yearly Dance Seasons, helping to run educational dance workshops in schools by national dance companies, organizing dance events and performances for the local Lincoln Drill Hall theatre, and running dance and cultural workshops for schools, institutions and the council.

When asked what it takes to be a belly dancer, Amaya replied, “Regardless of what kind of dance it is, you need passion and an appreciation of the music. To be a belly dancer, creativity is a must. It’s an individual dance, your own interpretation. You follow your heart.”

Amaya explains that there are different styles of belly dancing. Among those that she performs are African, Flamenco and Tribal. Along with these styles come extravagant costumes, which are a vital part to Amaya’s performances. “Different dances require different costumes,” she says. She also commented on an interesting fact, sharing that “America actually created the two-piece costume for belly dancers, and the Middle East followed.”

Amaya’s performances at Morocco in March will be on the 15, 22 & 28, so go check her out while indulging in real, ethnic Middle Eastern food and atmosphere!

Want to have Amaya perform at an event? Contact her at bayda.asbridge@yahoo.com