I had Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) long before it was fashionable. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a hippie. My mother read all kinds of fashion and women’s magazines, which is where I got my idea of what a hippie was. They had long hair, wore beads and faded, patched jeans, and went to great concerts. While the subtleties of anything else they enjoyed were totally lost on me, I sensed that they were in the heart of the zeitgeist at the time and I wanted to be part of it.

The year I turned 10 was the year of the Woodstock Festival. I was, of course, too young to go, and was bitterly disappointed about it. Not only was there all that great music, but again, I sensed that this was an important event. I felt that I was missing out on an opportunity that would never come again.

Fast forward 30 years. I took a belly dancing class with some friends. As I delved into the music, costuming, and classes, I learn about the early nightclub scene in Boston and greater New England. Many of my teachers were either part of it, or learned from dancers who performed back then. It sounded like such a wonderful time - live music and dancing seven nights a week in most clubs. One dancer, Za-Beth, told me that she’d often pack up her things after her show and rush to catch a friend’s show at another club. It was magical and glamorous and, once again, I feel that what happened then was important. And once again, I missed out.

This project, and this research, is a labor of love and a tribute to those glamorous times. I want to capture and document the people and places of that era so that today’s dancers understand that what happened here in the Boston area during that time had a major imprint on how belly dance is performed and taught throughout the United States. And, while I wasn’t around for this time period, I can feel how very special they were every time I interview a “legend” from that era.

Check back to this site often - it’s constantly being updated as I discover more stories, news, photos, and more!

Amy Smith
October 2019