Upstate Belly Dancer
Hǽthra
Mharí
For years I have used belly dance as a creative outlet and a coping mechanism for my anxiety and depression symptoms. I am now in a season of my life where I feel called to be more active in my community and help people in a truly meaningful way. It is my mission to teach belly dance as a form of recovery and empowerment.
Hobby turned passion into purpose.
As someone who has struggled with my mental health for decades I am passionate about providing the same sense of community, acceptance and accomplishment I have experienced within my dance community to as many people as I can through my love of belly dance.
Why Belly Dance?
“Before I was even aware of it, dance was working to change my state of mind and save my life.”
Upstate belly dancer, Heather Marie (Hathra Mhari) talks about how dance evolved from a hobby to a form of expression that saved her life and how she plans on bringing the same joy and purpose to others in the Upstate.
I envision a welcoming community of people with a mutual desire to heal themselves and others.
As this dream evolves, I want to keep healing and acceptance at the core of this project. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am committed to creating a safe space for anyone who wants to explore movement in a new way. My priority is to pass on what I know while encouraging cultural and self-exploration and building meaningful connections that nurture a supportive, loving community.
My first step is this blog where I hope to share my experience, perspective and philosophy on belly dance in general and also teaching this form of movement as a somatic, healing therapy. I hope that my articles will provoke thoughtful discussions and lead some of you to dance, but my biggest hope is that this will encourage just one person struggling with their mental health to just take that first step toward healing. For me that first step was dance.