Meet Josephina Gasca

Imagine a room filled with a group of women wearing bright-colored hip scarves with jangling coins. Ranging from high school seniors to senior citizens and every age in between, they come from all walks of life, some mother-daughter pairs, some belly dance buddies, but all of them eager to dance, each with a unique body type and history. And each with a story to express through the dance. And you begin to understand. There’s nothing as satisfying as getting together with this group of women every week to dance. And they are amazing women.

Teaching belly dance is the highlight of my day during the work week. For me, it’s an opportunity to help form community and bridge the generations at a time when we are more connected virtually, but in turn more isolated. I often say in my classes that if humanity danced together, there would be a lot less war. I believe this, because I have observed the evolution of many women sinking in and getting really comfortable in their own skin and stretching out into the music and luxuriating in the dance.

I am privileged to be able to share an art form which creates a space for these women to explore that feeling on an individual level as well as in community. We work hard and laugh even harder. We move quietly. We clamor. We dance.

Josephina teaches Belly Dance on Wednesday nights at Wiscasset Adult & Community Education, Monday in Brunswick, and Thursday in Bath. An accomplished writer, she also teaches a Pen2Page Fiction workshop.

Posted by Anne Fensie  on July 18, 2011 | Read more in: News