Belly Dancers Shake Up Saturday Night At Cannon Coffee

The costumes were as varied as the melodies and intricate footwork displayed by the ladies of Tribe of Azhar at on Saturday.

From tribal tunes to Radiohead and from vintage Victorian pantaloons to flowing skirts, Pittsburgh Belly Dance and Healing Arts instructor and director Amethyst said adding a modern touch to the rich tradition of belly dance provides “positive, fun energy” for the audience.

Not only is it fun to watch but it's good for the dancers, too.

“There's a mind, body, spirit connection. It makes you feel good,” said Amethyst, who adopted the stage name because the stone's chemical properties are believed to transform negative energy into positive energy.

Belly dancing is a spiritual art form, she said, and she was excited to bring her troupe to Cannon.

“One of my students told me about [Cannon Coffee] and I love it here. It's nice, fun. People are friendly and I like the atmosphere, the decorations and of course, the coffee," she said.

The show was barista Janine Dewitt's first glimpse of a belly dancing performance.

“It's really cool. The costumes look awesome. Saturday nights are not that busy so it's nice to have entertainment,” she said.

Kai Moonbourn, a Cannon Coffee regular, said the artists who perform at Cannon benefit the community, patrons and the artists.

“[The shows] bring people together and generates conversation, and provides a change in routine that gets people thinking of doing new things,” he said.