To help her students visualize just how they should arch their feet in proper tribal belly-dance style, instructor Sam Sheley suggested a mental exercise: ”Your nastiest pair of high heels: Put ’em on and crank your foot up,” Sheley said.

Sheley led eight women, one as young as 11, through a variety of hip-twisting moves in her introductory tribal belly-dance class at the Gotta Dance! studio in Bend on Sunday.

While it took some of the women longer than others to catch on to the dance’s contortions and twirls, they said the class was a fun – and unique – way to get a good workout.

And if they needed help with more difficult moves, Sheley was ready with a helpful analogy:

”It’s like you’re cleaning off a jar of mayonnaise or peanut butter – whatever nasty stuff you want,” said Sheley, explaining the correct wrist-twirl to accompany the dance.

For proper hip motion: ”Is your butt swinging backward and forward.” Sheley asked. ”If it is, you need to put a harness on that.”

Or, imagine you’re holding grocery bags in each arm, and you shut your car door, but didn’t close it all the way: ”You have to bump it,” Sheley said, swinging her hips sharply to the side.

Wearing long, flowing dresses, with the requisite bared midriff, Sheley and her pupils gyrated through an hour and a half of basic belly-dancing moves. In the background, gentle drum music helped set the mood.

Leah Cooper, a 25-year-old computer graphics artist from Bend, said she started taking belly-dancing classes about a year ago, after seeing a performance in Eugene.

”It’s a good way to express yourself,” Cooper said. ”Your age and how you’re built really doesn’t matter at all.”

Cindy Ferris brought her 11-year-old daughter Johanna to class for the first time on Sunday. And although Johanna suffered some foot cramps partway through the lesson, she said she enjoyed it.

”It’s different from what most kids do these days,” said Johanna, who added that she likes to dance at home with some of her friends. ”Actually, we usually don’t dance that much, we just like to dress up.”

The studio has regular recitals for more advanced students, but most of the women there on Sunday said they do it for the exercise and for the fun.

”It’s a good way to stay in shape,” said Cindy Ferris. ”This can be very aerobic.”

Tribal-style belly dance is more down-to-earth and less flashy than traditional, cabaret belly dance, said instructor Sheley. That’s why dancers usually keep their feet in firm contact with the floor and wear less gaudy costumes, she said.

”It’s about being connected to the earth and being connected to the women around you,” Sheley said.

Besides the Gotta Dance! lessons, tribal-style belly-dance classes are available from the Gypsy Fire studio in Bend. More information about its classes and schedules are available at www.gypsyfirebellydance.com. Central Oregon Community College also occasionally offers introductory belly dancing classes. Its schedule is online at www.cocc.edu.