By JAMIE KELLY of the Missoulian
Diners sometimes don't quite know what their response should be when dancer Kelli Marie takes the floor.
"People don't really know what to do," says Marie, a longtime Missoula belly dancer and instructor who for the past month has been entertaining guests at the hip-strip restaurant. " ‘Am I supposed to clap? Am I supposed to look?' "
It would be hard not to look even if you wanted to. Marie, who teaches belly dance and performs her art in a variety of styles from East Indian to classic belly dance to Flamenco, commands your attention, if but for the sole reason that dining with a belly dancer isn't something you do every time you eat out.
And though it's a rare experience, it's not unique. Tipu's Tiger restaurant on Fourth Street also features belly dancers on occasion.
For Bridge owner Shirley Juhl, the match of dance and dining is perfectly suited to a Missoula audience.
"That's what Missoula's all about to me," she says. "We have so much culture that's local, whether it be bands or plays or comedy. We've got it so let's be able to share it with other folks."
On Wednesdays, Marie shares her art in small bites, not as a main course. Her routine isn't an entire floor show; it comes in small numbers, around five to 10 minutes long, followed by a 20-minute break. That keeps diners entertained but doesn't distract them from their conversations and other dining pleasures.
"You don't want to let their food get cold," says Marie, who grew up in Missoula and graduated from Sentinel High School. "That way I feel like I'm able to allow people their time."
Marie's goal is to introduce people to the joy and art of belly dancing, which she passionately describes as a celebration of health and femininity.
"I love the idea that we can convey emotion through movement," she said. "This dance can do that. I also like the idea that we can let women know that though this dance is sensual, that that's OK. We can be OK with celebrating femininity and strength at the same time through movement."
Juhl met Marie several years ago while taking a water aerobics class at the Women's Club, where Marie also teaches. Marie rented out the Crystal Theater downstairs from the restaurant for a show featuring her and her students, and that's when Juhl approached her about dancing in her restaurant.
"We said, ‘We need to do this.' And she said, ‘OK, how about Wednesday?' " Juhl recalled. "She's fantastic, such a sweet person who can just give you all the confidence in the world that you can dance like that as well. … I know all the customers, and I think word's getting out."
Marie isn't paid for her performances, but gladly accepts tips from Bridge customers. But for her, money isn't the motivation. Exposing people to belly dance is.
"It's obviously self-promoting, bit it's a good way to introduce people to the joy of it," she says.
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