MERIDIAN —     Named in honor of Kelly Mitchell, the Gypsy Queen buried in Meridian’s Rosehill Cemetery, Queen City Gypsies was formed in 2002 by Gypsy Williams and has grown to be an important part of Meridian's alternative art scene — and beyond.

    "Sister troupes have started other places from members who moved away," said Williams, whose whole life has been about dance. "I wanted to give a new form of dance and art to the community and connect with the cultural history of Meridian."

    It’s an ancient art form that started as a way to prepare women for child birth. Williams is among those dancers who don't especially care for the term 'belly dancing.'

    "I would call it world dance fusion if you had to put it in a box, which I hate," she said. "I wanted to recreate that ancient experience."

    On the Queen City Gypsies Web site at queencitygypsies.com, their dance is described as "a mélange of movements, music and costumes borrowed from numerous cultures and traditions."

    You can experience their art and the interpretations of many guest dancers when the Queen City Gypsies present "Shimmy for Our Shores" on Saturday,

Aug. 7, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. in the Temple Theater Ballroom, 2320 Eighth St.

    The benefit "hafla" — a belly dance party — is being held to raise money to help clean up wildlife affected by the Gulf Coast oil spill. Proceeds from the event will go to the National Wildlife Federation.

    A donation of $10 is requested for adults, $5 for children. Food, drink, pictures with the dancers, fortune telling and a silent auction will all be part of the fun.

    Queen City Gypsies member and the event organizer, Michelle Joyner, said the idea for the benefit came from a recent belly dance workshop in Atlanta.

    "There I met a dancer from North Carolina who had already planned a hafla and at the last minute decided to put a jar on the drink table and ask for donations, which she then donated to the National Wildlife Federation," Joyner said. "We had all seen the coverage of the oil-soaked wildlife and we were all very frustrated. We wanted to do something to help our wildlife get the immediate care needed without the bureaucratic red tape. Encouraging belly dancers to come together and celebrate our art has always been a priority for Queen City Gypsies, and to do it for a good cause just makes it even more enjoyable."

    She said Roger Smith, owner of the historic Temple Theater, graciously offered the ballroom for the event and from there it just took off!

    "Traditionally, a hafla, or belly dance party, is done for the enjoyment of the dancers," Joyner said. "We decided to put a twist on it and invite the public, request donations and donate the money to the National Wildlife Federation. We are expecting approximately 25 dancers ranging in styles from traditional raqs sharqi to tribal fusion to gypsy fusion to anime belly dance, and we are very excited to have Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Walt Grayson as our Master of Ceremonies ... We hope to showcase many styles of belly dance, celebrate our art, and raise money for a cause important to all of us who love our coast."

    Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase and every table will be provided with a platter of pita bread, hummus and other theme-inspired munchies. Planet Bakery (www.baklava.com), which landed in the No. 3 spot on Fine Living Network's Top 10 mail-order dessert companies, is providing their famous baklava.

EVENT DETAILS

    Who: Queen City Gypsies

    • What: Belly-dancing Hafla Benefit

    • When: Saturday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

    • Where: Temple Theater

    • Why: Proceeds go to National Wildlife Federation for Gulf oil spill relief

    • How much: $10 for adults, $5 for children

    • For more information on the event, visit the Queen City Gypsies Web site at queencitygypsies.com, or call (601) 917-4940.

    • For more information on the National Wildlife Federation, visit their Web site at www.nwf.org.



    The following items will be included in the silent auction at the Queen City Gypsies benefit hafla. The items have been donated, and proceeds will go to the National Wildlife Federation for Gulf oil spill relief:

AUCTION ITEMS

    • Autographed Paramore box set and four tickets to their New Orleans show

    • Autographed items from Randy Houser

    • Two round trip Amtrak tickets to New Orleans

    • Paintings by Greg Cartmell, Julie Lee, and Steve Gillespie

    • Historic Photos of Mississippi book signed by Author

    • Autographed Robert St. John cookbook

    • Autographed memorabilia from Billy the Exterminator

    • One month of art lessons from Peggy Harmon

    • Art by Keating Prather

    • Cherokee artwork by Mark Wakeham

    • Designer sunglasses from Primary Eye Care

    • Spacey Tattoo and Wonderland Tattoo gift certificates

    • Saw clock from York Drugs

    • Tool sets from York Pawn

    • Gift bag from Belle G

    • Keyless entry unit for vehicle from Selective Auto and Customs