After a warm-up and review of previously learned steps such as the belly roll, double hip shake, and hip circles, Burgos, also known by her performance name of Sitamun, begins teaching new moves. The class is learning to "flutter" - to jiggle the stomach. Burgos tells them to "pant like a dog in July. Some of us, like me" she points out, "will have more to jiggle than others." The class laughs. Then on to figure eight arms. Students twist and rotate an imaginary candle in the flat of their hands. "It's like washing the inside of an hour glass" Burgos informs. "Try it at home with something non-breakable until you get the hang of it." She walks through the group to give individual instruction. At the front of the class, two advanced students continue to demonstrate the move.

"Believe it or not, although they call it belly dance here, that's a misnomer," Burgos explains. "It's really a lot more hip and thigh movements versus the belly. In the Arabic, the term is 'raqs sharqi' which means 'dances from the East.'" She goes on to explain that the dance may have begun in ancient times as a birth dance to help young women develop their stomach and abdominal muscles to prepare for childbirth, and "originated probably in Egypt in nomadic tribes. Those people became known as the Gypsy peoples in Europe, and when they moved they brought their dancing with them. They would settle a while in a certain area, absorb the culture and the dances there, and when they moved on they'd bring these dances with them. Then they split off and you have the Flamenco, which is a cousin, in Spain, and the Gypsy Rom dance from Turkey."

Burgos began studying belly dancing in 1984. "I was in the military and I wanted to do something that wasn't around men. That's what my life consisted of then - men in my company, my husband and my son." She lives in New Market and has been teaching belly dance in the Frederick area for three years.

Connie Cissel of Thurmont, an advanced student and a member of Burgos' dance troupe Tears of Aset, has always been interested in dance, "but I wanted to find something for myself." A single mother who also cares for her own mother, she finds belly dancing "extremely relaxing." And she loves it because she gets "to wear a lot of cool costumes and cool jewelry. And I'm very outgoing. Belly dance let's me put myself out there in a unique way, let's me be somebody different; then I go home to be mommy and the daughter."

Nancy Braunsma of Middletown signed up for the class "because I like exotic things. My husband likes it. And it supposed to be excellent exercise." Nancy Atkins from Frederick, another beginning student, joins in. "It's part of being a woman, to dance, to entertain. It makes me feel like a woman." Both use words like "graceful, sultry, exotic" to describe their dance experiences.

"Different things" draw people to belly dancing, Burgos relays. "Some ladies just want to surprise their husband at his birthday party. Some ladies want a fun way to work out. They try different things that sound fun. And some people actually like the dance aspect of it. I have one student, she likes the costumes, the whole appeal is the look and everything about it. And some people are just curious."

"A lot of my students say that it relieves their stress. That's the biggest appeal. And it is a good workout. You don't have to have a certain body type like ballet - you can be any shape and enjoy it. Tall, short, heavy, not heavy and you can be any age. You don't have to very young. In Egypt, some of the best dancers are in their 50s." The class reflects this diversity.

Burgos also directs a dance troupe, the Tears of Aset. Nine members perform traditional style dances, such as the Moroccan Tray Dance and sword, cane and spoon dances. Tears of Aset performs at cultural and civic events, arts and ethnic festivals, senior centers and schools. Burgos stresses that the Troupe is "family oriented - we don't do bachelor parties." The Troupe is named after the Egyptian goddess whose tears begin the Nile's flooding. "Inundation was a joyful time for ancient Egyptians. So our dancers are like her tears - each one is a little tear that brings joy into everyone's life." Burgos smiles.

Barbara Burgos teaches beginning belly dance at Creative Dance Studio on Tuesdays from 7:15-8:15 p.m., (301) 620-9322, and at 24/7 Dance Studio on Sundays from 5:00-6:00 pm, (301-)846-4247. Six weeks for $65. For more information, visit www.sitamun.com