What Belly Dancers Know is a monologue excerpted from the award-winning 10-minute play, Away Message, by Kelly DuMar. CIN (Short for “Cindy”) Mid-30’s, recently divorced from TRIPP, her cyber- sex addicted ex-husband; mother of TICK, 13CIN: . . . CIN: Why does she want to pierce her belly button, now? Should I be worried? Is it a sign of sexual awakening? Has she been sexually active? Or, is she about to be? Is it a cry for help? Or, is she trying to embrace the power of her femininity by adorning herself with symbolic ornaments?(SPOTLIGHT on her; belly dancing music up briefly)
When I think of bellies, I think of belly dancers.
(Lifting her shirt, exposing her midriff, moves around, exploring her pelvic swing and thrust, running her hands across her belly)
A belly dancer isn’t afraid of showing her belly.
(Sucking in her belly, hiding it with her hands).
Belly dancers don’t worry about bloating. Bulging. Scarring. God forbid! I don’t have a physical scar. But, if divorce left a scar this is where it would show. Not up here, on your heart, where you might think. Not a scar, so much as a fault line. A where-did-I-go-wrong crater sliced across your gut. . . .
Copyright 2003-2007, Kelly DuMar. All rights reserved. For permission to use, e-mail Kelly at [email protected]