Belly dancer Mimi Zhao
Mimi Zhao wants the city’s housewives to become more sophisticated. Her solution? Belly dancing. The dance coach tells Yannie Chan about the struggles of being a stay-at-home mother and why belly dancing is great for your marriage.
HK Magazine: Tell us more about your “Housewives Dance Troupe.”
Mimi Zhao: It consists of housewives who are belly dancers. I came up with the idea because I’m a housewife myself. I married into Hong Kong four years ago from the mainland, and I found that many of my fellow housewives, especially those from the mainland like me, are not very cultured or educated. I decided to teach my own belly dancing classes so these women can become elegant housewives.
HK: What are some common struggles facing housewives?
MZ: I know more about the conditions of “new immigrant” housewives from the mainland, and it’s really not easy. Our husbands are our world—we don’t have anyone else to depend on, and they’re out working all day. When you’re alone, it’s easier to feel depressed. One of my students was scammed in the wet market because she spoke with an accent, and she dared not go again without her daughter. Most housewives severely lack confidence.
HK: How does belly dancing help?
MZ: All women desire to be beautiful, but it’s especially hard for us housewives to stay fit, because most of us don’t get proper post-natal care as our families are in the mainland. Belly dancing is the best gift God can give to a woman—it’s all about moving your hips, and it’s effective in improving your posture and sculpting your waistline. Once you’re confident, your entire demeanor changes.
HK: What do you hope to change the most about your students?
MZ: It’s not only about outer beauty—after a certain age, a real woman’s inner beauty matters more. I use these classes to talk about manners and how to enrich your mind and spirit. I don’t think you can be a real woman until after you have had babies, run your own family and taken care of your husband, so it’ll take years before you understand.
HK: Belly dancing is quite sensual. Is it difficult to get housewives to learn?
MZ: Actually, no. That’s one cultural difference between the mainland and Hong Kong. Women from the mainland are always dancing. What’s really tricky is getting them to wear the costumes during performances, as they are quite revealing. Many insisted on wearing something underneath at first, but now I’ve got a troupe of hot housewives confident in their dancing clothes.