At the University of Massachusetts, students looking to broaden their horizons have found a home in the Belly Dance Club, even if they have no prior dance interest.

Emma Hurley, a junior mathematics major with a concentration in education who acts as the club’s treasurer, transferred to UMass after spending a year at a small school with few activities available. She went to her first meeting of the Belly Dance Club without expecting to take it too seriously, but was intrigued by the community and intensity of the club.

“Joining the club helped me get a majority of the friends I have here,” she said.

The club is now expanding its presence on campus. On April 18, the Belly Dance Club will host the second annual UMass Belly Dance Club Festival in the Student Union Ballroom. The event, which will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., will host belly dance clubs from 26 different colleges, and consist of activities such as yoga, meditation, dance workshops and a student bazaar.

The scale of this festival seems especially large considering the youth of the Belly Dance Club. It was formed in 2011 by two students, Jaclyn Barzvi and Bekah Perlin. Today, it has about 106 members and has performed at over 20 Registered Student Organization events last semester.

“We’re booked very often,” said Liz Tripp, a junior Spanish and BDIC major who is president of the club. “We like to share the stage with other dance groups.”

“We’ve been double booked before,” said senior journalism major Vincenza Parella, who is the club’s vice president. Parella also mentioned the club’s enthusiasm for performing at body positive events, an important part of the club’s identity.

While some members, like Tripp, joined the club as a way to continue their dancing, a large majority joined without any prior experience.

“I started never having done really any other dancing,” said Parella, who joined after being astonished by Perlin’s sword dance at a UMass Got Talent event. Parella, who was impressed by Perlin’s comfort on stage, said that “being a part of belly dancing gave me that confidence.”

Adele De Crespigny, a sophomore animal science major who is the club secretary, had some dancing experience, having been “casually dancing since sophomore year of high school,” and was interested in the Belly Dance Club after seeing it on a club list. After watching a practice in the gym, she immediately asked Tripp and Parella about joining the club and quickly found a community and hobby important to her.

“I fell in love,” she said.

The Belly Dance Club has two weekly practices – one on Monday at 10:15 p.m. in room 118 of the Recreation Center, and one on Sunday at 7:15 p.m. in room 215. The club teaches basics first, gradually adding new material as members’ experience with belly dancing builds.

“There’s no experience necessary – no tryouts,” Tripp said, adding that around 85 percent of the club’s dancers had not danced before coming to college.

Preference or focus is not directed toward members with more experience or history with the club.

“Everyone is an equal,” Hurley said.

“One of the best moments is seeing people go on stage for the first time,” De Crespigny said, referring to the excitement of new members dancing in front of an audience.

The Belly Dance Club is entirely inclusive, and is open to people of all gender and sexual identities.

“We are open to any gender,” Tripp said. “Belly dancing is for anyone.”

The Belly Dance Club and can be followed on Twitter @UMassBDC or on Instagram @umassbellydanceclub. The club also has pages on Facebook and Campus Pulse, along with many videos on YouTube.

Stuart Foster can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Stuart_C_Foster.