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“You’ve been saying that for months,” another of her students said. “I’ve seen dancers do it online. It’s so powerful. They look like some kind of superhero the way they move.”

Nell’s smile was tight. “It’s all about the isolation of the body. You move a certain set of muscles in a particular way and keep the others still. There’s nothing superhero about it. It’s about muscle coordination.”

“It still looks amazing. Please, show us. We’d all love to see it.”

Nell glanced again at Rane and saw him nod in encouragement.

“Please, Nell,” several of her student said at the same time.

She blew out a breath and centered herself. The dance was considered a private one in Egyptian belly dancing. It showcased the power of the woman, her essence, fertility and strength and her ability to overcome the odds and remain strong.

Nell gave a nod and hurried over to change the music. She needed something primal with lots of drumbeats if she was doing this. The kind of music that throbbed deep in your chest and set your insides alight.

When she returned, she had a waiting audience in front of her. Everyone sat on the ground, their faces expectant.

“Here goes nothing,” she muttered to herself as she closed her eyes and waited for the music. She loved this dance. She loved the primal feel of it and the way the bass of the drum vibrated from her toes and up through her body.

She started by undulating her arms to the side and then over her head. She spread her legs wide and dropped lower, tipping her hips from side to side and making an exaggerated figure eight movement. She isolated the moves in both hips and then thrust her right hip sideways as she traveled across the floor, her arms moving to emphasize the dips and thrusts of her hips.

Nell abandoned herself to the music. This was one of the few times when she felt truly free and her worries disappeared. When she was hot and breathless and lost in the beat, nothing mattered more than the moment she was in.

The music slowed. Nell matched the beat as she brought herself back to the front of the class, placed her feet together, and slowly bowed.

The room filled with enthusiastic applause.

Nell’s cheeks heated as she smiled at her students. “Ten more minutes of practice, and that’s enough for today. Make sure to practice that dance at home, so we can make progress next week.”

“My husband is going to love those moves,” Rita said. “That was amazing. You looked so beautiful.”

“It’s the dance,” Nell said. “That’s what’s beautiful.”

She finished the class and said goodbye to her students. As she did so, Nell kept an eye on Rane and his friend, noticing they weren’t leaving the dance studio.

Nell grabbed a towel and dabbed her face. Her gut tightened as she saw Rane and his friend walking toward her. What did they want? Surely, they weren’t planning to sign up for the class. She’d tell them it was full and couldn’t take any more students.

“Is there something I can help you with?” Nell said sharply.

“You’re an incredible dancer,” Rane said.

“You’re into dance as well as painting?”

Rane nodded. “I might have to be after that demonstration.”

“You know each other?” Kwon asked.

“No,” Nell said.

“In a way. Nell has seen me naked.”

Kwon stared at Rane. “No kidding.”

“By accident. It won’t happen again,” Nell said.

Rane grinned. “This is my friend, Kwon. He suggested we come here this evening.”

Nell glanced at Kwon, who smiled and nodded at her. “You should have let me know before you came. The class is full.”

Kwon bowed his head. “My apologies. I hope you don’t mind us squeezing into the back. The view was lovely.”