Belly dancing lessons

by Borna barzin

Set in Isfahan, Iran in the 1980’s, “Belly Dancing Lessons” follows a group of young people who start an underground belly dancing studio after witnessing an illicit performance from a professional belly dancer. Set in a time where public dancing is prohibited, these teenagers navigate romance, rivalries, and how to move their bodies at a tender age—-all while in the midst of war and under oppressive regime. Blending dance, music, and surreal dreamlike sequences, “Belly Dancing Lessons” is a coming of age story that dances through time, driven by a yearning for freedom and to be seen.

“Belly Dancing Lessons” was written through a Fellowship in Theater Arts from MacDowell.

There was a benefit reading in March 2026 to raise funds for the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran at The Ace Hotel in New York.

It was developed in June 2026 at Berkeley Rep Ground Floor.

It was a finalist for the Terrence McNally New Play Incubator Program at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

It was a semi-finalist for A24’s Cherry Lane Playwrights Collective.