Pleasant Gehman has been known as many things: writer, punk-rocker, poet, bad girl, good girl, performer and, most recently, belly dancer extraordinaire. She's also a knockout and funny as hell, though surprisingly short in person. (Full disclosure: I fed her cats once.) It's no wonder someone would want to make a film about Plez. Director Steve Balderson's Underbelly: A Year in the Life of Dancer Princess Farhana should gain her even more fans. “Seeing myself on film made me hyper-aware of my personality quirks … and after I saw the movie, I realized that I have a lot of quirks! Steve interviewed a wide cross-section of students, teachers, star performers, workshop sponsors and fans, not to mention male belly dancers — and let them express their varied opinions, which helps the viewer see what it's really like to be a professional dancer. I think Underbelly will help clear up a lot of misconceptions about this amazing art form.” There will be live belly dancing performances before and after the screening.

Wed., Nov. 5, 9 p.m., 2008

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