Hey Geeks! Did you know that a number of your fellow geeky folks are part of an amazing local bellydance troupe? The Roses of the Realm from Carolina Renaissance Festival also entertain in The Real World (™). Coming up Saturday night 8/2/2025, they will be bringing us a lovely evening of music and dance! The Roses of the Realm and Traust Brewing in Mt. Holly, NC have combined forces to bring you all the third Queen City Shimmy Night.
The evening will feature live music and live belly dance performances from dancers across the Carolinas. In the first set, dancers will perform with live music from a local band Sonem. In the second set, dancers will have recorded music that they have prepared routines just for you. If you’ve ever wanted to see multiple genres of belly dancing in a fun family friendly environment, this is the event for you. This is a FREE show. However if you’d like to tip the performers, they would be eternally grateful. There will be a QR code for Venmo at every table, as well as a basket for cash tips in the front. This will be the last QC Shimmy til February 7, 2026, so come hang with us.
Lauren Hitselberger of the Roses of the Realm dance troupe says she was inspired by the Beer and Belly Dance event, created by Kirk Lohry and Monika in Raleigh, and the Open Shimmy Nights presented by Naima in the early 2000s in Noda. They felt that the dance community needed an event outside of recitals for musicians and dancers to meet each other in the surrounding communities. They wanted to showcase all levels of dance in a fun social atmosphere. Initially, they thought about an open mic night style, but also wanted more organization and structure to it. It’s been an amazing way for dancers and musicians across North and South Carolina to meet up.
Misty Massey is a local author, generally overall cool human, and a long time Charlotte Geek – as well as a bellydancer! Misty was a member of the Jewels of the Caravan and Beledi Beat, both local semi-professional troupes, for a number of years. She loved performing for appreciative audiences. When she left the performing circuit behind, she missed the joy of being onstage. Fortunately the Shimmy offers her that joy again, and she’s really looking forward to dancing this weekend!
Speaking from personal experience, I love this event. Some of the pictures with the article were taken by me last Halloween at a similar event. We had a really great evening! If you want to wear your garb and hang out with your Faire folks, this is a perfect opportunity. Come ready to enjoy some amazing music and dancers, have fantastic drinks and food at Traust, and hang out with your geeky friends all in one evening!
The Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1089573522993415/
The Dancers: https://rosesoftherealm.com/#our-troupe
The Musicians: https://www.sonem.info/
The Location: https://traustbrewing.com/
If anyone has questions, please contact Lauren at Rosesoftherealmnc@gmail.com