Bellying up to her 25th festival

Monday, July 28, 2003

By Lisa Pampuch

Karri Duke has performed every year of the festival.

GILROY - The shimmering crystal beads swung wildly on Karri Duke's belly-dancing costume Saturday morning as she and her dance troupe shimmied and shook for Garlic Festival crowds at the Gazebo Stage.

Duke is the sole member of an exclusive club. She's the only entertainer to perform at Gilroy's famous festival since the stinking rose celebrating began a quarter century ago. Only classic rock band Shaboom comes close, having performed continually at the festival for the last 20 years.

After Saturday's performance, Duke and the other belly dancers met with fans to the side of the stage and had their pictures taken. A woman aimed a camera, and Duke announced to the other belly-dancer posers: "Ready? Suck a gut!"

Duke is in impressive shape, showing off her abdominal muscles made taut from more than three decades of belly dancing.

"The secret is garlic," she said enthusiastically about Gilroy's favorite herb. "Garlic keeps you lean. We found that out 25 years ago."

At that very first festival, there were three dancers: Duke, her twin sister, Emilia, and a third performer who goes by the stage name of "Una." This year, about three-dozen dancers - including several men and children - performed for the crowds.

Lara Hunt was one of the performers and said it was her first time at the festival.

"I loved it," she said. "There were lots of people watching."

She described the Middle-Eastern dance style as an outer expression of the performers' inner being. The cymbals and veils used as props in the dance provide added ambiance to the whole effect, she said.

Many of the performers belly dancing Saturday are students of Duke's.

It was performing at garlic farmer and festival co-founder Don Christopher's birthday party that brought the exotic dancing queen to the attention of the original festival's organizers.

"I had been teaching belly dance through Gilroy Parks and Rec," she said. "Festival organizers were looking for unusual entertainment."

The Garlic Festival's creator, the late Rudy Melone who was president of Gavilan College at that time, also appreciated Duke's belly-dancing skills, she said.

"Rudy Melone was probably one of our biggest fans," she said.

Duke credits the variety of dancers as the reason she's asked back to perform at the festival.

"I think my longevity is that I bring dancers from all over the United States," she said.

Duke has received several awards for her belly dancing talent. She was named the 1991 Ms. America of Belly Dance in San Francisco. And in 1993, she took first place in the Miss Santa Clara County Muscle Classic, an honor that has special meaning for her.

"It was kind of neat because afterwards they told me they knew I wasn't a traditional body builder because they could see my femininity," she said.

In addition to lifting weights, she also works as a personal trainer.

Duke teaches belly dancing through the Gilroy and Hollister Park and Recreation departments. In addition to stretching and using muscles to get them fit and well shaped, belly dancing has another benefit.

"It does give quite an aerobic workout," Duke said. "It gets your heart rate up."

She also teaches an exercise class in Gilroy called "Butts & Guts."

"We work on the two areas most women want to trim," she laughed.

Duke, who now lives in Hollister, got started belly dancing in 1980 when she lived in Gilroy.

"I had just had my child and wanted to do something that would get me exercising," she said. "Belly dancing was offered through the Gilroy Parks and Recreation Department and it just bit me. I liked the way it made me feel. ... Belly dancing keeps you young."

Staff Writer Martin Cheek also contributed to this story.