The Story behind Belly Dancing for Bats

Bats and Belly Dancing ~ Two things not usually associated with one another, but they perfectly describe life long passions of Kim Hall, founder of a unique non-profit fund raising event ~ Belly Dancing for Bats

I am drawn to things that are amazing but misunderstood.  Kim first became interested in bats because she felt they were the underdog with a bad reputation.  The more I learned about bats, the more fascinated I became.  Kim graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in Wildlife Ecology.  After college she went on to work for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department researching endangered Indiana Bats.  Working hands on with bats in Vermont and New York was a dream come true.  After returning home to Colorado and finding more stable employment in the dental field, Kim continued to keep in touch with her former boss at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Scott Darling, and remained an active member of Bat Conservation International.  It was from these contacts that Kim first heard about the devastation being caused by White Nose Syndrome (WNS).  Kim was horrified to learn about this disease that started in New York and swept through the eastern half of the United States.  Millions of bats have died and the disease continues to spread.  I was deeply saddened to know that bats that I had worked with and handled personally had been wiped out by this epidemic.  From talking with her friends back east who had worked with her on the bat project, and who continued to work with bats on the front lines of the WNS epidemic, she could hear the emotional toll that this disease was taking on them.  Some have worked their whole lives to protecting and conserving these amazing animals only to have this disease ravish the population and feel helpless to stop it.  Although I am not currently working with bats, I am still a passionate supporter and wanted to do anything I could to help.

Known as Mirage in the belly dance community, Kim is also lovingly referred to as Bat Girl because of her large tattoo of an Egyptian Fruit Bat.  She began belly dancing soon after starting college in Maine and developed a strong passion for it.  Belly Dancing is great because it was how I was meant to move and it is a beautiful dance form that I can continue to do no matter what age or size I am.  Kim teaches several belly dance classes and co-founded the dance troupe Indigo Rain.  She is also a regular performer at the Kasbah Moroccan Restaurant in Lafayette.  I wanted desperately to save bats and the best way I could do that was through my skills as a belly dancer.  Kim has teamed up with the local belly dance community and Bat Conservation International to raise money for WNS research.  What better way to support a great cause then to enjoy a night of fantastic belly dancing!