Shakira Who?

Little Rock belly dancer brings the big stage to our tiny city

Shiseido Wells — professionally known as Morophon — passion for belly dancing is rooted in friendship and self-expression. Since 2008, she has been moving and grooving, and she made her professional debut with Arkansas Circus Arts in 2022. Before the glamour of the stage, it was just her and her best friend learning how to belly dance from an instructional DVD in their childhood bedrooms. Later, it was a belly dancing club at her college in Iowa, where she fostered that connection with her best friend and nurtured her own growth in the art form.

Today, Morophon performs a version of belly dancing known as fusion, which combines several different dance forms into one style. These combination forms take inspiration from dances originating in the SWANA region, which encompasses several countries such as Southwest Asia, North Africa, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, and Palestine. It also brings in aspects of dance from European and American styles, often involving pop and lock, whacking, liquid, and even flamenco.

True to her fluid dance form, the name Morophon comes from a character found in Magic: The Gathering known as "Morophon the Boundless", a creature capable of turning itself into anything. The name is fitting for the magical way that Shiseido moves her body when she performs; it’s easy to think that she is shifting forms in front of you as she moves across the stage.

If you ask her, Morophon will describe performing as changing form — a chance to express parts of herself that maybe don’t get to see the world on a regular basis. It means reconnecting with her femininity and sensuality, but also with a darker side of herself. When she dances, she is also working through her emotions, finding an outlet inside of the thing she is so passionate about.

Morophon is not just a performer, but also a teacher. When she has classes, she wants people to feel confident in themselves. She wants them to find joy within the dance form, and more importantly, she wants them to move their bodies in ways they maybe didn’t know were possible. Above all else, she wants to break the stigma around skinny bodies in belly dancing. She wants people who experience her performances, and also her classes, to walk away knowing that nothing can stop them from belly dancing. In her words: “If you have a body, you can belly dance.”

For the future, Morophon has two upcoming workshops in April, a couple of performances in May, along with a special event on May 8. She will also be performing a never-before-seen dance at the upcoming Loom: Art Shuffle on March 28. If you’d like to learn more about her, track her upcoming workshops and performances, or just give her a shoutout, you can follow her on Instagram @ab_aethere.