Belly dancing for charity

Alec Marken has a message to impart with his upcoming Bands & Bellies XIII show — peace, love and thanks for the cat.

The Mission Viejo resident, who has put together 12 music and belly-dancing shows to raise funds for assorted charities, recently accompanied his girlfriend to an adoption event set up by the nonprofit D.R.E.A.M. Animal Rescue. She was looking to adopt a pet, and Marken ended up helping her decide.

“My girlfriend went to check out their cats, and I picked up this one cat, and it just had a cool personality,” he said. “My girlfriend was there looking for a different one she’d seen online, but she ended up with this cat that I picked up because she walked over to me, and the cat just reached out to her like a baby. Love at first sight.”

The 13th Bands & Bellies show, scheduled for June 27 at Temple of Light OC, in Irvine, will donate part of its proceeds to D.R.E.A.M. Animal Rescue. The cat that Marken and his girlfriend brought home — since named Emma Reiki — probably won’t attend, but the nonprofit’s president, Jonnie Ben, plans to bring at least a couple animals to display.

The Laguna Niguel-based shelter opened in 2011 and cares for about 70 animals. Ben said the funds from Bands & Bellies XIII will go toward medical expenses, which can range from spaying and neutering to fixing broken bones.

“My medical bills last year were $28,000, so that’s what it goes into caring for these animals,” she said. “I adopted out about 160 animals last year, so the medical care and upkeep for them is very expensive.”

If any animals find a home Saturday, they will join detained immigrants, Haitian earthquake survivors and others on the list of past Bands & Bellies recipients. Marken launched the tradition in 2009 to support the World March For Peace and Nonviolence, and he raises around $1,000 at a typical show.

Still, it’s not just charitable funds that Marken is after — it’s also a democratic vibe. Those who can’t pay the suggested door donation are admitted anyway, and proceeds go partly to the musicians and dancers, at least so they can buy enough gas for the drive home.

Saturday’s program will feature four musical acts, including Marken’s jazz band Got That Swing!, and eight belly-dancing performances. One of those will also feature Marken’s act, Global Groove, during which he beats the drum alongside dancer Lemia Astarabadi.

The Bay Area native, who teaches dance at a couple of studios in Orange County, doesn’t teach belly dancing — ballroom and tap are his specialties. He learned the craft, though, from playing at beach gatherings and parties, and he’s kept Global Groove going for several years with a succession of partners.

“When people think of belly dancing, they typically think of the girls at the restaurants, and the classical Egyptian or the Egyptian cabaret, and there’s certain Arabic beats that you will hear at all of those,” he said. “What I do is mix it up a lot more.”

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IF YOU GO

What: Bands and Bellies XIII

Where: Temple of Light OC, 11 Goddard, Irvine

When: 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. June 27

Cost: Suggested donation of $12 for adults, $10 for children ages 6 to 12; $8 additional for 5:30 p.m. yoga class (ages 16 and up)

Information: (949) 370-0523 or bandsandbellies.comhttps://www.bandsandbellies.com