Bellydance Superstars are the Riverdancers of the future. Sam Wonfor is convinced by Miles Copeland, the man behind the stage phenomenon - among other things.
 The prefix "multi" can be applied to many aspects of Miles Copeland's life. He is a music industry mogul, having multi-managed a collection of artists including Wallsend boy Sting, The Police, REM, The Bangles, Jools Holland and the GoGos. He is multi-lingual, speaking English, Spanish, French and Arabic. It's safe to say he is multi-faceted in career terms, enjoying international success and acclaim in the music, film and broadcasting industries. He is a multi-homeowner with houses in Los Angeles, London and Chateau Marouatte in France and also a multi-father, having had three children with his model and sculptress wife, Adriana. OK, the last two may have been pushing the multi theory a little, but Miles, born in the Middle East, the son of a CIA operative, must surely now be a multi-millionaire. Yet it's clear when talking to him about his latest venture, Bellydance Superstars, that he has kept all the energy and enthusiasm he started with. "We're basically going to do for Bellydancing what Riverdance did for Irish dancing," he says as he begins to explain the origins of the show, which arrives at The Journal Tyne Theatre tomorrow night. "I'm looking forward to coming back to Newcastle," he says. "I used to come up there quite a lot when I was managing The Police and then Sting. Every time I get up there, it just seems to be getting better." Miles formed the Bellydance Superstars and The Desert Roses almost two years ago. Aged between 21 and 38, many of the dancers are professional teachers of the art and plan to take belly-dancing into the mainstream. In America, Bellydancing has been hailed as a great cardiovascular workout but Miles urges women all over the world to take it up, and not just for the fitness benefits. "While some would say that belly dance is an art of seduction, others believe that - as the only dance created by women for women - it is a celebration of the woman as a woman. "As such, it has become a recognised self-esteem builder, a dance to be enjoyed and participated in no matter what your age, size, or shape," he says. Bellydance Superstars and The Desert Roses play The Journal Tyne Theatre tomorrow night. For tickets, call the box office on 0870 145-1200 or visit www.thejornaltynetheatre.co.uk. * Before the show, there's a Bellydancing workshop at Dance City, Peel Lane, Newcastle, noon to 3pm. The entrance fee is £18 on the door, depending on availability. | 
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