PORT GAMBLE — With bouncing hips and flamboyant attitudes, the girls in The Dance Within belly dancing troupe took center stage Saturday afternoon, entrancing Port Gamble visitors and residents with their moves, colorful skirts and chiming belts.

The historic New England mill town took on shades of the Middle East as the performers and music intertwined seamlessly.

“People have a certain expectation of belly dancing,” said dance teacher Claudine McCormick. “By getting the girls out into a venue like Port Gamble, I’m hoping people will walk by and become interested in something that is closer to real belly dancing.”

McCormick’s teaching style includes not only the dance steps, but learning self-confidence and courage, she said. By placing the troupe in different environments, she is able to strengthen their relationships to one another and the dance.

“Heather (Raines) has been dancing for three years,” said Leann Raines, mother of two of the dancers. “Kayla started a year later. They’ve become so comfortable with themselves now. And it’s fun to watch them dance.”

McCormick said watching the audience during the performance is almost as entertaining as watching the girls. Many onlookers, she added, “get into the music” and start dancing themselves.

“There were two little girls in front of the (Port Gamble General Store) that were eating ice cream and bouncing around with the music,” McCormick said, laughing. “It’s so much fun to watch the audience try to join in.”

And join in they did.

“I am enjoying watching,” said Poulsbo resident Peggy Griffel.

“Oh yes, the dancing is wonderful, and the music, too,” added New Mexico resident Judy Ankerholz as the tunes transitioned to an upbeat melody. “The music is amazing.”

The girls were joined by dancers Aneesa and Nabila Nawar, who have both practiced different forms of Mediterranean dance for years, Nawar said.

“I’ve been doing this for 13 years,” she said. “It’s a healthy, grounded dance form that teaches women and girls to be comfortable with their bodies.”

Participants also learn the history of belly dancing, McCormick said. The style hails from the southern Mediterranean regions, and the term “belly dancing” comes from the French phrase “Dance du Ventre,” which was coined by an American promoter of the dance form. It has spread throughout the world, and has grown popular in many countries and cultures.

“This dance is about empowerment,” Nawar said. “It’s about confidence and physical space. The steps can be basic, it’s how they are delivered that makes the dance special.”