Are you a belly dancer interested in owning and performing with
snakes?

Are you afraid of snakes and would like to get over your fear?

Have you wanted a snake but are unsure of what is involved?

Do you currently own a snake and want  learn how to create a
relationship with your serpentine friend?

Have you ever wanted to know what your dreams and nightmares
about snakes mean?

Want to learn the history of the snake pre-dating Christianity?

Want to discover what the Serpent and the Goddess have in
common?
No snake or prior snake
handling required!
Learn the history of the serpent, including its significance in religion
and spirituality, proper care and husbandry of snakes, how to
deepen your connection to the serpent, the proper dance
techniques involved and more! For those who are afraid of snakes,
Zehara will help you overcome your fear by deep breathing,
meditation and ritual before you handle one of her smaller snakes.

PRICING:
This is for the classes and workshops only.
All particpants must sign a liability waiver and contract.

Classes (1 or 2 people): $50.00/hour/person

Workshops (3 or more people):  $100/hour

**Add $50.00 if Zehara is to travel outside of Boston**
By Zehara Nachash, Boston, MA
The term snake charmer often evokes the image of a
man dressed in a turban, velvet vest and playing the
mizmar in front a large basket with a huge cobra swaying
to and fro. This image has been used throughout the
years to promote one of the largest entertainment
attractions in India.
When I perform as a “snake charmer” I am often asked if
I perform with poisonous snakes, primarily the cobra.
The simple answer is no. I am a modern day snake
charmer. While still maintaining the sense of the ancient
snake charmers (i.e. using a basket and dressing up in
costume), I perform primarily with pythons and boa
constrictors. The reasons for that are plain.
For starters, cobras are extremely dangerous snakes. A
bite from a cobra could paralyze or even kill a full grown
man in a m atter of minutes. It’s not wise to play with
animals that could kill you. While my snakes could harm
me; it would take a lot (and I mean a lot) of effort on
their part to even get close to killing me. The worst I
would end up with is a nasty bite, and even those heal
in a few days.
Second, snake charming—like the type they do in
Indian—is exceedingly cruel to the snake. Regardless of
whether the creature is dangerous or not, a cobra is still
a living animal that deserves as much rights as human
beings.
Snakes used for snake charming in India, are generally
wild caught and removed from their natural habitats.
Furthermore, most snake charmers harm the snake in
some way or another to prevent it from being
“dangerous.” This may include placing the snake in a
freezer for a few hours to slow its metabolism down and
make it sluggish, eliminate the venom glands with a hot
poker, removing the fangs (to do this, a metal hook is
placed under the fangs of the snake and rapidly “jerked”
out—imagine your dentist doing this to you with no
Novocain!), or even sewing the snakes mouth shut
which prevents it from eating or even drinking water.
To me, being a snake charmer means not only
respecting myself an artist, but also respecting the snake
as a fellow performer. My snakes are not props which I
use to promote myself, they are my actual partners (and
yes—when I get paid, they get paid--one large rat a
week!). I believe that I help maintain this ancient art by
using modern practices that not only ensures my safety,
but the safety, health and well being of my serpentine
friends.

MODERN SNAKE CHARMING FAQS:
Q: Do snakes hear the music?
A: No. Snakes are deaf. And while they do feel the
vibrations, they cannot hear the actual music.

Q: Do your snakes “come up” from the basket?
A: No. My snakes are removed (gently!) from the basket
by me.

Q: Isn’t modern snake charming cruel?
A: No. For starters, my snakes are never forced to do
anything. I never make them perform if they don’t want
to. One hiss is all it takes for me to place them back in
their enclosures and revamp my routine sans snakes.
Secondly, my first and only commitment when
performing with my snakes is their safety. I will not
perform with them in an environment that I deem
hazardous.

Q: How are your routines performed?
A: My snakes are placed in a warm snug basket that is
roomy enough for them to move and breathe and safe
enough to prevent any slithering mishaps (like the snake
sneaking out of the basket!). I usually walk out with the
basket, or, if I am performing on stage, the basket is
preset. I usually start my performances slowly to build
anticipation of the snake dance. Once I am ready to
perform with my snake(s), they are gently removed
from the basket. I usually perform the snake dance
routine for 5-10 minutes…no longer. The snake is then
placed gently back in the basket.