Jo Anne Zingo-Hargis, a thrill-seeker since birth, used to climb telephone poles for a living.

The Connecticut native moved to Kansas in 1978 after she heard Southwestern Bell was “looking for women to work outside.”

“I graduated from college in 1972,” Zingo-Hargis says. “I was bartending, but not really going anywhere.

“The change sounded good, so I went for it.”

Zingo-Hargis, who majored in theater at the University of Connecticut, shrugs off the unpredictable career move with a smile.

“I like adventure and trying new things,” she says.

Her personal mantra applies to dancing, too.

The intense brunette, who now works in marketing and purchasing for AT&T, teaches five belly-dancing classes at the Lawrence Community Center every week. She also directs Raghsidad, a Middle Eastern dance company, which next weekend will perform its annual “Cairo on the Kaw” show for the 10th consecutive year.

“Middle Eastern dance is about more than the belly,” says Zingo-Hargis, who began dancing at age 3. “It involves your whole body and demands a lot from a dancer.”

Julie Kingsbury, left, and Kelly Hawkins, right, receive instruction from dance coach Jo Anne Zingo-Hargis, center, during rehearsal for Cairo

The 17-member Raghsidad includes dancers with a wide range of experience. Some have been belly-dancing for a few years; others, including six people from the show’s original performance, have extensive resumes.

“It is a good mix of people,” says Julie Kingsbury, a Lawrence silversmith who is performing in her third show with the troupe. “We enjoy working with each other.”

Raghsidad members vary in age from 20 to 53. All are women, though Zingo-Hargis says her sons have participated in past years. Men also have taken her classes, she says.

“Belly-dancing is great exercise and pretty low impact,” Zingo-Hargis says. “Many people could benefit from it.”

Raghsidad, which is Persian for “they dance,” is planning a celebration-themed show for its upcoming performance. Zingo-Hargis, also known as Zada Al Gaziyeh or “excellent woman who dances,” will lead the group through a retrospective program.

“Because this is our 10th-anniversary show, we’re going to recreate several numbers from our very first show,” Zingo-Hargis says. “We’ll also have a large-screen TV showing old performances between numbers.”

Ole Music and Dance of Spain, a Kansas City dance company, will be the show’s guest artist. Live music featuring solo performers is on tap for the weekend shows, too.

Zingo-Hargis, who warmed to belly-dancing after she “got a little too tall and curvy” to be a ballerina, says audience members should expect to find out Middle Eastern dance is not, well, what they expected.

“I think people are always shocked at the virtuosity of the dance and the cultural nuances,” she says. “And to see 17 people dancing together in bright, really vivid colors is visually very beautiful.”

Zingo-Hargis admits that in today’s uncertain world climate, putting on a Middle Eastern dance performance can feel strange.

“Two years ago, it was especially difficult,” she says. “But I tell people it’s about the culture, not fanatics.

“We’re dancing to promote culture and understanding. We’re dancing for something the world depends on.”