LEWISTON – Ten skydivers were going to hop from a plane during the balloon festival, fall in formation and then retreat to their own acrobatics on the way down.

Normally that’s a dangerous endeavor, but add a blusterous wind to the mix Saturday afternoon and the thought became a little too deadly, even for a bunch of career daredevils.

Event scrubbed.

So a couple of hundred people had to find another way to entertain themselves in Lewiston’s Railroad Park. They crowded around a bandstand where 18 women in bright colors and glitter were ready to perform.

The belly dancing group Imari and the Sahara Desert Dancers has performed at the Great Falls Balloon Festival for seven years, and have succeeded in drawing quite a crowd.

Lisa Cummings – who, while dancing, goes by the name Imari – is the leader. She teaches popular classes throughout Western Maine and Conway, N.H.

The dance is for women by women to celebrate their femininity, she said.

“Every woman is beautiful while belly dancing,” Cummings said.

The day’s wind brought its own set of challenges for the dancers, but since they were planning to stay on the ground, the concept was less risky.

Two women started the gig. Two songs later, the others jumped in. They waved their arms and shook their hips in unison to an upbeat Middle Eastern song.

The music ranges from African to Middle Eastern to Turkish. All the women wore skirts or pants made of a light fabric, all decked out in some kind of sequin. Many had tops that exposed their midriff – but it wasn’t a requirement.

The women wear “whatever makes them feel the most attractive,” Cummings said. Some order outfits online, others buy from specialty shops and some even make their own.

Cue the upbeat music. They all grabbed a scarf to wave around with the beat. This presented its own unique challenge with the wind, as the fabric seemed to have a mind of its own.

The group divided in half, and went into a copycat routine. Half of them made a movement. The other half copied.

Cue the primal sounding African music. The scarves were tied around the waist, and for just a couple of moments the dance resembled a group of prehistoric apes jumping in unison. And back to the usual routine.

Cue the mysterious sounding music. The women moved into a bird formation, and the scarves came back out. They glided around the grass, barefoot, in two lines.

After a couple of more numbers, they lined up, took a bow and handed the spotlight to a cheerleading group.

Teri Perkins of Lovell started dancing because her 14-year-old daughter, Lauren Brooking, was interested, but didn’t want to try it alone.

Dressed in a bright ensemble, Perkins said the different costumes were one of her favorite parts.

Arlette Andersson of Lisbon Falls makes her own outfits. Saturday’s emsemble was purple with a gold trim.

Kathie Records of Auburn started taking classes after seeing an ad in the paper three years ago. Since then belly dancing has given her a chance to meet new friends and get some exercise.

Records was decked out in gold and blue. Her pants were homemade; she bought the top.

“I always had it in the back of my mind,” Records said. “I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone.”