When she is onstage, Stormy Ganton feels free and expressive. “I am really comfortable with it,” said Ganton, a tribal fusion belly dancer. “I actually feel a little more awkward talking one-on-one than I do getting on the stage. I think I have to use that gift to connect other women to their internal sacred, feminine selves. I am actually a women’s empowerment coach, and I do women’s retreats and monthly circles.” Ganton said she’s been dancing since she was 17 and belly dancing for about 17 years. “I fuse other forms of dance into it,” Ganton said. “I have a daily yoga practice that I do. I have done all kinds of dance: jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop. I have always found dances like salsa and hip-hop more comfortable because of the flexible hip movement. It is just one of those dance forms that is comfortable to me. The belly dancing, for me, I have trained extensively over the years with many belly dance masters in different training programs. I push my own edges on occasion.” Ganton will perform during the Steamy Valentine’s Dance Hall Fundraiser at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 at the American Legion Marvin G. Shields Memorial Post #26, 209 Monroe St. in Port Townsend. The burlesque show will feature a live band and will raise funds for the American Legion. Entry to the 21-and-older event is by donation. “We are trying to raise money for acoustic panels,” said Bob Saring, American Legion club manager. “They are sound-absorbing panels to put up on the wall to try and get rid of the echo that is on the wall. “The building was built in 1941,” he added. “It was a USO Hall and was slapped together by the government for the war. It is what it was, and we are trying to bring it into the modern age.” Harsh reality of love The artistic director for the event is Vermicious Knid, who is interested in the darker side of love. “It is a Valentine’s show, and I am not really the bleeding hearts and uber-gubers and yummy feelings and puppy dog love,” she said. “I am more of the harsh realities side of it. The comical side of it. Broken hearts and missed opportunities is more my thing, so I am doing a kind of a play on how love can get atomic and robotic. You just go through the motions and all heart goes out of it, the good stuff. After that puppy dog stage, things get a little boring.” Another portion of the show is about finding a sense of self. “One of my acts is about breaking through that and finding your heart again,” Knid said. “My personal love is sewing and crafting, so I will be burlesquing with a mannequin in a dress.”