Glen Innes prison officer Helen said the Shimmy Mob EASA, which stands for emotional abuse signs awareness, is another side of what she tries to do in her day job.

"I do it because it's fun!

"But also I do it because I think it's a really important issue, it's a major social issue.

"And in my day job I work at it from one angle, and this allows me to combat the same problem from a different angle."

Shimmy mob, the world's largest belly dance flash mob, began as a way to fundraise for women's shelters in Canada. But as the event took off around the world, founder Sabeya Anastasi this year turned to emotional abuse.

The logic is that by drawing attention to the early signs of building domestic abuse, the community can tackle the problem before it becomes violence.

Belly dance troupes from around the world have taken up the trademark orange shirt for the campaign, with groups from as far as Burnie in Tasmania to Orange County California joining the cause.

In NSW there were groups signed up in Glen Innes, Shellharbour, South West Rocks, Sydney and Tyalgum.

Groups do a choreographed dance at random in public places through the month of September.

Five Glen Innes residents took up the challenge on the weekend September 6 and 7, with four dancers traveling from elsewhere to join in.

Helen said the key for many is just being aware of what constitutes a respectful relationship, something she tries to help inmates with in her day job.

"If we all knew how to have respectful relationships we wouldn't have this problem," she said.

"And unfortunately a lot of people don't know how to have respectful relationships because they don't know what they look like because they've never been in one.

"And you can't be what you don't see."

The regional NSW belly dancing community also participated in the original event, which is held in May. Helen said the "tight-knit" community came together in what was probably the largest individual flash mob in the world, when 47 dancers turned up to the South West Rocks event earlier this year.

"I like belly dancing because it's inclusive," she said.

"Anyone can belly dance, any size, shape, any age, any ability, anyone can have a go at it.

"And some of the women that dance with me here have some major health problems but they choose to overcome them in order to participate.

"And sometimes some things they can't do and we have to adapt particular moves to suit them, but if it keeps them active then it's a good thing."

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