Belly Dance - A Unique And Exciting Way To Exercise!
Brooke Hayles
In recent years, belly dancing has been catching on in the Western
World. You can find classes in almost any city. Whether you are a
beginner, intermediate or advanced, you can you find classes to meet
your skill level. Even children can get in on the action!
Belly dancing started out as a dance tradition in the Middle East as a
way to strengthen a woman's hips for giving birth. Now, it has become a
form of entertainment and exercise, as well as an art form.
It is not widely realized that the advanced dancers already know over
thirty moves! The good news is there are no footsteps to remember if
you are just learning. You learn how to move very isolated parts of the
body in rhythm to music.
Movements of belly dancing are very isolated. Your hips will lift,
thrust and shimmy while your belly rolls and your pelvic muscles tilt.
Your arms will make snake like movements while your legs will either be
shimmying one at a time or together in a double shimmy.
Once you have these and other movements mastered, you will put them to
work in several positions, the basic and parallel positions as well as
floor work that include dropping, sitting and then returning to a full
stand. Also, you can't forget about the veil work that comes into play.
Now you know why there is so much to learn! Some teachers may give
these movements different names, they all reduce to the same thing -
Very skilled moves. Body movements will be the same, however, no matter
the name. Making the body shake, quake, curve, thrust, lock and drop.
The arms and hands follow through with the movements in fluid motion.
The belly remains exposed to show her control and strength.
The dancers costume will leave the belly exposed during the dance. This
is to make it easier on the spectators, whether they are judges or
patrons, to see how much control she has over her body. Also, the more
skin that is exposed, the more sensual her movements become. It is very
stimulating to watch a well-trained belly dancer display her art in
this manor, with her hips and mid-drift exposed.
If you are going to take your belly dancing on to a more authentic
level, you will want to make sure your costume is appropriate. The top
should be almost like a bra with ornate beading and sequins for
decorations. The bottoms can either be a full skirt or loose fitting
shear pants.
Other accessories you will want to add are a belt that is weighted,
bands for you wrist and/or arms, scarf and possibly finger-symbols.
This may seem like a lot of decoration, but you want to make sure every
part of your body is accentuated to show off the hard work you have put
into mastering these moves.
On the other hand, belly dancing is a wonderful form of exercise and
will make a great addition to your overall fitness routine. There are
two basic steps to master if this is what you are after. The first is
the all-important stretching. Using an exercise ball or yoga type
stretches are ideal. The second is a group of basic belly dancing moves
such as hip and shoulder movements along with abdominal, waist and
thigh movements.
Make sure that if you plan on belly dancing during pregnancy, you check
with your doctor. Because of the nature of the dance, it will have a
different effect on your body than other types of prenatal exercise. It
also may be prudent to get a second opinion to give you added peace of
mind.
You want to make sure you workout four to five times per week, for
thirty to forty minutes. Make sure that this is continuous activity and
that you break a sweat. The cardiovascular effect will result in weight
loss or control, if a healthy diet is used as well. These kinds of
exercises release endorphins which are the 'feel good' hormone.
These are just a few of the reasons that belly dancing can be good for
you. Also, if you take classes, it can be a source of friendship as
well. But be careful that you don't over do it. Be sure to drink your
six to eight glasses of water a day and take your vitamins. This will
help your body recover and get ready for a new workout tomorrow.
One of the places you can learn belly dancing is at a local dance
studio. Check the local listings to see where they are offered. If you
don't want to try to learn this complex dance in public, you can find a
multitude of information on the Internet, in books and from
instructional videos or DVDs.
You can find classes and pricing at helenavlahos.com, and at
visionarydance.com, you will find classes, DVDs and workshops. To
complete your costume, check out home.earthlink.net. Rania Bossonis has
a book written on the art of the belly dance.
Summary:
Belly dancing can be used for display or entertainment. Women, men and
even children can find enjoyment and fitness in this art form, whether
they are beginners or advanced or somewhere in between.
Brooke Hayles
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