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"I don't LOOK like a belly dancer, so I don't think I would be able to do it." OR "I'm too OLD to dance like that!" Recently KayLouise answered an email and offered this response to someone who expressed an interest in joining a belly dance class but still felt hesitant: "In its original forms, Middle Eastern/Orientale style of dance (what we now call "belly dance") was the dance women did with other women at social gatherings as well as celebratory and monumental life events (marriage, giving birth, etc.). This "women's dance," was done by women and only in the presence of other women... men were not involved or allowed to be spectators. The women's dance was a part of life for all women in the community and had/has nothing to do with age or size. All women have the same kinds of parts and they all move the same way, no matter how tall or round or short or flat a woman is! One of the hardest things to get used to in a belly dance class is the idea of using parts of your body (the hips, ribcage, even the hands and arms) that many times, we attempt to camouflage or cover up. In class no one is required to "expose" their belly (or any other personal parts for that matter)... instead our goal is to become familiar with those parts and ultimately, comfortable with them. Belly dancers who bare their bellies (thin or not) usually aren't doing it because it's a requirement of the dance. Costuming and apparel are a dancer's personal choice." - KayLouise "I could never move like THAT!" or "I don't know how to dance." "You do not need previous dance training to learn this dance form. My classroom focus is on stretching and working the muscles that are being used. The skills learned (with time and practice) are balance, familiarity of weight placement, muscle/movement isolation (moving only one part at a time) and coordination. Again, these skills are not needed to be a part of a beginner class... but will be learned as the class progresses. The actual body movements of belly dance are executed through body awareness and the snake-like fluidity of this dance form is only achieved with practice. No one in a beginner belly dance class is expected to move like an experienced dancer. While learning one movement after another, we are at the same time, stretching the muscle... and all the while going over the fundamentals of balance and coordination. Please be assured that I am not "grooming performers." My class was developed as a fun way to stretch, tone muscles, improve self esteem and is a safe and supportive environment for women to explore their bodies through movement." - KayLouise |
| "I can't move like THAT!" |