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Benefits of Bellydance
1. Increased fitness- Bellydance increases your aerobic capacity as well as your strength. It is low to virtually no impact, so it is great exercise for those with joint problems. Will it help you lose weight? See the FAQ’s below.
2. Reduced stress level- because bellydance is a form of exercise, provides socialization, and is extremely fun, bellydance can reduce your stress level. By taking a class or even dancing by yourself at home, you are choosing to take care of yourself. Many bellydance students remark at how much negative energy bellydance burns off. This helps you maintain a positive outlook, which is essential to reducing/ managing stress levels.
3. Increased confidence- Bellydance brings self-acceptance by realizing that your body is beautiful, whatever the shape. It moves beautifully, and is beautiful. In Tribal bellydance, we dance in a group, and create a bond. You make eye contact with your fellow dancers and are able to do so more in the general world. Bellydance is also great for increasing coordination and balance, which can lead to greater confidence.
4. Greater cultural awareness- because bellydance comes from so many countries, you learn more about culture more readily through your bellydance teacher or by a spark of inspiration to research it for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bellydance
1. How long will it take before I “get good” or can “really dance”? This depends on the individual. Factors that help you learn more quickly include regular practice outside of class, previous dance experience, flexibility, endurance, strength, good motor planning, and motivation. Just like any other movement pattern, you have to practice what you learn in class in order to improve. Take your teachers suggestions and actually apply them and you will progress at a much faster rate than if you just come to class once a week. I suggest practicing at least 15 minutes a day on technique, taking advantage of any extracurricular activities (go to video night, see performances, attend haflas), taking advantage of any of your teachers’ classes throughout the week that you are qualified to take, and stretching and strengthening exercises. Having a nice practice costume helps you get in the right mood for practicing too.
2. Do you have to be a certain body “type” or age to bellydance- I have heard both that people think you have to have a big belly to dance and that you have to look like today’s version of the supermodel. Neither of these are true: This dance serves as a source of joy for people of all shapes, sizes and ages. There are certain elements of physics that come into play in which hieght is involved, but you do not have to be a certain hieght, size or shape to execute bellydance movements.
3. Was this dance created to entertain or please the sultans- I have to say that this is one of the most ludicrous things I have heard. The dance originated in fertility cult rituals that celebrated the virility of people, the rivers, and the earth. It evolved into secular entertainment, but retained it’s fertility cult roots. Even in modern times, the dance is used to sooth Moroccan women in labor, and is taught to young girls in many regions to prepare their muscles for childbirth.
4. Should you have previous dance experience to learn this dance- Many dancers have learned, performed and derived joy from bellydance having no previous dance training. Many of the movements are natural to the body.
5. Is this dance only danced by women- While often the dance is performed by women, many male dancers have learned this dance quite well and blended wonderfully into the bellydance community. Historically, men danced as well.
6. Is the cabaret costume, or the bra and skirt combination what bellydancers are “supposed” to wear or is it the most authentic- While it is what is most commonly thought of first when someone says “bellydancer”, the bra and skirt combination was a Hollywood creation which came about in the 1920’s and 1930’s. It was the result of the fantasy movie creators had about the Middle East. Currently in the Middle East, this is the most common costume worn by bellydancers as Western culture influences the rest of the world. In some regions in the Middle East, bellydancers wear evening gowns or another version of a fully covering costume. In America, bellydancing has evolved into many forms and so has the costuming, so you will see many varieties of costumes (just look through this site and my links).
7. Will it help me lose weight? Shira does a great job of answering this one at http://www.shira.net/weight-loss.htm (Remember to come back here by pressing the back button!)
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