learn to belly dance

I’m not a dancer. I took ballet as a kid, and if you watch my recital tape, I was a head taller than any other girl in the class, and couldn’t keep up with the others. It was actually really awful. My boyfriend said I looked like a dancing giraffe…sweet, isn’t he? Fast forward several years, and my Aunt Jeanea gave me a belly dancing kit for a gag gift on christmas. It came with an instruction book, a music CD, and finger symbols. It was just enough to get me interested. I bought a belly dancing excersise video, which was so much fun. That’s when I knew it was official. I want to learn to belly dance. I don’t know that I’d be any good at it, if the past repeats, but I’d still like to try. It would be fun, if nothing more.

Was planning on starting class on Weds. It has no been canceled due to lack of interest. But hey thats ok. I’m going to check out a dance troupe in July. I saw them preform and they take new members so we’ll see. I’m not sure performing is something I want to do, but… it could be an amazing experience and hey they aren’t going to have me dance if I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. So July 2nd a Thursday. That means I’d have to switch the days I have my kids. It wouldn’t be a problem, might actually work out better. Having them Mon/Weds rather than Tues/Thurs since I have them all day on Monday anyway. This could work. I’m excited.

I have found some videos on youtube that I find are really helpful, they are from the goddess workout, and I find them very useful because the tutor really breaks down each move and is very easy to follow. I will try to put the link up earlier

I’ve been wanting to belly dance for the longest time. Finally this year, I signed up with a colleague for a 4 lesson intensive belly dance class for beginners, 2 hr sessions. It was difficult being comfortable with my own body since this demands not only discipline, but to come to terms with my own sensuality. I really look forward to the classes, and would like to move on to the next level, since next week marks the last of this class :)

..after I get rid of my belly that is… lol

I got my new DVD in the mail a couple of weeks ago, but didn’t crack it open until today. It’s a little different than I expected, but I think it’ll be really good.

Today I worked on shoulder, rib cage, and hip isolation exercises. I’m going to do them a few more times until I really get them down pat, then move on.

I have, though, come to the realization that I’m going to have to take a real class to be able to really do this well. I can never tell if I’m doing the moves exactly as they should be done or not.

*use more challenging combinations
*posture, posture and more posture awareness
*become more aware of facial expressions
*usage of hands
*make videos of progress

Dance my way to some fabulous abs, and a talent that isn’t seen too often. I’m determined to at least try a class if nothing else.

Well, like the other dance entries, this may have to wait until my back recovers. Until then, I could learn the arm movements. They are so beautiful.

Right, so after taking that belly-dance class a couple of years ago, my obsession with it quickly faded into nothingness. I practiced again a few times after that-maybe a bunch of times, I can’t remember-but it never developed into anything.

But my mom has this fanatical love for “Dancing with the Stars,” which, every now and again, I watch with her. I make fun of how B-list the stars are, but I watch it, and it’s kind of fun. Sometimes when I watch it, I think, “That’s not so hard. I could do that.” Which I’m sure I actually could not. But last night was Latin dance night, and I thought that looked awfully fun, and I decided that when I move to the actual city next month, I would take some sort of Latin dance class. That has nothing to do with this, but I realized that I actually do have some belly-dance experience, and that I was pretty good at that once upon a time, so maybe in the meantime I’d get a DVD and get back up to speed. So I just ordered Bellydance Basics and Beyond from Amazon, and that should be good fun. Plus, when I move out, there will probably be no more cable, so I can dance instead of my nightly “Family Guy” reruns.