[myyear07]

I'm enrolling in a class I found locally.
Can anyone share their experience?

Mona xx

[charolastra00]

I haven't despite many of my friends who bellydance saying that bigger women do so well and benefit from it! I don't have the courage yet to try that one out.. but maybe by next semester I'll join my school's bellydancing club!

All I have to say is that it's such a gorgeous dance. I'm a big fan of partner dancing (especially Latin and swing!) but they don't have the same grace as belly dancers. Hope you have fun!

[BlessedBe]

I've been wanting to, but I'm picky. I want the romani gypsy style dancing, rather then the typical arabian style you see all over. So I'll have to wait until either one opens up or I move to where there is one. But at a recent faire I saw a fairly heavyset girl bellydancing. So anyone can do it, I think. You just have to want to.

[myyear07]

I'm very interested in the art of belly dancing, it is incredibly earthy and sensual, altho I love all sorts of dance (Argentine tango being another favourite).
I have Middle Eastern blood running through my veins so I am familiar with Arabic music and bellydancing; I've just never had the courage to do it myself, until now!

[One Fluffy Chick]

Hi Mona...
Yes, I belly dance, and I love it! I started last October and will participate in my first performance in July. Our troupe/class is made up of all different sizes, ages and body types. Our youngest member is 20 and our oldest is mid-to-late 50's (not impolite enough to ask the specifics ). I am the heaviest in our class, but I don't feel all that self-conscious about it anymore, even though we have one woman who can't possibly weigh more than 100lbs. I'm just another chick in a choli.
Class is only once a week. We have a drill of our basic moves that lasts about an hour, and then we practice our performance dances for the remaining 45 minutes. It's a great workout! We do what's called American Cabaret style belly dance, though we mainly dance to Egyptian and Arabic music.
Are you interested in the music or the dance or both?

Sonja

[myyear07]

Hi Sonja,

I love the music AND the dance! Especially together! I love all the different types of belly dance, they're all a form of art, altho my favourite has to be the traditional Egyptian/Arabic one.
I hope I enjoy my classes as much as you!
And congrats on ur fab weightloss!

p.s have you ever seen a male belly dancer perform? Go to utube and type in Tito male belly dancer or Jamil male belly dancer and you will be amazed.................those boys can shake their booty lol

Mona xx

[catsnhorses]

best "bellydancing" i ever saw was a short fat N. African woman at an Arab wedding, she was as wide as she was tall but could she ever move!! Not something you would see in public, this is what the women do when they get together for such celebrations.

I, on the other hand, resemble nothing so much as a plank of wood. I am very uncoordinated.

They have some belly dancing at the gym I signed up for. It looked like a kind of low-impact workout. I can;t bounce around like they do in some of the aerobics classes. So maybe I'll give it a try sometime.

[myyear07]

no i cant do the bouncing about either so I think this will be low impact (ish) but most importantly FUN!

[wateraddict]

You might find a beginner belly dance video and try that out and then join a class. Thats what Im thinking about doing.

[almostheaven]

Somebody needs to get Aphil in here. She's a bellydancer.

[One Fluffy Chick]

Hi Mona...
Sorry for the delayed response. I'm just getting over a bout with chicken pox. Yep, chicken pox. Now, I'll have spots for people to stare at while I'm dancing around in my choli.
So, I have seen a male belly dancer online, but it was still shots and not a video. It's such a feminine dance, that it didn't seem right. Plus, he was wearing more make-up than I ever have in my life. I'll have to go check out the ones you mentioned and see if I like them.
By the way, the first belly dance video I saw was one that I checked out from the library. There is a set of twins who is pretty famous in the belly dance world and they have an aerobics video, of a sort. Their names are Neena and Veena, I believe. It might make for good practice between classes. Speaking of, has your class started yet? What do you think so far?

Oh, where did you find your avatar? It's cool!

Sonja

[4thebigday]

I've done it!! LOL. I must admit- I was a little too "self aware". And it didn't help that we did it in front of a wall of mirrors!! There were a lot of non-perfect bodies there- and let me tell you- they worked their stuff!!! Sorry to say- but I just couldn't bring myself to do it more than 3 classes. It was a lot of fun- but I am choreographically-challenged (sp?) and just felt like a fool. Trust me I wasn't Shakira-esque like I pictured I would be. Because I can dance.... but I can't put steps together!! It was fun while it lasted! Let me know how you guys liked it!