After more than a decade of teaching this dance, here's what I wish all my new belly dance students would know It's crazy how many people step into my beginner belly dance classes feeling apprehensive and even ashamed for not having any dance background or feeling like they are not naturally skilled at dance.
If we all came out of the womb as perfect dancers, what would be the point of taking a class? One of the first things I tell my clients is that I too, only started dancing as an adult. I never had any lessons or training as a child. Growing up I had orthopedic issues, and was very sedentary. And I still don't pick up new physical disciplines and movement patterns with a whole lot of ease. I just don't let that stop me, and these days I see it as a blessing. It's because I am the way I am that I really take my time to understand movement techniques and to break them down into manageable chunks. And because I am the way I am I can really relate to everyone who steps into my classes feeling apprehensive. And in fact, I personally really enjoy teaching students who are struggling. I love breaking movements down into really simple forms and the opportunity to analyze and shift the way that I am teaching to fit each person's needs in that moment. Plus, over the many years that I've been teaching, it has been so rewarding to watch hundreds of people go from feeling like they have "two left feet" to blossoming into skilled and graceful dancers. If you've been intimidated about taking up this art form and you need the support from a teacher who has been in your shoes, or if you already have belly dance experience but are looking for a supportive and empowering community to join to take your dancing to the next level, consider joining one of our classes here at SharqiDance! We offer highly interactive live classes both online (Zoom) and in person (Long Branch, NJ). All our classes are offered as closed-container, two month courses with a start date and an end date, and a limited amount of time to register. This way we can keep our classes consistent, small and individualized. We build on skills learned week after week until the end of the course, with class recap email notes and videos to help you practice between classes. But whether or not you decide to study with me here at SharqiDance, or with another teacher and school, if you are new to this dance, remember this: No one is born a skilled dancer. Belly dance is an art form that anyone can learn. Yes, even those of us with two left feet. All it takes is a willingness to learn, a love of the dance, and consistent practice. And of course, it helps to have the guidance of a teacher who wants to see you succeed! So go forth and get started on your belly dance journey. You just might surprise yourself at what you will be able to do, a few months and years down the line.
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Egyptian-style bellydance artist and Pilates instructor Rachael Borek discusses her thoughts about body shape and our society's obsession with it in this short commentary It might seem weird that I'm saying this, when my whole job is about moving bodies, understanding bodies, and using my own body to create art. But I'm saying it anyway. The shape of my body does not matter. The shape of your body does not matter. And the amount and distribution of each of our body fat most especially does not matter. It matters that your body is strong enough to support you in living the life you want to live, to the best of its ability - and that will shape how your body looks, to some extent. It matters that your posture and alignment bring you comfort and freedom of movement, and protect you from injury, and yes this will also affect the outward shape of your body. But the outward shape itself? It's a distraction from the things that really matter. As a dancer, it's a distraction from technique, expression, musicality, stagecraft... And as a human being living life, it's a huge distraction from actually living and enjoying life. And also a distraction from all the incredible things the people around us (women especially) are doing, if the first thing we see when we look at them is how well their body shape matches, or doesn't, some ideal beauty standard. So next time you find yourself thinking about someone else's body shape, see if you can change that thought. Think about who they are, or might be, as a person - their skills, their passions, their friendships... Practice the skill of seeing everyone, yourself included, as a fully rounded beautiful human being, not just a body. About Today's Guest Author Rachael Borek is an Egyptian style bellydance performer and teacher in Manchester, UK. She has been studying, performing and teaching Egyptian dance since 2008, having trained with many top instructors from Egypt and the UK. Her mission as a teacher is to make bellydance classes an accessible and uplifting experience for everyone, including those who feel they are not natural dancers. Rachael offers Egyptian dance courses and one-to-one lessons both in Manchester UK and online. You can follow her work on https://rachaelbellydance.co.uk/ or https://www.instagram.com/rachaelborek Was This Post Helpful?If you liked this article, you can visit our blog map to find other posts about body image, self-acceptance, or belly dance and related topics. Or subscribe to our newsletter, YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram pages to be the first to see more content from us!
On this International Women's Day I am reflecting on my feminine relationships: my relationships with other women, my relationship with femininity, my relationship with myself. I am surrounded by strong, talented, kind-hearted, genuine, incredible women of all ages and from all walks of life. I am in awe of all the things these women have survived, overcome, and achieved in their lives, and they inspire me every day. I, too, have survived and overcome many difficulties in life, and I consider myself to be a strong and passionate woman with so much to contribute to this world. But I didn't always feel this way. And if belly dance hadn't come into my life, I am not sure that I ever would. Like nearly all of us, I grew up in a culture that taught me that, as women, our physical appearance is the most important thing about us, while always pointing out all the ways in which our appearance falls short of the impossible ideals it imposes. My culture also taught me that other women are my competition, that life is a zero sum game, and that I "win" by being better than the woman next to me. It taught me that women are toxic, that women gossip and are always out to get each other. I grew up learning these things, and became a teenager with very few female friends. Most of my hobbies and interests were in male-dominated fields, and I prided myself in my lack of stereotypically feminine interests, having internalized the unspoken societal views that things women like are inherently inferior. That all began to shift when I took up belly dance. Over these last 15 years since belly dance came into my life, the ways that I view other women--and myself--have completely transformed. I now see feminine beauty not with the judging eyes of our society, but in the same way that I see the beauty of the trees in a forest: each is so different and beautiful in its unique ways, no matter how tall, how thick, how green or how old. How boring would it be if all trees in a forest looked the same... I try to look at myself the same way. We all have bad days, though. Days when it's difficult to see ourselves in a positive light. On days like that, belly dance itself offers me so much relief. Never underestimate the power of physical movement, especially coupled with music, to help us move and release painful emotions! Most importantly, I am now surrounded by so many incredible women, doing such beautiful work in this world. The vast majority of these women, I met through belly dance: as my teachers, classmates, colleagues, students, clients, acquaintances. So many of these relationships have grown into lasting bonds. Through these relationships and through this dance, I have experienced so much healing of these painful old wounds. I've come to realize that those old beliefs were lies, imposed upon us to suppress and to oppress us, and that there is a universal truth that we can all choose to tap into at any given moment: When we support other women, we empower ourselves as well. When we make life better for some women, we make life better for all women. There is nothing more empowering for a woman, than being surrounded by women who care about you and want to see you succeed! Was This Post Useful? Did you find this post useful? Would you like to see more like it? If so, comment below letting us know!
You can also visit our blog map to find more of our articles, or subscribe to our newsletter or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. And you'd like to learn belly dance online, check out our available classes here. A huge theme for this coming year is this idea of embodiment and how we can live our lives in ways that honor our bodies and their physical and emotional needs. As the year comes to an end, here are a few questions we can reflect on, to help us set the stage for living more embodied lives in 2022:
The answers to these questions will vary from day to day and from moment to moment, and there is no wrong answer. What’s true for you right now? Whether the experience of being in your body is a very pleasant one in this moment (maybe you are enjoying a delicious meal, or smelling a scented candle or you just finished a really fulfilling movement session) or a very unpleasant one (maybe you are sick or injured and in a lot of physical pain, maybe you are suffering from depression or another type of emotional pain), making the time to simply take note of how you feel can be so helpful and important.
Again, there is no blanket right or wrong answer here, but these questions can help you explore the right answers for you. If there is a form of movement that your body is craving, how can you make that into a regular practice? If there is a type of food that makes you feel good from the inside out, how can you integrate that into your diet? What are the activities that make you happy, that make your heart sing? How can you carve out more time to do them more regularly? Is there anything that doesn’t make you feel good, that you can do away with in your life, or make less time for? Have you been getting enough rest on a weekly basis, or does something need to change so that you can get the rest you need? We have a lot more control over the experiences within our bodies than we think. But rarely are we taught to tune into the body, to learn and understand its language, to listen and to give it what it needs. More often than not, we are taught that our bodies are dirty, we are taught to feel guilty for seeking pleasure, we are taught to neglect our body’s needs and to treat it like a machine that can be pushed around to yield the same level (if not ever-increasing levels) of output and productivity every day no matter what. In fact, most of us treat our bodies even worse than machines, because even machines need maintenance from time to time... yet how many of us take the time to give our bodies the maintenance they need? Now, if thinking about these questions brings up anxiety, resistance, or resentment for you, notice that too. Again, there is no wrong answer. What’s coming up for you? How do these questions make you feel, and why? No matter what is coming up for you, your feelings are valid and deserving of further exploration. I am wishing you a fruitful time of reflection as the year comes to an end. May you make new discoveries that will help you step into a better, happier, and more embodied phase of your life! Was This Post Helpful?Did you find this post helpful? Would you like to see more like it? If so, comment below letting us know!
You can also visit our blog map to find more of our articles, or subscribe to our newsletter or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. And you'd like to learn belly dance online, check out our available classes here. If you're feeling this current of heavy, overwhelming, or exhausting energy right now, you are not alone! It's normal to get burned out in the summer, but this moment in time feels extra exhausting. We are still living through a time of fear, uncertainty, major shifts and transitions... I just want you to know that regardless of how difficult things are right now, you're doing an amazing job. The challenges you've overcome these past 2 years were no small feats, and you're still here, you're still standing. There's so much to be said about that! So acknowledge your victories and take it one step at a time when it all feels like it's too much. Slow down or pause when you need to, and be kind to yourself through it all... no matter what. What are some tools in your figurative toolbox that help you get through tough times? For me dance, yoga, other forms of movement, breathwork, music and writing are great ways to regulate my nervous system so I'm not constantly being swept up by the storms of life. Make sure to have at least a few of your own "tools" at your disposal and to use at least one of them each day (whichever one feels the most approachable or pleasant in those difficult moments, especially when inner resistance hits). Take care of yourself first and foremost and help whomever you can along the way. Despite all the terrible things that are happening, I also see support systems strengthening, and communities that will help build a better future forming and growing. You are loved and supported... even when it doesn't feel like it. You can do this! Need some extra help? Try out these simple breathing exercises taught by Namita of Yoganama: Was This Post Helpful? Did you find this post helpful? Would you like to see more like it? If so, comment below letting us know!
You can also visit our blog map to find more articles, or subscribe to our newsletter or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. If you'd like to learn belly dance online with us, check out our available classes here. I was thrilled to wake up this morning to a post from one of my dear students, linking to a spineuniverse.com article named Belly Dance Your Back Pain Away. Call me a pessimist, but I don't usually expect much from articles written about belly dance in the mainstream. They tend to be, at best, just fluff pieces that totally minimize what belly dance really is, or at worst they could be full of stereotypes and misinformation. This time around, I was pleasantly surprised. For once, an accurate and informative take on the dance form we love so much - and from a medical source, at that! So let's break down the many benefits of belly dance as listed on the article, and why I love them so much:
That just about covers the benefits mentioned in the article (if you haven't checked it out by now, you can read it here.) Belly dance offers countless other benefits as well, which you may have noticed if you already practice it. What positive impact has belly dance had in your life, health, or well-being? What are the benefits you've personally experienced from it? Was This Post Helpful?Was this post helpful? Would you like to learn more about belly dance? Hit "like" below, share, and leave a comment with your feedback!
You can also visit our blog map to find more posts like this, or subscribe to our newsletter, YouTube channel, or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. If you'd like to learn belly dance online with us, check out our available classes here. Dance is a way to honor our bodies and celebrate our lives. But to truly honor and celebrate something, we must first become conscious of its value. Our bodies carry us through our entire life, supporting us and enabling us to do the things we love. Our bodies are our only true home from the moment we are born until the moment we die, growing and changing and transforming with us. Our bodies even have the capacity for creating life and bringing it forth into this world... yet how do we treat those bodies of ours?
How often do we speak about our bodies with shame, how often do we talk to our bodies with disdain, how often do we think about our bodies with sadness? How often do we feel frustrated for the things our bodies "can't" do or for the way our bodies look? How rarely do we take the time to appreciate all the amazing things our bodies already enable us to do? How rarely do we marvel at the perfect balance of our automatic bodily functions that keep us alive and healthy in every moment? Most of us think and speak about our bodies only with frustration and negativity and rarely if ever with appreciation and positivity. We take for granted all the amazing things we have to be grateful to our own bodies for. And then maybe we learn to appreciate our body's ability to function, to move freely without pain, only after an accident or illness impairs that ability. Only then do we tend to learn how precious our bodies are and have always been, and how insignificant the criticisms over the way our bodies look or the things we think our bodies can't do really are. It's time to start shifting the way we think and talk about our bodies every day. Let's move away from the frustration and move towards more love and appreciation. Let's try replacing criticisms of our bodies with wonder and gratitude, today and every day. I like to end all of my belly dance classes guiding my students to give themselves a hug and thank their bodies for everything they do; all the functions we take for granted that keep us alive, healthy and in balance and free from pain. And I'm not the only one. In one of her online classes, Brazilian belly dancer Ju Marconato spoke about the importance of expressing gratitude to our bodies for those very things. She talked about not waiting until we become sick to see the value in our health. She expressed this so beautifully that I decided to translate her message into English and share it with you today: "Today I am thankful for the air that I breathe deeply through my lungs. I am thankful for my skin, my hair, my nails. Have you ever stopped to thank your kidneys? Imagine life without your kidneys working. How much are your kidneys worth? How hard would you work to have kidneys that are perfectly healthy and whole? Is there a price for that? That is true wealth! I am thankful for my kidneys. I am thankful for my intestines, my spleen, my liver, and the perfect synchronized functioning of my internal organs. I am thankful for each cell of my body, each one perfect and healthy. How I am richly blessed... I am thankful for my eyes. How wonderful it is to see colors, lights, to see the faces of the people I love. How important it is to have this channel of communication with the world. Do you see it? Try putting a blindfold over your eyes for a day or just a few hours, and go about your daily activities or try to go outside. When you take off the blindfold your perception will be more accurate, and will show you the grandiosity of being able to see. This way a feeling of pure gratitude is installed in your heart, so you don't have to lose your health to be thankful for it. I am thankful for my ears. How wonderful it is to be able to hear songs. Do you understand the magnitude of that? Cover your ears for just 24 hours. When you uncover them you will be jumping in gratitude for the gift of hearing. I am thankful for my legs that take me where I need to go. I'm thankful for my arms that hug and do work. I'm thankful for my hands that caress, nurture and cook. I'm thankful for my metabolism. I am thankful for my heart. So much gratitude for my heart. This perfect and tireless machine that works 24 hours in my favor. Atria and ventricles working in perfect synchrony. It's a miracle. My heart is truly precious, it's invaluable. I am thankful for my brain, my nervous system, my endocrine glands, my defense sells. I am thankful because I am a magnificent expression of life. I am nature manifested in all its wisdom. I love my body. It is home to my spirit. I love my temple. Today I am grateful." You are a magnificent expression of life. Your body is a marvel, a microcosm of nature, a unique and beautiful temple that deserves to be honored and respected. Cherish the wonderful things your body does for you today and every day, and observe how much more easily the dance of life begins to flow. To get what you want, you have to want what you get. -Paraphrased from an unknown author There is so much truth and wisdom in this short yet powerful sentence. It is, in a nutshell, the best advice I can give regarding acquiring new skills, building your goal body, becoming healthier, attracting great relationships, progressing in your career, making more money, or just in general creating the life of your dreams! Appreciating what we already have opens our eyes to notice opportunities that are already available to us... opportunities which are impossible to detect when we are spending our time focused on what we don't have. That attitude of gratitude then goes on to attract more new outcomes that bring us the same feeling, resulting in a beautiful cycle of awesomeness. As it relates specifically to raqs sharqi (belly dance), this means that if you want to become a better dancer or achieve specific dance goals, the best way to go about it is to not be frustrated by the level you currently find yourself at, not to look at other dancers who are "better" than you and compare yourself to them in a way that puts you down, but instead to fully appreciate where you are at right now, all while keeping your goals in the back of your mind as you enjoy every moment of your journey towards achieving them. Look at me, your dear author, fully appreciating the fact that I am dancing to this incredible live band on a stage in LA ;) Does this seem vague, abstract, or too "woo woo" for you?
Then let me put it a bit differently... I'll give you two scenarios, and you tell me which one will lead to more progress for the dancer in question. Dancer A took up belly dancing classes because she was enchanted by the gracefulness, elegance and femininity of raqs sharqi. But every time she comes to class, she can't help but look around the room and feel horrible about herself. She hates the way her body looks, and she struggles with new steps and movements. When she looks around, she sees that other students are "getting it," which only adds to her frustration. When she sees a professional dancer, there is a nagging voice inside her head that says things like "You'll never be able to dance like that," "you started way too late to ever be any good," or "you're too ugly to perform in public." Dancer B also took up belly dance because of its feminine elegance and gracefulness. But when she comes to class, she does not focus on what anyone else is doing; she only focuses on herself and her own learning. She appreciates her body and the fact that it is healthy and functional and able to learn this amazing art form. If she does look around the room, it's to appreciate how wonderful it is that all these people are gathered together to learn new ways to move their body and express themselves to complex, poetic music. When she sees a professional dancer, she thinks "I'm so lucky that I get to see this performance" "that'll be me some day," or "I'm so inspired by this dancer!" If both these dancers take the same exact class, practice the same amount of time, and take the same actions to improve, which one do you think will see more visible progress? Which one will be happier in their journey? Which one is most likely to stick with it longer? I think the answer is so obvious I don't even need to say it! Still skeptical? Then I'll leave you with this: why not give this whole attitude of gratitude thing a try, starting now? It is Thanksgiving week, after all! Jot down a couple of positive things belly dance has brought into your life. Note a couple of positive things about your own dancing, as it is right now. Lastly, write about the dancers you love the most, and then visualize yourself embodying all those characteristics you just wrote about. Feel like sharing what you wrote? Post it in the comments below! If you do this regularly and consistently, you will notice a visible difference in both your attitude and your dancing, and you won't want to stop that beautiful cycle of awesomeness. Bring that gratitude attitude into every aspect of your life, and you will reap the rewards as you see yourself flourishing in every possible way. I hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving this week. Happy Dancing! We all have different backgrounds. Most of us came to belly dance at different stages of our lives, for different reasons and with different goals, and we all started with differing amounts of natural skill. We also have different learning styles and prioritize the dance differently in our lives.
Belly dance can mean different things to different people. Some do it for fun and socialization, or as way to get to know more about a foreign culture and its enchanting music and dances. Others do it as an outlet for artistic expression, or as a form of exercise to get in touch with their bodies at a deeper level. Some just belly dance to feel more sexy and beautiful, while others want to reach the highest levels, dancing at professional venues or competitive stages. No matter your reasons for being drawn to belly dance, always remember that your journey through this dance is unique to you, and honor that unique journey by looking within yourself for the reasons why you do this dance, so that every time you do it, you can seek to get out of it the feelings, experiences, and results that you need. There is no reason to look at other dancers with judgment if you think they are worse than you and therefore not "worthy." There is also no reason to look at other dancers with envy if you think they are "better" than you or that they have some unfair advantage. Those dancers are walking their own paths that are different from yours, for their own reasons that are different from yours, encountering their own roadblocks that are different from yours, towards destinations that are also different from yours. If you spend time comparing yourself to others, you lose sight of your own journey and give up control of your destiny! You miss out on lessons you can learn from your individual struggles and on the unique insights you can offer, because no one else has walked the same path as you. You miss the opportunity to learn more about yourself and carve a path that truly fits your own needs, hopes and dreams! Respect your unique journey through belly dance, honor and own all the reasons why you dance, and don't worry about what others are doing. This way you will feel happier throughout your journey, and it will take you to the most incredible destinations! This Valentine's Day has me thinking about some of the notions people have about belly dance.
To the general public in the Western world, the words "belly dance" tend to conjure up thoughts of harems where half-naked concubines dance to seduce the sultan... But did you know that's actually an incorrect stereotype? Belly dance originated from folkloric dances of the Middle East... dances that are regularly done informally at family and social gatherings, by children and adults alike, both female and male. It is a dance of joy and celebration, with a rich history and culture behind it that is now studied and performed all around the world. Reducing it to nothing but a "dance of seduction" is really a wild inaccuracy! Then again, it is also easy to see how this dance--which can indeed be very sensual--could actually be used for this purpose. After all, who can possibly think that a slinky undulation or precise controlled hip shimmy isn't attractive? Even if it's an inaccurate stereotype, there is still truth to the fact that belly dance can be a sensual and mesmerizing art form. Yet there are ways to use this quality without reducing the dance to something that is done solely for the pleasure of leering men. Because if there is one person you should definitely try to use belly dance to seduce... that person is you! You can use it to see beauty in the diverse people who perform it, and in turn to see beauty in yourself. You can use it to teach your body how to do new and amazing things that you will feel beautiful doing. You can use it to express the music you love and the deepest feelings inside your soul. This Valentine's Day, do a little belly dancing, and fall in love with yourself! |
AuthorYamê is a Brazilian-American View Posts By CategoryIf you'd like to read more articles by Yamê or SharqiDance's guest authors, please view our blog map here.
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