Belly dancing fascinates me. It’s mystery, intrigue, sensuality, confidence, and allure all wrapped up in those slinky moves I wish I could imitate. After scrolling through MoveStudio’s extensive class schedule, it took me forever to pick one. There were just so many and I wanted to try them all!
To face my fear again with choreographed dancing, I decided on belly dancing and begged a friend to come with me. Safety in numbers yo. Leading up to it, I felt slightly anxious, terrified, and excited. I really hoped I wouldn’t make a complete ass of myself.
About 10 people showed up to the class. Half the attendees were first timers or newbies like myself and I just felt so much more comfortable. My friend Diem showed up in her cute purple shimmy scarf for her hips and I wanted one so badly! I just wanted to jingle with everyone else. One of the regulars was nice enough to lend me her blue shimmy skirt from Egypt just so I could get the full experience. It even matched my shirt. Win!
So while I am pretty sure I was off beat more than half the time, I had to consciously tell myself to relax and enjoy it. No one is judging me. Eventually the steps came and it ended up being a lot of fun. We learned the basics of walking and slinging your hips to the side, and isolating different body parts such as your head, shoulders, chest and hips to get into the groove of belly dancing. Basically, the class was about being fierce. *snap snap*
With a beginner class like this, I’m intrigued to see what a person can learn as they advance to more intermediate and experienced levels. While what I learned were just the basics, I felt like I learned so much. I wished the class was longer!
I can be a very stiff moving person, especially when I’m overthinking each step and movement. I have a habit of getting too into my own head about it and it results in an awkward swan dance.
I think what I loved about this class the most after finally getting into the groove of it was the feeling of confidence you gain. Even though, I wasn’t doing everything perfectly, I felt confident and even a little sexxay! Ha.
Belly dancing is an incredibly seductive dance. I might see the occasional belly dancer performing in a hazy hookah bar now and then, but I don’t know much about it other than that. I’ve become entranced with their movements and wished I could move as beautifully as they can. Participating in this class made me feel more in awe.
The hour class felt too short. I wanted to learn more. I wish there was time for more hip movements. While looking into the mirror, I never new I could do actually mimic some of those movements. I believe that was the whole point of this challenge, to push myself and learn things that I didn’t know I could possibly do.
It’s common to hear the phrases “never say never” or “don’t knock it till you try it” or other variations of the saying. Many people, myself included, tend to use fear as an excuse to not try something new. Walked away feeling really glad I came to this class.
If you happen to be interested in taking a belly dancing class at MoveStudio, attend the drop-in classes a few times to get the basics and then keep a lookout for series or workshops to progress with lessons. Bring a friend if you are a little nervous, like I was, but it’s definitely a lot of fun.
Deep Fried Fit 