Who Belly Dances & The Benefits

Who Belly Dances?

Belly dancers can be found on every continent around the world and cannot be stereotyped. Students range in age from seven to eighty. Currently, the average national age of belly dancing students is thirty to thirty-five. Locally, it is twenty to thirty-five. Instructors and performers are often in their mid-thirties to sixties. Age is actually an asset for belly dancers.

The majority of belly dancers are women, however, there are several prominent men in the profession. Female dancers are generally preferred to males by the populace. Students of belly dancing come from all walks of life: some are mothers or grandmothers; some are doctors, lawyers, chemists, pharmacists, and engineers; and some are secretaries, commercial artists, teachers, accountants, homemakers, and college students.

Why Do Women Belly Dance?

Women seeking belly dancing classes come in all different shapes and sizes. Some come to lose weight while others are bored or need a spiritual boost. Women also seek the gentle therapy offered by the dance movements to get into shape or to recuperate from injuries, surgery, and childbirth. Some expectant mothers use belly dancing to strengthen their pelvic muscles prior to labor as well as dance during labor to help bring forth the baby. Other women want to improve their mental health, rejuvenate their self-esteem or give their libido a shot of excitement. Many just want to get away from home or work for a few hours and leave their everyday images at the door to become "Salome," "Cleopatra," or "Little Egypt." After all, "Girls just wanna have fun!"

Women tend to gravitate toward belly dancing because it is not off limits or a dance for the elite who are extremely talented, young, and lithe. Belly dancing, unlike ballet and modern dance, is a woman's dance created by women for women, and therefore, allows the student, the instructor, and the professional the greatest freedom for individual creativity, expression, and growth. It provides a variety of styles for a person to select from such as American, Greek, Turkish or Egyptian cabaret; folk or tribal; and fantasy dancing.

Belly Dancing for Mature or Overweight Women:

Belly Dancing is an excellent form of exercise for mature or overweight women because it works the muscles gently without stressing the body or overextending the joints.  Belly Dance movements are fluid, not jerky or abrupt as in jazz.  It is also a weight bearing exercise (performed while standing on the feet) and helps to prevent osteoporosis.  When you Belly Dance, you burn approximately 300 calories per hour.  For more information see Life Styles Over 30.

Is It Easy To Learn to Belly Dance?

It takes about six weeks for some students to learn the basic isolations and movements and several months to learn a dance routine. Belly dancing is very deceptive--pros make it look so easy. It takes many years to refine the movements to a state of ease and perfection. While belly dancing is the most natural dance to learn, it is probably the most difficult dance to learn because:

1. It is an expression of another culture's view on how the human body should move.
2. It is a dance using deep muscle control not found in Western dance forms.
3. It uses the pelvis and abdomen to reflect joy and fertility but not overt sexuality.

Belly dance and Western dance movements differ. In the belly dance, the muscles in the torso are isolated and danced. Belly dancing is sensual because of the way we manipulate our bodies into curving, snakelike shapes. We do things that don't seem humanly possible to do. Western dance, primarily dances the limbs. Belly dancers also learn to use finger cymbals, veils, canes, and swords. Some dancers perform with fire and live snakes. Our music has many different rhythms and sounds which gives the dance it's exotic qualities. With time, practice and patience, the individual gains a new perspective of a highly developed and artistic discipline, the Belly Dance.

Do I need to take ballet to Belly Dance?

Students often ask this question. The answer is, NO, you do not need to take ballet, modern or jazz to Belly Dance. Belly dancing has its own stance, alignment, movements, and form that cannot be duplicated in other dance styles. Every culture has their own interpretation of body movement and posturings which must be learned by studying their dances. While students do not need to have any dance training, those who are physically active develop an awareness of their bodies that helps them learn to dance. Students who have extensive backgrounds in other forms of dance, sports, or aerobic exercise, have to take extra time to unlearn the body habits they have acquired in order to Belly Dance.

The Benefits of Belly Dancing!

The benefits of belly dancing are built into each dance movement. The dance has some Yogic basis in the form of isolated movements, stretches and contractions. It also uses breathing to help execute torso movements. The dance and accompanying exercises tone muscles, improve posture, develop balance, and grace of movement. Since it is a form of low-impact aerobics, it will increase your stamina and decrease your weight if combined with a sensible diet. You will also improve your circulation, flexibility, and bring your body and soul together again.

In both the exercises and the dance, you will learn to concentrate on isolating the muscles so each portion of the body can be moved independently of the rest of the body; to contract muscles to give them control, strength, and coordination; and to stretch every part of the body until you know where the controlling muscles are and how to manipulate them individually. The essence of belly dance is to learn how to isolate the shoulders from the neck and head movements; the elbows, wrists, and fingers from the shoulder movements; to move the rib cage without any movement in the shoulders, head, or hips; and to control the abdomen and hips separately.

Your Goal

As a belly dancer, you will weave a web of fantasy around your audience and show them the beautiful, sensual mystique of your undulating and isolated movements, your mastery of the shimmy, and your interpretation of the music's many rhythms and moods. You will present yourself in a dignified and regal manner as you make your audience politely welcomed, but captivated subjects. You will feel radiant and rejuvenated as you dance from your heart.

Remember, the integrity of the dance is measured by the quality of the dancer herself and it is the dancer who gives the dance its reputation and its standing in our society. To dance with dignity, grace, and ease, you must don your harem pants as a ballerina dons her tutu or a Tahitian dancer dons her grass skirt, and exercise and practice the movements and isolations over and over again.

Sallamah Chimera

B 2002-2008 Sallamah Chimera