Belly Dancing Information

I've been thinking about taking up belly dancing or ancient dancing (if there's some other choices in the Middle Eastern dance category), I was wondering where can I find DVD, CD's, books, etc?

You can find all the DVDs, CDs and books you need on amazon.com or .co.uk, just insert belly dance in the search field and a lot of material will come up.
I myself, often buy belly dance material from amazon.

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I want to take a belly dancing class in the Plainville/north Attleboro area. Willing to travel a bit. Please help.

You might want to start by checking with a gym or recreation center in your area. Sometimes they have dance classes, and those teachers may also do private lessons.

You can look on Shira's website.
http://www.shira.net/
http://www.shira.net/directory.htm#Listing

There are belly dance websites with lots of great info about belly dance.

http://www.middleeasterndance.net/
http://www.bhuz.com/
http://zaghareet.freeservers.com/
http://www.bdancer.com/med-guide/

You can e-mail or call some of the dance instructors to find out more about their background, their style of instruction, what they expect from students, and fees they charge for classes. If you don't find a teacher listed for your area, you might want to contact one from the websites and find out if they may know of an instructor who may live closer to you.

Good luck!!

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Learn the hip snap belly dancing technique in this free video dance lesson.

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Technorati Tags: art, belly, clip, costumes, dancing, free, how, lesson, moves, techniques, to, veil, video

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The word belly dance, is a western name for an Arabic style of dancing. In Arabic countries it is simply called oriental dance and some American enthusiasts call it Middle Eastern Dance.

Belly dancing is a form of dance that is not so widely acknowledged in America and other countries, but there is still a large following in the vast ethnic sector. There is a lot of debate in the community as to the exact origin of belly dancing. Some believe it descended from early Egyptian dances, others say it is derived from religious dances and some say it comes from the migration of the Roma people, with Indian origins. No matter where it comes from, the fact remains that it is an exquisite form of dance and its popularity and following grows every year.

Belly dancing is a great way to increase fitness. It is a very active and energetic style of dance, which elevates the heart rate and increases cardio vascular ability, so one of the many benefits of this form of dance is to elevate fitness level, and burn fat. It also helps to stretch the muscles, and limber the joints up so that the participant becomes more nimble and agile. With these two health related factors, it shows us that it’s a great hobby for those with a few extra years on the clock to keep them young and vital, and also just for the general health of people of all ages.

This style of dance can be tailored to suit anyone’s personal abilities, so that it is not overly strenuous on the cardio vascular system, or on the stretch in the muscles. The fat loss aspect is something that belly dancing has actually been manipulated for. Some fitness experts have used belly dancing in personal training regimes to help a client lose weight effectively. This is possible because it is a fun activity, so the client will be happy to perform a certain amount of belly dancing practice each day to work towards their fitness and weight goals.

Males in belly dancing are not very common however there are some males in this form of dance that are very masterful at the art. Even though they are amazing in their performance, they are sometimes not looked upon with much respect in the belly dancing community, as it was an art created by women, and was not intended for men to perform. This topic is one of much debate with the introduction of women’s rights, why shouldn’t men be able to do the same things women can do, and so on.

All these factors make belly dancing an ideal activity for anyone of any skill level or age. It is both fun and good for physical fitness, so there is a number of positive’s and no negatives. Give it a try!

Dane Stanton
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/learn-all-the-secrets-of-belly-dancing-99201.html

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I work better independently. I don't know why. But I just would like to know if I could get private belly dancing lessons. I this possible? Thanks in advance.

Many belly dance instructors will do private lessons. They will usually cost more than a group class, but you get alot out of it.

You can contact instructors and ask them any questions that you have about taking classes… the styles they teach, what they expect from students, etc.
http://www.shira.net/
http://www.shira.net/directory.htm#Listing

http://www.middleeasterndance.net/
http://www.middleeasterndance.net/DancerDirectory.html

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A theme that is not arabic, what other themes can i have, in which i can include some belly dancing. By the way is a sweet 16 party.

You could do a Renaissance theme (knights, ladies, etc) as there were belly dancers then, you could do a gypsy theme, or you could do India or egyptian - as they also do belly dance. You could also do a dance theme.

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I have been belly dancing and now my stomach is constantly hurting. Do this always happen when you belly dance?

Working your abs and stomach muscles.

During the first few months of belly dancing, my stomach (lower and upper) would be so sore and my lower back too due to the back bends.

My arms and legs, not so much til later on, when we focused a lot on Turkish fast beat and seperations of the body in more depth.

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There's a belly dancing studio near my new house and I was thinking about going there but I am not really into dancing. I'd only do it if I knew it was going to help me lose weight and feel better about myself. Anyone who has belly danced, did you find that it helped you lose weight and tone up?

What you get out of bellydance depends on what you put into it. If you do not really like dancing and just want to lose weight then you would probably be better off looking for a pilates class or an aerobics class of some sort. Bellydance can be extremely helpfull in losing weight and toning if do it enough. Most people will have slow results from 1-2 hour classes once a week. Speaking from a medical point of view if you want to lose weight you should be exercising 3-4 days a week for at least 30 minutes each time (3-4 days a week at 1 - 1 1/2 hours is even better). As long as you can raise you heartrate enough you will eventually lose the weight. The more exercise you do and the more frequently it is done the more weight you will lose in less time. Bellydancing is great for this if your really into it because you will find yourself dancing at home frequently to the point that you are getting that 3-4 days a week for at least 30 min. If you focus on certain bellydance moves you can target certain problem areas but no matter what your body will tend to burn fat evenly from all parts of the body, causing all around slimming. The toning however comes from the building of muscle mass which you will aslo get by practicing isolations and strengthening exercises. Bellydance (like all dances and also pilates aka the "dancer's workout") works on giving you long lean muscles which is generally considered more appealing on a woman than the bulky muscleman type muscles. However like I said in the beginning if your really not that into bellydance or dancing in general I would recommend a different exercise regimen for you. First of all if you don't like dancing or if you don't like bellydancing specifically you will lose interest in the class and be less likely to practice at home. Secondly if you don't enjoy it your not going to feel better about yourself becuase you will be forcing yourself to do something you really don't care for. As far as feeling better about yourself this will tend to happen no matter what exercise you do. However bellydance in particular, from what I've noticed, can be even better for improving your own disposition. Bellydancers often form into a small community in which there is a strong sense of sisterhood and belonging. For some this is a bigger draw than the dancing itself! This sisterhood can greatly improve how you feel about yourself as these "sisters-in-dance" will frequently compliment you on how well you did this or that move and how much they like your new hip belt or even wow you look great you've definately toned up or lost weight, etc… these fellow women can provide an infinate amount of support and caring that can often brighten a rather dull or lousy day. I have yet to experience quite the same connection from any other dance form (not that it absolutely does not exist but I had never been in any other class where I felt so included). However even if you don't seek out the sisterhood aspect of it you will still feel better simply because exercise will release endorphines into your bloodstream which will naturally make you feel good. This is why there are many runners who run for miles on end just to get that endorphine rush. You will also feel better about yourself when you are seeing result. So I guess if I were you I'd try it out but if you don't like dancing even after the first few classes I would suggest looking for an exercise program tha you are interested in and will be able to hold your attention for a longer period of time.

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http://WatchMojo.com/ presents… How belly dancing can be fun and a great way to stay in shape! By Mihaela Coman

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In recent years, belly dancing has been catching on in the Western World. You can find classes in almost any city. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced, you can you find classes to meet your skill level. Even children can get in on the action!

Belly dancing started out as a dance tradition in the Middle East as a way to strengthen a woman’s hips for giving birth. Now, it has become a form of entertainment and exercise, as well as an art form.

It is not widely realized that the advanced dancers already know over thirty moves! The good news is there are no footsteps to remember if you are just learning. You learn how to move very isolated parts of the body in rhythm to music.

Movements of belly dancing are very isolated. Your hips will lift, thrust and shimmy while your belly rolls and your pelvic muscles tilt. Your arms will make snake like movements while your legs will either be shimmying one at a time or together in a double shimmy.

Once you have these and other movements mastered, you will put them to work in several positions, the basic and parallel positions as well as floor work that include dropping, sitting and then returning to a full stand. Also, you can’t forget about the veil work that comes into play.

Now you know why there is so much to learn! Some teachers may give these movements different names, they all reduce to the same thing – Very skilled moves. Body movements will be the same, however, no matter the name. Making the body shake, quake, curve, thrust, lock and drop. The arms and hands follow through with the movements in fluid motion. The belly remains exposed to show her control and strength.

The dancers costume will leave the belly exposed during the dance. This is to make it easier on the spectators, whether they are judges or patrons, to see how much control she has over her body. Also, the more skin that is exposed, the more sensual her movements become. It is very stimulating to watch a well-trained belly dancer display her art in this manor, with her hips and mid-drift exposed.

If you are going to take your belly dancing on to a more authentic level, you will want to make sure your costume is appropriate. The top should be almost like a bra with ornate beading and sequins for decorations. The bottoms can either be a full skirt or loose fitting shear pants.

Other accessories you will want to add are a belt that is weighted, bands for you wrist and/or arms, scarf and possibly finger-symbols. This may seem like a lot of decoration, but you want to make sure every part of your body is accentuated to show off the hard work you have put into mastering these moves.

On the other hand, belly dancing is a wonderful form of exercise and will make a great addition to your overall fitness routine. There are two basic steps to master if this is what you are after. The first is the all-important stretching. Using an exercise ball or yoga type stretches are ideal. The second is a group of basic belly dancing moves such as hip and shoulder movements along with abdominal, waist and thigh movements.

Make sure that if you plan on belly dancing during pregnancy, you check with your doctor. Because of the nature of the dance, it will have a different effect on your body than other types of prenatal exercise. It also may be prudent to get a second opinion to give you added peace of mind.

You want to make sure you workout four to five times per week, for thirty to forty minutes. Make sure that this is continuous activity and that you break a sweat. The cardiovascular effect will result in weight loss or control, if a healthy diet is used as well. These kinds of exercises release endorphins which are the ‘feel good’ hormone.

These are just a few of the reasons that belly dancing can be good for you. Also, if you take classes, it can be a source of friendship as well. But be careful that you don’t over do it. Be sure to drink your six to eight glasses of water a day and take your vitamins. This will help your body recover and get ready for a new workout tomorrow.

One of the places you can learn belly dancing is at a local dance studio. Check the local listings to see where they are offered. If you don’t want to try to learn this complex dance in public, you can find a multitude of information on the Internet, in books and from instructional videos or DVDs.

You can find classes and pricing at helenavlahos.com, and at visionarydance.com, you will find classes, DVDs and workshops. To complete your costume, check out home.earthlink.net. Rania Bossonis has a book written on the art of the belly dance.

Summary:

Belly dancing can be used for display or entertainment. Women, men and even children can find enjoyment and fitness in this art form, whether they are beginners or advanced or somewhere in between.

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