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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
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How to.. Belly dance
IT was with a little trepidation that I made my way to Longthorpe Village Hall for an evening of belly dancing – the dance of the Orient.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to dance, but it’s usually in the environs of a dimly-lit indie club in the early hours.
I wasn’t quite sure if I’d be able to co-ordinate my body movements with an entire class, and there’s always the fear I would manage to embarrass myself.
But I had nothing to worry about. From the moment I entered the class, the reception I received couldn’t have been more warm and welcoming, and the women made me feel comfortable immediately.
The class is led by mother-and-daughter team Lynn and Faye Semeraro, who manage to make the dance look beautiful, fluid and a joy to behold.
Lynn began dancing about six years ago, and she was hooked immediately.
She said: “You can just get up and move your body without any inhibitions. Nobody looks at you, and no one judges you.
“It’s ideal if you feel a little old to go to a club and dance, but you still want to dance – you can use the whole body. I was hooked after the first workshop. It really captures your imagination.
“The music is wonderful – very magnetic and hypnotic – and it can be so varied – soulful, sorrowful, magical – really drawing on the heartstrings.
“You find yourself moving through a really huge spectrum of emotions.
In Lynn and Faye’s class, they employ a fusion of styles and techniques, such as Egyptian and tribal dancing, and tailor them to Western tastes.
Lynn continued: “We make if fun for the women, allowing them to really express themselves and let go.
“There’s a real sense of fun, and the opportunity to be creative with the dance. And it’s a wonderful to substitute a session at the gym with a session of dancing. It helps to improve fitness, stamina and flexibility.”
We began with a warm-up to get the joints moving, before launching into a series of steps.
As we began, I could literally feel dormant muscles in my tummy spring to life, all be it a little reluctantly.
It was quite a new feeling to begin to learn how to isolate my hip movements from the rest of my body, as we began figure of eight movements with our hips – the core basis for the dance.
However, the camel step, which looked so beautiful when demonstrated by Lynn and Faye, may not have looked so elegant when I attempted it.
But, under Lynn and Faye’s instruction, I could feel myself improving before the end of my first class.
The ornate hand movements that accompany each step are more difficult to introduce as a beginner but, as the class is made up of people of different levels of ability, some of us left out the hand and arm movements to concentrate on our feet and hips.
I really found that as I began to move my body I became more comfortable in it, and I began to enjoy how it feels – a definite confidence booster.
From figure of eights with my hips, to shimmying, camel stepping, turning and spinning – I loved every single second of it and I was very disappointed when the warm-down time finally arrived.
Graceful, I was not, but I could see that I had potential to improve, and belly dancing is definitely a hobby that women can enjoy together.
The classes are open to people of all ages, shapes and sizes and, through the dance, you use every muscle group in the body.
However, it is not advisable during pregnancy, or for those with serious back problems.
As well as being good for general fitness, belly dancing also improves your posture and breathing, while many of the hand and shoulder movements are also great anti-arthritic exercises because they are mobilising the joints.
My introduction to belly dancing in such a welcoming environment had me glowing by the end of the session. I felt exercised and energised, almost floating on air.