BELLY DANCE
Why Bellydance?
Aside from the joyinherent learning a beautiful dance art, enthusiasts report a wide variety of benefits gained from the practice of Middle Eastern dance:
Satisfaction from achieving new levels of physical mastery
A feeling of camaraderie, community, making new friends Strengthening, reshaping and renewed acceptance of one's body
Greater freedom and range of self expression
Relief from back pain
Familiarity with different musical styles and cultures
Spending time for yourself
Bringing joy to others
Girl time
Fun Fun Fun!
History of bellydance..
It is hard to say when "belly dancing" started or where. As everybody knows belly dancing is based on one of the oldest dances in the world.The type and style of dancing which we now call belly dance, can be traced back over 6000 plus years. The early pagan communities often worshipped a matriarchal deity and extolled the magic and fascination of the ability of women to create life. There is a lot of historical evidence which links the ritual of fertility dances at that time, with symbolic re-creations of giving birth, to modern belly dancing. The sharp hip movements, deliberate muscular contractions and spasms, as well as sinewy undulations, demonstrate strong connections to the body's responses during labour and delivery. The dances spread from Mesopotamia to North Africa, Rome, Spain , India and other countries. It is thought gypsies travelled and spread belly dance. This blending can be seen in the use of the neck slides introduced from India and the transformation of hip shimmy to foot stamping in flamenco dance. There are two forms of belly dancing. The first is called raqs baladi, a social dance performed for fun and celebration by men and women of all ages, usually during festive occasions such as weddings and other social gatherings. The second form, the more theatrical version and the one most popular in America today, is called raqs sharqi. Like raqs baladi, raqs sharqi is performed by both male and female dancers. In regions where belly dancing is native, boys and girls learn it informally from an early age by observing and imitating their elders during family/community celebrations and gatherings with friends. Today, these ancient dance forms are taught in classes throughout the world where skilled dancers/teachers share the knowledge that has been passed down to them.
Health benefits of Belly Dance...
Back and Joints (Relief of pain)
Bone density increases
Belly dance is a low impact form of exercise
Belly dance helps in losing weight
Belly dance helps in preparing for childbirth Stress levels become lower
Belly dancing boosts self-estee Belly dancing can help relieve PMS
belly dance accessories and clothes..
