SWEAT IN THE CITY — I tried ballet, but my ample and very mobile hips were a problem. Then there was that Zumba disaster. I even failed in pole-dancing, apparently due to my lack of sex appeal. But other than that, I’ve never danced.
Because dancing scares me. Really scares me. Even wiggling my butt in a club feels unnatural and unsexy in the extreme and must be preceded with strong cocktails and a ban on photography.
So, it was with some trepidation that I joined a belly dancing class at Rising Star Dance Studio.
My biggest fear was that being a very sexy dance style, I would be too uptight to loosen up and move well, and that I’d more or less look like an absolute fool. While I was right about foolish part, the shame factor wasn’t so bad, as everyone was too focused on their own moves.
The class started with some basic techniques, such as walking forward and backward while rolling hips. The pace was slow and the steps were easy enough to have a go at. Although the mirror betrayed the unsexiness of my moves compared to those demonstrated by our teacher, Hadassa, I was having fun. And she did have the advantage of 20 years practising Egyptian-style belly dancing.
From there the class advanced to a choreographed piece which the rest of the class had begun working on the week before. Despite that, and the fact I can’t follow choreography to save my life, the routine wasn’t too tricky to follow. I’m not saying I had it was easy to peg, but at least I could remember what was coming next and keep up with the rest of the class, unlike other dance classes where I’ve just stood scratching my head and looking confused, forgetting what I was supposed to be doing while everyone else capered around me.
From a workout perspective, I had thought belly dancing would be almost entirely belly-focused, but when we began to dance a routine employing a coloured veil, I started to feel my arms engage as well. It was a gentle workout, certainly, but it felt nice to use my body in ways I usually do not; popping my hips and relaxing my belly. Quite a change from all the other classes which demand sucking it in. It felt good to celebrate my liberated butt and belly rather than restraining them.
Watching the women of the class shimmy and belly-roll while sashaying around with a veil to melodic Arabic music was beautiful to see. I am quite sure I looked more like a robot than a rhythmic harem girl, but even so it felt good. I could even imagine that with enough practice, unsexy me could become a seductive and mystical creature of the dance.
Photo: Hadassa
