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Why limit yourself to workouts in the gym when you can burn calories
and enjoy all the other great benefits that come along with Bellydance.
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Build bones!
Belly dance and dance in general, is a weight bearing exercise,
the kind of exercise critical in helping prevent Osteoporosis
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Build coordination
and get smarter, seriously! Dance works the right and left hemispheres
of the brain together, it builds neuropathways that can increase
memory and learning ability
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Boost Immunity!
Exercise, including dance, is the primary way to move lymphatic
fluid in our bodies, in turn promoting better health of the entire
lymphatic system which is key to having a healthy immune system.
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Beat the
blues. Taking time to do something nice for yourself like treating
your self to a dance class along with being in the social environment
of others is an effective way to beat the blues and blahhs.
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Improve self
esteem and body image. Learning new things and accomplishing goals
like belly dance can be very rewarding. You might surprised by what
you are capable of. The movements in Belly Dance draw you into an
intimate relationship with your body and may help to overcome blockages
and a negative self image.
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Make new
friends. This is one of the most precious gifts that especially
Belly Dance can offer. Many important short and long term friendships
are discovered through Belly Dance.
With all of this to offer, what are you waiting for?
Make an hour a week for yourself and come have some fun with us!
I
borrowed the above from Sadie Marquardt's website, www.sadiebellydancer.com,
because it is the best description I have found of belly dance's
many benefits.
Great
article on Belly Dance
Belly dance can be practiced as an aerobic exercise providing cardiovascular
benefits. Research has shown that belly dancing
can burn up to 300 calories per hour, depending on the intensity
of the dancing, so it can be incorporated into a weight loss
program. The movements and isolations used in belly dance help
to develop core strength as well as flexibility. In addition, belly
dance incorporates all of the body's major muscle groups, so
it helps to strengthen the entire body.
Aside from these excellent physical benefits, belly dance also
helps people to reduce stress, and build confidence and
self-esteem. Women who have a negative self-image can discover
self-acceptance through belly dance, because there are no restrictions
of height, weight, body type or age.
For more information on belly dance check out these links:
http://www.shira.net/about.htm
http://www.tribalbellydance.net/bellydance.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Tribal_Style_Belly_Dance
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History of Belly
Dance
Tribal belly dance is a modern incarnation
of an ancient dance form with roots in the classical and folkloric
dances of the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, and India.
The origin and history of belly dance is much debated. It was practiced
as a dance of birthing preparation and ceremony in the Middle East.
It is speculated that this form of dance was picked up by the Romani
people (also called "gypsies") who traveled along the silk
road. The Romani brought the dance to various regions of the Middle
East, Central Asia, North Africa, India, and Europe and in turn, incorporated
parts of various dances from those regions into belly dance. For
more information
on belly dance history see:
http://www.shira.net/about.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belly_dance
http://www.tribalbellydance.net/historyof.htm
Today belly dance is practiced in many different forms all
over the world. It is a unique exercise form because it includes all
of the muscles used in the natural movement of the body and at the
same time allows for creative expression through dance. It also provides
many health benefits both physical and mental.
FAQs
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Belly dancing
is not stripping, nor is it a "dance of seduction."
In
Middle Eastern countries women generally dance with and for other
women. Dancing is used to celebrate or as part of a birthing ritual.
For info on Feminism and Bellydance see this
interesting article.
For more on the history please visit the links below.
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Beginner's
Belly Dace vs. Belly Dance Fitness:
Belly Dance is a unique
dance form requiring precise muscle control and isolation of muscle
groups. Professionals spend many years practicing and perfecting
their technique. In the fitness class we go over some basic belly
dance moves and discuss technique, but the focus is on keeping
the heart rate up and having fun. We usually burn around 400
calories in a 1 hour class. Fitness classes are a fun intro to
belly dance, but not a substitute for the beginner's classes.
In the beginner's classes we spend time focusing on technique,
isolation, and muscle strengthening and control, as well as learning
basic belly dance moves. If you are interested in having a complete
belly dance experience and enjoying all the benefits that belly
dance can offer, then you will want to take these classes.
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There are numerous
styles of belly dancing. The types that I practice
and teach in my classes are American
Tribal Style (ATS) and
Tribal
Fusion style. ATS
dancers usually dance and perform in a
group although they can also dance alone. In ATS the dancer learns
to pick up on cues from other dancers so that improvisational
dances can be performed together. Check out the videos listed
on my site to see some examples. The beginner's class will provide
you with instruction on basic belly dance techniques as well as
some of the cues for ATS.
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