Benefits, History, and FAQs

Benefits of Belly Dance

Belly Dance is FUN!!

  • Why limit yourself to workouts in the gym when you can burn calories and enjoy all the other great benefits that come along with belly dance?

  • Build bones! Belly dance and dance in general, is a weight bearing exercise, the kind of exercise critical in helping prevent osteoporosis.
  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 may help to overcome a negative self image.

  • Make new friends! This is one of the most precious gifts that belly dance can offer. Many important 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 about 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

 

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/research/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

  • Beginner's Belly Dance vs. Belly Dance Fitness, which should I take?
    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 belly dance for fitness only then the fitness classes will work for you. 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 beginner's classes as well.

  • What the heck is a "Hafla?" Hafla is a word that means party, but in belly dance communities it has come to mean an event with a combination of performances and open dancing - generally in a relaxed atmosphere. Wild Sapphire occasionally hosts small haflas to allow students to opportunity to perform in a friendly, supportive, and non-threatening atmosphere.
  • What style do you teach?
    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.