Let’s go belly dancing

Many believe that belly dancing is the oldest form of dance having roots in all ancient cultures from the Orient, India and the Middle East. Probably the greatest misconception about belly dance is that it is just intended to entertain men.

The dance has gone by many names. The French call it “dance du ventre” or dance of the stomach. Greeks know it as the “cefti telli”, in Turkey it is “rakkase” and in Egypt, “raks sharki.”
Across the borders and cultures, ‘belly dance’ – or oriental dance – or Arabic dance – is recognised as a dance-style of its own. There are several points that make it different from other dance forms and reveal its diverse heritage.
It has traditional associations with both religious and erotic elements. This ambiguity has caused belly dance to be both scorned and loved by many.
However, its apparent origins are the fertility cults of the ancient world.     
“Belly dancing is natural to a woman’s bone and muscle structure, with movements emanating from the torso rather than the legs and feet,” said English and yoga teacher Jill Teasdale, who lives in Saar.
“The dance focuses on isolating different parts of the body, moving them independently in sensuous patterns weaving together the entire feminine form.
“There has been a misconception about this dance. It is not necessary to wear revealing costumes, but the stomach muscle and waist movements should be visible.
“I always had a curiosity about it and I loved the eerie, exotic quality of Arabic music,” said Jill who hails from Liverpool.
“One day, in an alternative art café I found an enticing flyer for belly dancing classes and started going.
“It was an amazing introduction because the teacher ‘Sitar’ was so encouraging. What struck me about the class was the solidarity it brought to all the women in that one room.
“The teacher really encouraged us to dress the part, no sports clothes but full skirts and coined belts.
“It became a night out; we would practice from 7pm till 10pm. We were women who simply loved to dance.
“The best thing about it was there were no men – when you go out dancing there are normally men around changing the atmosphere. This was a female space. Just like Arab women have.
“And in that space we explored our feminine creativity and were free to discover different movements we could do with our hips that we probably wouldn’t have explored in public. 
“But then within weeks we were doing choreographed performances in public. All that mattered about these performances was they brought immense confidence to our lives. My life changed from then on. I felt grounded and in control of my feminine self. I had only attended a few classes but was hooked.”
Jill, 36, has lived in Bahrain for five years and has been invited to perform belly-dancing at weddings and engagement parties.
She is expecting her first child and said: “Belly dancing works well with pregnancy but I’m avoiding strong shimmy movements as it weakens the cervix and puts pressure on the baby. In fact, one of the origins of belly dancing was to help child birth – a ritual to help a woman through these processes.
“It’s definitely an art and a form of self expression. It’s fun, very absorbing and an excellent way to keep fit, flexible, improve co-ordination and balance as well as define muscles.
“Belly dancing is liberating – it is a celebration of being a woman.”

Sam Murphy spoke to Josephine Wise one of the world’s top exponents of belly-dancing who has danced extensively throughout the Middle East and Europe, including regular functions for Arab royal families. She runs classes and teacher training through her school, the Josephine Wise Academy of Arabic Dance (jwaad.com). Here’s what she said …

Practice isolating the abdominals
Standard ab exercises, such as sit-ups, don’t isolate the abs in the way you need for belly dance. You need to stand in front of a mirror to practice ‘rolling’ the muscles – that is, contracting them in sequence, mainly from top to bottom. To begin with, you’ll find this tricky. You can also practice lying face down on the floor, leaning on your elbows, so you can look down at your abs in action.
Express yourself: Try not to be self-conscious when you are dancing - put your own personality and emotion into it, like all the great dancers do. In fact, many women find the environment of a belly-dance class a safe and amazing way of expressing themselves.
Go figure
Figure eights, in which the hips trace the figure eight, are a wonderful move for giving muscle tone and shape around the waist.
Bring your left hip forward, then take it out to the side and around to the back before coming back to centre and going straight into the same move with the right hip. It’s important to be clear about which direction you’re aiming for, and to watch yourself in a mirror. Remember to lead with the hips, not the abdomen.
Use your arms
Beautiful arm movements complete the picture, but some of the traditional arm moves don’t come naturally.
I’d recommend learning each move with the appropriate arms at the outset, so the arms don’t hang down or fly around out of control. Choose an arm shape, or two, for a particular move, and then stick to it, practising it regularly until it becomes habitual. Then you can add more and vary them.
Don’t hold your breath
Most people hold their breath when they concentrate, especially when learning a new move.
Most moves don’t have synchronised breathing patterns, but it’s important to maintain regular breathing throughout. That said, it can take people a few weeks or even months before they can do a hip shimmy and breathe at the same time.
No six-pack, no problem
Belly dance is not confined to the young or skinny, and many women with a negative body image learn to love their bodies and feel proud of them through taking up belly dance.
Regular belly dance develops strong abs, but not a six-pack.
Broaden your knowledge
Mastering the technique is only one part of learning to belly dance. You gradually learn to recognise the different rhythms and know what to do to them.
Then there are all the different styles of the dance – and music from modern Egyptian pop to wonderful classical orchestral music. It’s a lifelong study to become an expert.
Getting started
There is no central or governing body for belly dance, and teachers have varying levels of experience.
The biggest and best source for finding teachers is Mosaic (mosaicdance.org), the Arabic Dance Network founded in 1993 for lovers of Arabic dance everywhere. It also produces a magazine which lists events, gear suppliers and other belly-dance organisations.
Josephine Wise offers teacher training at her school (jwaad.com). JWAAD-trained teachers and dancers are prominent in the dance world.
Its annual summer school (August 10-17) runs workshops in all styles for all levels, with belly-dancing performances to inspire students, live music and percussion, as well as music and costumes for sale, talks on background history and culture, and massage.
Even pregnancy need not be a hindrance to shaking those hips: some teachers hold six-week Belly Babies courses and workshops designed to help prepare for childbirth.
Dance Holidays (danceholidays.com) offers courses in Morocco and Spain.
If you want to find out even more, then you could do worse than head for the first International Belly Dance Congress (bellydancecongress.com), at the Butlin’s Centre in Bognor Regis, England, from September 28-30.
The gear
You can dance in whatever you feel comfortable in – you don’t need to expose your belly to see the movements, so a T-shirt is fine if you don’t fancy a leotard or crop-top.
Most people dance barefoot, but if you’d prefer something on your feet, soft dance shoes are fine.
If you get hooked, however, you’ll probably want to wear a hip scarf or belt to accentuate your movements. Scarves designed specifically for belly-dancing are usually colourful or decorated with coins or beading. And if you get really serious about it, you may want to invest in a traditional costume, such as long skirts, pantaloons, decorative tops, gloves, veils and dresses.
The downside
Mention belly-dancing, and some people think along the lines of semi-naked lap dancing.
Also it’s not a great cardiovascular workout ... belly-dancing will tone, strengthen and improve flexibility, but you won’t work up much of a sweat or burn many calories.
No central organisation
It’s not always easy to find a reputable teacher because of the lack of formal qualifications and no governing body.
As a result, it can take a fair bit of research to find the perfect class.

By Sahar Mulla
sahar.mulla@gulfweekly.com