Belly Hoop Dancing.....WHAT????

So while checking out more hoop dancing on YouTube, I found this:

AHHHHHH!!!!  Talk about my ultimate dream hobby!!  Combining my favorite pastime of bellydancing with my new found love of hula hooping?  YES PLEASE!

So I have been watching videos of this dancer in complete awe (as well as other dancers, both belly dancing and hula hooping), wondering if I could ever in a million years be that good.  I want to be.  The thing is, I'm not really the most coordinated person, and I don't have much rhythm.  I can dance, mostly because I practice, but I don't have much of a natural knack for it.  Sometimes I think, "If only I had started when I was young!".   I so regret never having the confidence to do anything like this when I was a child or teenager.  If I had then maybe I'd be amazing at it now instead of wishing I were.

But it's never to late to learn something new right?  Ok, so this is what I figure.  I'm not naturally good at dancing, but so much of it has to do with dedication and practice.  I don't have much time to dedicate to practice these days (back before I had kids I would just bellydance around my living room every day and practice my choreographies for hours), but one day I will.  I am only 30 now, so I figure that if I give myself a few years to get past having babies and raising small children, then once things calm down in that area of my life a bit I will be able to pursue my dreams a bit.  Of course I will keep doing what I'm doing now, praciticing when I can.  There is no reason not to!  But be warned, once the doors open up, I'm going all out!  I would love to take dance lessons in a variety of styles to improve my coordination, balance, and rhythm.  I'm game for anything - ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, latin - anything that's fun and has music.  Even if I don't love it the way I love bellydance and hooping, it would still be good for me.  Awhile back I tried my hand at hula dancing, and didn't like it, mostly because the teacher wasn't that great.  But I would try hula dance again, and maybe even other cultural dance like Tahitian, African, and Indian.  I actually took a few short workshops before on African, Indian, and Irish dance, and they were all a lot of fun (especially the African), so I would be game to try them all again.

So yeah, sometimes I get a little down that I didn't start dancing sooner in life or because I'm not that great, but then I remind myself that there is still time.

Better keep practicing then!



Belly(dance) Flop

You may recall I was super excited to have found a bellydancing class not far from me at a dance school called The Danceroom.  Last night was my first class and I must say I was hugely disappointed.

The teacher was horrible.  Ok, she wasn't a horrible dancer.  In fact she looked like she was probably a decent enough bellydancer.  But she was a horrible teacher. 

First off she had the music on so loud we couldn't hear a word she was saying.  Second, she was rather crude.  At one point she told us we sucked (obviously meant in joke but I didn't think it was funny).  The class was supposed to be fitness based and for beginners.  Well, she didn't teach any of the moves.  She showed a few of them, but didn't explain what they were or what they were called.  Then she just danced and expected us to follow her.  It was like all she wanted to do was show off her own dancing.

She was obviously really into herself.  She put on the music and just started dancing, but the problem was her choreographies were not repetitive.  I don't understand how a bunch of beginner bellydancers (and even an intermediate one like myself) were supposed to be able to follow her movements when they weren't consistent?  I don't think I saw her once take her eyes off her own reflection in the mirror to see what the rest of us were up to.  She kept throwing in all these little moves and singing along simply to show off.

I realize that I'm not a professional bellydancer by any means, but I have taken enough classes to know how it should be taught.  And seriously, I could have taught a better class than this lady.

Needless to say I did not enjoy the class at all, which was so disappointing for me as I was so looking forward to getting back into it.  I was originally going to buy a large package of classes, but only had enough cash for 5 and thank goodness for that because I don't think I'll be taking her class for too long!

So sadly, it looks like I still haven't found any proper bellydancing.  I'm thinking of focusing mainly on zumba now.

Which brings me to more disappointing news.  The fabulous lady who teaches my zumba classes at the Y is moving away, and this week is the last week of classes with her.  They have not found anyone to replace her yet so there will be no zumba at least for the summer until they train someone new. 

It appears the Wasaga YMCA is still offering it so I might try and drive out there once a week.

Otherwise, looks like I'm going to have to search elsewhere for zumba, or find new classes at the Y to satisfy my fitness kick.

Ho hum.

Bellydancing

I will be starting bellydancing classes in a month!  Can I just say how excited I am?

For those of you who don't know, I LOVE bellydancing.  Now, I am not a natural dancer.  I didn't take jazz, or tap, or ballet as a child.  Scratch that, I did take jazz very briefly at some point before dropping out due to lack of confidence.  But bellydancing....LOVE LOVE LOVE!

A few years back, I want to say maybe 5 or 6, some girlfriends and I decided to try it for fun.  We started at Main Street Dance in Markham, just doing their summer program.  Well I was hooked immediately.  Before that summer was over I was already performing at a wedding.  ME, the shy girl with no rhythm!  It seems I found something to bring out my confidence.

We continued at MSD which is where I met my good friend and avid bellydancer, Amy Jackson.  I've done two recitals with MSD, and will always remember it as the place where I found my passion for dance.

Pics from Main Street Dance recitals.  (Featured dancers:  Amy Jackson, Karlene Taylor, Nicole Mostaard)

It wasn't long before I discovered Arabesque Academy, school of Middle Eastern Dance.  This place was the real deal.  The Arabesque Dance Company has some of the top bellydancers in the country.  I took classes there on and off over the years, completing up to the Intermediate 1 level.  I've done two gala performances with Arabesque.

Arabesque Student Gala, fall 2009.  Me (far left), 19wks pregnant and Amy (second from right), as well as two ladies from our class.  Intermediate 1 choreography, Tales of the Sahara, by Melissa Gamal.

Never in my life had I found a hobby I loved so much.  Bellydancing was a way for me to stay in shape, and hang out with my friends.  A way to learn about a new culture, and a new art form. 

When I was pregnant with F, Amy invited me to join the dance troupe she was a part of, called She Raks.  I was so honoured to be able to dance with such amazing ladies.  I was so sad to have to give it up once we moved.

Bellydance is probably the single hardest thing I've had to give up since moving.  Initially I looked around, hoping to find it at a dance studio here, but with no luck.  The closest I could find was Barrie, an hour away.  Not a possibility for the time being.  But then, last year, I found a small dance studio about halfway between here and Barrie that had bellydance, called the The Danceroom.  It is more fitness based bellydance rather than technique, but still!  I've finally gotten around to calling and now will be starting in June!

Throughout my amateur bellydance career, I've danced in 4 recitals, at 2 weddings, 2 Christmas parties, 1 birthday party,  2 cultural events, as well as several other community events, and countless haflas (intimate get togethers where bellydancers perform for each other and support each other), and have been featured on local television once and twice in the local newspaper.

I am SO excited to get back into it.  There is just something so amazingly feminine about bellydancing.  It is an ancient art form, created by women for women.  It is sensual but not sexual.  It is powerful and mysterious.  It makes you feel good about your body, no matter what it looks like.  I have seen so many women, young and old, big and small, empowered by this amazing style of dance.  There is so much culture and history to be learned, the music and costumes are amazing, the movements are intoxicating. 

Watch out bellydance, I'm coming back!  I'm thinking that maybe, once I get back into it, I can somehow form a bellydance club here in my town, or maybe even teach it.  I would love to share it with this community, and get the women of Collingwood shaking their hips!

Shimmy Shimmy!!