In the News: 27 Apr: In Marietta, Turkish dance taught with Southern flavor 21 Mar: Belly Dancing With More Belly 21 Mar: Dancing away stereotypes 21 Mar: Shimmying and shaking 2 Mar: Ambassador's belly dancer stages her life 2 Mar: A bowlful of jelly? Not! 4 Dec: In belly dancing, showing your middle isn't taboo 4 Dec: Belly Dancers: Baring it all More news articles...

Shimmying and shaking

Shimmying to your own beat

It was with much anticipation that I entered my second belly dancing class, and I was not disappointed.

This week, the class started out with a social evening. We gathered around in a circle chatting and getting to know those we had been shimmying and shaking our booties alongside in previous weeks. It was very relaxed, and as we talked about why we'd decided to give belly dancing a go, a common thread became evident.

The women in the class are as diverse as they are alike. They come from different backgrounds, are at different stages in life and have different goals – but they're connected by a desire to have fun, get fit and feel sexy. And everyone is in hearty agreement that belly dancing is not as easy as it looks!



Back to class

When the class began and the music replaced the girly chatter, we all took our places in a circle around the large sunlit room. The mood grew a bit more focused as those of us still very new concentrated on trying to make our hips move in the same gentle and alluring way instructor Crystal's hips were moving.

It is mesmerising watching a professional move with such ease and grace, and her encouraging smile almost makes you believe it's possible for you to do the same. That is, until you catch sight of yourself in the mirror and realise that what your hips are doing is hardly graceful or elegant.

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