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Why do we Love this dance?
"For Beginners"
(ZAGHAREET! (Mar/Apr 2008)
by Anthea (Kawakib)
Let us count the ways...
We all love this dance for many
reasons....recently I sought to learn what my students love about
it - and I’m glad I asked them in class rather than by email
because we also had fun discussing it together.
Many of the usual reasons came up: the camaraderie, the
exercise, stress relief, costumes...
What I also heard from my students was:
- They love belly dance because it’s a FUN
way to exercise
- The teachers of other subjects like the
experience of being a student again
- Some students like the challenge of
enlightening people about belly dance
- The “mystique” - it’s fun creating a
stage persona or belly dancing alter ego
- The circularity of the movements, as
opposed to the impact of step-aerobics, feels better and also
seems to integrate their body-mind
- Learning about other cultures is
enlightening
- Belly dance has more of an internal
focus than other dance forms they’ve studied; and it’s
provided them with more dance opportunities as well
- Props like sword and cane are fun! And,
they enjoy the history behind the props
- Belly dance is more accepting of all
body types than other dances (that got a big response in
class!)
- The exotic music intrigues and soothes
them
- Their classmates are very diverse
compared to their usual social circle
- When they dance everything else
disappears and they escape to another world
- The belly dance community is more
supportive than they’ve experienced with other forms
- The flowing energy of the dance feels
therapeutic and builds their body instead of breaking it down
- They have become more graceful and feel
beautiful
- Belly dancers are more beautiful than
other dancers(!)
- Belly dance performers all dance in
their own unique way instead of looking the same as other
belly dancers
- They enjoy the feeling of achievement
when they reach their goals, and there is always more to learn
- They like having their loved ones join
them in related activities like drumming (& costume
making!)
- Their social life outside of class has
been boosted because classmates often get together to
celebrate anniversaries, attend each other’s musical concerts,
or see their art exhibitions.
And this answer in particular was a new one to
me: it seems that belly dance is the only type of dance their
husband will watch with them!
All solid reasons to love this wonderful dance.
Personally, I love seeing my students blossom and grow, and bring
more creative energy into the dance. But the main thing I love is
that this dance has brought me my most cherished friends, and for
that I’ll be eternally grateful.
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