And can I just say I LOVE my new hip scarf. The bells make such a lovely sound when you walk or move your hips even just a little. I honestly contemplated wearing it today just so that I could walk around making pretty noises all day.
Armed with my new hip scarf I was totally ready to start class. My teacher's name is Joharah and she is amazing. She told us that what we are actually going to be learning is called Oriental dancing. Belly dancing is just the term that we North Americans use. Joharah is a specialist in Egyptian technique. One of the things I love about the class and about her is that she has such a strong appreciation of the culture, so we will not only be learning how to dance, we will be learning about Egyptian culture as well. She told us that because most of the muslim women who performed this kind of dance were not allowed to do so in public, this type of dancing was shared by women as a social thing in their own homes.
So, we entered into the studio that was painted in beautiful shades of reds and oranges. There were flowing curtains on the walls and ornate benches with Egyptian pillows and cushions. There were probably about 15 women in the class and I was happy to note that about two-thirds of them were newbies like myself. The first thing that we were taught was proper posture: feet in line with our hips, knees slightly bent, butt talked in, abs tight, chest up, shoulders back, arms slightly relaxed and held out at an angle in line with our chest. There was even a proper way to hold our hands, so as not to be offensive. We also learned another basic stance that involved putting one foot slightly in front of the other. Once we had the basic positions down, we started with some simple hip movements. Hip movements that involved either moving one of our hips upward or moving it downward.
We also learned some basic travelling patterns, which in essence was walking backward and forward, except with a special toe touch and hip movement. I don't think I have ever felt quite so sexy just walking. There really is something sexy and feminine about the movements in general, but it's not overtly sexy, it's more coy. Kinda like a 'come-hither' dance. Can't wait to try out these new moves on my husband (after a few more weeks of practice of course).
Okay, so just as I'm thinking that I'm getting the hang of these hip movements, Joharah adds special movements to do with our arms and our feet - all at the same time! Ah! Thankfully I am not the only one having difficulty. I also remind myself that this is only the first class and I will have a lot more opportunities to perfect this. (note to self: practice at home. lots.)
The other great thing about this class is the music. There is something about Arabic music that makes it hard not to want to move your body to its rhythm. Throw in the tinkling sounds coming from my own hip scarf and it truly felt like I was being transported to Egypt.
Near the end of the class, Joharah brought out something new - finger cymbals! She also mentioned that this is the first time that she has ever taught a beginner class how to use finger cymbals. Sweet! Finger cymbals are mini cymbals that you wear on your middle finger and thumb that you clang together. And yes, there is a special technique for clanging your fingers together so that your cymbals sound musical and not annoying. There are also cymbal patterns as well. The one we learned involved clanging your right hand cymbals, then your left, then your right and repeat. Not too hard when it's on it's own, but then we had to add the movements AND the cymbal patterns - holy crap! At this point in the class, I am appreciating the ability to laugh at myself as it seems my brain is unable to process all of the things that I'm requiring it to do at the same time. This will definitely take some getting used to...maybe by the sixth week I'll get the hang of it!
All in all, my first belly dancing class was an amazing experience! One of Joharah's teachers told her that "Arabic women dance to feel happy, to feel sexy, and to feel young". After my first class, I can see why they feel that way. I'm already looking forward to next week! To my women readers, if it is something you are considering trying, I would say go for it! And if you are in the Oakville area or don't mind travelling, BellyUp is a great place to learn. Here is their website: http://www.bellyup.ca/
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