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Question: Belly Dance!?
Hi, I think I might like to take bellydancing lessons!.!.!.but I dont think my parents would go for it!. SO can anyone explain to me the basics on how to do it!? Thanks! (no videos please my computer wont play them :(( )Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
If your parents are going to object because it sounds inappropriate, you might call it "Middle-Eastern Dancing" instead!. That's pretty much what it really is!.

Here are a few of the basic moves:
Figure 8: With feet comfortably apart, & knees a little bent, lift one floot (from heel to ball of your foot)!. This move elevates one hip!. Then slowly bring the foot down while lifting your other foot!. It's called a "figure 8" because that's the pattern your hips make with this movement!.

Snakearms: Raise one arm slowly, allowing it to curve as it moves up, and above, your head!. Then bring it down, while allowing the other arm to go up in the same manner!. The movement of both arms resemble the movements of a snake!.

Camel walk: This is a variation of the figure-8, but this time have your right foot in front of the left; then do the lifting/lowering from from back to front instead of from side to side!.

This may be complicated to envision if you've never done it before!. It would really be easier to have an instructor show you each of the moves!.

Most bellydance moves are pretty easy!. The key to having them look nice is to keep the movements as fluid as possible!.

The hard part is isolating the movements; doing one thing with one part of your body while doing something else with another!. !. !. like walking & chewing gum at the same time!. And like everything else, it does get easier with practice!.

Good luck to you!. You've picked a really great dance form, as it requires use of all of your muscles from head to toe!. I've been doing it for 30 years, & still love it!Www@QuestionHome@Com

The exercise channel on TV has an hour of it every dayWww@QuestionHome@Com

youtube has some videos, don't know if they are teaching or what, not my cup of tea

i do know there are various styles but i have no idea what they are or anything like that!. i am not an expert on that,Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's a bit complicated as you get master teachers coming from Egypt and elsewhere and everybody has their own names for the basic steps!. You can list Cairo steps, but people are going to call them different things, so you have to see them!. All figure 8’s are pretty much basic!. There are different kinds of shimmies!. There are about four or five different ways to shimmy, the chest or shoulder shimmy and hips!. Egyptian belly dancing differs from the Turkish and American belly dancing!. The Egyptian style is much more subtle, it’s more difficult, it’s more contained!. The modern Egyptian style has a lot of modern dance, jazzy, ballet type steps to it!. The old Egyptian style is very kind of funky!. The Turkish styles are a little different!. They’re getting more Egyptian I think, but they are also getting a little more classical!. It’s a little wilder!. Lebanese style can be pretty wild!. So there is variation!. I suggest you get a book or a DVD!!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

It is good exercise!. I am sure your parents would not objectWww@QuestionHome@Com

I'm an old girl (47) and I love belly-dancing!. It is great exercise and best when taught by a qauilfied teacher!. It can be very lady-like and yet sassy!Www@QuestionHome@Com

The best way to learn any dance style is in a live class!. If you have questions there is someone to answer them!. That is something that a DVD can't give you!. DVD's can be useful once you have a basic understanding of a dance style!.

Perhaps you could mention to your parents that you are interested in trying to learn to dance, but you haven't decided what style to learn!. Ask them to help you find out more information about different dance styles!. Maybe if you can get them involved in helping you, you could steer them in the direction of your interest and they may be more interested in letting you try it!. Find out what styles of dance are offered in your area!. You could find out when a belly dance troupe will perform in your area and go to see them!. You could ask questions about the dance after their performance!.

Good luck!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Neon's Absolute Belly Dance, Instant Bellydancer Volume I and II, and several other of the World Dance New York videos, often available at Ross for about $6!. Online, they retail for about $15!.

Avoid Neena and Veena, for they can be bad on your back and do not emphasize posture, Janine Rabbitt, and Dolphina videos!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You should really try and get your parents to be okay with this - the costumes really aren't that risque as a rule (you've shown more if you've ever been to the beach), and some of them can be positively chaste!. I really recommend that you don't go the video route - it's so easy to get moves wrong and of course, the hardest moves to learn are the ones you've already picked up badly!.Www@QuestionHome@Com