The pregnant bellydancer

Every now and again I get approached by a dancer who announces she is pregnant. That's always rather nice, but more specifically they are looking for help and advice about dancing through pregnancy.

Now I love these conversations, because it's great to help out another dancer, and supporting women on their journey into motherhood is what I do on the other side of my working life. But I also felt that it would be good to put a bunch of information in one place (for the bits I forget to talk about) and to be able to share it with dancers who aren't going to contact me directly to ask. There's a lot of misunderstanding about dance, or physical activity in pregnancy, and I think that places a lot of unnecessary stress and restrictions on pregnant women.

In this post I am going to focus on continued dance for dancers who happen to be pregnant. There will also be a sister post on my doulaing blog for pregnant women who would like to dance.

Before we start. Who am I to be talking about this stuff?

Well, I'm a bellydancer, and teacher, hopefully that is clear or you have stumbled here via a stray internet link and are wondering what is going on. I have a background in teaching specific prenatal bellydance classes ( this used to be a regular thing, but now is something I offer as a workshop) which stems from my work as a doula.

I am also a trained doula, which for the uninitiated means that I provide practical and emotional support for women through pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. This is not a medical position, I don't provide any medical treatment or advice, but part of the role is having a strong understanding of the processes of pregnancy and birth, as well as the various options, complications etc that might arise, so that if need be, I can serve as an advocate for a client, helping her to make informed choices that are right for her.

And I'm a perinatal yoga teacher. I have been teaching regular pre and postnatal yoga classes for just over 3 years and I have the privilege of watching a wide range of women progress through pregnancy, whilst analysing their posture an movement (in a totally not-weird way).

What I am not however, is an obstetrician. Or more importantly, your obstetrician. The information I am about to give you is based on my experience as a dancer, teacher and mother. Always seek the advice of a medical professional who knows your file and can actually see you and stuff.

Down to the questions. 

I'm going to FAQ this. Yes, it's a bit lazy, but it might make it easier to follow....

Can I bellydance in pregnancy?

Yes. Yes you can. There will be limits. For the most part they will be extremely clear to you.

This is assuming you are generally healthy. If you have complications in your pregnancy then those limits might be tighter, or you might need to rest up completely. I keep a quick checklist here for *my* prenatal class, which is beginner level and very low impact.

Generally if your health care professionals are not advising you to avoid light/moderate exercise, you can dance. Some HCPs don't know much about bellydance, and will err on the side of caution when asked, because they really have no idea what you are proposing to do with your expanding midriff. Discuss your concerns, and theirs and see how you feel. But the rule for most pregnancies is if you were doing it before you got pregnant, then you can keep doing it. Dancers in forms that are much tougher on the body, like ballet, continue to dance safely in pregnancy. Runners keep running, weightlifters keep lifting. You get my gist.

Is it going to cause a miscarriage?

The "usual" advice women are given is to lay off exercise for the first 12 weeks, as this is a risky window for miscarriage. Now, it's fine to lay off exercise if you are exhausted and nauseous, and it is very important to listen to the signals your body sends when you need to slow down.

But.... I need to get a bugbear off my chest. There is a reason most miscarriages happen in the first trimester. That reason has nothing to do with exercise. It has nothing to do with *anything* the woman does. To suggest otherwise is a cruel lie that leaves grieving women torturing themselves with blame over a pregnancy loss that could never have been prevented. The vast majority of first trimester miscarriages are genetic faults. Those embryos simply didn't have the right DNA to grow into a viable foetus. It's really common, happens all the time - we have actually evolved to only carry the strongest, most viable embryos. It is nobody's fault.

For many dancers, dance is what keeps them sane, and healthy. For many of us it is our main (or sole) form of exercise. Without it we lose our cardiovascular fitness, strength and posture. Those are all going to be important to keep healthy and comfortable through pregnancy. So telling a dancer to stop dancing for a couple of months is not actually beneficial to her health at all.

Is there anything I should be avoiding?

I have 3 answers to this question, the fluffy, the general and the sciencey

The fluffy

Listen to your body. If you feel tired, don't push yourself. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, stop spinning drills. If something hurts, don't do it.

Most of the time that will see you through. If you are dancing regularly and not consistently injuring yourself, the chances are you either have a fabulous and attentive teacher, or a fairly good understanding of your body. Both of those will serve you well here.

The general

Smooth movements are usually ok. Sharp movements can be uncomfortable. Twists, especially sharp twists need to be avoided. Camels/undulations - the general advice is no, I would certainly advise against deep pelvic undulations in the second half of pregnancy. Backbends are just ridiculous, don't even think about it. Belly rolls are probably possible (I could bellyroll at 34 weeks pregnant just fine) but it does put strain on a muscle that is already very stretched and you would probably like to go back to its original length eventually.

That said, Sadie is doing just fine....

The sciency

To unite the first 2 answers, sharp movements will probably feel uncomfortable anyhow. Your uterus will essentially become a hard and heavy wrecking ball, crashing about buffeting your insides (that's the science....). You will most likely not enjoy this sensation. You won't want to do the movements.

The other risk for sharp movements is relaxin. As your pregnancy progresses you will become more flexible as this hormone softens your ligaments in preparation for birth. Flexible joints are unstable joints and it will become easier for you to hurt yourself through an overenthusiastic movement. Some women find themselves getting really loose in pregnancy, and this can result in Pelvic Girdle Pain, when the usually fixed joints in the pelvis start to wriggle around. I suffered from PGP in both my pregnancies. I found that I could dance at times when walking was difficult, because my automatic dance posture activated my core into stabilising my pelvis. If you have PGP though, you need to take it steady and remember that if you overdo it, you might not feel it until the next day, so be careful.

That said, from my personal experience as a mum to be with pelvic pain, and as a yoga teacher with several women with PGP in my care, I strongly believe that the worst thing for a loose pelvis is complete rest. When your core muscles weaken, they support the pelvis less, the instability becomes worse, the pain becomes worse. The Pelvic Partnership have some great information about how to take care of your flexible pelvis in terms of avoiding the activities that make it worse. Maintaining core strength and good pelvic carriage in your posture usually reduces symptoms.

Generally stabilising the pelvis will help both pelvic and back pain. Be mindful of your posture and think about keeping the low abs engaged and avoiding "duck butt" at all costs. Your body will be fighting you on this one. Do this every day to help straighten things out.

Twisting the lumbar spine needs to be avoided in pregnancy, in prenatal yoga spinal twists are done sat on the floor or otherwise to root the pelvis in place and taken very gently. I personally found horizontal figure 8s just fine, but kept the range of the twist small.

The last thing to consider is dizziness. You'll probably be getting some of this. You'll also notice the headrush from standing up or bending over is much worse now. This is usual. Your balance will also be off, because your centre of gravity is different and constantly changing. This is going to limit your ability to spin.

Can I keep training?

For some dancers training might mean attending one class a week, for others it might mean a more punishing schedule of conditioning and dance. How you manage this is entirely up to you. I stopped taking classes at about 20 weeks in my first pregnancy. But at 17 weeks I made it through the Majma festival without sitting out of any workshops.

Of course dance isn't just about classes. I never truly stopped dancing in either of my pregnancies. Even after I stopped classes, or practice at home. Dance is integral to my life and I was still dancing, even briefly, on a daily basis.

If you want to maintain your fitness, it might be worth switching over to specialist pre-natal classes whose teachers have a better understanding of what is going on in your body and how to manage it. There are also some really good prenatal yoga and pilates DVDs on the market (Tara Lee held me together in my first pregnancy), and a couple of prenatal bellydance DVDs, which while basic, offer you a safe flow practice.

There are other ways you can work at your dance, without actually dancing. Like watching videos or studying music. So try them out to keep your dance monster fed. Lastly, be creative, if you can't do the entirety of your regular practice, what can you do? When my pelvis was at its worst, I sat on a fitness ball and drilled arm patterns. Great for core strength!

Can I perform during pregnancy?

Absolutely. If you can dance, you can perform. You might want to think about what your energy levels can handle, but if you feel up for it, most bellydance events love a pregnant dancer!

What about afterwards?

When I was pregnant people told me that dance would be the last thing on my mind after I had a baby. These people were wrong, and if you, like me, live and breathe bellydance, then you will understand the urge to get back into it fast.

You're going to have to wait a little, at least. Medical advice is to wait 6-8 weeks, at which point you will have your postnatal checkup and your doctor will tell you if you are OK to start exercise.

After my second baby (c-section) I went to a beginner level class at 10 weeks postpartum. Looking back on that it seems ridiculous, but at the time it was an absolute lifeline. One whole hour a week for me, where I wasn't caring for a tiny and perpetually hungry human.

***

I took my yoga teacher training during my second pregnancy. My teacher told me at the time that yoga teachers were far more likely to push themselves too far, maybe even without realising, because they felt the need to "keep up" or maintain a certain level to justify their position as a teacher.

I think that is something to be conscious of as a pregnant dancer too. You will lose condition, you will find yourself dancing more basic technique and fumbling movements that were previously easy.

You may even resent your body, or your baby for "taking away" something that is probably part of your identity. All of this is normal and OK.

When you come back, dancing will feel like driving an unfamiliar, and much less powerful, car. Your brain will know what it wants to do, but your body will not quite get there.

However, pregnancy did make me a better dancer. Living without dance, as I had known it, made me yearn for it more, and work for it harder once I could again. It made me less inhibited because I understood what I really had to lose. It made me dig deeper. Losing the edge on my skill made me reflect harder on the artistry, musicality, storytelling and emotion of dance. Don't be afraid of taking a little sabbatical, the dance will always be waiting for you.

Tasty metaphors....

What's the point? Why fitness is about more than skinny jeans.

What are you fighting for?

I've been thinking recently about fitness, conditioning and our motivation for working at it.

I cross train, alongside my dance for a host of reasons, and I have noticed that almost almost all of the fitness classes or DVDs on the market have weightloss or aesthetics as a primary focus. That is to say, they are not marketed based on what your body can do, but what it looks like.

My favoured source of non-dance centred conditioning is Jillian Michaels, who does talk a lot about health, feeling strong, getting fit etc, but also spends a lot of time shouting about how we will feel when we get to go skinny jeans or bikini shopping. I know how I will feel incidentally, sweaty and awkward. Even though I no longer feel awkward (there's no escaping the sweaty) while completely owning her workouts.

Recently, when I was part way through writing this post [which has been sat as a draft for a week...] an aspiring professional dancer posted on a social media group for professional performers, asking about their fitness regimes. At the end of her question, she put a little caveat, that was along the lines of "please don't think I'm being shallow, this isn't about looks, it's about improving my dance".

While a commercial dancer will find her job opportunities limited by her looks, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with working to optimise that, if she chooses. The fact that she felt pressured to explain, to a group of dancers, that fitness was important to her in terms of her physical ability to dance, is very telling.

What does a bellydancer's body need?

I've been working on classes that I want to offer and how to market them. I really want to do a class that is purely conditioning and basic drills. Nothing fancy, just the solid foundations, the stuff that Zoe Jakes calls "dance vegetables".

I wanted to call it "body for bellydance", but then I realised that this would likely be interpreted as being slim with a flat, but not too muscular belly that would be considered widely socially acceptable in  a skimpy stereotypical 2 piece costume. I am not the postergirl for this concept.

I can live with this as I know that these criteria are not what is necessary in a bellydancer's body. Conditioning is important to reduce the gap between artistic vision and physical capability, not to make a dancer "the right shape". What a bellydancer needs is:

• Control
• Co-ordination
• Strength
• Speed
• Balance
• Flexibility

You can have these at a size 6 or a size 26, but no one gets it without training.

Measuring progress in conditioning should never be about chasing unicorns.

Training goals need to be achievable. If they are not, then we give up. If my motivation for conditioning was centred around my dress size I know that I would never stay motivated on a tough regime. In the last 6 months of intensive dancing and conditioning, my dress size has remained stable while the factors that really matter have come on in leaps and bounds.

They also need to be positive. Any goal that shames your current state is a poor goal. To care for your body you need to believe that it is worth caring for - too many weight loss orientated goals ignore this. At best it leads to apathy or self sabotage, why bother when you are worth so little? At it's worst it leads to unhealthy regimes, overexercising and dieting to the detriment of your health.

What does fitness look like?

I have a bit of a rant, fairly regularly, about the lack of diversity in images of fitness. It becomes very clear as a blog writer, searching for images to illustrate fitness writing. A "fit" woman, according to stock photography is:

• Slim built
• Lean
• Conventionally attractive
• White
• Usually blonde
• Made up
• Wears a sports bra and hot pants.

Here she is:

 Very lovely she is too, but if this is the only acceptable look for a fit and healthy woman, then I, along with the vast majority of people, am not it. Why is this important? Well, if this is what we are aiming for, most of us won't get there. Not being stupid, most of us will realise this and give up feeling bad about ourselves, losing all the benefits of a good fitness regime.

A few months back I discovered this project, a startling quick reference that demonstrates that a fit body does not have to fit the fitness model stereotype. Athletes at the top of their game, men and women selected not for their look, but for their accomplishments, for the superior physical function of their bodies.

Take a careful look through all the images on the link. Even among top athletes, there is an enormous variety in body shape, size and composition. Even between individuals competing in the same field.

Most have low body fat and high muscle mass, but we see tall, short, broad shoulders, slight shoulders, slender legs and powerful bulky thighs. Fitness doesn't have a single look, so why are we pretending that becoming fit will make us look a certain way?

I'm really heartened to see increasing visibility for diversity in fitness.Yoga teachers coming forward and breaking stereotypes, dancers showing us that you don't need to fit the ballerina aesthetic to excel in as an artist. In the bellydance world, Bellydance at Any Size seeks more acceptance for diversity in our danceform, because everybody deserves to dance.

So why do I work out?

I love the effortless leg lifts and arabesques that come from hours of pilates. I love how squatting down to pick something off the floor isn't a big deal. I love throwing a 20kg feed bag over my shoulder and confusing the pet store owner. I love being able to dance a 10 minute drum solo without pausing. I really love the strong feeling when I move and I know my muscles are working, but it doesn't feel like a struggle. I love the endorphin rush and satisfaction when I have got through a tough workout. I love how the strength in my leg muscles means I get less joint pain. I am proud of how I can now actually do burpees - hate them still, but I can do them!

Our understanding of how build and body composition relate to health is improving all the time. We don't have all the answers, but what we do know is that being active keeps you healthy. So let's focus on keeping our bodies healthy, not a particular shape.

PS - have you bought your hafla and workshop tickets yet?

10 reasons why bellydance is the best way to get fit and healthy this New Year

1 - It's fun

Learning to dance is just great fun. It's a skill that you can use in all kinds of situations, dancing around your kitchen, at parties, even performing on stage. Dancing has a purpose within itself, it isn't about mindlessly moving the muscles to achieve an aesthetic result. This means that you are likely to want to keep doing it. Why take up an activity you don't enjoy, just to get fit? Take up a dance class, learn new things, make new friends, keep coming to class for more reasons than just getting sweaty.

2 - It's engaging

Learning Arabic dance isn't just about learning the steps, you also learn about culture and music. There is a rich backstory to this art form and a good teacher will trickle-feed information and anecdotes to keep your brain  as engaged as your body.

3 - Motivation that's about more than fitness

You know when they say "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"? Well, firstly, I am not convinced the person who came up with that had a very interesting diet, secondly, a distant, undefined goal of "be more healthy" isn't really all that motivating. It's a good intention, but I know that a warm sofa is a more appealing option on a January evening than a jog and that intention can feel a long way off.

When you are going to a dance class, you have progress to track, you may have learning goals for the term, a choreography to perfect for performance, there is always something to keep you turning up.

4 - The people

Some students turn up to their first class with a friend for "moral support", others find their friends there. Learning a dance that is appealing and accessible to people from all walks of life means meeting people who you might never have crossed paths with.

Through dance I have become close friends with people I would be unlikely to meet or get to know otherwise. Your dance path will cross with all kinds of people and your love of the dance provides an icebreaker. You can socialise with your dance friends not just in class, but also at dance events like haflas. Many new dancers find a whole new social scene. This keeps you motivated to stay dancing and active.

5 - Bellydance is for everybody

Going to a fitness class can be daunting, but most bellydance classes, especially beginner classes, are open and accepting of all kinds of people.

It doesn't matter if you are older or heavier, you CAN dance. There are classes available for pregnant women, disabled dancers and those who just want to go a little more gently; most teachers will offer gentle alternatives if the class is a little intense for your fitness level or ability.

Most classes are LGBT friendly. People of all genders are welcomed into my classes.

You don't have to bare your belly if you don't want to, a bellydance class should be a safe, friendly space where you can move, have fun and express yourself, no matter who you are or what you look like.

6 - Learn to love your body

We have already established that bellydance is great for your self esteem. Learning to move with grace and confidence, to walk taller has a knock on effect on how you feel about your body, no matter what size or shape you are.

I have focused on fitness here, rather than weight loss, very deliberately. Weight loss, should that be your goal, is about lifestyle balance, diet and activity, and dance alone is not guaranteed to shed pounds. It is also perfectly possible to be healthy, fit and active whilst wearing a larger dress size.

Regardless of size, negative body image is not helpful when you need to take care of your body. Crash dieting and inconsistent or binge exercising is not healthy for your metabolism, cardiovascular system or joints. When you love your body, you care for it better.

When I feel happy in my skin, I am more active, I eat healthier, I am more present in my own body and I gravitate towards healthier lifestyle choices.

Even if feeling better about yourself doesn't help your fitness regime, you're still feeling better about yourself, and that's never a bad thing.

7- It's a whole body workout

When you are learning bellydance you will find muscles in places you didn't know you had places! Dancing continuously through your class is a gentle cardio workout. Add in some extra shimmies and travelling and it can be a bit less gentle too!

Bellydance increases your core muscle strength, and your flexibility. It improves your posture and your coordination.

There comes a point in your dance career where you will want to cross train to complement your dance, but when you are starting out, bellydance gives a lot of fitness benefits for one class.

8 -  Dance is a gateway drug to cross training

Bellydance is great exercise in itself, but as you progress you will undoubtedly find that to improve your dance, you need to cross train. Swimming, yoga, pilates, some dancers run, some weight train.

I am not a fan of exercise for its own sake. I find it tedious, but when I have dance as the motivation behind it, I find myself wanting to do it. I started out doing Vinyasa flow yoga, which is common amongst bellydancers for strength, flexibility and alignment. Suhaila's beginner DVDs introduced me to pilates and now I mix fitness training in these styles with weights and drills as part of my daily dance conditioning. Datura Online has some fabulous conditioning segments. Ashley's Built for Bellydance series is challenging, but quite rewarding.

9 - We want you to succeed. 

Many of the fitness and weight loss industries rely on your failure for their profit. If any diet club, pill or product really worked, helped you lose weight and keep it lost, then it would cripple its own market. These products and services rely on you losing a little weight to begin with, to convince you that it "works" but hope that you put the weight back on, so that you keep coming back and spending more.

Many gyms operate on a model where there are more members than they have capacity. They know that a large portion of their members will not attend regularly, and they have no reason to encourage them to, as long as they pay the subscription.

When you attend a dance class, your progress should be important to your teacher. We want to see you healthy and fit, and able to progress in your dance. As dance students get better, they attend more classes, out of love, not obligation. They might even start performing, solo or in the student troupe, and that is great publicity for the dance school. A good teacher will actively encourage their students' improvements, not hope that they regress in order to start over.

10 - We have the best workout clothes

Sure you can turn up to class in a vest and a pair of leggings without too many holes, but I can almost guarantee that as the dance bug grips, you'll be sporting jingly hip scarves, sequinned cholis and diamante studded pants. What other fitness regime supports the wearing of body glitter?

So if you are looking for a new, fun way to keep active in the New Year, why not find your local bellydance class? And if you happen to be in Glastonbury or Bridgewater, you would be welcome at mine
!

Bellydance and body image

A study came out recently that demonstrated what those of us in the bellydance community have known for some time: Bellydance is great for body image and self esteem.

Body positivity and body acceptance is often born out of an appreciation for the function of the body. A mother may come to terms with her postnatal body by considering the amazing function it has performed. A bellydance student learns to love her body because she knows that when she dances, it can do beautiful things, or she appreciates the joy that moving her body in dance can bring her.

I am ceaselessly amazed at how those who come to this dance blossom, over time as they grow in confidence, poise and grace; in the moment as the music starts and they transform from their everyday self, into the dancer, into a vision of the music itself.

One of the things I love about this dance is its inclusiveness. Bellydance is available to people of all genders, races, ages, shapes and sizes. None of these is a barrier to learning, or performing, everyone has the opportunity to express themselves, and to share their dance in the safe, accepting environment of the dance studio or halfa. Bellydance, is for every body.

When news of the above research came to light, there was a murmer in the background. Some experienced dancers were asking “what about the professional performers?”

For while it is true that a student or hobbyist is surrounded by encouraging peers and supportive audiences, the same cannot be said for those who choose to become entertainers for the general public, where employers and audiences, unaware of our more accepting (and dare I say, realistic) aesthetic demand and expect a dancer who fits within a narrow, “conventionally attractive” image.

When I was a fledgeling dancer, in a student troupe, our teacher related to us an enquiry she had had for a party booking. The organiser had specifically asked that she sent only the “young, slim” dancers. Our troupe was made up of dancers between the ages of roughly 18 and 60, dress sizes 8-20. Our teacher politely declined, and explained that this request was contrary to her dance ethos, and the spirit of the troupe itself.

I was reminded of this recently, when Shira reshared an old article from her site. It was based around a question from a dancer whose teacher had asked her to cover her stretchmarks for a performance.

The reaction to this was incredibly powerful. A few dancers agreed with the teacher, citing professionalism, client/audience expectations etc. Some moderate responses stated that the teacher was correct, but only to spare the dancer from the judgement of the audience. An overwhelming response, from dancers and dance teachers, was in support of the student, stating that it should be the individual dancer’s choice what to cover and what to reveal (within the bounds of culturally appropriate costuming).

My stance on this, was that as a teacher or mentor, I would avoid exposing students to a toxic environment where they might be judged according to their appearance rather than their dancing in favour of a safe opportunity to express themselves as they choose. As a performer I know that a critical audience can have a horribly negative impact, even on those who do “fit the mould”, because none of us will ever be “perfect” in the eyes of every observer. Striving for that perfection is not a route to happiness, but perhaps self-acceptance and appreciation of our reality might be.

I am left considering how this goes forward. In our insular community we have happy, well adjusted dancers. People who step out of their everyday lives to be together, to appreciate each other and learn to appreciate themselves. These people leave the studio and take that attitude with them, they walk taller, dress more adventurously. They model self-acceptance to their children and their peers. Little ripples. Can we make waves?

What happens when an older dancer, or a plus sized dancer goes out to perform professionally? What happens if the public audience doesn’t see the “young, slim, pretty” dancer they were expecting? Do they fall in love with the performance and broaden their perspective on beauty, or is the dancer ridiculed as an oddity. Sadly the latter is all too common and sadly this means that the less thick-skinned dancers find themselves having to cherry-pick their performance opportunities. If I had a pound for every time I heard the “oh she has the belly for bellydance” comment (and I am sure you can imagine my geektastic rebuttal regarding the misnomer, you don’t need a belly, just hips, bone ones or titanium ones, or not even, I’ve seen some lovely chair dancing too)

But if we could get out there, just a little more. Share our art and show people the power, grace, joy and beauty in out dance. Maybe we could inspire more people to be a little more comfortable in their skin.

Finding the bellydance joy - Kash performing with Doum Tekka on darbuka, photo credit: Jenny Balkam

How bellydance changed my life

In August 2014, the Yahoo Contributor Network was shut down. All the copyrights to articles thereon were returned to their authors, so I decided to publish certain articles of mine, originally written for Yahoo UK on my own blogs. This is one of them.

If you had told me once that I would dance for my living, let alone that this would come when I was already in my thirties, I would not have believed you. Here I am though, rhinestones and sequins everywhere (the homes of bellydancers have the most glamourous dustbunnies), an MP3 player full of Arabic music, planning my schedule around performances and classes.

Arabic dance is an excellent way to bring regular exercise into your life. Originating from folk dances, it is danced by people of all ages and physical abilities. The movements work with the body's natural motion and, as long as the posture is correct, puts very little strain on the joints. The dance builds core control with flexibility, grace with strength. As a long-term sufferer of joint problems with a taste for the exotic, bellydance seemed like the perfect, fun way to keep fit.

Little did I know it would become so much more than that.

My first class was actually a technique workshop with a famous dancer from out of town. The venue was huge, and I arrived to find a large number of women, in bright and jangly attire, catching up on news from their various circles. I believe I was the only raw beginner there. I struggled a little to follow the teacher from the midst of a large ballroom surrounded by my sparkling peers, but even as I fought for the compliance of my reluctant hips, I was falling in love.

I started regular classes, and I really mean classes, I attended two to three lessons with my teacher every week. I grew stronger, more flexible; I gained stamina, isolation and control. Stiff movements became gooey and smooth, stilted shimmies evolved into fast, effortless energy. The more I danced, the more I could dance, I progressed in a spiral of joy and beauty.

My joints became more stable, and less painful; I grew a full inch in height as my improved posture lengthened my spine. I became more poised and graceful, more confident and comfortable in my body - I became a dancer.

Not every individual who takes bellydance classes wants to perform, and that's just fine. A good class will offer every participant an opportunity to exercise, socialise and have fun, whilst still breaking down the movements and give feedback so that students learn to dance both safely, and beautifully. This allows them to ascend to a stage-worthy standard, should they choose to.

Tips for picking a good bellydance class:

Look for a local organisation. Or a not-so-local one, and ask about teachers. Failing that, seek out a reputable teacher further afield and ask for a recommendation. It is good for a teacher to be known by and involved with the wider dance community, that way they bring more opportunities for their students.

Speak to people already taking the class, but beware of bias. A personal recommendation is excellent, but if that person has only been exposed to the dance via their teacher, they may have a distorted view of the quality of the class.

Go to a local hafla (bellydance party) or showcase. Watch the teacher perform, watch the students perform, how do they compare with other groups at the show? Do you enjoy the style that they teach?

Ask your potential teacher about their training/qualifications. There is no governing body for bellydance in the UK, but there are a number of smaller schools with official training for bellydance teachers. I would also expect any decent teacher to be constantly working on her own dance, attending workshops, possibly even working under the mentorship of a master teacher. How a teacher trains will impact seriously on her students.

Talk to your teacher about their ethos and attitude to the dance. A good teacher will be passionate about the dance, music and culture. They will love to talk about it with you, and they will take great joy in infecting all their students with the same enthusiasm



Kash now teaches and performs as Scarlet Lotus Dancewww.scarletlotusdance.co.uk, in South West England.

The ecology of the bellydance community.

Why do you dance?

I have been writing a lot about pushing for improvement in your dance lately. I understand that although those posts are aimed at any dancer who wants to improve, whether they aspire to perform, or dance for their own satisfaction, I feel that a really important bunch of dancers are being overlooked, so this post is about/for them.

Our world is closed and mysterious to those on the outside, I try to do what I can to open our doors and let the general public see the awesomeness within, but most who are not part of it, are not aware of the richness and diversity of our members and their niches within the community.

I often get calls asking if my lessons are just for performers and the answer is absolutely not! If that were the case I would only ever teach private lessons, because there are just not that many aspiring bellydance stars about! More importantly I don't want that to be the case. I know from my experience, that of other dancers and from my own students, that learning to dance can be an awesome, transformative, healing and empowering process (the concept from where my Red Goddess course evolved). I want that to be available to everybody. I also know that the world of bellydance would not flourish as it does without a whole host of different kinds of contributors.

The lifeblood of the bellydance community.

The bellydance community is filled with all kinds of people, who dance or participate for all kinds of reasons, some are very immersed in the dance and community, some dip in and out as they will. We have:

• Students who go to a regular class, for social reasons and/or exercise
• Students who like (or aspire) to perform at haflas or in a student troupe
• Students who have a healthy obsession with the dance and want to learn as much as possible and train hard to get as good as they can be.
• Professional dancers, who may, or may not also teach.
• Teachers and troupe directors.
• Choreographers
• Partners of dancers who support events 
• Musicians
• Vendors and costume makers
• Events organisers
• Techy people like DJs, lighting techs, photographers and videographers
• Webmasters and forum moderators

And many more, I apologise if I have left you out!

All of these people working together is what makes our community so special. You don't have to get any more involved than simply doing the dancing you want to, but if you do want to immerse yourself in the world of bellydance, you don't need to be performing, or even dancing, to be a valued and loved member of our community.

Casual doesn't mean mediocre

One of the challenges I encounter when writing about dancers who dance as a hobby, or "just for fun" is avoiding the false implication that this is a "lesser" pursuit than taking on an ambitious training schedule or being a "serious" dancer.

The rewards of bellydance are not dependent upon your skill level, and although a greater commitment usually means greater rewards, the dancers who cannot put in an enormous amount of time are still having a valuable experience and make a valuable contribution.

There are many dancers who go to the same class every week for years and gradually become lovely dancers, but rarely, if ever, perform. There are dancers who begin with the intention of having a laugh with their mates for a term or so, then get hooked and throw themselves headlong into everything about the dance - they become mines of information about dance culture, Arabic music etc. There are dancers who become accomplished and will perform at the drop of a hat, but aren't interested in teaching, or performing professionally. Many of these become familiar faces and well-loved personalities in our circles. There is no "just" about it.

A heartfelt thanks

So I would like to honour the "casual" dancers and dance fans. The dancers who turn up regularly to lessons and book workshops - you are the ones that make these events possible. The students who sit on the door at haflas and take the money, or stage manage - your teacher/event organiser couldn't do it without you. The partners who drive us to events. The shy students who take the plunge and share a little of themselves on the hafla dance floor - you are an inspiration. The vendors who tirelessly seek out the best and shiniest baubles for us. All the people in this vast and beautiful community, I salute you.

If you are thinking about dipping your toe into bellydance, or are taking lessons and want to do more, but aren't sure whether there is a place for you - there is so much we have to offer you and you are very welcome to join us.

Penny from Everything Egyptian 
providing dancers at the Scarlet Lotus 2013 Glastonbury Hafla with lovely shiny things.