Remember back to your first few month of bellydance class – or maybe you are still in those first few months! Every week you are presented with a few new places to try to coax your hips to go. Some are easier than others. One side works better than the other. That’s the way it is for pretty much everyone. The first 6 to 9 months of bellydance is really building your foundation. Good posture, […]
Bellydance puts a lot of focus on the hips and torso, but like a house with a beautiful second floor balcony, it needs a strong first floor to support it. We may not be as hard on our feet as ballet dancers, but we depend on the muscles and ligaments of our lower legs and feet to help us glide gracefully, turn safely and transfer weight smoothly. Some basic understanding of the structure and musculature of […]
Bellydance is great exercise, but if you are a serious dancer cross-training is essential to your progress and longevity in dance. Even if you put in several hours of practice and performing each week, you may not hit up all the muscle groups you depend on for a solid performance with enough intensity to keep them at their peak. Also, cross-training – designed properly – will work a wider variety of muscles than your dance so […]
As serious dancers, we should always be looking to grow, expand and improve on our skills. Sometimes this means taking on new physical challenges in strength, balance, flexibility and maybe even endurance. The key to success in training for these kinds of belly dance achievements is to define a clear path of how to get there. In situations like this, some thought to the specificity of your approach will make your efforts more effective and less […]
Stretching has become a bit controversial in bellydance classes. Should you stretch before class or after? Yes. You read that right – it depends on which kind of stretching you’re talking about. Let’s clear up some confusion about how and when to stretch for the best dance performance and flexibility gains. Dynamic Stretching Dynamic stretching takes you through a joint’s normal range of motion with control. The range can start out small and gradually increase […]
