I remember my first belly dance teacher, Meleah, showing us an example of slowing down a body undulation … beginning in the chest … slowly, slowly winding downward … snakelike … and with a very small and subtle “drop” in the hips … wait for it … BAM!
My entire notion of what it is to be sexy forever changed. She didn’t give her energy away to her audience, she used her energy to draw the audience to her. And me in my late twenties at the time, I thought, I wanna be a belly dancer when I grow up!
The dance didn’t come easily to me, but the process of learning the movements was challenging in a way that felt really good. Being fully present in my body, watching myself in the mirror, I began to see I could recreate the same moves that looked so good on other dancers, and I looked good doing them—in a way I never thought I could look so good.
This dance has really brought me to an understanding that my body, mind and spirit are indeed connected. It makes me feel good from the inside out in the way no other practice has.
Then I began to notice physical changes. I was dropping weight (I lost 35 lbs. with belly dance and making healthier eating choices!) and getting muscle definition in places I’d never seen. Then came awareness of emotional changes.
Belly dance has had a significant impact on my self-image and my self-esteem. I began to feel really good about myself and my body just as it is. Even today, I feel really good dancing, and I always feel good after a class or performance—no matter how I felt beforehand.
When I discovered a style of belly dance called “American Tribal Style” (ATS), I felt like I’d come home to a place I’d never been. There is no choreography to memorize, it’s all improvisational. ATS is a vocabulary of movements and combinations that are cued in a follow-the-leader style. It’s earthy, it’s spontaneous, and freeing, and to me it speaks to a time when the tribe came together to dance or celebrate.
What is it about being so connected to our body that puts us more in touch with our spirit and our divine connection to All That Is?
I love that there are no mistakes, it’s not supposed to be perfect, it’s supposed to look natural. There are times when the dancers aren’t even supposed to be in sync. If the lead dancer does something “wrong” then all the dancers do it “wrong” because we are like a sisterhood that supports each other.
This particular belly dance style enables performing with dancers you’ve never met before, or someone you haven’t danced with in a long time. And on the flip side, over time I have found there’s a true psychic connection that develops between myself and the women I have danced with many times, I seem to know exactly what move is coming next!
Click here for more info on belly dance classes with Jennifer Masters»
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