Belly dance training: tips and tricks

Main directions of belly dance

Belly dance originated in the distant past. No one can say with certainty how, where and when it arose. In his homeland he is called Raks Sharki.

The multinational development of dance has created many styles:

Baladi is a style of Middle Eastern belly dance. The main difference is the movement of the hips and the performance barefoot. Baladi combines all the styles of Egyptian folklore (fisherman, peasant, Bedouin dance). An individual performance involves the use of all kinds of accessories.
Saidi is a type of belly dance whose main prop is a cane. The name corresponds to the place of origin, the region of Upper Egypt - Said. The basis is taken from shepherds and reed sticks, which were used to drive cattle. The dance is full of energy. A special feature is the balancing of the cane on the dancer's chest, hip and head.
Khaleegy is a group dance originally from the Gulf countries. Characterized by alternating smooth movements with vigorous shaking. The main emphasis is on the dancer's hair.
Muwashahat is an Arabic belly dance style artificially created in the 20th century. Combines graceful hand gestures and barely visible hip movements.
Shamadan is a variation of Raks Sharqi, the main accessory of which is a candelabra. The balance of the dancer is important here.

Basic elements form the basis of all styles.

Positive influence of oriental dances on women's health

In addition to the obvious benefits for the female figure, oriental dancing has health benefits. Regular exercises bring a positive effect, affecting different organs and systems:

Due to the work of the legs, blood circulation is activated on the outer surface of the thighs and buttocks. This tones the skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite.
Oriental dance for weight loss is a good way to develop beautiful posture, learn to control the body - during training you need to maintain balance and move smoothly.
The external and internal muscles of the pelvis are tightened, which is the prevention of urinary incontinence in women. Due to the work of the pelvic and abdominal muscles, the gastrointestinal tract is massaged, which improves intestinal motility and eliminates constipation.
Cardio exercise strengthens the heart muscle and is useful for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Saturating muscles with oxygen helps improve performance, which has a positive effect on other areas of life.
Oriental dance is a series of practiced and verified movements that train endurance. Such training relieves stress, therefore it is recommended for nervous, not always balanced people.

Who will benefit from the courses?

More and more women of all ages and sizes are choosing belly dancing. This means of self-realization is becoming more popular in Russia.

Any woman is capable of mastering the technique of belly dancing, even without basic training skills in choreography; at the same time, it requires smooth and graceful movements, which is incomparable with an impulsive character.

If you want to realize yourself, cope with prolonged depression, strengthen yourself physically and spiritually, belly dancing courses are what you need. Neither age nor physical characteristics are a hindrance to you. The main thing is desire.

Musculoskeletal system

The physical benefits of belly dancing for a woman’s health, in particular for the spine, are undeniable. Anyone who has seen oriental dancers knows that the movements of their bodies are sometimes impressive: various waves along the spine, bends deep back, low bends to the side and stunning rotations of the pelvis, chest and hips make it clear that there is no question of any stiffness of the joints Maybe.

Those who had some problems in the lumbar region, sacral area and hip joints unanimously note that back pain began to go away literally from the second lesson, and after two to three months it disappeared completely, despite the fact that for some they were constrained for several years. All movements from oriental dances allow the body of a woman who regularly attends classes to maintain the health of the musculoskeletal system in full health until old age.

How and where the acquired knowledge is applied

After the official recognition of belly dance, amateurs and professionals appeared in Russia. Since 2005, competitions have been held annually. Professional level dancers get the chance to go under contract to work in Saudi Arabia and other eastern countries of the world.

The traditional Championship of the League of Belly Dance Professionals is held annually in Tula (held on March 23-24, 2021).

Knowledge in the classical style helps the overall health of the body and maintaining good shape .

Reviews from those who took the courses

Those who complete the training course receive a lot of positive emotions and are happy to share them:

Ellistina201. I have been doing belly dancing since I was 29 years old. The first year I went to one school, the next 2 years I went to the closest school to my home. Both teachers loved what they did. Under oriental motifs, the body moves spontaneously, but when the movements are perfected, you can’t take your eyes off. Our group included girls of different ages and sizes. Much depends on the teacher and, of course, your desire. It's always useful to get your blood pumping and raise your self-esteem.

Alyona. I discovered belly dancing when I was trying to overcome amenorrhea. The doctor advised me to take a closer look at belly dancing, as it improves blood circulation and eliminates congestion. Regular dance classes help cope with painful menstruation and prepare a woman for childbirth.

Victoria. I am very pleased with the belly dancing course in Moscow. Clearly explained, plus video reports showing unprocessed elements. Not everyone is able to travel around cities to gain knowledge; online classes are a great help. The results depend only on you and your responsibility.

Regular exercise not only improves your mood, but also improves your physical well-being.

Feminine energy

This important aspect is often overlooked, although not only the emotional state of a woman, but also the general atmosphere in the family, in which she is the main regulator of good mood and keeper of the hearth, depends on it.

Thanks to oriental dances, a woman blooms like a flower, increasing her essence many times over - what some call magnetism.

How to learn belly dance on your own

Every year belly dance becomes more popular, specialized schools are opened. If it is not possible to attend courses in person, there is a great alternative for beginners to learn belly dancing at home. You can learn the basics of belly dancing on your own.

Before you start, you need to warm up:

Place your feet shoulder-width apart and rotate your head in a circular motion to the left, then to the right;
stretch your joints and back;
mill with your hands a couple of times;
put your feet together and bend your knees;
Without bending your legs, reach towards the floor.

After warming up, turn on belly dancing lessons for beginners and repeat the movements, closely following the teacher. You need to exercise at least 2 times a week, gradually moving from simple elements to more complex ones. Over time, you will learn to understand your body, but this requires regular training. You cannot hold your breath.

Feedback from dance studio clients

If you interview women who have been attending Belly dance for more than six months, they all speak enthusiastically about this dance, noting that, in addition to the benefits of belly dancing for the body, there is a significant emotional release.

Dancing for her own pleasure, a woman liberates herself, becoming more natural not only for herself, but also in society. For many, this is a new way to get to know themselves, learn some nuances of character, psychology, and also get rid of long-standing complexes due to appearance or lack of plasticity. According to reviews from dancer-teachers, their clients become more self-confident, sociable and cheerful over time. Many note that they began to react differently to life’s troubles, problems at work - the general attitude towards life has changed: unquenchable optimism has appeared.

The benefits of belly dancing

Rhythm is the basis of Raks Sharqi, the main element of which is shaking. It provokes a rush of blood to the pelvic organs. With regular exercise, the body's metabolism improves, the menstrual cycle becomes easier, and the woman's body prepares for childbirth.

All muscles are involved in the dance, which has a beneficial effect on posture and gait. Positive changes occur in everyday movements, they become smooth and feminine. The spinal cord and brain with blood flow are saturated with oxygen, metabolism accelerates and immunity improves .

Arabic dances relieve emotional tension, stiffness and accumulated negativity.

Reproductive system

For many women who cannot get pregnant, doctors strongly recommend not just playing sports, but attending belly dancing: the benefits for women's health are truly amazing.

Blood circulation in the pelvic organs improves, which brings with it relief from minor and unpleasant “female” problems: menstrual irregularities and pain during menstruation, inflammation of various kinds.
In some cases, gynecologists are surprised to note that cysts and fibroids decrease in size and disappear. They cannot explain this effect, since they believe that simply improving blood circulation from active movements has nothing to do with it, because this does not happen when doing fitness, aerobics, running and other types of active sports.
Women who attend Belly dance for at least six months and had problems conceiving a child before starting classes believe that it was belly dancing that helped them get pregnant.

In addition to eliminating problems with the reproductive system, there is an improvement in libido, menopause recedes, and the overall resistance of the body increases, so the benefits of belly dancing are obvious.

Tips and tricks for beginners to learn oriental belly dance

If you want to lose extra calories and make your figure more feminine, belly dancing is what you need.

The training includes:

kneading every muscle in the body;
exercises to increase heart rate and increase blood circulation in the body;
learning the basics of belly dancing;
connecting dance details.

Visible changes in the body occur after a couple of months of training. Belly dance helps fight stress and fatigue in everyday life.

For independent training, it is better to use a full-length mirror. This will allow you to correctly evaluate the elements being performed.

Introductory stage for beginners:

We place our feet shoulder-width apart, on full feet.
Your knees should always be slightly bent to prevent possible injury.
The body is completely relaxed.
The pelvis is directed slightly forward, which reduces the load on the lumbar part.
Pull your chest in different directions without the assistance of your hips. Subsequently, add wave-like movements with your hands.
Draw a circle with your chest. Persistent training will allow you to bring naturalness to this element.
Imagine the number 8 and outline it with your hips.
With the muscles of the buttocks completely relaxed, the most difficult element for beginners is done - shaking. We begin to sharply move our knees forward/backward. Not everyone gets the shaking effect right away.
Place your hands at chest level, bend your elbows slightly.

To perform the elements correctly, learn to relax those muscles that are not involved at the moment. Costume, accessories and cosmetics play an important role.

Disadvantages of belly dancing classes

Not everyone can do this type of fitness . The main contraindications include: flat feet, varicose veins, spinal diseases (hernias, vertebral displacement, etc.), tumors, heart disease, bronchitis, tuberculosis, exacerbation of stomach ulcers and other chronic diseases.
It is believed that there are no age restrictions , and there are even specialized children's groups. But girls who have not reached puberty are not recommended to engage in belly dancing and perform certain elements (shaking, sharp bends, blows).
Belly dancing classes are high physical activity that not every woman can withstand. Therefore, you need to adequately assess your own strengths and not overwork the body, increasing the load gradually.
If your body is trained and accustomed to high loads, then such training is unlikely to help you lose weight.
Very thin girls and women are not very suitable for this type of dance; belly dance looks more harmonious when performed by women with more curvy figures .
Oriental specificity can be identified as a relative minus . Not everyone likes the unique costumes, music, or dance style itself.

How to quickly learn belly dancing

To quickly master belly dancing, practice regularly and divide the lesson into 3 episodes. Warm up, repeat previous elements and work on new ones. This will help you master the material faster.

Perform each movement until your body gets used to it. Listen to Eastern music as much as possible. Having fallen in love with her, you will learn to fall into shares. To observe the work, it is better to practice barefoot and with an open stomach.

Over time, the stiffness will pass, and smoothness will appear in your movements. An excellent assistant in teaching dance to adults will be the video lesson “Belly Dancing. Crash Course for a House Party" or Cassia's belly dance lessons, which can be downloaded for free.

What do doctors say about dancing for children?

The benefits of belly dancing for a child’s health are too exaggerated: it is worth remembering that a girl during the transformation of the reproductive system at the time of puberty is very sensitive and can become deformed due to incorrect effects on the internal muscles. Therefore, until the age of eight, girls are prohibited from practicing any type of oriental dance, until the age of 12, they are not allowed to use shaking and sharp hip strikes in dancing, and before the end of puberty, it is undesirable to perform deep backbends, especially in combination with sitting and reclining movements.

Basic belly dance movements

A prerequisite for training is mastering the basic components of belly dancing. In a full-fledged dance, various elements are connected using special ligaments.

Let's consider the main elements that are studied in the courses:

twisting by the hips, occurs in each direction with the torso motionless;
bringing out the number 8 with the hips;
bringing out waves with the hips;
twisting of the chest, with motionless hips and head;
bringing out the number 8 with the chest in different directions;
drawing a circle with the body;
removal of waves by the chest.

Only after the basic skills have been honed can they be combined into a real dance.

Contraindications

Oriental dancing is an ideal way to relax, learn to control your body and achieve weight loss in problem areas. This is one of the few activities that does not have an age limit. However, belly dancing for weight loss is not recommended in the following conditions:

during pregnancy, especially in the second and third trimester;
after injury or surgery;
for diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
with pulmonary insufficiency;
in the presence of a hernia (umbilical, linea alba) in a severe stage.