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Belly dancing is a popular form of dance that has its roots in Egypt. This expressive and captivating style is best known for its focus on dynamic torso movements and has made its way into pop culture across the globe. If you’re interested in learning how to belly dance, this guide will get you pointed in the right direction.
Is Belly Dancing Easy?
Belly dancing is a long-lived dance form that has been used for centuries, and many people have long praised it for its beauty and the strength it provides:
- It can often seem quite intimidating to learn, particularly when seeing experienced dancers gracefully performing complex moves.
- However, belly dancing is easy to learn with a little bit of patience and dedication.
- The steps may not come instantly, but learning the basics can be satisfying and enjoyable, with the potential long-term rewards to boot!
With long life benefits in terms of physical fitness, confidence building, and emotional release, belly dancing offers something unique that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime.
Want to learn how to belly dance? Sign up for live dance lessons ASAP! You can learn not only how to do belly dance, but some of the fun dance styles below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y846w6PUmCw
The Origins of Belly Dancing
Belly dancing has a long and mysterious history that is often debated over by scholars and dance enthusiasts. Some say that the origins of belly dancing can be traced back nearly 6,000 years, to when early societies would use expressive dancing as a part of religious rituals. Although there’s no doubt that forms of dancing played a role in early civilizations, we lack hard evidence that ties modern belly dancing to these ancient rituals.
Belly dancing as we know it today most likely had its start in 18th century Egypt. A traveling group of dancers known as the ghawazee pioneered the form, and, later, spread it throughout the Middle East and Europe. Since then, various stylistic refinements were added by cultures throughout the world, including new influences from ballet and Latin dance. In the 1960s, many Americans became interested in how to learn belly dance, and global popularity of the style exploded in North America.
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Belly Dancing for Beginners
Watch any advanced belly dancer, and it’s clear that muscle isolation is a critical part of the style. Learning how to belly dance gives you exquisite command of core muscles and hip movement. There are a few iconic belly dancing moves, including:
- Hip lifts: If you want to know how to move your hips like a belly dancer, this tip is for you! This move makes it look like the hips are quickly swinging from side to side. Although it looks as if the hips are making this move in isolation, it actually comes as a result of straightening one leg while keeping the other slightly bent. The head and shoulders should be kept still so that it looks as if only the hips are moving.
- Shimmy: Once the tempo of the alternating hip lifts is increased, a vibrating movement is produced, which is known as the shimmy. The muscles of the lower back are also involved in this movement. You can also shimmy with the shoulders.
- Belly roll: This move comes as a result of isolating the lower and upper ab muscles. Contracting the lower ab muscles and then the upper ones creates a rolling motion once you get the hang of it. If you can’t access this move at first, don’t be discouraged! It will come with time as your core muscles develop.
Why You Should Learn How to Belly Dance
If you’ve ever heard the phrase “shake your money maker,” you may have wondered what it actually means.
Well, in this case it means learning how to belly dance! Belly dancing is an ancient form of dance with roots tracing back thousands of years. It has been popular for centuries and continues to be a great way to stay fit and have fun.
Let’s explore why you should consider learning how to belly dance.
Have Fun With Friends (or Alone!)
What better way to bond with friends than by learning a new skill together? Belly dancing is incredibly social—you can learn it with a group or even just one other person. Learning something new can be intimidating, but when you do it with friends, it can be much more enjoyable and rewarding.
Plus, who wouldn’t want an excuse to dress up in beautiful costumes while they learn something new?
Build Confidence And Self-Esteem
Learning something new can be intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, there’s no better feeling than knowing that you can do something that many people cannot! As you progress in your belly dancing skills, your confidence and self-esteem will skyrocket as well. What better way to feel good about yourself than by mastering something completely new? Plus, who knows—you might even end up getting paid gigs if your skills are impressive enough!
Is Belly Dancing Good For Your Belly?
Belly dancing can be an exciting and enjoyable form of exercise. It provides a great way to stay in shape while connecting with a rich cultural heritage. Not only is it incredibly interactive and fun, but it can also have long-term benefits for your overall health, including those related to the abdominal region – specifically, strengthening core muscles and improving posture.
The best part about belly dancing is that it is an incredibly low-impact workout—so you don’t have to worry about hurting yourself if you move too quickly or make any sudden movements.
Belly dancing is also great for strengthening your core and improving flexibility, so it’s the perfect workout for anyone looking for a gentle way to stay fit without putting too much strain on their body. Plus, did we mention that the costumes are super fun?
How Long Does it Take to Learn Belly Dance?
Learning belly dance can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. It is important to understand that this dance form, like any other dance style, requires significant dedication and practice in order to truly master it.
On average, it may take a beginner 6 months to 2 years in order to become proficient. This range depends on a variety of factors, such as the dancer’s prior experience, level of commitment and commitment to constant practice. The more effort you put into learning the basics of belly dancing and refining your steps, the better dancer you will become.
With enough practice and determination anyone can learn this empowering art form.
Can You Learn Belly Dance By Yourself?
Absolutely! Learning belly dance can be an incredibly rewarding experience and it is entirely possible to do so without any formal instruction. Many dancers learn the basics of technique by watching online tutorials and instructional videos, then build on the fundamentals with practice.
Practice does not need to be limited to rehearsing steps at home either – a great way to enhance your dance is by attending belly dance events and observing others who have been performing for years.
That said, while online resources such as blogs and videos can be helpful for beginners, properly learning how to belly dance requires the help of an instructor. Your dance teacher can show you how to isolate the correct muscles and gracefully perform these expressive moves. If you don’t have any dance teachers in your area, online belly dancing lessons are a great option. Visit our directory and find a belly dance instructor today!
Find more inspiration for dancing and music in the TakeLessons blog.
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