Confessions of a Bellydance Nerd - by Laura of BellyUp

I bet none of us will ever forget our very first belly dance class. We were excited and curious, or maybe a little terrified as we entered the studio for the first time. And we can now look back and see how far we've come!The great thing about this dance form is that you certainly don't need to be a freak of nature to do it; the steps and moves come from the same motions that we can do naturally as human beings.  Nonetheless "easy" would be a tremendous understatement, as I'm sure we all realized within minutes of our first class! Not only are you rediscovering your own body, but your mind is being flooded with new information, sights and sounds.  And each class thereafter reinforces the fact that there are many, many challenges and breakthroughs we'll experience throughout our training. 

What stole my heart was the realization that the art form is infinite and limitless, and that you can be a student for eternity and still not have danced every combination, or learned every fact, or heard every song, or mastered every skill. 

For many of us, weekly classes are just what we need to nourish our bodies and keep ourselves perfectly happy. And that's fantastic. For others, studying it on a much deeper level becomes our passion, and maybe for some, an obsession!  It becomes a lifestyle.  It's all intertwined like a giant web; the history/origins, cultural influences and geography, the language and dialects, the music, rhythms, genres, artists, the movement vocabulary and anatomy... and that's barely even scratching the surface.  

A balanced diet of that knowledge is the ideal for every belly dance enthusiast, and we are so lucky we have our own Joharah to thank for giving us just that. She leaves no stone unturned and I am immensely inspired by her dedication and boundless wisdom, and eternally grateful to her for allowing us to drink from her fountain. No matter what your level is right now, you should be very proud of where you're at, and always look forward and grow. Transforming yourself into a dancer is an everlasting journey and lifelong adventure!  Enjoy it and DANCE! :)

Laura is a lead dancer in BellyUp's Ala Nar dance ensemble. She is also a BellyUp Dance Instructor at both our Oakville and Kitchener locations.