Belly Dancing Classes

[Sometimes Steffi]

I just found out the the next town over has belly dancing classes this fall.

I'm so tempted, but I'm also so chicken

Has anyone here taken belly dancing classes? Should I try to contact the instructor or just show up? What should I wear? Harem pants?

[Beverley Sims]

Find out what would be appropriate.
You probably have to show your navel. :)

[stellatoo]

Hi Steffi, I've been thinking of doing this for a while and have used Youtube for pointers etc. Not sure I could go to a class though! maybe private lessons with an understanding teacher.

[Deedee Skyblue]

I think you absolutely have to contact the instructor in advance. If you just show up, there could be all kinds of problems. You might be told 'no', and then you will need to find an alternative solution - perhaps this same instructor would be willing to give you private lessons for a while, and then maybe introduce you to a class in the future, maybe even as an assistant instructor.

Deedee

[Lacy PJs]

Funny; when my SO took belly dancing classes a long time ago, I could do the belly rolls better than she could! Mad her mad. :)

I wouldn't mind trying some of those filmy harem pants though...

Lacy PJs

[Sometimes Steffi]

Well, i checked it out, and it's OK for men to be in the class. So, I signed up. It turns out that I already missed the first class. I'll report back later.

[Dianne S]

My wife bought a book and instructional DVD on belly-dancing and suggested we both try it together. It might be fun.

[Sometimes Steffi]

I went to the first class and introduced myself to the instructor. I just acted as if it was the most normal thing for a guy to take belly dancing classes. She tols me I was the first guy ever in her class. I said there has to be a first time for everything.

Just finished my second class. We learned snake arms and shimmying. Even though I don't really have the hips for it, I feel likw I'm in the middle of the pack, keeping up with most of the GGs.

[AmyGaleRT]

You know, cis men do practice belly-dancing, too. It's definitely a thing in Turkey, for instance, though I had opportunity to see a male belly-dancer once in a Moroccan restaurant in Santa Barbara. He was quite good.

So are you taking the class in drab or en femme?

- Amy

[JamieG]

Hey Steffi,

This is great! It's so good to have more dancers on the forum. It took a lot of courage for you to walk into that class, but now that you've been, I bet you won't think twice about being among the girls. What did you decide to wear?

Jamie

[Sometimes Steffi]

I work out 3 to 4 times a week. But rather than doing free weights or machines, I take group classes. Currently, I'm taking Body Flow (mostly all girls), Yoga (about 3/4 guys with the new instructor, but used to be mostly girls), Pilates (almost all girls), Step aerobics (almost all girls), Body Pump (mostly girls) and sometimes Zumba (me and the girls). So, I'm used to working out with the girls.

Lately, I've been painting my nails and exposing them at Yoga, Pilates and Body Flow. I've not gotten any comments. But one time we had a substitute Yoga teacher and she asked our regulular teacher about the guy with painted nails and our reglar teacher told me about it. I don't think she cared, but she was surprised.

So far, I'm wearing about what I would wear to yoga: T-Shirt and loose yoga pants. I'm glad I didn't have my toe nails painted; we practice in bare feet. Most of the girls are wearing something similar, but some are wearing lycra pants or top. Most of them have purchased the belly dancing coin wrap thing.

[jacky83]

In Zumba class they occasionally "talk" me into wearing a Zumba scarf/skirt. They use the it for belly dancing toohttp://www.deechicboutique.com/zumba-scarf-light-pink-pi-491.html

[Sometimes Steffi]

I've been to about 5 classes so far. It's just like it's normal for a guy to take belly dancing classes.

But, I did find out one thing. I used to think it was called belly dancing because you got to look at a girl's belly girating. Now I think it's called belly dancing becaue the belly dancer has to use her belly muscles (abs) to do all the movements. Let's just say that I'm a few bottles short of a six-pack (abs).

[Mssusan]

Good for you, and good for your SO once you get those hips rolling ;-)). Just sayin....