Article-Is Bellydance For Everyone?

[vinstones]

Moon,

You can see the light in every storm..

Thanks for being such wonderful soul.

cos the world need more positive energy like yours..

[Kiraze]

Anybody can try it, of course, but it's apparent that some people have no sense of rhythm whatsoever, can't tell the difference between rhythm and melody or can't even distinguish between different instruments - these are fundamental failings that mean they'll never be able to dance properly!

They have all the necessary body parts but without the ability to connect ears, brain and body you have no chance.

I think this was quite harsh judgement. I´ve been dancing for over 15 years and I am a slow learner and I still cannot always hear (or OMG count) the rhythms or recognize different instruments from music and I still believe I have my place in dance and love learning and challenging myself and also others and for some strange reason many people even like my dancing and teaching...

Besides myself (who don't have any ambition to become pro) I know and have seen professional dancers (even some dancing in Egypt) who are more or less rhythm-challenged and as long as they recognize it themselves and learn to utilize some other areas of dancing where they are stronger they still can be fabulous dancers... besides different people hear and interpret music differently: there is not just one "correct" way

[Suheir]

I think this was quite harsh judgement. I´ve been dancing for over 15 years and I am a slow learner and I still cannot always hear (or OMG count) the rhythms or recognize different instruments from music and I still believe I have my place in dance and love learning and challenging myself and also others and for some strange reason many people even like my dancing and teaching...

Besides myself (who don't have any ambition to become pro) I know and have seen professional dancers (even some dancing in Egypt) who are more or less rhythm-challenged and as long as they recognize it themselves and learn to utilize some other areas of dancing where they are stronger they still can be fabulous dancers... besides different people hear and interpret music differently: there is not just one "correct" way

It doesn't look very good in a student troupe if someone's always one step (or even more) behind everybody else...

[Gabi]

This is one of those questions where it depends on what your idea of "is it for everyone" means.

I think that it's not that everyone should do it or can be good at it but I do believe that the movements and the whole learning to respond to the music is something that can be beneficial to almost anyone who wants to have a go. It's just good stuff

[Aisha Azar]

Dear Group,
My experience with students who can not find the rythm has been mixed. Some people, with time, learn to find the rythm. Their problem seems to be that they are busy concentrating on moving and not really hearing the music. So... I turn up the bass in order to make it easier for them to really hear the beat.
Some people are truly rythm challenged and no matter what, they do not seem to be able to dance to the musical rythm. They may even hear it but somehow their physical response is either too fast or to slow in correlation to what they are hearing. This may be a neurological thing in that the message does not get from the brain to the body fast enough, or it may be something else. I am not an expert in the cause of the problem, but I have tried to give it some thought and a little research.
I agree with Suheir that this is a real problem for those who are trying to dance. In belly dance, it is all about the cultural, physical and emotional response to the music, after all. If a student is one of those people who can never understand the music, then she/he will probably never be a dancer. This does not mean that people with this problem should not take classes if they want to do so. Teachers will have to be careful not to become frustrated in their efforts to teach truly rythm challenged students, and realize that everyone is not in class for the same reasons.
Regards,
A'isha

[Yshka]

I agree with Suheir very much though I understand that doesn't go for everyone, and I see Kiraze's point very clearly.
Some might indeed learn over time, and if not, they have no reason not to take classes. Not everyone will become a dancer but even for truly rhythm challenged students it might give some improvement or at least make them feel good. I've seen a girl who did not hear the music at all, but taking bellydance lessons gave her a great deal of self esteem, though she will never become fully a dancer because she simply doesn't get the music or hear the rhythm. It gives her great fullfillment though to execute the moves right and dance in her own way though not in correspondence with the music. Taking classes should be open to those also for they might learn someday, or just be happy because of all side effects that come with it.
If, like A'isha says, teachers are ok with these students and still try and teach them in the best way possible. If the teacher gets frustrated, even the happy/self-esteem part will be taken away and nothing will happen for even the most rhythm challenged students.

[Marisha]

I just want to give a shout out to all the coordination and rhythm challenged students - I am and was one, although I am slowly improving. I remember that I could hear the music but since so many different instruments played at the same time I didn't understand which one was indicating the rhythm. Also, when a teacher says "turn to the right and do two hip drops" someone who is better coordinated will be able to focus on just following that instruction, while someone who is less coordinated has first to find their "right" side, then "find" their hip, and then "find" the hip drop. That's how I felt for the first 2 months of class. Thank goodness I wasn't booted by my teacher for doing that (me and about 60% percent of the class )

[Lydia]

o please please,i believe so much it is for everybody i mean everybody,it do,s not mean everybody want or will be a prof but that do,s not matter just let everybody have a good time doing it...people in my class have such a great time and only a few want to be prof. but i never think that the others are not good ,they try so hard and my goodness ,do they have a good time you dont want to take that away from anybody...please let it be like this ,,bellydancing is for everybody,, Lydia

[Aniseteph]

... Some people, with time, learn to find the rythm. Their problem seems to be that they are busy concentrating on moving and not really hearing the music.

YES! And I can relate to what Marisha says...

I wouldn't say I was especially slow but it takes me a while to tune in to unfamiliar music when I'm learning movement. I'm not rhythm challenged - I can hear the rhythms and phrases in the music, it's just that while I'm trying to concentrate on learning movement, hearing the music and putting some dance/feeling into what I'm doing is way too much for my brain to handle at once. (I tried to do all three at once at a workshop at the weekend and it all went a bit pear-shaped to be honest ).

[Yasmine Bint Al Nubia]

Dear Group,

Some people are truly rythm challenged and no matter what, they do not seem to be able to dance to the musical rythm. They may even hear it but somehow their physical response is either too fast or to slow in correlation to what they are hearing. This may be a neurological thing in that the message does not get from the brain to the body fast enough, or it may be something else. I am not an expert in the cause of the problem, but I have tried to give it some thought and a little research.
I agree with Suheir that this is a real problem for those who are trying to dance. In belly dance, it is all about the cultural, physical and emotional response to the music, after all. If a student is one of those people who can never understand the music, then she/he will probably never be a dancer. This does not mean that people with this problem should not take classes if they want to do so. Teachers will have to be careful not to become frustrated in their efforts to teach truly rythm challenged students, and realize that everyone is not in class for the same reasons.
Regards,
A'isha

Hi Aisha, I'm gld you touched on the isuue of neurological impact on dnce and other forms of movements. Years ago, I worked as A Restorative Nurse, in charge of developing programs to help my elderly patients maintain functional mobility. (I'm a CRRN) Anyway, I'm aware of how important it is for the brain to coordinate movement with the muscles. Many of my stroke victims wanted to walk again, but the neurological impairment was so severe, it was impossible. The efferent neurons send impulse to the muscle groups and the afferent neurons send impulsee/sensations to the brain.Efferent nerve - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In theory, even the most 'rhythmically' impaired student can develop proficiency if they have enough repetition to build and strenthened the neural pathways.
For many of our students, bellydance, offers the first time any of them the chance to connect with their bodies in a meaningful way.
Yasmine