Greetings from a Chinese beginner

[Lucy]

I have been interested in belly dancing for 2 years. I love to watch belly dancing videos from youtube (from China we have to go VPN though), fascinated by the beautiful of the dancers.

Right now I am in a 5-day intensive training program in a near-by city with a Taiwanese instructor. It's my first time attending such program, I feel tired from body to brain. She tought a lot of things, from basic techniques to choregraphy, to rythm pattens. I‘ve learned a lot, but my headache is that when it comes to choregraphy, I can't remember the moves. Interestingly, I found many of my "classmates" are also at elementary level, but they expect to learn 5 days and then go back to teach in their gym/studios. I guess it's from the imbalance between the booming demand for belly dancing over the last few years, and the lack of professional teachers, especially in smaller cities in China.

I like many kinds of bellydancing, especially tribal fusion, but teacher at my gym only teach traditional belly dancing (and very slowly). I am now following some DVD to learn more techniques. sometimes I feel unmotivated. I'm glad to find you, the belle dancers from all over the world from this website.

[Daimona]

Welcome to forum and the world of belly dance, Lucy

[Farasha Hanem]

Hi, Lucy! Welcome to the forum! We have a lot of wonderful people here, including a good number of teachers, who have been dancing for years and can help answer any questions you have. I know how frustrating it can be trying to learn from DVDs. That's how I started out. I also have trouble learning and remembering choreography. Although choreography has a place in a class situation, choreography is not what bellydancing is about. People in the Middle East feel and respond to the music (we call it "improv"). I hope you will stay with us, because we have a good group of people who can help you. Happy Shimmies!

[Ariadne]

Welcome to the forum!

[Lucy]

Thank you, Daimona!

[Lucy]

Thank you Farasha, I am grateful to find this forum. I hope I can continue my passion for belly dancing for many years like the dancers here!

[Lucy]

thank you Ariadne!

[Shanazel]

Welcome, Lucy! So happy to have you.

Interestingly, I found many of my "classmates" are also at elementary level, but they expect to learn 5 days and then go back to teach in their gym/studios.

Ooo, that's scary, isn't it? Sorta the puppy mill of belly dance.

[Zorba]

Welcome to the forum. We have a small, but very dedicated cadre of regulars here.

[Lucy]

Exactly, people like me get the first impression of belly dancing from their teachers, so it is important what image the teacher is giving. (I just searched "puppy mill" to understand what it is, it's terrible!)