New Member, Wants to Dance,...but has scoliosis

edavis2

New member
Hola Everyone,

I'm new on this forum. I really want to learn this dance thanks to viewing a performance by Rachel Brice and Ansuya. However, I have scoliosis and some shoulderblade weakness because of it :( . I've read on-line that this dance helps with muscle strengthening as well as boosting confidence. Do any of you (especially instructors/professionals) have any advice on finding an instructor or dance studio for people like me? I would really appreciate the advice :pray: . Thank you!
 

Kharmine

New member
I have moderate scoliosis myself and have not found that it is a problem in dance. I've done hatha yoga for years and have found belly dance has strengthened and limbered up my spine even better -- although I recommend both, if possible, because they help each other.

There are places on the 'net where you can look up belly dance teachers -- Belly Dancing Lessons: Find A Teacher Or Performer, for instance. If that doesn't help, tell us where you live and maybe someone will know whom you can contact.
 

KuteNurse

New member
I also have a tiny bit of scoliosis that is not physically noticeable unless a doctor looks at it. Although I am new to BDing, I can tell already that it has strengthed muscles in my lower and upper back. Why not give it a try and do what you can do while dancing. Contact a teacher in your area and go from there.

I do not know anything about the severity of your scoliosis, however, there are treatments for it. Have you contacted your doctor and asked about treatments such as a back brace? I wish you luck and happy dancing:)
 

kiewiet

New member
I also have scoliosis(my ribcage on the Right grated against the hipbone!) and I've been dancing for over 12 years and have found it strenghtened my muscles and reduced pain. In fact before starting BD I was on painkillers every day and had physiotherapy every week. Within months I noticed a difference in pain and now never need painkillers and don't do physio. Any good teacher will be doing stretches warmups etc which help a lot (you may find a lot of them similar to physio excercises!) A good teacher will also be watching posture etc to ensure everyone is OK. If your scoliosis isn't to severe you may want to mention it so she is aware(it always looks worse tous;) )
Also Listen to your body and if it hurts have your teacher check how you are doing a move or make it smaller. I found that I was ultra aware of my "hump' at first and would try extra hard to make some chest moves stand out. Time taught me that small can look better and with persistance you will achieve the same extension as every one else. Just remember that some muscles will be shortened and they take time to stretch.
BTW you may find some hipwork much easier as you are already used to adjusting movement to make up for the spine curve. :dance:
My back-curve improved so much that now I have almost even shoulders and there is no grating of hip and rib bones :clap:

I hope you will find the perfect teacher and be dancing soon. Good luck and let me know how things go
 

Lydia

New member
yes i agree with the above lady,s....give it a try but start slow and do mention to the teacher about your condition,i have 2 lady,s in class with this condition and they have good results and there muscles become stronger so you go for it...good luck Lydia
 

Sheba

New member
Dear Edavis,

I've had surgery in my early teens to correct my scoliosis and I've had some of the vertebrae in the thoracic part of my spine fused - which is not exactly an asset for a bellydancer who can use as much spine flexibility as possible. However, when I started bellydancing (I was 30 at the time), I just took it easy and paid attention to how my body was responding to the movements, slowly building muscle strength and flexibility. Now, my posture is soooo much better than it used to be, I'm among the people in my class with best torso mobility and I often get complimented on how flexible I am. Bellydancing has been beneficial to me on so many levels - improving physical fitness, offering emotional outlet and building self-confidence, as well as being a profound spiritual experience.
So absolutely, go for it! Take it slow and listen to your body. Also, you might want to talk to your doctor first (it's always good to check with a doctor before you start any new physical activity) and be sure to mention your scoliosis to your instructor.
Best of luck and happy dancing!
 

edavis2

New member
Classes

Another thing I was curious about is if I should go the private lesson route (but this might prove expensive). :think:
 

Kharmine

New member
Well, there's another thread about private lessons here under the Instructors and Students title.

But first, you need to find a good teacher, period. Take a few beginning classes to see how it feels, how she teaches and what your problem(s) might be. If you're finding something difficult then ask her about it. She might be able to clear things up in a few minutes before or after class.

Ask her if she can recommend a video or dvd to practice with at home. It's often easier to use that method once you've actually had classroom experience.

Only when you still think you're not quite 'getting it," ask about a private lesson. Sometimes just one or two once in a while is all you need.
 

Recnadocir

New member
First thing you should do, is ask your doctor what restrictions there might be on your movement. As a dancer and dance instructor who is also a personal trainer, I've encountered clients with scoliosis, and there are certain movements they need to be very careful with. Once you are certain what these are, you can communicate them to any potential teacher. A good teacher will not question your physical limitations, or try to treat them, in a misguided attempt to help you, but instead will try to help you maximize your abilities in those many movement patterns where you are not limited.

And if you want to perform eventually, please remember that performance is much more about presence and charisma than it is about physical tricks. There have been many great dance performers who, by strict technical standards, were not great: Margot Fonteyn had less than perfect feet, Gene Kelly nearly always turned in the same direction, Bob Fosse had poor posture, jazz dance great Luigi overcame paralysis, etc. etc.

It's about your dream, and following it.
 

edavis2

New member
Lessons

Hello Everyone!

I was curious, does anyone know of any good studios or teacher i the Toledo, OH area?:rolleyes: :think:
 
Hello Everyone!

I was curious, does anyone know of any good studios or teacher i the Toledo, OH area?:rolleyes: :think:
I have the perfect teacher for you!!!!. Her name is Aegela and she has been dancing for over 30yrs. She is only one of a handful of foreign dancers to have received Lifetime Work Permit to dance in Egypt. At one point she headlined shows in Cairo and Alexandria.
How do I know? I'm proud to call her a teacher, mentor and friend. She deinitely will help you learn to dance and reach your own potential.

Aegela School And Staff
Happy Dancing
Yasmine
 

Shanazel

Moderator
What Rico said goes for me, too. The day I saw a woman in her wheel chair dance, I threw out all my pre-conceived notions of what made a dancer.

I am a dance instructor, not a physician or physical therapist. A person with medical issues needs to get his or her doctor's feedback and let me know what is going on, then we can work around the restrictions. We all have restrictions (please, don't ask me to demonstrate anything that requires me to fall to the floor and rise again without help from three strong students- the knees are shot), but that is no bar to being able to dance beautifully.
 

edavis2

New member
Aegela Belly Dance School

Hey Yasmine Bint Al Nubia,

I checked out Aegela's website and I like what I read so far, especially about her experience with occupational therapy rehabilitation. But, how much is it total for her classes? The website says "Session Fee: $50 for 1 class per week; $25 for each additional class." So, does this mean that for six weeks it costs $175 with $50 the first week and the other five classes are $25 each, or does this mean that classes cost $300 at $50 per week and any review classes outside of that is $25? I'm a little confused. :think:

edavis2
 

schhdogs

New member
I have scoliosis in the lower back (it curves to the left) and I just started taking BD lessons a month ago (not wanting to go back to traditional ballet/tap/jazz that I took long ago).

My problem is I am finding my range of motion is limited when I try to do a hip slide to the right. My instructor thought it was oblique stomach muscle tightness, and now I realize it's not. I'm also having to fight from twisting when I do this move. Am I really just left having to do a smaller move to balance it out? If I do that, will I get the same exercise benefit?

Between this and my fallen arches (18 years of dancing in non-supportive shoes will do that to you!), I am feeling very limited out of the starting gate... Thanks,
Laura
 

Darshiva

Moderator
Schhdogs, most people start out with a smaller movement and gradually move up to a larger movement. Start out small, get the control you want and then slowly push yourself towards a larger movement. Chances are that you will always have subtle movement in this area, but that is by no means a bad thing.

The only thing stopping you from dancing at this moment is the little voice in your head telling you you're not good enough. Ignore it. Or better yet, (if you're alone or don't care what people think) tell it off. Everyone gets the nagging voice of doubt at some stage, and it's by pushing past it that we grow.

Best wishes with your bellydance journey.
 

shiradotnet

Well-known member
I have scoliosis. To make things even more exciting, I was in a rollover car accident when I was 17 years old that injured my back.

I have also been belly dancing for over 30 years.

I found that belly dance rib cage circles help ease the pain of the car accident injury. I have found that when I dance regularly (at least once a week), my back is stronger, healthier, and less painful than it was when I take a break from dancing. So for me, the more I belly dance, the happier my back is!

I don't think you need to start with private lessons. Just look for a good group class - one taught by an experienced, well-qualified teacher. Try to avoid people who are new to teaching, and try to filter out the ones who decided to proclaim themselves "teachers" after 8 weeks of taking beginner classes.
 

indrayu

New member
Here's another dancer with mild scoliosis. My hip alignment has become more symmetrical with dance and yoga, just by trying to do it as evenly as possible, not with special attention. I agree that yoga and dance complement each other nicely.

But do try to get the most knowledgeable teachers you can: I now have a nagging injury due to overuse of muscles not really designed for the job, and it is a huge mental and physical task to retrain them.
 
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