how have you been inspired?
- Thread starter miss_shimmy
- Start date
What an interesting question!The music is definetly the biggest source of inspiration! For me it has aways been nearly impossible to just sit and listen to the music... it is more natural for me to either sing or move with the music. Other dancers inspire me as well, but I think, for some reason, I get even more inspired by other performing arts (like other dance styles, circus, magic etc.). Emotions also inspire me, sometimes you just have to dance to express a certain emotion...
Ariella
New member
Egyptian music has always made something move inside of me that no other form of music can. The zar music especially always gets me. Once I found out that a local dance studio was offering lessons, I jumped right in.
I was talking to my grandma the other day, and found out that she was fascinated with arabic music and dance as a kid. Belly dance lessons weren't exactly available at the local gym back in the 50s, so she would just put on music and do her best. I find it interesting that we were both enchanted by the music independent of each other.
I was talking to my grandma the other day, and found out that she was fascinated with arabic music and dance as a kid. Belly dance lessons weren't exactly available at the local gym back in the 50s, so she would just put on music and do her best. I find it interesting that we were both enchanted by the music independent of each other.
Mya
New member
strangely enough, what started me bellydancing has absolutely nothing to do with what inspires me to dance now. i started bellydancing because my Flamenco instructor thought that the two would compliment each other somehow. i started bellydance and i HATED IT. i think i went home and cried after my first class because i couldn't do anything right and i looked like a clumsy ox next to all of those slender lovely ladies and my beautiful toothpick instructor and OMG my flab kept shaking and i wanted to die.
fortunately for me, my classes were non-refundable and i had paid for 8 for the month so i had to go back again and again and again - you get the idea. Soon enough i started getting it, my body started understanding the movements and i practised for hours each day at home. 6 months later my instructor told me that she liked the way i move and she wanted me to dance in our hafla that was 2 months away, i went from 8 classes a month to 12 and upped my practise time as well.
I grew to love the dance and that brought me back here. i say back because when i was looking for a place to dance, i came across this site and i emailed Salome who was kind enough to respond and offer support. Ladies and gentlemen pat yourselves on the back because ALL OF YOU have inspired me to find out more about the dance and the culture and the music and everything.
All of you professionals and instructors and students have made me want to learn more and be more and you all introduced me to real dancers (figuratively speaking) like Fifi and Suheir who have driven me further to learn authentic styles.
Thank You!
fortunately for me, my classes were non-refundable and i had paid for 8 for the month so i had to go back again and again and again - you get the idea. Soon enough i started getting it, my body started understanding the movements and i practised for hours each day at home. 6 months later my instructor told me that she liked the way i move and she wanted me to dance in our hafla that was 2 months away, i went from 8 classes a month to 12 and upped my practise time as well.
I grew to love the dance and that brought me back here. i say back because when i was looking for a place to dance, i came across this site and i emailed Salome who was kind enough to respond and offer support. Ladies and gentlemen pat yourselves on the back because ALL OF YOU have inspired me to find out more about the dance and the culture and the music and everything.
All of you professionals and instructors and students have made me want to learn more and be more and you all introduced me to real dancers (figuratively speaking) like Fifi and Suheir who have driven me further to learn authentic styles.
Thank You!
I have always had a love for music and dance. Did ballet and tap as a child but then gave up for sports. Left school and did ballroom and latin dance. Then met my husband who has and still has 2 left feet.
Fell in love with belly dance and for 2 years battled to find a teacher near me. The nearest was an hour drive away.
One teacher found that there was a demand in the area that I stay and opened up and travelled once a week an hour and a half one way to teach us. I was in heaven and have not come to earth since. She eventually handed over the studio to me and I am running it for her plus giving other classes in the nearby area and to me it is fun fun fun.
Have attended many workshops given my international dancers and have enjoyed every minute of them... sigh have to go and make lunch now
Fell in love with belly dance and for 2 years battled to find a teacher near me. The nearest was an hour drive away.
One teacher found that there was a demand in the area that I stay and opened up and travelled once a week an hour and a half one way to teach us. I was in heaven and have not come to earth since. She eventually handed over the studio to me and I am running it for her plus giving other classes in the nearby area and to me it is fun fun fun.
Have attended many workshops given my international dancers and have enjoyed every minute of them... sigh have to go and make lunch now
gisela
Super Moderator
I really don't know why I began to yearn for bellydanceclasses. I don't think I had any idea what it was like really. I was brought up in a home where we always listened to foreign music or swedish folkloremusic. My parents played in a russian balalaika orchestra and were dancing eastern-european folkdances. My uncle played in a band that focused on e.g roumanian, turkish, yugoslavian music. I loved that kind of music a lot even as a small child. Some of the music had parts with (as I now recognize as) chifteteli-rhythm and when it got to that part my heart just went crazy but I didn't know how to express it with my body. I think my first "bellydance" music/ imagination was more "gypsy"like.
Although I have a picture from my 8th(?) birthday party where I dressed up as a bellydancer.
The decision to take classes definitely came from finding more music and feeling the need for being able to move with it.
Although I have a picture from my 8th(?) birthday party where I dressed up as a bellydancer.
The decision to take classes definitely came from finding more music and feeling the need for being able to move with it.
Carrie
New member
I started falling in love with Middle Eastern culture - particularly Moroccan culture and the Arabic language - about two and a half years ago. During this time I was a season passholder for Disney World, and went to Epcot about once a week. Of course, they have the Moroccan pavilion - which of course is very Disney-fied, but all the employees are Moroccan so it isn't that bad. Now, I had always thought belly dancing was sleezy - it was just how I was brought up and what I had been exposed to. I didn't realize there were correct ways to belly dance that made it beautiful and elegant. That all changed when during one trip to Epcot, I saw Ilham perform. She recently resigned from Disney and is a full-time instructor in Kissimmee, but for many years she was the star performer at the Moroccan pavilion. Something happened when I first saw her perform - she was older, but beautiful. Native Moroccan, and not stick-thin. She had such stage presence, and from that moment I knew I wanted to be like her. I've had the opportunity to talk to her several times on the phone and in person, and I am always amazed by her kindness and passion to teach.
Also another person who even further inspired was my first instructor, Miss Donna. She was a Greek lady from Tarpon Springs who was a former dancer for Busch Gardens. She was so sophisticated and elegant, and her classes had such energy and acceptance.
Here's a picture of Ilham I took last year:
Also another person who even further inspired was my first instructor, Miss Donna. She was a Greek lady from Tarpon Springs who was a former dancer for Busch Gardens. She was so sophisticated and elegant, and her classes had such energy and acceptance.
Here's a picture of Ilham I took last year:
Who and what inspired me to dance. A good friend read about belly dance in the local metropoliten newspaper and called someone about lessons but the classes were full. the lady said if my friend could get 8 people together, she'd start a new class so my friend dind't even ask, just dragged me along and I discovered I enjoyed it but not as much as I do now because things clicked and I "need" to do things like dance. When I don't get enough time to dance, I notice it. I'm addicted and I can't just put music on without dancing to it.....LOL
SaraKat
New member
Here's a picture of Ilham I took last year:
I saw her dance a few years ago at Epcot Center! I really enjoyed her.
I started dancing about 6 years ago because my mom and sister were taking classes. I was very reluctant at first but they kept egging me on and telling me I would love it. Eventually I gave in. Now it's all I can think about!