HI I'm Christina

[Hope07]

Hello all. I'm so very new to this I squeak lol. I've wanted to learn belly dancing for so long and have finally decied what the heck. I just had a baby and boy is my stomach scary lol and my back well it's bad too. So I'm doing yoga to loss weight ,but it get boring and I love to dance. Only problem I live in a one horse kinda backward town. So here's my question . What would be a recommended DVD on Belly dancing and an outfit that I can wear (I know it sounds funny but wearing one would really help me get into it) I'm tired of feeling fat and ugly. I need to have fun I love to dance. Any help would be much appercaited. Thanks

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Hi, Christina, welcome to the forum! *hugs*

There is a thread in the Instructors and Students forum entitled, "What instructional DVD's do you have?" I hope you find it useful.

I took up learning to bellydance back in about 2001, starting out with a couple of Neena and Veena Badasha's video tapes, and ended up with a small collection of DVD's. But going alone at it was difficult for me. Learning bellydance (or anything else) from DVD's, books, or the internet is fine, if it's used as a supplemental to good classes; however, I do understand where you're coming from. My town didn't offer bellydance classes, either, until just last September. I absolutely love it! Getting feedback from a good teacher is soooo much better than trying to do it alone. Are you able to travel a bit to find a studio that offers lessons? You might try to google around to see what might be available in your area. Meanwhile, don't give up. After reading the thread that I recommended, get yourself some DVD's, and set up a regular practice time for yourself. At least you'll familiarize yourself with some of the basic moves. When you do practice, try to do them as correctly as possible. Don't be slouchy when trying to execute the moves, and don't rush through. "Practice makes perfect." And don't get discouraged when your body doesn't want to do what you tell it to (trust me, it's gonna happen; I know from experience!). :lol: It takes time for your muscle memory to become accustomed to the moves of bellydance.

As for costuming, might I suggest that you regularly peruse the "Dance Costumes" forum; the ladies here (and some gentlemen, as well!) have soooo many helpful suggestions! Many have shared patterns and costuming tips; I hope you find some of these helpful.

I, too, have had problems with my post-baby self-image. A woman's body isn't the same after having a baby; I know. Hopefully together, we can help each other change our attitudes about our own bodies. Remember, if a woman is beautiful on the inside, it will radiate out for all to see.

The people here are absolutely lovely; I'm sure you'll make lots of friends. And remember, bellydance is so much more than just learning moves and putting them together. Bellydance is a state of mind, heart, and spirit. *hugs!*

 

[Hope07]

Thank you so much for replying when no-one did at first I thought I had done something wrong. I wish I could travel the closest place that would have anything is probably 45 mins or up to 2 hours. But with Gas prices being high and a new baby lol well my husband probably wouldn't like if I burn gas going to a dance class over an hour away 3 to 4 times a week. But I'm going to pick it up anyway and when money isn't so tight I will look into it just so I can get a teacher and she can show me what I'm doing wrong. I love dancing it is an expression of the body and it makes me feel vibrantly alive. Thanks for your warm welcome

 

[KuteNurse]

Thank you so much for replying when no-one did at first I thought I had done something wrong. I wish I could travel the closest place that would have anything is probably 45 mins or up to 2 hours. But with Gas prices being high and a new baby lol well my husband probably wouldn't like if I burn gas going to a dance class over an hour away 3 to 4 times a week. But I'm going to pick it up anyway and when money isn't so tight I will look into it just so I can get a teacher and she can show me what I'm doing wrong. I love dancing it is an expression of the body and it makes me feel vibrantly alive. Thanks for your warm welcome

Welcome Hope!

There is wonderful information on this forum and wonderful people here also who are always very helpful and kind. I am fairly new to BDing also, so I might be able to give some pointers. First of all, congrats on your new baby How excited you must be. Do you have a boy or girl? I am sorry you are not closer to someplace that teaches dance, but for now until you can travel more I have a great solution for a DVD. It is called...Belly Dance Basics and Beyond by Jenna from New York. She has great information and the price is great on her dvd. You can just google her or the DVD and it should come up. I purchased mine on Amazon, but she also sells them from her website. As for a costume for practice...I might suggest getting a unitard then purchasing a hip scarf with beautiful coins or beads to cover yourself around the hips. You can also google unitards and google hip scarfs and many will come up. If you have anymore questions...Just let me or other forum members know.

 

[Hope07]

Dear KuteNurse

Thanks for the video and the advice on the outfit. I have to admit you are all going to laugh. I'm a skirt person I love skits I love everything about them. How they make me feel feminine. What type of skirt is best used during this. What one allows you to move the best? I have a gypsy shirt that I saw and I love (maybe when our taxes come in) My husband is loving this idea because he says I light up when I talk about it lol and I'm looking at "unitard then purchasing a hip scarf with beautiful coins or beads to cover yourself around the hips" they have some beautiful ones at Blossom has any-one bought anything from them? May I ask how many different forms of belly dancing are there? What should a beginner like me start off with so I don't get over whelmed I was thinking about Cabaret can any-one tell me about it? Man I feel like such a geek but the Internet is such a vast information that sometimes finding what your really want and pin pointing it is very hard. Oh and she is a little girl and her name is Autumn Marie she is 5 months and I still look 5 months pregnant lol sigh