Oh dear heavens.
You know, I came to this forum with one question in mind and I've seen quite a bit of posts about this one instructor with the dreaded "requirements" for her students and I think my question has been answered.
This woman you speak of who doesn't allow overweight students sounds like a nightmare to me as a woman, to me as a bellydancer, to all womankind, and to the art of bellydance itself.
I've been dancing everyday for the past 5 years and have become what I consider an "advanced" bellydancer. The reason I was able to stick with it is because I love it so much, it's become an addiction.
It also helped in knowing that although I was/am overweight, it didn't matter. Of course, dancing for 5 years has helped me tremendously with my self-image and has facilitated in my losing about 50 pounds.
I'm still chubby, which brings me to my question. I want to start instructing bellydance in my city. I wanted your opinions on how I should go about this.
I feel intuitively that this is the "next step" for me. The "problem" is that I have never performed, and I doubt I will ever be interested in performing. I think bellydance is a great way for people to get in touch with and be able to listen to their bodies and it's a great form of self-love.
I want to express to prospective students that because of my years of training and taking many classes with different instructors, and my background in massage therapy (which means lots of extensive anatomy and physiology studies) I have the means to show people how to use their bodies to express themselves and become healthy and whole in mind and body.
What do you all think? I would GREATLY appreciate your opinions. Would it put you off if you saw an ad for a bellydance instructor and later found out she's never performed? Oh and also, the reason I want to instruct is because in the many classes I took it was very easy for me to help the other students grasp the movement the instructor was trying to teach...basically, it's easy for me to articulate what needs to physically be done. That's probably also because I grew up with bellydance.
And in more response to that instructor you all are talking about..I was nervous about being overweight and wanting to instruct bellydance, but after reading these posts about her I wanna do it even more, just to spite her
And Amber, you are a goddess. Please don't ever forget that. Godesses have lots of learning to do too, you knowYou WILL be able to do that some day. And don't EVER EVER EVER feel "fat and slow". That's not the real you talking, it's the false messages people like this instructor is trying to convince you of.
I hate nothing more than when other WOMEN are discouraging and judgemental of the different shapes and sizes of women.
Good luck to you, I know you will succeed!
Rita
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