Yay, second, 'first' class last night

[khanjar]

I have just got to say what a wonderful time I had last night under the tutorship of Yasmin of Belly Dance Sisters, a wonderful, talented and patient teacher, I feel the long wait and perhaps fight has been worth it.

Hip locks on the up, and hip locks on the down, seperately, I can get the gist, but together and to music, is a sea of confusion, but time will tell.

My thanks to Miss Cara Bamford for advising me of this class.

 

[gisela]

Hooray! I'm so happy you found a good class and that you are enjoying it. Good on you for being so persistent in finding a teacher! :clap:
gisela

 

[Mosaic]

Fantastic, so glad you found a class and you sound really bouyant and happy:dance::dance:

Everything seems to be a sea of confusion at first, but it does get easier and your body will learn to respond more quickly as you move through the weeks.
~Mosaic

 

[Aniseteph]

Excellent Khanjar - nice to know you've found somewhere after all this time.

 

[khanjar]

I went in to this class, with the thought I am the entertainment, anyone who wants to laugh can laugh, the more the merrier, after all a belly dancer is an entertainer in whatever performance they do.

But ;

Thank you all, and thank you to Salome for this forum, it has been instrumental in keeping my interest alive and taught me a good many things, my tutor was impressed with my depth of knowledge on the culture of ME dance and culture surrounding, that has all come from here and you lot.

 

[Zorba]

At LAST! I'm so glad for you!

Please keep us up to date with your journey!

How did your new dance sisters react?

 

[da Sage]

I have just got to say what a wonderful time I had last night under the tutorship of Yasmin of Belly Dance Sisters, a wonderful, talented and patient teacher, I feel the long wait and perhaps fight has been worth it.

Hip locks on the up, and hip locks on the down, seperately, I can get the gist, but together and to music, is a sea of confusion, but time will tell.

My thanks to Miss Cara Bamford for advising me of this class.

Hi, congrats, it's always more fun to dance with others.

 

[Kharmine]

Good on you! Hope it continues to be everything you could hope for, or mostly!

 

[khanjar]

At LAST! I'm so glad for you!

Please keep us up to date with your journey!

How did your new dance sisters react?

Well Zorba, the class was a private class, the tutors way I expect to discern if the interested male is there for the right reasons, four weeks of private lessons before the suggestion of joining the rest, the women's beginners group. If this is the motive, then I am fine with that.

There were a couple of other dancers there, they of the intermediate class, there to get some tuition on costume making and later to practice wings of isis for an upcoming show, (which was fab by the way, I later watched half of it). There was supposed to be another male joining me for the class, but he did not show up, I perhaps understand what is going on there,( my last class, it took me ages to pluck up the courage to go).

But throughout the lesson, I have no idea if I had an audience, I had my back to them, but at the end, they rushed forward to meet me with comments that I was doing well for a beginner and most of all, welcome.

I do know that the dance teacher has told the two other classes that a male might be joining the classes, the response I was told was ok, interested, and looking forward to it, as they can see no reason why not, as dancers they know males dance.

So my thoughts, perhaps all this anti male thing is more about people reading of horror stories and the supposition the common male of the past is a lecherous leer out for one thing only and if he is not, then he is gay. Why is it a persons sexuality, always seems to be the deciding factor, as if it is anyone elses business, it would interest me to find out the origin of this idea, who was it at first who thought or experienced this. It could even be a myth wheeled out for just such an occaision ?

Yes, but the finding of classes has been difficult, but it was here, this website where I managed to connect with a tutor, who trained the tutor I now have.

 

[Zorba]

You're not the first male dancer to be vetted by way of privates at the first. Its unfortunate, but I'm the very first to caution teachers to be careful with unknown males - I have a somewhat dim view of much of our gender.

Good on you! I'm VERY glad for you, for sure! :clap::clap:

Yea, I've had lots of "new acquaintance" dance sisters wonder if I was gay - I guess its human nature. I don't really care - it doesn't bother me. *shrug* "Whatever".

 

[khanjar]

Week 2,

Though I had forgotten how to do the hip locks on the down and the combination of down and up, I got back into it very quickly. The trouble is, I learn very slowly and am very self critical, but my teacher is aware of this is patient.

Tonight we did the isolations thing, moving the rib cage up and down, side to side and in a circle, cool I can do that, well, I can clockwise, but anti clockwise hmm that seems alien.

One thing I have found, having a grounding in yoga has really helped with balance and posture, even the isolations are not a problem on their own

Still can't move to music, well, I can and do, but not in time with others.

First Hafla on Saturday, world bellydance day too.

 

[Aniseteph]

Slow is good; better to be slow and concerned about doing it properly than be slapdash and think "OK yeah I can do that" when you haven't got it.

I used to get frustrated at new things that just didn't click in class no matter how many times they were explained. . But now I know this is normal for me - it'll be better next week, and the week after. It's as if it takes a while for the explanation and the feel of it to sink in.

One side being easier than the other is normal

 

[Kharmine]

I agree on yoga being helpful, K. I'm more flexible in some ways than my younger, more willowy fellow students!

But I gotta say -- belly dancing has done things for my spine that yoga barely touches.

 

[khanjar]

First Hafla tonight too.

I have just come back from a wonderful evening, I attended my first hafla and all I have to say, is WOW ! I like this, some magnificent dancing and what a bunch of friendly people I met this evening.

And I met Miss Bamford, the lady who directed me to my first proper classes and may I say, what a superb dancer and all round beautiful person.

So if any of you are looking in here, Thanks.

 

[Zorba]

And so yet another is seduced by the beauty of our dance...

:clap::clap::clap::dance::dance::dance:

 

[LittlePeach]

I'm so glad you enjoyed Yasmin's hafla! I was really looking forward to finally meeting you - but hopefully we'll get to chat more next time!

Thank you for your kind words, that really means a lot to me.

Keep us all posted on how your classes go, I know Yas is really enjoying teaching you.

Love,
Cara xx

and p.s. your boots rock!

 

[khanjar]

No problem Little Peach, credit is always given where it is due and deserved.


Shimmies last night, arrrrgh

I have the general gist, but speed is definately an issue, but that will come with practice and time. A speed is ok, double speed ok, but trebble speed, forget it. I thought a speed such as that is more about rapid muscle spasm than knee and chest movement.

One thing I have noticed though since starting BD lessons, the spine feels fab and my general health has improved. In fact after having done yoga, and tai chi chuan, bellydance, is a very viable health regime.

 

[gisela]

I know, shimmies aaaaarrrgg. After five years, now suddenly I have a problem with shimmies Maybe I've just become more picky. Don't worry about the speed, actually many tend to go too fast and tense up. My teacher is always telling us to slow down and relax.
Focus on getting both legs equally active and strong so the shimmy is even. I'm sure speed will come.

 

[YasminMay]

Hi! You tempted me in to joining the forum, Kanjar

I want to say thank you first, you comments on here are so lovely, I'm glad you're enjoying classes. It's so wonderful to finally have a gentleman interested in belly dance, I look forward to the next few weeks when hopefully you'll feel confident enough to join the Beginners class- I will mention when I think you've 'caught up' with them, but it's really up to you as to when you join. These class are just to get you 'up-to-date' with what the beginners have learnt so far, to take one less worry off your mind when you're thrown in to a mob of belly dancers!!

Sorry about the shimmies last lesson!!! They're a pain, I know, but like gisela said above, just stay slow and steady with the occasional push to faster tempos and you'll get there

I hope all's well with you! Looking forward to next lesson

 

[khanjar]

Ah Welcome YasminMay, good to see you here along with Little Peach.

No worries really with the shimmies, they are getting better, like today to the music of Transglobal Underground, even got a bit of speed up, before I realised, ' Hey fab, three times speed ' and then thinking about it, I lost it again.

I said I learn slowly, so I will take each lesson as it comes as I would much prefer slow and sure as opposed to fast and questionable.

And, you are a wonderful teacher !!!