Anyone with experience in Belly Dance Fitness?

[Tina Rules]

Hi all,

I have been asked to do belly dance fitness classes by a fitness center.

Anyone here have experience in that area? Either as participant or teacher. I guess the center is interested in a sort of high pulse cardio class

Tina

 

[zahra]

Hi Tina,

In canada the Bellyfit classes are offered.
Bellyfit® Strong Women Strong World :: Home

I believe they are soon coming out with a dvd.

I hope someone on the forum has experience in Belly Dance fitness,
sounds like fun!

Best wishes!

 

[Shanazel]

Thirty years ago I taught dance exercise classes that incorporated elements from both ballet and belly dance. It was a lot of fun and very popular for the eighteen months or so that I taught it.

 

[jenc]

there are zillions of dvds on this out there

 

[Jane]

I teach a couple of BD classes at a gym. Feel free to PM me.

 

[shiradotnet]

Hi all,

I have been asked to do belly dance fitness classes by a fitness center.

Anyone here have experience in that area? Either as participant or teacher. I guess the center is interested in a sort of high pulse cardio class

I'm currently offering a class like that. My format is warmup, use slow and medium-speed music to teach the combinations, then more upbeat music to drill those combinations, then cardio section based on Saidi steps, then cardio section based on shimmy drills, then medium-speed music to bring the intensity down a step, then slower music for cooldown.

I keep the combinations simple and re-use them several times during the hour. For example, I'll teach 2-3 combos during the medium-speed segment early in the class and drill them. Then I move on to something else, such as veil work for upper body toning. Then when my masmoudi saghir music comes on, I drill the same combos I taught earlier. Then when the Saidi music comes on I teach some more new combos and use those for the Saidi section. Later, as the music moves on to something else, I again go back to the combos taught earlier. And so on.

 

[Tikvah]

I've been a participant in bellydance cardio classes. It was mostly drilling. The teacher would do a warmup and stretch that introduced the exerciser to bd posture and moving body parts individually. She would then teach snake arms to get the arms warmed up and to give the shoulders a workout.

After that, she would use a song for hip drops and variants (one song per side of the body). Then another song on the balls of the feet doing alternating hip hits with level changes. Another song or two with shimmies and choo-choos. Then cooldown.

I might be missing something in here, but that was basically a cardio bd class

 

[Tina Rules]

I really appreciate all your answers, thanks. I now have an understanding of how to do it. I might come back for further info...

 

[AngelaJP]

Jillina's Shape Up N Hip Out DVD - I have read excellent reviews about this belly dance workout dvd by belly dance superstar, Jillina. Aside from a great tribal/sensual movements dvd, this is another video I want to have soon.