| Belly dancing for joy and health |
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| Written by Liz Virtue -Argonaut | ||||||
| Friday, 27 January 2006 | ||||||
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Women of every shape, age and experience level shook their bodies to the beat of a different drum Tuesday. Some dressed in flowing skirts, others dressed in jeans, but each one shared the same goal — to learn how to belly dance. The belly dancing class, taught by Celadon Wood, a sophomore at the University of Idaho, is from 7:15-8:15 p.m. Tuesdays in the Spectrum II Dance Studio. Wood began the first class by gathering students in a circle on the wood floor of the spacious dance studio, complete with high ceilings and a wall of mirrors. Wood, an expert when it comes to the art of belly dancing, gave a brief history of the style of dance. “Belly dancing is a cultural dance from the Middle East,” Wood said. “It is very sensual and focuses on the art of isolating body parts … and it’s a lot of fun.” Wood has been dancing all her life and is planning to double major in dance and theater at UI. She is familiar with many different styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, modern, African dancing and hula, but said she holds a special place in her heart for belly dancing. She is new when it comes to teaching the dance, but was raised watching and experimenting with belly dancing. “My mom was a belly dancer,” Wood said. “She would perform at the Renaissance Fair and taught classes. I grew up trying to copy all of her movements and trying to do what she did.” As the class progressed, Wood demonstrated a simple belly dance walk, a move that consists of walking in the rhythm: right-left-right, then left-right-left. Students practiced walking around the room, each adding her own flare and movement to the basic steps. “I like the freedom of improvisation that comes with belly dancing,” Wood said. “Everyone finds something that works for them and does things a little bit differently.” Wood continued to show the class basic stretching techniques and hip movements. She was able to explain these movements to the class by creating analogies like “the car door,” which is a movement that consists of a sharp hip thrust to one side as if slamming a car door shut without using hands. A certain amount of attention was spent on each part of the body, working from the head down to the knees. Students practiced neck rolls and shifting their balance from one side to the other. “Belly dancing requires a lot of concentration,” said Simonne Crooks, a senior at Moscow High School. “It takes complete focus on what every part of your body is doing.” Crooks has been belly dancing for two years and said the most important part of it is the isolation of movement between body parts. “This class has taught me more about body awareness,” said Moscow resident Sarah Nass, 27. “There are definite health benefits. It’s hanging out with friends, listening to music and getting a workout.” Nass has only been belly dancing since September, but said she has already seen improvements in her health. “My job is very physical. I work at Safeway and I do a lot of lifting,” Nass said. “Belly dancing helps get the kinks out.” Music is a large part of the dance, and Wood constantly changes the music to find the right song for each exercise she demonstrates. “Belly dancing has both fluid and sharp movements,” Wood said. “But it depends on the music. The slower music is for slower dance like snake arms and more flowing movements. Faster music is for sharp hip and head movements.” Wood relies on a CD player to provide her class with the proper music, but said she would love to find a Middle Eastern drummer to accompany her. “Live drummers are so much fun. There is a lot of communication between them and the dancer,” Wood said. “One time when I was performing, the drummer was off beat and I walked over to him and clapped my hands until he found the beat that I wanted.” Wood has performed in UI’s production “Dancing in One World” for the past two years, and said belly dancing helps keep her in tune with Middle Eastern culture. “There are a lot of issues with the Middle East right now, and a lot of those are negative,” she said. “Belly dancing is one of the many good things that come from the Middle East, and it is important to focus on the good things sometimes instead of always on the bad.” Students completed the lesson with “hip shimmies,” a rapid shaking of the hips that many people associate with belly dancing. Students laughed as they experimented with the move and Wood encouraged them not to get frustrated if they didn’t catch on right away. She went around the room, helping students who were struggling, as more seasoned dancers gave advice to the newcomers. Robin Brady, 18, took the class for the first time because she had seen performances and was inspired to try it. “I love the way it uses every part of the body,” Brady said. “It not only looks amazing, but it feels amazing too.” The class ended and students filed out, many eager for the lesson next Tuesday night. Anyone interested is encouraged to try out, Wood said. “Belly dancing is open to all body types. … To me, a belly dancer is anyone, man or woman, who just enjoys it.”  Add as favorites (96) | Views: 5048
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