When did you take your first bellydance class?

And did you like it??

 I will be honest - I did NOT!

 My first belly dance class was in 2002, after I graduated college. In fact, my 10 year belly-versary is coming up in November! It was a beginner class at a very famous studio in Manhattan. But the class was working on a not-so-beginner veil choreography, and it was very hard to follow. Add that to my background in Western dance including ballet and hip hop, and I found myself rigidly spazzing my way through the class, a stark contrast to the grace and fluidity of the teachers and the "regular" students.

 I didn't go back for months! In fact, I only reluctantly went back to accompany the friend of a friend who was interested in trying a bellydance class. When I did go back, the class was - thankfully! - working on a much more basic routine which I was able to follow. And they were preparing for a student show! Having been performing on stage since the ripe old age of 2, I jumped on the chance to add "bellydance performance" to list of accomplishments in dance.

I got hooked, of course. And the rest is history!

 With a new season of dance classes about to begin, I am curious to hear of your experiences - how did YOU get your start in belly dance?

The best students make the best teachers

After another fabulous weekend of workshops with Aradia of Las Vegas, I've been thinking about what it is exactly that makes her workshops so fabulous.  Comparing them to other dancers I've had the opportunity to learn from, I think it comes down to one major thing - where most dancers present "dance moves" to you, Aradia presents the dance, along with its context. 

Let me give an example of what I mean - Dancer X may explain a move like so: "This is a hip circle, but it only goes to the front, so push to the front and then contract back in before you start to circle back."  Aradia, however, will say "This is a hip circle that only goes to the front.  We do it this way when we are dancing in the style of the Golden Era, because the dancers back in those days considered pushing their butts to the back to be vulgar. So, before you start to circle around to the back, contract back in to center."

Or, Dancer X might say "now we are going to do tush pushes to the left."  Aradia would say "Now we will do Mona's gooey tush pushes to the left.  Mona El Said does these while looking over her shoulder at her hip; she's very flirtatious with this step so that is how we will do it." 

Just looking at the notes Aradia hands out after every class, you can see they contain not just the descriptions of dance moves, but the names of the dancers to whom the signature move belonged.  Learning a choreography from Aradia means you are also learning the history, culture, and context of the dance. 

Aradia is the ultimate student. She absorbs information from dancers all over the globe, and spanning across generations, and is able to pass that information on to her own students.  It makes for a so much more of a rich class, when you can learn more than just a dance move, but the who, what, how and why of that move as well.

Back to (Dance) School!

I don't know about you all, but I am itching to get back to dance class!  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a little time off; it's nice to have all of my evenings free to hang out with my daughter and my husband.  But by the beginning of September, I'm ready to DANCE again!

Please join me for a new season at one of my classes (listed below).  There will be all new choreographies, new music, and new and improved warm-ups!  So, don't miss out!

All classes resume next week (9/12).


Mondays, 7:30 - American Dance and Drama Studio (188-22 Union Tpk, Fresh Meadows)
*Open level class (please note there is no seperate intermediate class at this time. HOWEVER, if there is a demand for it, it will be reinstated. So, if you would like the intermediate class to resume, you MUST come to this open level class or else they will never know that there are serious students interested in the intermediate level. Intermediate level will resume as soon as there is demand demonstrated, so come to class as soon as possible so that we can have the intermediate class back quickly!!)


Wednesdays, 7:00 - Queens Dance Project (NEW location - 214-26 41st Ave, Bayside)
*Open level class (stay for Zumba after and get a discount!)


Sundays, 10:00am - Ultimate Fitness (26-50 Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Woodside) (formerly BQE Gym)
*Cardio belly/Open level

I'm also teaching yoga at 7:30 on Monday mornings at Queens Dance Project (address above).  This is a mixed-levels vinyasa style class; no experience necessary and all are welcome! 

I hope to see you in class soon!

The information on my website is currently slightly out-of-date (stay tuned for a BRAND NEW website coming soon!), so email me with any questions!

Zumba class killed the bellydance star....

Well, not the bellydance star, but possibly the bellydance class....

As a bellydance instructor, I have felt the effects of this extremely popular exercise "fad," and I don't mean on my waistline. I mean in my classes. Ever since Zumba has become "the" thing to do, I've noticed that less and less students are showing an interest in, and signing up for, bellydance classes.

Here's are my thoughts on why this is happening.....

Lots of women come to bellydance with the goal of doing something fun while getting in some exercise as well. Most students do not start a bellydance class with the hopes of one day "going pro." They like the dance, it's fun, and it can help get them in shape. Additionally, most people these days are feeling a pinch in their wallets, and probably don't have the money to sign up for multiple recreational classes a week. As great as a bellydance class is, it is still a DANCE class. And if your goal is to get fit, a bellydance class alone is not going to help you. You need to take an EXERCISE class.

That's when Zumba might seem like the perfect answer - it's a great workout, but you also get to "dance," which appears to be the perfect compromise to the student who wants to take a dance class for fun, but also wants to get in shape.

I'll admit it, I like Zumba. I take Zumba classes frequently. But let's be clear about one thing - Zumba is not dance. More and more often, I have people who tell me they know how to "bellydance" and then when I ask who they take classes with, they tell me they do "bellydance" in their Zumba class. ::smacks forehead::

Zumba is a follow-the-bouncing-butt type of exercise class. It's not dance. It's fun for what it is, but please don't confuse it with learning any form of dance - be it Latin, belly, hip hop (and speaking of hip hop, according to a hip hop instructor I know, those classes are also being negatively affected by the Zumba craze as well). Take it for exercise, but if you want to actually LEARN to dance, take a dance class.

With the Zumba craze being as large as it is right now, it's hard to picture it ever waning. Will it eventually go the way of Jazzercise in the 80's, and Tae Bo in the 90's, and loose it's popularity? Maybe. If history is to tell us anything, then probably.  But one thing's for certain - bellydance is an art form that has been around longer than any exercise fad, and it isn't going anywhere.