Belly dance can be an amazing and transformative experience.  Many people begin their journey in belly dance for exercise or to learn a new dance form, but find much more.  It can bring confidence, self-respect, and empowerment.  However, belly dance is not always easy.  You are in the process of learning to move your body in a completely new way by isolating muscle groups.  This may come naturally or it may be very frustrating and usually you will discover that some moves are easier for you than others.  Give yourself permission to not be perfect right away.  With time and practice EVERYONE can belly dance!  One of the greatest joys this dance form brings is the sense of accomplishment when you finally are capable of performing a move that you had trouble with at the beginning.  So be patient with yourself, your brain, and your body and give them time to process this new form of movement and then prepare to be amazed with what you are able to do!

As you are taking classes:

• There is no need to feel self-conscious in class.  Everyone is too busy looking at themselves and trying to figure out the moves to pay attention to what you are doing and the instructors are only looking at you to be able to provide feedback and prevent injury.

• Don’t compare yourself to others in class – everyone’s body is different.  Everyone can belly dance, but the moves look different on different bodies so your moves should be uniquely yours – don’t worry if they don’t look exactly like anyone else’s!

• Listen to your body – if something hurts or doesn’t feel right – let the instructor know!

• Warm up and cool down sections are designed to prevent injury and soreness – please arrive on time so you can participate in warm-up and stay for the cool down if possible.

• Please do not try to teach others in class or on your own while you are a beginner.  This is distracting to others and may result in injury.  It takes years of training and a strong understanding of technique, as well as human anatomy, to be able to teach belly dance.

• Be patient with yourself – and have fun!