beginner belly dancing: hips don't lie.

this is not me.

As part of the Rediscover Your Wonder project I participated in this past fall, I took a private belly dancing lesson with the lovely Joharah of belly up.  I felt like a fish out of water but by the end of the class, Joharah had me doing some solid beginner moves and left me wanting more.  She signed me up for the beginner intensive course, which started last week.  I somehow managed to talk my friend Lolo (not her real name) into coming with me, figuring it's much more fun to make an ass of yourself in good company. 

My goal isn't to look like Joharah (well, maybe one day).  Kidding aside, what I find most challenging about the class is figuring out how to isolate certain muscles to make them do things they have NEVER done before.  And that's not kinky talk (though I did laugh when Joharah referred to the space between her ribs and her hips as a "woman's toolbox").  Having never taken dance I just haven't been required to connect that way with my body.  She says left, my body goes right, she says down, I go up.  I try to stay off to the side so I don't throw everyone off with my lack of coordination but Johorah somehow manages to catch every shimmy and drop I do.  Thank goodness the room is full of true beginners so I'm not the only one who is having a tough time keeping my feet flat on the floor while I do hip thrusts from side to side (you try it - it ain't easy!). 

I love how earthy the movement is - it makes me feel very grounded.  The idea of being able to truly connect with my body is fascinating (and here I thought walking while chewing gum was fancy).  With four more classes to go, I'll be happy if I get a decent shimmy going and can line up my lefts and rights with everyone by the end of February.  There will definitely be more belly dancing in my future! It's addictive (and a nice break from the intensity of P90X).

women of wonder: my 6th mission - rediscover your balance.

My 6th mission for the rediscover your wonder project was to "rediscover your balance and take a dance class".

I love dance. I love watching dance. I have never, in my life, taken a dance class. The idea scared the you-know-what out of me. While I think as I grow older I am more comfortable in my own skin, I am still very self-conscious of how I appear to others. What if I am terrible? What if I don't pick up how to move? And what if I look ridiculous?

After some thought, I came to the conclusion that the type of dance I was really interested in learning was belly dance. Not because it was something that would teach me how to move provocatively, but because it was something that I felt would help me be more comfortable with my body (curves and all). Lucky for me, there is a world class belly dance studio in the town where I live, and I was able to get a private lesson with the fabulous Joharah, who just got back from teaching for two weeks in Egypt. She was kind enough to shoot some video of me demonstrating what she taught me in our first lesson:


I enjoyed this class so much that Joharah signed me up for her beginner series in the new year. I am still self-conscious (hello floor to ceiling mirrors everywhere you turn), but I think continuing on and learning more will help me feel more empowered about my feminine curves, and certainly more in touch with what my body is capable of. Of all the missions I have accomplished so far - rock climbing, life drawing, writing a children's book, taking a photography class, and going on a quilting trek, this is the one that really connected my mind with my body.  Also - holy hannah! - what a fantastic few months this has been!

Thank you WonderBra for presenting me with this opportunity!  How often do you get the chance or make the time to explore a bunch of things you have always had on your "to do list...one day"?  Any one of these missions would have been terrific.  To have completed so much in only a few months is a gift.  There is only one mission left, and I can honestly say that I am both looking forward to it, and dreading it, because once it is done, this project will be over.  That's not to say I won't keep working on rediscovering myself, but this project has forced me outside my comfort zone in a way that I don't think I would have on my own accord.  I hope it encourages you to go try something you have always wanted to try.  Seriously - take an evening and go learn how to deep dive or blow glass or learn how to throw darts...whatever your "one day" list is - make it happen.

While you're at it - check out WonderBra.ca to see what the other Women of Wonder are up to!