Belly Dance Info.com

Wow, since the first post about “Shimmy” which airs on Fit TV was such a hit, I’ve decided to write about it again and will, most likely, write more in the future. I had no idea that so many people were interested in the show!

In my first blog I mentioned that Shimmy does go over a variety of moves, however, it’s difficult for a beginner to really catch on just by watching. I want to go into more detail as to why I believe this is the case. In the beginning the nararrator gives a quick run down of the moves they will be using, and visual examples are given by the belly dancers. This is great if you’ve done the moves before, but if you are completely new and are just learning how to belly dance, it’s highly likely that you will be holding the position incorrectly and could potentially injure yourself.

I certainly don’t mean to scare anyone away from trying, but one of the things you will learn from a live belly dance instructor is exactly how to hold your hips, your pelvis, your abs, etc. so that you are not only getting the best muscle movement possible, but also how to avoid pulling a muscle or putting unnecessary strain on your body. Belly dancing gets you using muscles that you may not even know you have and is an excellent form of exercise, but only if done properly. As with anything, I think it’s important when learning, to learn correctly. I’m not so sure that all of that is conveyed over the boob tube.

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We’re looking for ladies who are passionate about belly dancing and would like to share their experiences at classes, events, performances, etc. One way to get started is to write about an upcoming event: Punk Raqs. The event is being held this weekend (see calendar) and we would like to know about the event turn out.  So if you enjoy sharing your opinion and would like to be a BB on our site, please contact us.

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Thanks to the success of the Shimmy blog posted by Amy a couple weeks ago, we’ve decided to kick of a ‘How to’ belly dancing blog series for those of you want to start belly dancing in the comfort of your home. You don’t have to pay high gas prices to get acquainted with the basic moves.

In my search for Shimmy clips, I came across the following video with the famous belly dance twins, Veena and Neena. I know them best for their performance in Ricky Martin’s video “Livin La Vida Loca”. The following clip focuses on hip twists and hip circles. This is a great basic move to practice over and over. It’s also a great form of exercise for the abs and hips. Veena and Neena teach Bollywood dance styles and that’s evident when they dance. Their choreography tends to be sharper and a better form of cardio than traditional Egyptian belly dancing. I hope you enjoy it!

- Sepi

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Our featured instructor, Lilla Varese, is hosting an event on June 28th at Kean Coffee in Newport. Pen this event into your calendar and show your support for her students. Check our calendar often for upcoming events in the SoCal area.

The event features solo and group perfomances by studets of Level 2 and 3 Belly Dance instructor Lilla Varese. There’s also going to be a list of fabulous Guest Dancers!

The event will be held at:

Kean Coffe,

Suite 100

Newport Beach, CA 92660

(Corner of Westcliff and Irvine Ave., next to Promelia)

For more information call Lilla at (714) 357-9655 or view her website at www.lilladance.com.

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As promised, we’ve added our first Featured Instructor Page to our site! Lilla Varese has kindly agreed to share her passion and background with us. You can learn about Lilla by going to “Find a Class” then selecting the link to her featured profile page, or just click here. Enjoy!! Thank you Lilla!!

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The other day I was browsing through channels and came across a 30 minute belly dance exercise program on Fit TV called “Shimmy”. I was really excited and immediately ran and grabbed my hip scarf to give it a try. For those of you interested in learning how to belly dance but either dont have any instructors in your area or if you just want to try it at home before investing in a class, this is a decent option.

The exercises were pretty similar to what I’ve learned in various classes, however, if I didn’t have the background and already know how to do them correctly, I think it would have been difficult to keep up. The narration does move slowly and they do give you tips in the beginning, but it’s nothing close to what you’d get from a real life instructor.

All in all, I don’t think I would watch “Shimmy” again and I wouldn’t recommend it to beginners. If you have some belly dance knowledge it’s a great way to get some practice in, but I think it’s worth your while to get the basics down with someone who can give you direct feedback.

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According to our analytics, our site has been viewed by belly dancers from over 20 countries. Countries include:

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Thank you so much! Please let us know what part of our site you enjoy and which you believe requires more work. We appreciate your feedback!

Best,

- Amy and Sepi

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Some of our favorite instructors have agreed to have their profile on our site. We’ll soon have some more information about our favorite belly dance instructors in Orange County on our site. Feel free to send us any questions you may have! Check back in soon to see our first profiles!

- Amy and Sepi

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Join our bellydance community on Myspace and Facebook. You can add us to your friend’s list on myspace - www.myspace.com/bellydanceinfo. On facebook, look up our group “Belly Dance Info”.

Amy and Sepi

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