ME - A BELLY DANCER?
[Picture taken from http://www.thebellydancer.net]
I like to dance a lot. Perhaps this is because my mom used to teach training nurses traditional dances when she taught them in Ipoh and I like to come to those sessions and followed her classes. As I grew up, went to college and now, married, I never forget the excitement of dancing. Even as I work in my office right now, I could transform wahtever space left (which is pretty small, actually) into a ballroom where I dance to the tunes I am listening. So, when a friend suggested that I take up belly dancing lesson, I was all smiles and said to myself, "Hey, why not!"
Belly dancing or its politically correct name- Oriental dance is not as easy as we think it is. We look at Beyonce or Shakira and we say "Ala...kacangnyer those moves..." Wait till u try it. My waist and abdomen hurts a lot after my first session that I felt one class is enough. But the next day, I felt better about myself, the hurts vanished and I waited impatiently for the next class.
My instructor, a hot woman in her early fifties, likes to ask us to loosen up, relax and enjoy the rythmic movement oozing from our hips and abdomen. It was kinda liberating seeing a classroom full of woman of all ages and sizes enjoying the fluid movements of belly dancing and at the same time, appreciating every inch of their flesh with smooth confidence and subtle sensuality. Well, until our instructor said, "Gee, do the shimmy again, you`re getting it wrong.."...I was back on the ground, smilling at the idea of me, performing in bras and colorful tassles in front of 1000 of Johny Depps look alikes. Oh Well...
Belly dancing apparently is getting a lot of responses from the main stream. Regarded as a stripping dancing, a form of seduction or more scandalous, a dance performed in harems for Sultans to select his wives, belly dancing is actually none of the above. In the Oriental culture ( we are looking at North Africa and Middle East), belly dancing originated as a means of helping women prepare their abnominal muscles for labor. So, it has a lot to do with birth and new life rather than some cheap porn connotations. Interestingly, mothers will teach their daughters the art of belly dancing and in the Oriental culture, belly dancing is as normal as us wearing our pelikats and kain batiks. Some interesting facts about belly dancing can be found here.
The friend that asked me to join belly dancing lesson asked me one week back about my classes. "How was it?"
"Ooo-kay. Thanks for the suggestion, girl. I really love the classes."
"Have they taught u how to balance a sword on your head?"
"WTF? There`s no such thing!"
"Maybe later, when you get into the advanced classes. What about those funky clothes, so u wear those for your classes?"
"Err...I put on my flowy skirt and my gym tops, no cholis ...dude,"
"Maybe they are trying to tame it...you know this is Malaysia, after all.."
I stood in silence, smilling and too stunned to utter a single word. She walked off, there is confidence in her steps, maybe because she beat me on my facts there and then.
On second thought, maybe I should get her enrol for the belly dancing class. I chuckled devilishly as I concoct an evil plan for her.
I like to dance a lot. Perhaps this is because my mom used to teach training nurses traditional dances when she taught them in Ipoh and I like to come to those sessions and followed her classes. As I grew up, went to college and now, married, I never forget the excitement of dancing. Even as I work in my office right now, I could transform wahtever space left (which is pretty small, actually) into a ballroom where I dance to the tunes I am listening. So, when a friend suggested that I take up belly dancing lesson, I was all smiles and said to myself, "Hey, why not!"
Belly dancing or its politically correct name- Oriental dance is not as easy as we think it is. We look at Beyonce or Shakira and we say "Ala...kacangnyer those moves..." Wait till u try it. My waist and abdomen hurts a lot after my first session that I felt one class is enough. But the next day, I felt better about myself, the hurts vanished and I waited impatiently for the next class.
My instructor, a hot woman in her early fifties, likes to ask us to loosen up, relax and enjoy the rythmic movement oozing from our hips and abdomen. It was kinda liberating seeing a classroom full of woman of all ages and sizes enjoying the fluid movements of belly dancing and at the same time, appreciating every inch of their flesh with smooth confidence and subtle sensuality. Well, until our instructor said, "Gee, do the shimmy again, you`re getting it wrong.."...I was back on the ground, smilling at the idea of me, performing in bras and colorful tassles in front of 1000 of Johny Depps look alikes. Oh Well...
Belly dancing apparently is getting a lot of responses from the main stream. Regarded as a stripping dancing, a form of seduction or more scandalous, a dance performed in harems for Sultans to select his wives, belly dancing is actually none of the above. In the Oriental culture ( we are looking at North Africa and Middle East), belly dancing originated as a means of helping women prepare their abnominal muscles for labor. So, it has a lot to do with birth and new life rather than some cheap porn connotations. Interestingly, mothers will teach their daughters the art of belly dancing and in the Oriental culture, belly dancing is as normal as us wearing our pelikats and kain batiks. Some interesting facts about belly dancing can be found here.
The friend that asked me to join belly dancing lesson asked me one week back about my classes. "How was it?"
"Ooo-kay. Thanks for the suggestion, girl. I really love the classes."
"Have they taught u how to balance a sword on your head?"
"WTF? There`s no such thing!"
"Maybe later, when you get into the advanced classes. What about those funky clothes, so u wear those for your classes?"
"Err...I put on my flowy skirt and my gym tops, no cholis ...dude,"
"Maybe they are trying to tame it...you know this is Malaysia, after all.."
I stood in silence, smilling and too stunned to utter a single word. She walked off, there is confidence in her steps, maybe because she beat me on my facts there and then.
On second thought, maybe I should get her enrol for the belly dancing class. I chuckled devilishly as I concoct an evil plan for her.
posted by GEE at 8:47 AM
6 Comments:
hahaha
i've never seen you strike a pose and do the shimmy. i must watch!
and whats this no choli.
do the bra now that you got the skirt.
hmm..
maybe i should take up a class too.
i'm bored.
hahahaha..
I think you misunderstood "choli" as the normal bras that we wear daily. Its actually the small tight top that Indian women wear beneath their saree. U can see some belly dancers wearing it with all those fancy embroideries and the works.
well, u can learn from me if u want to have a distorted version of Shakira`s moves ;)...
lepas ni bole la bawak union guy pegi hrc ke, planet ke...kasi tunjuk sikit skit ko bole menari ulat...aku pergi class utk, umm, documentation purposes bisa?
switters,
hahahaha....hrc atau planet? aku lalu jer, diorg semua ke tepi bagi laluan cam Nabi Musa menghentak tongkatnya membelah Laut Merah, lagi mau aku menari?
documentation is a good idea but its strictly for women only. maybe better luck next time. ;-)
hahaha
funny nabi musa menghentak tongkat!
gila la gee.
eh choli is also ak what. get em victoria secret/blush thingy lah hehehe.
cheers babe
si mata empat,
that`s the kind of response i get when i went to see the Architecture of Helsinki gig apa. Peeps GIVE WAY to me when i lalu. maybe they think I am some JAIS officers in disguise. Oh well...
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