Common Questions and Curiosities
Here are a few answers to some common questions that new students may have and a few need-to-know facts about my classes.
What is my first day of class going to be like?
Show up 15 minutes early, come in with a Big smile, and leave your worries outside the door. I will greet you with a Big smile and tell you how glad I am to have you come join in and dance with us. You do not need any kind of previous dance experience at all! We will all take a minute to get to know each other. I feel this is important, as dancing together can create a great bond and a sense of belonging.
We will start the class with some gentle stretching. Then, we start learning from the ground up; explaining Belly Dance terminology and breaking down the movements. This will help you to understand the nature of the Dance. By the end of class, we are dancing together. Before I let you go, we will cool down with some more lovely stretches.
Patience is not sitting and waiting, it is foreseeing. It is looking at the thorn and seeing the rose, looking at the night and seeing the day. Lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full.
~ Shams Tabrizi
Is Belly Dance hard to learn?
You will learn and understand how to apply the movements to your own body and then glue them all together. As you practice Belly Dance, you will start seeing improvements. Your body will start to open up and relax. As you go through the Beginner and Beyond Beginner classes, your body will become stronger and your mind more knowledgeable so you can advance to more classes. Give yourself time and be patient, your mind and body are learning something new.
What is the Difference between the "Belly Dance Workout" classes and the Belly Dance classes?
The Workout classes are designed for more of a fast pace, cardio, blood pumping workout. This workout is comparable to a zumba workout. I will instruct you on how to do the movements before we begin. I do not go into a lot of detail about the art of Belly Dance in the class.
What is the "Controlled Movement" class?
This class is also a workout class. I will be instructing the art of Belly Dance in these classes....
In "Controlled Movements", we slow down the pace and focus on the body's slower movements, we can breakdown the movements from it's beginning to gain better muscle control, balance and understanding.
What to Wear or Bring?
You will want to wear clothing that allows all your body to move and stretch: tank tops, sports bra, t-shirt, yoga pants, etc...
Tie your hair back if you like. This allows you to see the movements on your neck and shoulders. Hip scarves help you to see the movements around the hip and waist. Bare feet, ballet slippers, socks... Please no street shoes.
Bring a water and a notebook and pen if you would like to jot down any notes as you learn. You do not have to show your belly. If and when you are ready.... Go For It!
I Never thought I could do something like this!
Belly Dance is for all women... all over the world there is a beautiful rainbow of different women, be they different in size, shape, color or religion. Belly Dance can be learned by anyone. Don't let anything hold you back from bettering yourself in any fashion that is right for you!!!
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Am I too old to dance?..... What about my daughter, is she too young to dance?
You can dance at any age. Some women are still dancing on up into the latter years of their life. Young girls, as young as 3, can come and take Children's Classes. Currently there is no child care available.
Will I be performing to the public?
You never "have to" perform. There are opportunities that students can participate in after they have completed the Beginner and Beyond Beginner Classes. I want you to be confident in what you have learned. We will have Haflas (parties) at our studio and any student can dance and just have a good time!
What if I miss a class?
If you miss a day of class, you can drop into another class within the same session to make-up the day you missed.
Except for Private lessons:
If you miss your scheduled private lesson you still have to pay for that lesson because time was scheduled and set aside for only you!
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When can I start taking Choreography Classes?
It is best that you take the Beginner and Beyond Beginner Classes first before you jump into the choreography classes. Or if you have had previous Belly Dance experience, talk with me and we will get you started dancing! Some beginners find learning choreography fun and easy others not so much so taking a few beginner classes may be the best place for you to start. Again just speak with me befor begining your first chroeography.
I will instruct on etiquette, the nature, origin, multicultural beliefs, and stereotypes that people have of the dance, costuming, improvisation, and a ton of other things that help define Belly Dance to the dancer. You will not get the performers training in the fitness classes.
What about Refunds?
Sorry there will be no refunds for classes.. Please try to make it to all of your classes so you can receive the benefits that Belly Dance has for you.
Workshops/Special Events?
Only if Blue Sun Fusion Belly Dance cancels the event will there be a refund. You are welcome to transfer your ticket or spot to another dancer!
The inspiration you seek is already within you.
Be silent and listen.
~ Rumi
" We could say that meditation doesn't have a reason or doesn't have a purpose. In this respect it's unlike almost all other things we do except perhaps making music and dancing. When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment."
Meditation Quotes, by Alan Watts
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