Fifty and Fluffy Newbie
imalexgirl
Posts: 49
Hi everyone-I am fifty, fluffy, and just had my first Belly Dance class this week. I loved it! I am losing weight, and trying to tone up, but I am having problems with upper arm flab and midsection muffin top. I welcome new friends and any suggestions you may have...I really want to learn this, and do the best I can with it.
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friend request sent! I will be 55 this month. I definitely have upper arm and muffin top issues but hey, as a belly dancer you're supposed to have a belly, no?0
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Even professional belly dancers have a bit of belly on them
Belly dance will help with the muffin top and the arm issues - you'll ache a little, but it's one of those good aches that says "I've earned this and my word don't I look good now".0 -
Thanks, girls! Tonight is class #2...can't wait!0
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That's wonderful! Belly dance changed my life. Seriously. It will help you lose weight, but of course you still gotta be sure to keep an eye on your diet and get a little extra exercise in there.
Belly dance is great for your body, your confidence, and a general feeling of well-being! So glad you found it! :flowerforyou: 0 -
Imalexgirl -- How did class #2 go? This is such a great art form for women of all shapes & sizes. Be gentle with yourself and don't get thrown by the things you can't do yet.
I'm missing class this weekend -- and also our studio's performance (audience participation encouraged) at our local Neighborhood Day. I wonder if anyone at work will notice if I suddenly break into shimmies?0 -
Thanks for all the good thoughts! I had my second class last night. It started out awesome-I am not having problems learning the moves. But then came stringing moves together...I felt so slow and clumsy! Our class is a blend of beginner and intermediates...I felt like I just couldn't catch on to the routines as fast as I should or as fast as it seemed others were. The instructor didn't say anything to me about it, but I felt awful...like I can't possibly ever be good enough to join my class in the recital in March...maybe I am too old/fat for this?0
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Nononono! Don't give up! Stringing the moves together can be VERY challenging at first!! It gets easier and easier. Once you build the muscle memory, it'll become second nature. Even if you're not ready to perform by March (which, by then, I'm guessing you will be :happy: ), there'll be other performance opportunities!! Just go at your own pace, and as lentigogirl said, be gentle and patient with yourself. It takes a while to train our bodies; if everyone could belly dance overnight, the world would be full of belly dancers!! :flowerforyou:0
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Thanks for all the good thoughts! I had my second class last night. It started out awesome-I am not having problems learning the moves. But then came stringing moves together...I felt so slow and clumsy! Our class is a blend of beginner and intermediates...I felt like I just couldn't catch on to the routines as fast as I should or as fast as it seemed others were. The instructor didn't say anything to me about it, but I felt awful...like I can't possibly ever be good enough to join my class in the recital in March...maybe I am too old/fat for this?
Get a copy of the music and practice a bit at home. Learn it in chunks. The stringing together and transitions are the hardest part. March is a LONG way away -- you'll be ready if you want. And if you learn the routine to the best of your ability and don't perform -- that's still a victory!
Never compare yourself to others! Especially if you're in a mixed-level class. Like you, I dance with women half my age and a fraction of my weight. If I compared myself to them, I'd never make it into the classroom, much less perform. And yet, there I am:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAyqGgwby8w&noredirect=1 0 -
Lentigogirl, that is awesome!! I'd love to be involved in a belly dance flash mob!!!0
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Lentigogirl.... You Rock!!!! Last year someone om MFP told me about the world's largest shimmy mob on May 12th so maybe everyone can join this year. I checked the site and my city is not listed so I will have to see about that :-)
http://shimmymob.com/0 -
Last week I got stuck with my shimmies - I could get the "down" shimmies but could I get "up" shimmies? No chance! :explode:
Everyone struggles with new routines. I've been dancing for four or five years and I never feel fully confident with a class routine until we've performed it for an audience a couple of times. I always feel like an ungraceful hippo next to the my teacher as well. That's just how it goes I think!0 -
Imalex, how did last night's class go?0
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It actually went ok. We are starting to learn choreography for the recital...I will need to practice a lot, but it seems doable, at this point(though I am sure it will get tougher as we go) We got measured for costumes. I can't believe the costumes are cotton...the skirts are 22yds each of a cotton print! Yuk! I was hoping for something with a little shine to it, that I would feel special wearing. But, oh well, I only have to pay for it and wear it for recital LOL Thanks for asking!0
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Cotton skirts are not as glam as some of the super sparkly cabaret costumes, but they do have a lovely swing to them, and really emphasise your hip movements. It's impossible not to feel like a tribal goddess when you've got all that floof and sway going on with every single bounce!0
