this article appeared in Grove magazine, February 2005
With the country going dance crazy, KaminMohammadi shimmies and stamps her way through a belly dancing class to discover the most sensuous way to keep fit
Without doubt the biggest fitness trend of 2005 is set to be dancing. Programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and the Richard Gere and J.Lo film Shall We Dance have put dancing firmly centre stage, and it is set to become even more popular for its huge health benefits.
Ballroom dancing may have its attractions (all those feathers and spangles), but I have always found it hard to dance with a partner. So I was looking for a belly dancing class, attracted by the sinuous movements of the dance, its ecstatic shimmies and, of course, those shivering coin belts. By chance I heard of a class at Bliss on the Portobello Road, on Sunday mornings. The time, price and location were all right and so, in January of last year, I found myself in the Bliss studio, nervously shuffling my feet. Akaysha, our teacher, led us through a series of gentle warm ups and then increasingly demanding moves. Married with deep abdominal breathing these moves soon got us sweating, and once we started on the stamping shimmies, I was quite breathless, but the brilliant music and Akaysha’s friendly and fun manner kept me going.
Born of Irish-Iraqi parentage, Akaysha’s daintily fluid movements were inspiring. Having been a dancer and teacher now for four years, her natural warmth and enthusiasm for her students’ progress shone out, and I found her sense of fun drew me into the dance, making me shake off my shyness.
That first class left me stunned: I had no idea that belly dancing was so intensely cardiovascular. I had also felt stiff and ungainly but amazingly, not self conscious. Akaysha’s teaching style was thorough and effective, she was able to break down each movement to its simplest form so that even a stiff and uncoordinated body such as mine could grasp it, and she made sure everyone received enough attention. The atmosphere too was friendly, each of the women absorbed in their own dance.
I kept going back. Soon, my body no longer felt stiff, my legs got stronger and my waist started to show a new definition. Most amazingly of all, my body became looser and the movements seemed to inhabit my body as if they had always been there. I found myself lying in bed drawing figure of eights with my hips, practising languorous hand movements on the tube, shimmying in the park. And this new fluidity was most apparent in the classes when the music took over and inspired the dance from deep within. I was given a coin belt by a friend and the shimmies felt better than ever before.
The other women in the class were blossoming too and Akaysha’s encouragement to connect with each other and smile broadly had long ago melted our inhibitions and we would emerge from class laughing, covered in sweat. Akaysha’s approach, which she calls the Healing Art of Belly Dance, concentrates on freeing the body and helping to heal old injuries and release tensions through the movements of the dance. The effects include increased confidence and a burgeoning creativity as the spine is set free. Physically, the attended weight loss and toning of the thighs, buttocks, arms and, of course, belly are added bonuses, but best of all is rediscovered femininity and the joy of the dance.
A year on I cannot measure the fun and benefits of this belly dancing class. I have made good friends and my body is stronger and more toned than ever before, as is my fitness. Akaysha’s classes have also grown in popularity and she now teaches all round town, with several classes in the Notting Hill area taught by other teachers trained by her. Layla, another talented dancer, teaches Akaysha’s method at Bliss every Sunday morning. My advice is to get to a class near you and join the likes of Cate Blanchett and Susan Sarandon in shimmying those hips and setting your spirit free.
To find a Healing Art of Belly Dance class log on to www.youcanbellydance.com. In the area, Layla teaches at Bliss, 333 Portobello
© Kamin Mohammadi 2005