MAY 2019
might be able to do, more prepared to roll
my belly and whirl around the room.
Yet we had to work our way up to that
point. Belly dancing is more difficult than
the pros make it look, and it takes technique.
After warming up, I was surprised
when we sat cross-legged, practicing
moving one glute at a time, which is used
in dance sequences.
Belly dancing involves “the isolation of
all kinds of situations happening at the
same time,” Choka explained.
In belly dancing, every movement, be it a
small flick of the wrist or turn of one side of
the hip, makes an impact; costumes and accessories
emphasize the body’s moves and
add an element of surprise and allure. The
subtleness of the dance allows room for
creativity and personal expression within
the core movements. While I often go to exercise
classes that encourage everything to
be tight and exact, it was refreshing when
Cartsos encouraged us to be “ooey gooey”
with our belly movements.
Photo by Matthew Ciscart Photos
MIND + BODY
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