Upgrade Your Social Life: So You Think You Can Dance?! pt 1

belly dancing is not a game, this morning my abs, quads, and lower back can attest to it. yesterday, I visited the nazeem allayl belly dancing studio in perimeter. I was feeling a little shy and unsure of what to expect, but leena (instructor) and aseelah (member of the nazeem almassah dance troupe), made a sista feel right at home.

the studio is wall to wall deep orange with the requisite mirror and small stage for the instructor. I took a belly dancing fitness class, a good instructional for beginners or for those who want to work on their moves as they attend another nazeem class. belly dancing can't be learned in one session, but leena's class showed me the benefits of the art.

1. sorry fellas, but this class is just for ladies. belly dancing is all about hips and curves and celebrates a regular woman's body. it's hard to find anything that celebrates that these days. so ladies, no worries about sucking your stomach in for once.

2. belly dancing works your core. it's a beautiful, but isn't just about looking pretty. the isolated movements required, tighten your stomach, abs, and gluts.

3. the fitness class is actually fun. the instructor teaches you various belly dancing moves to latin, middle eastern, African, and r&b music. we even danced to mary j. blige's "just fine," which was so apropos because a big portion of belly dancing is about your own body confidence. if you're low on that, I think belly dancing on a consistent basis can help you out.

4. nazeem allayl studios have a perimeter and little five points location, plus a very thorough website explaining everything from belly dancing's origin to what to wear to your first class.

5. I thought I knew how to dance, but my body had to learn how to move in a different way to get those belly dance steps right. thankfully, leena and aseelah helped those of us who were belly or hips challenged. after an hour of class my belly could make it dancing through at least one song and what more can you ask for? lol

6. the nazeem allayl studio has six-session belly dancing from beginner to advanced, along with a performance troop. i recommend the six week class if you are serious about teaching your belly to dance..

next up for my social life upgrade: Chicago steppin' and salsa…in the meantime I gotta give these abs a rest. J