I finally made it! My dream dance shop - SolenneDance.com - up and running. You can visit, watch, comment, and most of all, you can order :)
And belly dancing... I like belly dancing, the mystery in each song, translating movements with the body, loose hips, delicate arms, undulations... The body looks like it was made for belly dancing. I am lucky because I have the opportunity to learn and improve this dance style. You do not need to be tall or thin to look great as a belly dancer, you just need to add charm to your dance.
But belly dance is also an opportunity to establish my beloved pieces of clothing - the costume. Costumes and jewellery are my love, I can never have too many of them, and this is an essential part of a belly dance lover. Remember - wear something that will not fall into pieces! Belly dance is perfect for classic, elegant designs, in which you may look like you are from a story or tale. From light and delicate colours to bright and vivid ones, depending on your personal style. But you do not need to perform to look great. You can wear beautiful pieces for rehearsing and practising too. Hand-made dance tops and vests and a pretty hip scarf will make you look chic and elegant. A shiny bracelet and a delicate hip scarf will be a sensational, contrasting element. So now you grab your pretty clothes and get ready for some dancing!
Coloured dance clothes and accessories, because only black is boring
As a dancer I have no doubts, I love new dance gifts. This year, I must admit to you, I am quietly counting on new pointe shoes (my very first ones). But enough about me. If you like red, blue, pink or any other colour, we have gift ideas for you. Find it below from SolenneDance.com Make your dance look more... Red! Best colour if you want to stand out, but also especially good for matching with white and black clothes or other contrasting colours.
As I mentioned, red is great for impacting. For example, the great Alina Cojocaru wearing red in contrast to the black background. Check it out:
Make your dance look more... Blue!
Looking for a blue gift for a dancer? Here it is - set of blue dance clothes and accessories, also available individually.Blue knitted leg warmers will help dancers stay warm, cosy, and stylish. Other blue pieces will add an extra touch. Of course!
If you follow the famous dance slogan "all the world's is a stage" you will find you can dance everywhere, but to become a good dancer you've got to attend dance classes. So, today's subject is: how to get the most out of a dance class. And we must remember, good dance classes are not cheap. In every class you have the opportunity to become better, improve your skills, musicality and technique. And here - a surprise. We have listed all the things you can do to enjoy your classes and get the best from them and hope it also inspire those who are stiff and unaware of the magic side of dancing.
- Be punctual
Surely you can get to your class on time and start dancing straight away, but it would be much better if you could manage to arrive 10 - 15 minutes earlier, get yourself dressed, start stretching and warming up (if you plan to arrive on the dot, make sure you come wearing your dance clothes). Most teachers like the students who arrive early and are ready to work on time. Dear dancers! Avoid arriving late! But in case you do, make sure you enter quietly, discreetly, and do not disrupt the ongoing class.
- Hair Tidy
As the author wrote on the blog surlepointeballet:
Ballet is a beautiful art form that involves graceful and powerful movements. But in order to fully appreciate a dancer, you have to see their face and neck, not to mention their arms. With long, loose hair, this is very difficult, which is why I insist on hair buns for all students. A hair bun will remove the hassle of loose hairs and will help concentrate on what really matters--the dancing.
So how do you do your hair? First of all, we take care that it is securely in a strong bun, up, and with no hair falling on your face or neck. We do not want our hair to go loose while jumping or spinning. But do not worry so much about what to do with your hair, a tight bun should be enough.
Hair clips can be useful too
What's next?
- Know what to wear
Ask your teacher about what you should be wearing for the classes. But comfortable clothes. But it is worth asking, there are some strict dance dress codes. Or you can also have a look around and check what everybody else is wearing. Do you need more examples?
What I find very comfortable to wear is dance trousers. I like my legs feeling protected. And preferably something that will make me look thinner and flexible if that is possible.
Make sure the clothes fit your body properly. In any case you can always wear black to look slimmer if you are worried about that. But truly, accepting your body is also important to enjoy dancing. But I am sure all ballet dancers have witnessed the girl wearing a leotard that is far too tight and looks very funny.
But the one piece that everybody should wear, especially ballet dancers is the pair of ballet shoes, the brilliant invention that protects your feet from anything nasty on the floor and help with your movements.Again, make sure you have the correct size for you. The entire collection available in SD you can see here.
I hope I persuaded you to enjoy your classes and get the best of it. We should use every opportunity to improve ourselves! And do not forget dance is also meant to be pleasant and fun. That's why I want to share this video, that is to me the perfect example of dance as a form of enjoyment and not an endless challenge.
When I first heard this question there was only one thing that came straight to my mind: YES! Especially if you are going to do some undulations, which make your belly look fantastic. If you think about it, all movements involve a lot of belly motions and there is no better way to show them than by leaving your belly exposed, right? Wrong!
Belly Dancers! It is perfectly fine to cover your belly if you are shy or have any other reasons! Actually, there are many belly dancers who chose to cover their bellies in their costumes or when practising. If you do not feel comfortable exposing your body, go ahead! Hide it then. But that does not necessarily mean you cannot find an alternative way to look charming and beautiful.
My advice is to wear belly covers with your costume or a belly dance t-shirt if you are practising. Often I see a lot of girls hiding inside their clothes while they should be enjoying their dance. I always wear tops (I like to show my belly), but since I started wearing dance t-shirts I felt I was more focused on the music rather than my body and how it looks like on the mirror. I felt great. Not because I was covering my belly, but because I was paying attention to other things. When I realised that, I stopped worrying about how good or not my movements were and started to feel the music. For this reason, my tip is: try it!
Sometimes I like to think of belly dance classes as a form of exercise where I should wear comfortable clothes that allow me to move freely. On the other hand, I also believe I should be able to see my movements clearly and easily. ( Keep in mind that we do not wear belly dance costumes to practise). So I think it is such a personal choice that I can't even decide what to wear for myself. It changes with my mood. Why get stuck with only one way of doing things?
Of course, the most important thing is to enjoy belly dancing and feel fulfilled by dancing. Therefore, we should not really worry too much about our bellies. Take a moment and reflect - belly dance is meant to be an enjoyment, so let's get the best of it.
I know a lot of people who are enchanted by the graceful and different moves in Belly Dance. It has a lot of health benefits as coordination, tonification of the body, a way to burn many calories, etc. It also helps to bring self-confidence, body awareness and a sense of femininity. This post is about those people who want to start it but don't feel comfortable about what to wear for a class.
The most important accessory: the hip scarf.
The hip scarf is an enhancer. It will bring all your movements to life by making the hips stand out. Be careful with coin belts (not all teachers are keen on them) because of the noise they make you can't really hear the music properly. And not everybody enjoys the "ding ding". I know they are cute, but they can also leave traces, little coins or beads, on the floor.
What else to wear? Should I show my belly? Simple. Wear what you feel comfortable in. Tops will make your dance become real, as you need your belly exposed to make Belly Dance happen. But if you are not confident with it, just wear a t-shirt and you should be fine. I prefer black leggings, so I can contrast them with a coloured hip scarf to show my hip movements and flats, like the picture below.
Should Bellydancers be barefoot? Not necessarily. Think of it. I just mentioned about beads and coins falling off from your pretty class clothes. It can be very unpleasant to step on something unexpected on the floor, as well as dangerous. So if you are barefoot, make sure you know the floor you are dancing on and feel confident about it. Some bellydancers also wear heels when performing, which can be very elegant depending on the occasion.
Some little tips: - I don't recommend wearing short skirts to practise. The whole point is to focus on hips and belly, not the legs.
- Wearing nice clothes and accessories for the class, I mean the more you invest in yourself, will raise your confidence in the class. Feel good.
- The proper Belly Dance costume is meant just for performances. They are too much for a class. You need to feel as much comfortable as possible.
Is there anything you would like to know about dancing? Any doubts? Please leave a comment. I will be very happy to answer, or maybe create a post just about it. So let's put hip scarves on and happy shimmies everyone!
