the Price of Belly Dancing Lessons

This was a one hour class teaching basic belly dance moves. The class is geared toward people who have not danced before but is also fun for experienced dancers. This particular three session class was a holiday special. Many teacher charge on a sliding scale, with usual fees being between $7.00 and $10.00 per class. Some classes are planned for a preset number of weeks, others are on a drop-in basis.

Dance basics were well taught, however the teacher used stretching exercises that should be avoided due to the possibility of neck and back injury. People with arthritis should never roll their heads in a complete circle. One stretch she used was a good muscle stretch but the movement closes the sacroiliac joints and should be avoided by anyone with arthritis.

The class was held in a room that was too small for the number of attendees. There were no mirrors and the dance surface was industrial carpet. This teacher has now located a venue for classes where there are mirrored walls and the floor is wood, which will be much easier on everyone's feet!

Check your local Adult Education listings or google belly dance classes for your area. There are also many yahoo groups that are local to different geographical areas. It's great exercise and you will make many new friends. If you do enjoy your first few classes, you can have fun putting a costume together!