Moms-to-be give belly dancing a whirl for fitness and fun
By Lori Price of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Sep. 9, 2008
In many ways, the belly-dancing class was exactly what you'd expect.
A professional belly dancer guided nine women in coin-fringed hip scarves through snaky, seductive motions: hip lifts, pelvic circles, a few shimmies.
Then Stefanie Masters, the instructor, made a suggestion that hinted at why this class was so different.
"If anyone is feeling (confident), you can lift your shirt up to see your belly," Masters said.
Silence. Only one woman tucked the hem of her shirt into its neckline to expose her pregnant belly.
The free class, held at Destination Maternity in Brookfield, is part of a national wave of women taking up belly dancing as a fun way to stay fit.
Hip-popping singer Shakira and increased access to world music have helped push belly dancing, which has roots in various ancient cultures, into mainstream circles. The home fitness market includes DVDs on belly dancing for pregnancy, and YouTube.com carries instructional videos on prenatal belly dancing.
Safe exercise
Belly-dance experts at area studios say some pregnant women are joining their non-prenatal classes. And they've noticed that women already in class are continuing after they become pregnant - something that once caused women to take a break from belly dancing.
Anywhere from five to 10 pregnant or postpartum women attend Masters' class each week. As a result, she and several other local teachers offer modified belly dance instruction for pregnant women: letting them dance in a chair, keeping activity at low-impact levels and eliminating spins and whirls.
Crystal Ruffin, an obstetrician / gynecologist with Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, said as long as a woman who is experiencing a normal pregnancy doesn't do any of the jerky movements or sudden motions in belly dance, it's a safe option.
Fitness in general is important for pregnant women, several doctors said.
"Exercise during pregnancy . . . does give a woman a better sense of self and helps them not gain so much weight or body fat," said Michelle Douglas, a doctor of osteopathic medicine with Wheaton Franciscan Medical Group.
"(It) can help with a lot of musculoskeletal pains women experience when they're pregnant, such as low back pain. And it can possibly give you an easier, shorter labor and less depression.
"If your body is more fit, your body will endure more and be able to bounce back."
Pregnant women who are looking for fun fitness options - as well as ways to make pregnancy, labor, delivery and recovery easier - are finding that belly dancing's sultry tools, well, deliver.
"It just sounded like an interesting way to exercise and move your body," said Marie Ponder, who's a little more than seven months pregnant with her first child. She attended Masters' class for the first time last week.
"There is walking and going to the gym and doing elliptical work, but that doesn't sound appealing at all when you're pregnant," said Ponder, 26. "I was curious to know what this would be like."
So, how was it?
"I loved it," she said. "It's funny, because you think of being pregnant as being swollen and big and you gain weight. But it actually makes you feel in touch with your body and makes you feel sexy."
Certainly, belly dancing's sensuous side can improve the moods of pregnant women, who often feel awkward in their growing, changing bodies. But it's the dance's key components - posture, breathing and focus - that make it a natural fit for pregnancy.
Traditional moves such as pelvic circles and figure eights strengthen abdominal muscles that are used in labor and delivery. Shimmies, another well-recognized move, have even been said to induce labor, Masters said.
"It tones all of your core muscles, and you actually use a lot of those muscles and the undulations we do in belly dance during labor and delivery," said Shaia Fahrid of Shaia Fahrid Egyptian Dance Studio and Productions.
Lidia Brown, 36, who attends Masters' class and gave birth to a daughter two months ago, said belly dancing made a difference in her nine-month term, labor and delivery.
Brown, who also has a son, said she experienced extreme back pain during both pregnancies. But after she started belly dancing in the seventh month of her last pregnancy, she noticed that the stretching and posture alignment tips she picked up in the classes helped to relieve the pain.
"My back would still hurt, but when I went to class, I wouldn't have the pain anymore, even if it was just for a couple of days after the class," she said.
And all she thought about during the birth of her daughter was breathing.
"Even the nurses were saying, 'Wow, you're breathing really well,' " recalled Brown, who used no pain medication during the birth. She believes all of it - breathing, stronger core muscles, increased energy level - led to a faster delivery. She pushed for 40 minutes to deliver her daughter, she said; it took three hours of pushing to deliver her son two years ago.
A shared experience
But belly dancing classes are not all about the physical, said Masters. The classes also help women connect with their unborn child, establish relationships with each other and reduce the self-conscious feelings some pregnant women say they experience.
"We're giving them a chance to come to the class and build a community," Masters said. "When we build a community, we're allowing them to be connected, and when they feel connected, they don't feel the negativity because they're joined by others who are experiencing what they are going through."
Source: Journal Sentinel Online
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Around the world in 80 sways
Written by: Lina Das
Last updated at 8:00 PM on 27th September 2008
They've performed for crown princes and rock stars in a 'celebration of femininity and sensuality' that attracts dancers from 17 to 70. Meet the Bellydance Superstars who are back to shake up the UK.
A disused missile launch base overlooking Los Angeles is not the first place one would expect to find a troupe of exotically dressed beauties, but the Bellydance Superstars, currently pulling elegant shapes in front of a bemused mix of joggers, dogs and passers-by, have played to stranger audiences than this.
Petite Jamilla, a pretty 25-year-old, has done her time dancing in Turkish restaurants ('at times it was horrible – luckily my parents insisted on chaperoning me to every job'), while Bozenka, the dancer credited with honing the belly-dancing skills of hip-swivelling singer Shakira ('Every girl comes to me saying they want to dance like Shakira!'), performed for Hugh Hefner ('he was surrounded by beautiful women and I felt like I was part of some bizarre scene; I did my half hour and left').
Audiences, like family members, can't often be chosen. But in the case of the Bellydance Superstars, they are certainly expanding. The world's most famous belly-dancing troupe, they have performed to more than a million people since their inception six years ago.
Formed by Miles Copeland (the man who guided Sting's career for a quarter of a century), the group has taken a niche dance form and turned it into a worldwide business.
They have performed for luminaries as diverse as Prince Albert of Monaco and rock star Alice Cooper, and in a move akin to taking ice to the Eskimos, the troupe, consisting almost entirely of Americans, has even performed to rapturous applause in the Middle East.
This October sees them touring Britain – a country proving itself to be a surprising hotbed of belly-dance activity.
Recently, Cambridge graduate Emma Chapman made headlines when she decided to forgo her job as a research scientist to become a full-time belly dancer, and who can forget the look of rapture on Simon Cowell's face when contestant Sophie Mei got to last season's semi-final of Britain's Got Talent with her mesmerising belly-dance routine?
There are now more than 1,000 belly-dance classes dotted around the UK and what was once seen solely as a dance performed by largish ladies in restaurants of dubious repute is now viewed as a legitimate career.
None of this would have been possible without the canny guidance of 64-year-old Copeland, the troupe's manager.
'Initially, I got a lot of flak from the belly-dance community who were worried that it was all going to be about pretty young girls in revealing costumes. The way I see it, it's a celebration of femininity and sensuality; our audiences are roughly 70 per cent women to 30 per cent men.'
The girls themselves are at pains to stress that their performance is sensual rather than sexual.
Yes, the girls are young and pretty; yes, their costumes are cut to emphasise their feminine curves (low-cut bras and waist-revealing, floor-length skirts) and yes, the chaps around us are having trouble pulling themselves together, but it's hard to imagine any of these women allowing anyone to shovel notes into their bra straps (though, apparently, the correct etiquette for showing appreciation of a belly dancer is to sprinkle notes over her head).
The girl power message is one articulated by all of the dancers. Bozenka, a half-Czech, half-Cuban dancer, holds workshops around the world.
'Lots of my students get into belly-dancing as a way of getting back their self-esteem,' she says.
'One had been abused as a young girl. She was painfully shy, and her aunt brought her to my classes to try to bring her out of herself. It took some time, but the process of rehearsing, putting on make-up and feeling comfortable with her body during the classes helped to bring her out of her shell.' Samantha tells a similar story.
'The reason my mum took me to my first belly-dancing class was because I had low self-esteem. I was 16 years old, moody and had no confidence in my looks. Belly-dancing helped change that. I still have moments of self-doubt, but I'm more comfortable with myself and at my happiest when up on stage.'
Another key to belly-dance's appeal is its accessibility. 'I have a 70-year-old grandmother in my class,' says Bozenka.
'She doesn't feel comfortable going to nightclubs any more, but in my class she is welcomed and respected by everybody. That's the great thing about belly-dance – you can be any age or any size. It doesn't matter what you look like.'
Sadly, that has yet to transpire. The troupe members range in age from 21 to 39, but although they are slim, they are far from skinny.
As the girls undulate and ripple to drummer Issam Houshan's hypnotic beats, I glimpse some reassuring folds of belly among the sequins. And therein lies the success not only of the troupe but also of the dance form.
'As a teenager, I needed a dance that appreciated my curves,' says Petite Jamilla. 'With belly-dancing, it doesn't matter what body shape you are – but I think it helps to have curves.'
However, belly-dancing can also help you lose weight (you can work off anything up to 300 calories with a vigorous shimmy). It also relieves stress and even premenstrual tension.
More importantly though, it enables like-minded women to get together for a bit of a laugh.
'I get letters from women all over America who have formed their own troupes,' says Copeland. 'It's exciting, a bit of risqué fun, and like rock'n'roll in the sense that you feel as if you can get up there and try it yourself.'
And that is precisely the charm of the Bellydance Superstars – a group of normal girls getting the chance to live out their dreams and earn good money (a top-notch Bellydance Superstar can make anything up to £65,000 a year through workshops and DVDs).
Copeland thinks of his dancers as a kind of healing balm, showing America that Middle Eastern culture is nothing to fear and showing the Middle East that women can and should be a force to be reckoned with.
With instructional DVDs, a perfume line and even a Middle East reality TV show in the pipeline, he is not a man with limited ambitions.
'The days when a belly dancer would wobble into a restaurant, do a ten-minute set, then sit around till the following weekend have long gone. I want my dancers to become world famous.'
The Bellydance Superstars will tour the UK from 19-30 October. See bellydancesuperstars.com.
Source: MailOnline
Last updated at 8:00 PM on 27th September 2008
They've performed for crown princes and rock stars in a 'celebration of femininity and sensuality' that attracts dancers from 17 to 70. Meet the Bellydance Superstars who are back to shake up the UK.
A disused missile launch base overlooking Los Angeles is not the first place one would expect to find a troupe of exotically dressed beauties, but the Bellydance Superstars, currently pulling elegant shapes in front of a bemused mix of joggers, dogs and passers-by, have played to stranger audiences than this.
Petite Jamilla, a pretty 25-year-old, has done her time dancing in Turkish restaurants ('at times it was horrible – luckily my parents insisted on chaperoning me to every job'), while Bozenka, the dancer credited with honing the belly-dancing skills of hip-swivelling singer Shakira ('Every girl comes to me saying they want to dance like Shakira!'), performed for Hugh Hefner ('he was surrounded by beautiful women and I felt like I was part of some bizarre scene; I did my half hour and left').
Audiences, like family members, can't often be chosen. But in the case of the Bellydance Superstars, they are certainly expanding. The world's most famous belly-dancing troupe, they have performed to more than a million people since their inception six years ago.
Formed by Miles Copeland (the man who guided Sting's career for a quarter of a century), the group has taken a niche dance form and turned it into a worldwide business.
They have performed for luminaries as diverse as Prince Albert of Monaco and rock star Alice Cooper, and in a move akin to taking ice to the Eskimos, the troupe, consisting almost entirely of Americans, has even performed to rapturous applause in the Middle East.
This October sees them touring Britain – a country proving itself to be a surprising hotbed of belly-dance activity.
Recently, Cambridge graduate Emma Chapman made headlines when she decided to forgo her job as a research scientist to become a full-time belly dancer, and who can forget the look of rapture on Simon Cowell's face when contestant Sophie Mei got to last season's semi-final of Britain's Got Talent with her mesmerising belly-dance routine?
There are now more than 1,000 belly-dance classes dotted around the UK and what was once seen solely as a dance performed by largish ladies in restaurants of dubious repute is now viewed as a legitimate career.
None of this would have been possible without the canny guidance of 64-year-old Copeland, the troupe's manager.
'Initially, I got a lot of flak from the belly-dance community who were worried that it was all going to be about pretty young girls in revealing costumes. The way I see it, it's a celebration of femininity and sensuality; our audiences are roughly 70 per cent women to 30 per cent men.'
The girls themselves are at pains to stress that their performance is sensual rather than sexual.
Yes, the girls are young and pretty; yes, their costumes are cut to emphasise their feminine curves (low-cut bras and waist-revealing, floor-length skirts) and yes, the chaps around us are having trouble pulling themselves together, but it's hard to imagine any of these women allowing anyone to shovel notes into their bra straps (though, apparently, the correct etiquette for showing appreciation of a belly dancer is to sprinkle notes over her head).
Samantha Hasthorpe, 28, from Devon – the only Brit in the troupe – scoffs at the idea that the dance is a sexual one. 'It's not the kind of dance where you see us going up to guys and sitting on their knees, which is the image I'd had previously of belly dancing,' she says. 'We dance as a group, not solo, and we couldn't care less if anyone's watching us. I feel completely empowered when I'm performing and I'm definitely not pandering to anyone but myself.'RACHEL BRICE, MID-30S (left)
FORMER JOB Worked in a café
SHE SAYS 'I cried when I first saw belly-dancing 20 years ago because it was so moving. I learned the moves by buying all the tapes I could find and copying the movements frame by frame'
KAMI LIDDLE, 27 (right)
FORMER JOB Manager in charge of loading aircraft
SHE SAYS 'We'd just got back from Taiwan and there were queues around the block for our autographs. It was like Beatlemania!'
MORIA CHAPPELL, 29 (centre)
FORMER JOB Make-up artist
SHE SAYS 'For my costume I wear about 34 medallions, seven bangles, five rings and four necklaces. It takes me about two hours to get ready for every show and about 100 hours to create my costume.
The girl power message is one articulated by all of the dancers. Bozenka, a half-Czech, half-Cuban dancer, holds workshops around the world.
'Lots of my students get into belly-dancing as a way of getting back their self-esteem,' she says.
'One had been abused as a young girl. She was painfully shy, and her aunt brought her to my classes to try to bring her out of herself. It took some time, but the process of rehearsing, putting on make-up and feeling comfortable with her body during the classes helped to bring her out of her shell.' Samantha tells a similar story.
'The reason my mum took me to my first belly-dancing class was because I had low self-esteem. I was 16 years old, moody and had no confidence in my looks. Belly-dancing helped change that. I still have moments of self-doubt, but I'm more comfortable with myself and at my happiest when up on stage.'
Another key to belly-dance's appeal is its accessibility. 'I have a 70-year-old grandmother in my class,' says Bozenka.
'She doesn't feel comfortable going to nightclubs any more, but in my class she is welcomed and respected by everybody. That's the great thing about belly-dance – you can be any age or any size. It doesn't matter what you look like.'
It is a message echoed by Copeland, who insists: 'If I found a 60-year-old woman who was as big as a house, but could walk on stage and be alluring and captivating, I'd have her on the show in a second.'BOZENKA, 32 (pictured left)
FORMER JOB Preschool teacher
SHE SAYS 'A friend and I once danced at a party in the Bahamas where Sean Connery was a guest. My friend dragged him and his wife up on stage to dance with us and he was so cute. He kept laughing at the fact that he had two left feet'
SAMANTHA HASTHORPE, 28
FORMER JOB Hod carrier
SHE SAYS 'The guys I used to work with are pretty surprised I've gone from hod carrying to belly dancing, but they're going to come and see me on this tour. The money's not quite as good yet, but I still wouldn't give up dancing for anything'
PETITE JAMILLA, 25 (real name: Jessica Parrish)
FORMER JOB Belly dancing in restaurants
SHE SAYS 'I started belly dancing when I was three and my mum was doing it till she was 67. It's one of the few dances where a woman can celebrate her body at any age'
Sadly, that has yet to transpire. The troupe members range in age from 21 to 39, but although they are slim, they are far from skinny.
As the girls undulate and ripple to drummer Issam Houshan's hypnotic beats, I glimpse some reassuring folds of belly among the sequins. And therein lies the success not only of the troupe but also of the dance form.
'As a teenager, I needed a dance that appreciated my curves,' says Petite Jamilla. 'With belly-dancing, it doesn't matter what body shape you are – but I think it helps to have curves.'
However, belly-dancing can also help you lose weight (you can work off anything up to 300 calories with a vigorous shimmy). It also relieves stress and even premenstrual tension.More importantly though, it enables like-minded women to get together for a bit of a laugh.
'I get letters from women all over America who have formed their own troupes,' says Copeland. 'It's exciting, a bit of risqué fun, and like rock'n'roll in the sense that you feel as if you can get up there and try it yourself.'
And that is precisely the charm of the Bellydance Superstars – a group of normal girls getting the chance to live out their dreams and earn good money (a top-notch Bellydance Superstar can make anything up to £65,000 a year through workshops and DVDs).
Copeland thinks of his dancers as a kind of healing balm, showing America that Middle Eastern culture is nothing to fear and showing the Middle East that women can and should be a force to be reckoned with.
With instructional DVDs, a perfume line and even a Middle East reality TV show in the pipeline, he is not a man with limited ambitions.
'The days when a belly dancer would wobble into a restaurant, do a ten-minute set, then sit around till the following weekend have long gone. I want my dancers to become world famous.'
The Bellydance Superstars will tour the UK from 19-30 October. See bellydancesuperstars.com.
Source: MailOnline
Saturday, 27 September 2008
Hip Hop Grannies
A quirky look at the wonderful sporting habits of real Beijingers, in this case, some 70-year-old hip-hop dancing grannies.
American television correspondent and producer Adam Yamaguchi tries to pick up some hip hop dance moves from these ladies.
Monday, 15 September 2008
It's sport, not sex say Europe champion pole dancers
Published on Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:47am EDT
By Alexandra Hudson
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - It was a busy time for pole dancers in Amsterdam at the weekend.
While the red light district's troupe were gyrating as usual on Friday night, a host of girls from Albania to Spain flew in to compete for the European pole dance championship title.
Wearing sportswear reminiscent of Olympic gymnasts rather than skimpy leotards, girls performed gravity-defying dance routines based around two 6-metre poles -- one rotating, one fixed.
"Everything which we do requires so much strength. You train your legs and your muscles. It has nothing to do with eroticism. You have no time to think of that!" said Jeannine Wikering, the 26-year-old competitor for Germany who came third.
"I think one day it should be an Olympic sport -- but that will take time. You would have to agree which moves on which to judge competitors, at the moment we all have such different routines," she added.
Galina Troschenko, a 36-year-old representing Spain, won the event judged by a panel of five with a virtuoso performance full of acrobatic feats.
"I've only been doing this for three years, but I suppose I have a background as a dancer," she said.
Enthusiasts say pole dancing has taken off in recent years, with a rising number of classes set up to show women how to pole dance safely -- without pulling muscles or falling from the top of the pole.
The 10 girls of different nationalities taking part had competed for the contest in their home countries and most donned tracksuits at the end, reinforcing the sporting image.
Kenneth Tao was in an audience of several hundred watching the event in a central Amsterdam night-club.
"I didn't see anything which I thought was erotic. It was gymnastic," he said.
"I was watching their choreography in particular."
Amsterdam is among many cities across Europe and the United States offering fitness classes incorporating pole dance inspired moves.
Women attending such classes are often advised to wear full makeup to boost their self-confidence, and businesses selling poles say they are frequently installed in bedrooms, showing pole dancing has not quite shed its image of sex and seduction.
(Additional reporting by Amsterdam bureau; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Source: Reuters
By Alexandra Hudson
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - It was a busy time for pole dancers in Amsterdam at the weekend.
While the red light district's troupe were gyrating as usual on Friday night, a host of girls from Albania to Spain flew in to compete for the European pole dance championship title.
Wearing sportswear reminiscent of Olympic gymnasts rather than skimpy leotards, girls performed gravity-defying dance routines based around two 6-metre poles -- one rotating, one fixed.
"Everything which we do requires so much strength. You train your legs and your muscles. It has nothing to do with eroticism. You have no time to think of that!" said Jeannine Wikering, the 26-year-old competitor for Germany who came third.
"I think one day it should be an Olympic sport -- but that will take time. You would have to agree which moves on which to judge competitors, at the moment we all have such different routines," she added.
Galina Troschenko, a 36-year-old representing Spain, won the event judged by a panel of five with a virtuoso performance full of acrobatic feats.
"I've only been doing this for three years, but I suppose I have a background as a dancer," she said.
Enthusiasts say pole dancing has taken off in recent years, with a rising number of classes set up to show women how to pole dance safely -- without pulling muscles or falling from the top of the pole.
The 10 girls of different nationalities taking part had competed for the contest in their home countries and most donned tracksuits at the end, reinforcing the sporting image.
Kenneth Tao was in an audience of several hundred watching the event in a central Amsterdam night-club.
"I didn't see anything which I thought was erotic. It was gymnastic," he said.
"I was watching their choreography in particular."
Amsterdam is among many cities across Europe and the United States offering fitness classes incorporating pole dance inspired moves.
Women attending such classes are often advised to wear full makeup to boost their self-confidence, and businesses selling poles say they are frequently installed in bedrooms, showing pole dancing has not quite shed its image of sex and seduction.
(Additional reporting by Amsterdam bureau; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Source: Reuters
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Science graduate gives up lab work for belly-dancing
By Neil Sears
Last updated at 7:14 PM on 18th August 2008
Armed with a degree from Cambridge University, Emma Chapman swiftly won a job as a scientist.
For four years she has been carrying out ground-breaking research into the structure of molecules in a bid to create new medicines.
But now she has decided to swap her lab coat for a sequined skirt and a new career as a belly-dancer.
And although she has taken a pay cut, Miss Chapman says she had no regrets about deserting her test tubes so she can wiggle her middle six nights a week.
Miss Chapman, who earned a 2:1 degree in Natural Sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge, said: 'Belly-dancing gives me the freedom to be who I want.
'It's just so much more enjoyable than being in the lab. I can't imagine going back to a nine-to-five job.'
Miss Chapman, 28, who lives in Cambridge, started belly-dancing in 1998 when she saw a class advertised and decided to give it a go.
The hobby soon became a passion, and after years of perfecting her technique she started teaching classes, which she found much more fun than her day job.
'A friend of mine who lived locally and taught classes was moving away and asked me to take over her teaching,' she said.
'I though I couldn't do both my lab job and the classes, so I ditched my full-time job. It was slightly scary because I had no idea if it would work, but it's been totally exhilarating.'
And although leaving her job in medicinal chemistry at leading pharmaceutical research company Cambridge Biotechnology has led to a fall in income, she says the personal benefits are huge.
Emma now teaches other aspiring dancers six nights a week and says she could not imagine returning to chemistry
Miss Chapman added: 'I love being able to run my own business and make my own decisions. I've got much more independence.
'I'm not the kind of person who likes being told what to do.'
Miss Chapman has been fully supported in her career change by her fiance, Dr Patrick Driscoll, 28, an auditor studying to become an accountant, and her father Malcolm Chapman, 60, a retired purchaser in the petrochemicals industry.
And no-one at her laboratory expressed any surprise about her decision to give it all up either.
'If they thought anything was funny about it they didn't say anything to my face,' said Miss Chapman.
'My dad is really proud that he has a daughter with her own business - he always shows my website to all his friends,' she said.
'And I'm sure some people thought I was mad doing this, but now my friends think it's really cool.'
Miss Chapman, who has more than 100 students, said belly-dancing has become hugely popular, and all her classes for September are already booked up.
She teaches private lessons at weekends in addition to her weeknight classes, and has to practise for at least one hour every day to keep her standards up.
But she does not miss science despite devoting eight years of her life to it.
'I am so much happier now,' she said. 'I did enjoy studying science at university but this is just so much more fun.'
And Miss Chapman said that while belly-dancing is not a difficult hobby to pick-up, perfecting the art can take time.
'All the movements are based on our bodies natural range of motion, so most people take to belly-dancing pretty quickly,' she said.
'But getting really good needs lots of effort and practice - which is why I have to practise every day.
'I really hope I can inspire more people to get involved with belly-dancing - it's such a brilliant skill to have.'
Emma spent four years studying at Christ's College and four years as a research scientist before setting up her own belly-dancing business. Here she is at her degree ceremony:
Miss Chapman spends most of her time as a belly dancer teaching - with ten lesson courses starting at £55 - but is a member of actors' union Equity and performs professionally too.
She is mainly influenced by the modern Egyptian style of belly-dance, but also enjoys creating dramatic dances that draw on Flamenco, Oriental and Gothic styles.
Next month she is due to appear at the Arts Depot in north London in a one-off show entitled Arabian Dance Theatre.
Miss Chapman earned between £20,000 and £30,000 as a scientist - and now earns less as a belly dancer.
'Scientists are not very well paid considering the amount of training they do,' she said. 'Belly dancers are even less well paid - but this career change wasn't about money.'
She added that although when she was working as a scientist she spent her evenings belly-dancing, now that she is a belly-dancer she does not conduct experiments in her spare time.
And she is not the first scientist to leave the laboratory for a profession requiring very different skills.
Four years ago molecular biologist Dr Karl Gensberg abandoned his post at Birmingham University to retrain as a plumber in a bid to double his annual salary of £23,000.
He said: 'I just thought "what am I doing?" My work is a combination of zero career structure, contractual abuse and pathetic pay, which is a pretty poor package.'
Source: Mail Online
Last updated at 7:14 PM on 18th August 2008
Armed with a degree from Cambridge University, Emma Chapman swiftly won a job as a scientist.For four years she has been carrying out ground-breaking research into the structure of molecules in a bid to create new medicines.
But now she has decided to swap her lab coat for a sequined skirt and a new career as a belly-dancer.
And although she has taken a pay cut, Miss Chapman says she had no regrets about deserting her test tubes so she can wiggle her middle six nights a week.
Miss Chapman, who earned a 2:1 degree in Natural Sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge, said: 'Belly-dancing gives me the freedom to be who I want.
'It's just so much more enjoyable than being in the lab. I can't imagine going back to a nine-to-five job.'
Miss Chapman, 28, who lives in Cambridge, started belly-dancing in 1998 when she saw a class advertised and decided to give it a go.
The hobby soon became a passion, and after years of perfecting her technique she started teaching classes, which she found much more fun than her day job.
'A friend of mine who lived locally and taught classes was moving away and asked me to take over her teaching,' she said.
'I though I couldn't do both my lab job and the classes, so I ditched my full-time job. It was slightly scary because I had no idea if it would work, but it's been totally exhilarating.'
And although leaving her job in medicinal chemistry at leading pharmaceutical research company Cambridge Biotechnology has led to a fall in income, she says the personal benefits are huge.Emma now teaches other aspiring dancers six nights a week and says she could not imagine returning to chemistry
Miss Chapman added: 'I love being able to run my own business and make my own decisions. I've got much more independence.
'I'm not the kind of person who likes being told what to do.'
Miss Chapman has been fully supported in her career change by her fiance, Dr Patrick Driscoll, 28, an auditor studying to become an accountant, and her father Malcolm Chapman, 60, a retired purchaser in the petrochemicals industry.
And no-one at her laboratory expressed any surprise about her decision to give it all up either.
'If they thought anything was funny about it they didn't say anything to my face,' said Miss Chapman.
'My dad is really proud that he has a daughter with her own business - he always shows my website to all his friends,' she said.
'And I'm sure some people thought I was mad doing this, but now my friends think it's really cool.'
Miss Chapman, who has more than 100 students, said belly-dancing has become hugely popular, and all her classes for September are already booked up.
She teaches private lessons at weekends in addition to her weeknight classes, and has to practise for at least one hour every day to keep her standards up.
But she does not miss science despite devoting eight years of her life to it.
'I am so much happier now,' she said. 'I did enjoy studying science at university but this is just so much more fun.'
And Miss Chapman said that while belly-dancing is not a difficult hobby to pick-up, perfecting the art can take time.
'All the movements are based on our bodies natural range of motion, so most people take to belly-dancing pretty quickly,' she said.
'But getting really good needs lots of effort and practice - which is why I have to practise every day.
'I really hope I can inspire more people to get involved with belly-dancing - it's such a brilliant skill to have.'
Emma spent four years studying at Christ's College and four years as a research scientist before setting up her own belly-dancing business. Here she is at her degree ceremony:
Miss Chapman spends most of her time as a belly dancer teaching - with ten lesson courses starting at £55 - but is a member of actors' union Equity and performs professionally too.She is mainly influenced by the modern Egyptian style of belly-dance, but also enjoys creating dramatic dances that draw on Flamenco, Oriental and Gothic styles.
Next month she is due to appear at the Arts Depot in north London in a one-off show entitled Arabian Dance Theatre.
Miss Chapman earned between £20,000 and £30,000 as a scientist - and now earns less as a belly dancer.
'Scientists are not very well paid considering the amount of training they do,' she said. 'Belly dancers are even less well paid - but this career change wasn't about money.'
She added that although when she was working as a scientist she spent her evenings belly-dancing, now that she is a belly-dancer she does not conduct experiments in her spare time.
And she is not the first scientist to leave the laboratory for a profession requiring very different skills.
Four years ago molecular biologist Dr Karl Gensberg abandoned his post at Birmingham University to retrain as a plumber in a bid to double his annual salary of £23,000.
He said: 'I just thought "what am I doing?" My work is a combination of zero career structure, contractual abuse and pathetic pay, which is a pretty poor package.'
Source: Mail Online
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
"I want all the women in all the world to belly dance."
Belly dancing choreographer Hassan Khalil speaks to Yoga Travel.
Hassan Khalil is a professor in the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Cairo. He teaches oriental dancing all over the world, but, ironically not allowed to teach belly dancing in Egypt - it has been banned in public institutions.
"Like any art, belly dancing started with religion. It came from the times of the pharaohs: you can see them dancing in the tombs and temples. The form of their movements expressed their connection to the gods. To open themselves to the gods they used movement from the womb - the most sensitive and holy place in their bodies. Their hand positions too were a form of prayer: putting their hands above their heads and out to one side, for example, meant talking to god. In Pharonic times the shapes they made were a language with which they communicated with the gods.
Belly dancing is all based upon the womb. Where do you think we get the word woman? I am a man, she is womb-man. Belly dancing is the movement of the holy place of the woman - the womb is where it all starts. The secret of belly dance is not in the dance - it's in the woman.
Civilisation today structures how women live - go on the metro, sit at the computer, run up stairs - all things that are contrary to the rhythms of her body. They are looking for the relationship between the power and energy within them and themselves. They're searching for the fine art of their bodies in space.
When I teach the women in Europe I say to them: 'shake your breasts.' Of course they refuse. But I insist: 'Shake them. Shake.' And then they do it and sometimes they scream. They start to feel themselves as a female person. Life is monotonous. But with another rhythm, it can free you from the daily rhythm of everyday life.
Every woman has the physiology. In Egypt we call belly dancing 'the mother' because it gives women the ability to prove the freedom of their body. We did a class in Frankfut with deaf girls. They felt the music through the ground, and they danced. The city mayor was there - he cried. It was the first time they heard their body. And blind women too, they'd never seen the movement in their lives, but they could do the dance - it was a miracle, they could feel their bodies. One and a half million girls in Brazil doing it. This is not fashion - this is women feeling themselves."
Source: YogaTravel
Hassan Khalil is a professor in the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Cairo. He teaches oriental dancing all over the world, but, ironically not allowed to teach belly dancing in Egypt - it has been banned in public institutions."Like any art, belly dancing started with religion. It came from the times of the pharaohs: you can see them dancing in the tombs and temples. The form of their movements expressed their connection to the gods. To open themselves to the gods they used movement from the womb - the most sensitive and holy place in their bodies. Their hand positions too were a form of prayer: putting their hands above their heads and out to one side, for example, meant talking to god. In Pharonic times the shapes they made were a language with which they communicated with the gods.
Belly dancing is all based upon the womb. Where do you think we get the word woman? I am a man, she is womb-man. Belly dancing is the movement of the holy place of the woman - the womb is where it all starts. The secret of belly dance is not in the dance - it's in the woman.
Civilisation today structures how women live - go on the metro, sit at the computer, run up stairs - all things that are contrary to the rhythms of her body. They are looking for the relationship between the power and energy within them and themselves. They're searching for the fine art of their bodies in space.
When I teach the women in Europe I say to them: 'shake your breasts.' Of course they refuse. But I insist: 'Shake them. Shake.' And then they do it and sometimes they scream. They start to feel themselves as a female person. Life is monotonous. But with another rhythm, it can free you from the daily rhythm of everyday life.
Every woman has the physiology. In Egypt we call belly dancing 'the mother' because it gives women the ability to prove the freedom of their body. We did a class in Frankfut with deaf girls. They felt the music through the ground, and they danced. The city mayor was there - he cried. It was the first time they heard their body. And blind women too, they'd never seen the movement in their lives, but they could do the dance - it was a miracle, they could feel their bodies. One and a half million girls in Brazil doing it. This is not fashion - this is women feeling themselves."
Source: YogaTravel
"Of course it's exhibitionist, but all girls like to feel sexy."
Dancer Keti Shariff talks to Yoga Travel.
Keti Shariff trains belly dancers in Cairo and travels all over the world to dance, although not in Egypt. She is booked by clients for shows or weddings, then flies out to perform. We sit in the opulent surroundings of Cairo's Marriot hotel.
What does belly dancing mean?
"It's about many things - physical, sexual, sensual, fitness. It's about female empowerment, and about feeling sexy. And of course it's about glitter and dressing up. But originally the shapes and postures used in belly dancing were representations of nature, to worship god. In fact, one of the early stars - Tahira Kareoka - her father was a sheik in a mosque."
Is it exhibitionist?
"Of course, but all girls like to feel sexy. You know, in some ways it has never left the harem. It's always been about women dancing amoungst themselves. There's a group of you and you dance together, you show off what you know. It's not at all for the men - it's for us."
Why don't you dance in Egypt any more?
"I realized that I didn't want to dance any more in Egypt when I was dancing at the Nile Hilton. The manager took me aside and told me I had to get an AIDS test. He explained that they like their customers to stay for a long time, to spend a lot of money in the hotels, and to make that happen the dancers, you know, we have to get close to them. He said it because he knew that I was new to dancing, and to let me know that it's not always a clean business. But that was it. Now I don't dance in Egypt any more."
What do people think of you as a dancer?
"When I tell Egpytians that I'm a dancer they look at me a bit strangely and their eyes go wide. They can't really understand. But when I get talking to them about the old stars of the past and they're like 'oh yes, they were the greats', then they know that I'm doing it for the love of the dance, not in a sleazy sense."
What is the state of belly dancing in Egypt today?
"Most Egyptian girls get into it because they want to become actresses. Or to get onto TV. They see people like Shakira and Britney belly dancing and they want to be like them. But the dancers here are not the role models they used to be. In the 40s and the 50s there were really big stars, people still talk about them today, that was the golden age of belly dancing.
"People are interested in different stuff thess days. They don't book dancers for private parties so much any more. Younger couples getting married don't automatically look for a dancer at their weddings. These days they look for something different - maybe a jazz band. Belly dancing just isn't on their radar.
In some ways it's going back to its roots - it's always been a hidden thing. Maybe in ten years time it will re-emerge again into the glamour of the old days, when the young girls start seeing the big stars and saying - I want to do that."
Source: YogaTravel
Keti Shariff trains belly dancers in Cairo and travels all over the world to dance, although not in Egypt. She is booked by clients for shows or weddings, then flies out to perform. We sit in the opulent surroundings of Cairo's Marriot hotel.What does belly dancing mean?
"It's about many things - physical, sexual, sensual, fitness. It's about female empowerment, and about feeling sexy. And of course it's about glitter and dressing up. But originally the shapes and postures used in belly dancing were representations of nature, to worship god. In fact, one of the early stars - Tahira Kareoka - her father was a sheik in a mosque."
Is it exhibitionist?
"Of course, but all girls like to feel sexy. You know, in some ways it has never left the harem. It's always been about women dancing amoungst themselves. There's a group of you and you dance together, you show off what you know. It's not at all for the men - it's for us."
Why don't you dance in Egypt any more?
"I realized that I didn't want to dance any more in Egypt when I was dancing at the Nile Hilton. The manager took me aside and told me I had to get an AIDS test. He explained that they like their customers to stay for a long time, to spend a lot of money in the hotels, and to make that happen the dancers, you know, we have to get close to them. He said it because he knew that I was new to dancing, and to let me know that it's not always a clean business. But that was it. Now I don't dance in Egypt any more."
What do people think of you as a dancer?
"When I tell Egpytians that I'm a dancer they look at me a bit strangely and their eyes go wide. They can't really understand. But when I get talking to them about the old stars of the past and they're like 'oh yes, they were the greats', then they know that I'm doing it for the love of the dance, not in a sleazy sense."
What is the state of belly dancing in Egypt today?
"Most Egyptian girls get into it because they want to become actresses. Or to get onto TV. They see people like Shakira and Britney belly dancing and they want to be like them. But the dancers here are not the role models they used to be. In the 40s and the 50s there were really big stars, people still talk about them today, that was the golden age of belly dancing.
"People are interested in different stuff thess days. They don't book dancers for private parties so much any more. Younger couples getting married don't automatically look for a dancer at their weddings. These days they look for something different - maybe a jazz band. Belly dancing just isn't on their radar.
In some ways it's going back to its roots - it's always been a hidden thing. Maybe in ten years time it will re-emerge again into the glamour of the old days, when the young girls start seeing the big stars and saying - I want to do that."
Source: YogaTravel
Liza Laziza: "What's wrong with being a dancer who just loves to dance?"
By: Will Cottrell
Liza is an early fortyish woman, born in Iran and raised in London. These days she lives and works as a dancer in Cairo and commands a salary of 'thousands' per party, except in her favourite venue back in London, where 'I couldn't ask anything like that'. We talk in her flat in Cairo's fashionable Zamalek district. The flat is richly decorated with oriental furniture. On the walls are pictures of her dancing in the desert - blue costume against the white sand, shiffon scarves trailing in the breeze.
"Once my bra strap broke mid way through a perfomance," she begins. "I managed to get off stage - but my dressing woman had it back together and I was back on stage within thirty seconds." She's even had a whisky glass thrown at her: "that was my fault, my Arabic wasn't so good then and I think instead of calling someone my brother I called him a homosexual - not good in Arab society," she smirks.
"Belly dancing is not only to do with the belly: it's in the hips, the arms, the waist - it's the whole body. I'm translating the rythmn and melody into my body. It's a powerful expression of women without words. It's saying it's OK to be sexy and powerful - but not vulgar. It's being dignified."
What can western women gain from belly dancing?
"A lot of women want to do it because they love the music. There's others who want to tone their body. Some need it cos they're shy and low self-esteem. Taking lessons and performing in groups gives them self-esteem - an acceptance, an acknowledgement. It's both very personal and very public. The women that are drawn to it are definitely interested in the woman side of it. I had one woman - she was an engineer - she said, I'm not in my body at all. I want to find myself as a women, she said. It's a very feminine dance."
What's so special about Egypt?
"It's the only middle eastern country that is - possibly - democratic. It has alcohol - and as far as the dance is concerned it's as old as the pyramids. Cairo is the heart of the dance. Thirty years ago there was nightclubs everywhere. Every four or five star hotel had a nightclub -the money was huge."
"Then the rot set in. If you look at movies of the last ten or twenty years they all depicts the dancer as a theif, a liar, a prostitute, man eater. Recently Dina has declined to act in any film that depicts dancers in a negative light. Several months ago Fifi Abdou was interviewed, the interviewer was making out that dancers are bad - she said 'what is wrong with being a dancer who just loves to dance?' I always think what's your issue, why can't you handle it. It's your dirty mind."
Source: YogaTravel
Liza is an early fortyish woman, born in Iran and raised in London. These days she lives and works as a dancer in Cairo and commands a salary of 'thousands' per party, except in her favourite venue back in London, where 'I couldn't ask anything like that'. We talk in her flat in Cairo's fashionable Zamalek district. The flat is richly decorated with oriental furniture. On the walls are pictures of her dancing in the desert - blue costume against the white sand, shiffon scarves trailing in the breeze."Once my bra strap broke mid way through a perfomance," she begins. "I managed to get off stage - but my dressing woman had it back together and I was back on stage within thirty seconds." She's even had a whisky glass thrown at her: "that was my fault, my Arabic wasn't so good then and I think instead of calling someone my brother I called him a homosexual - not good in Arab society," she smirks.
"Belly dancing is not only to do with the belly: it's in the hips, the arms, the waist - it's the whole body. I'm translating the rythmn and melody into my body. It's a powerful expression of women without words. It's saying it's OK to be sexy and powerful - but not vulgar. It's being dignified."
What can western women gain from belly dancing?
"A lot of women want to do it because they love the music. There's others who want to tone their body. Some need it cos they're shy and low self-esteem. Taking lessons and performing in groups gives them self-esteem - an acceptance, an acknowledgement. It's both very personal and very public. The women that are drawn to it are definitely interested in the woman side of it. I had one woman - she was an engineer - she said, I'm not in my body at all. I want to find myself as a women, she said. It's a very feminine dance."
What's so special about Egypt?
"It's the only middle eastern country that is - possibly - democratic. It has alcohol - and as far as the dance is concerned it's as old as the pyramids. Cairo is the heart of the dance. Thirty years ago there was nightclubs everywhere. Every four or five star hotel had a nightclub -the money was huge."
"Then the rot set in. If you look at movies of the last ten or twenty years they all depicts the dancer as a theif, a liar, a prostitute, man eater. Recently Dina has declined to act in any film that depicts dancers in a negative light. Several months ago Fifi Abdou was interviewed, the interviewer was making out that dancers are bad - she said 'what is wrong with being a dancer who just loves to dance?' I always think what's your issue, why can't you handle it. It's your dirty mind."
Source: YogaTravel
Dina: Daring, Debauched or simply Delightful?
"You have to be strong. You have to continue your career, you have to be strong everyday."Exclusive Yoga Travel interview with top belly dancer Dina
By Will Cottrell
As the country's best belly dancer, Dina is one of the most famous women in Egypt. Yet the Egyptian press have regularly enjoyed the eruptions of her personal life. In 2002, a video appeared of the dancer in bed with her third husband. She fled the country, vowing never to dance again. She returned, however, to sue him, eventually also sending the editor of a national newspaper to jail. Six months later she returned to dancing - commanding fees higher than ever.
"Last year happened like a bang. Oh my god. I just stopped everything. It was written in all the magazines. Somebody called and told me. My first reaction was to get out of here so I went abroad. I kind of hid.
A week later I felt less shocked. I closed everything. I stayed at home for two months. Then I started to go outside a bit. After six months I started to act. But I missed dancing. My friends helped me. They said that this has happened and that if you meet any bad guy he can do this. You have to be strong. You have to continue your career, you have to be strong everyday.
And I still have to be strong - but now I feel like I didn't do anything wrong. Everybody eats, drinks, has sex. I have to tell myself this all the time. He was my husband and one day he'll come out of jail, but I don't want to see him. I didn't just have it all in public - I lost my husband too."
You studied philosophy of theatre at university. What did you enjoy about that?
"I liked the Sufistayeen (a philosophy based on the sufi mystical sect). When you say yes, they say no. When you say go out, they say stay in. I really love them. I also like Freud. How women can take care of her child. He put sex in the world. I like the way he talked about how to handle children. I respect him very much."
How does philosophy of theatre help a dancer?
"Philosophy gives you an experience of people. When I'm on stage I know what the audience is like. Then I can adjust my performance to suit the audience - this is very important for a belly dancer. I don't just do what I want - I do what they want."
How has the press coverage of the video affected your life?"I don't hear what people say about me. I'm a dancer - I do it because I love it. When I began I was full of power to do what I like: I didn't hear anyone. I love dancing. I'm not looking to my reputation, I love dancing. I don't care what people say. "
What advice would you give to a dancer just starting out?"Belly dancing makes women feel like they're feminine. That it's good to be a woman: that women are very beautiful. It's in the dress and the movement. For professionals though, they must train, train, train. I train three days a week, another three days in the gym and another one for different dancing - like jazz, like cha, cha. They must take the ballet bar, for hands, for the head, the have to do yoga. They have to keep smiling in the mirror."
How do you see the future of belly dancing in Egypt?
"Things have been going downhill for the last four years. Bars are changing to different styles and there aren't many Egpytian belly dancers coming up. That's what has allowed foreigners to come in. This year I've seen in video clips that they're belly dancing, but they're called singers. It's more acceptable like that.
Actually, I'm not seeing anything new. We need ten or twenty good dancers but there's not even five. It's very bad. If it stays like this then the future is outside - in Europe. In Finland I did a workshop - I was standing on stage and in front of me 800 women were practicing in a hall. And from that thousand some good dancers will come."
Source: YogaTravel
Tummy Trouble
Hit by sex scandals and rumours of prostitution, the belly dancing scene in Cairo - home of the belly dance - is underthreat like never before.
Two years ago one of the most popular dancers, Dina, was involved in a scandal from which the industry is still reeling. Commanding fees of up to $10,000 a night, Dina was famous for her provocative dances and skimpy clothing. But when her businessman husband fell out with the Egyptian president's son, police raided the couple's apartment and found compromising videos which were then released onto the internet.
At the same time, many Egyptians see belly dancers simply as the playthings of rich gulf Arabs: these rich young sheiks are now a belly-dancer's ultimate catch. Dancers are flown to the gulf for a fee of thousands - and for a dancer (many of whom come from poor backgrounds) these Arab royals are a rags-to-riches fairytale.
Indeed, belly dancing is increasingly suffering from the decline of its reputation. Dwindling returns have led many Cairo clubs to close their doors and while it was possible to earn quite good money through the 80s and 90s, some places now prefer cheaper (in every sense) dancers to the better, more expensive ones.
Today, promoters claim there are around 100 regular dancers in Cairo. In 1957 more than 5000 belly dancers were registered with Cairo authorities.
But the taste of the audience has also changed. Young Cairenes prefer a club over a belly dancing show, while an influx of foreign dancers (manly Russian) means owners no longer pay the rates they used to. Similarly having a belly dancer at your wedding is seen as old-fashioned - DJs or jazz band are often more popular.
Source: YogaTravel
Two years ago one of the most popular dancers, Dina, was involved in a scandal from which the industry is still reeling. Commanding fees of up to $10,000 a night, Dina was famous for her provocative dances and skimpy clothing. But when her businessman husband fell out with the Egyptian president's son, police raided the couple's apartment and found compromising videos which were then released onto the internet.
At the same time, many Egyptians see belly dancers simply as the playthings of rich gulf Arabs: these rich young sheiks are now a belly-dancer's ultimate catch. Dancers are flown to the gulf for a fee of thousands - and for a dancer (many of whom come from poor backgrounds) these Arab royals are a rags-to-riches fairytale.
Indeed, belly dancing is increasingly suffering from the decline of its reputation. Dwindling returns have led many Cairo clubs to close their doors and while it was possible to earn quite good money through the 80s and 90s, some places now prefer cheaper (in every sense) dancers to the better, more expensive ones.
Today, promoters claim there are around 100 regular dancers in Cairo. In 1957 more than 5000 belly dancers were registered with Cairo authorities.
But the taste of the audience has also changed. Young Cairenes prefer a club over a belly dancing show, while an influx of foreign dancers (manly Russian) means owners no longer pay the rates they used to. Similarly having a belly dancer at your wedding is seen as old-fashioned - DJs or jazz band are often more popular.
Source: YogaTravel
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