Belly Dance Finger Cymbals or Zills

Today, many fewer dancers use finger cymbals. Teachers start teaching finger cymbals later in class, or skip them entirely. Finger cymbal work is becoming more and more rare -- and really good finger cymbal work is even more scarce. But finger cymbals are not to be feared!

Want to Learn Something 80 Percent of Today's Belly Dance Teachers Don't Even Teach?

It was the title of the press release that caught my attention, and it's true, very few teachers I have come across teach this aspect of belly dancing.

Lisa x

technorati tags:belly, dancing, bellydance, finger, cymbals, zills, sagat

Belly Dancing and Pregnancy

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the practice of belly dancing may benefit women preparing for childbirth, as the movements strengthen and tone the pelvic floor muscles and the woman becomes more familiar with the way her muscles work. The hip-circling movements used in the dance may relieve some of the common discomforts of labor.

Belly dance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The idea of belly dancing helping in preparation for pregnancy absolutely fascinates me, but not ever having been pregnant I don't know how good it is!

A great blog to read if this interests you too is: Belly of the Goddess at

http://bellyofthegoddess.blogspot.com/2005/03/belly-dance-as-birth-dance.html

Bring out your inner goddess!

Lisa x

technorati tags:belly, dancing, pregnancy, belly, dance, bellydancing

International Belly Dancing Competition - A Different Perspective

More than 1200 contestants from around the globe came to Cairo this week, where they competed for the golden crown in Egypt's International Belly Dancing competition. Because of the event's official rules, not a single participant was Egyptian. However according to 'Dina', a famed Egyptian belly dancer, the rule was decided out of fairness: "Belly dance is our dance," she said, "When we compete with foreigners we win. It's not fair."

KABOBfest: Belly Dancing Gets Competitive (and Commercial)

I love this blog post on the International Belly Dancing Competition taking place in Egypt at the moment. It is a great commentary packed with humour.

Lisa x

technorati tags:Belly, Dancing, International, Competition, Egypt

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Belly Dancing and Spirituality

Robling sees belly-dancing as "a balance of mind, body and spirit." She admits that it is an excellent workout, but that she discourages women from using the technique with only weight loss in mind. To her, its main purposes are spirituality and embracing femininity.

Belly-dancing - "The outside world just stops when you walk into the studio." : Local : Evansville Courier Press

The more belly dancers I speak with the more I hear them praise the mental and spiritual benefits of belly dancing, as well as the physical.

Lisa x

Oriental Belly Dancing Festival

It has been revealed that Najwa will be giving away the same belly dancing outfit she wore during her performance in 1974 in the presence of the late American Foreign Minister Henry Kissinger to the first place winner in the festival.

albawaba.com middle east news information::Oriental Belly Dancing Festival launched

Wow, some dancer is going to receive a real piece of belly dancing history. It's good to see that this festival is still going ahead, when we hear so many stories of Belly Dancing being banned or frowned upon.

Lisa x

technorati tags:belly, dancing, dance, festival, oriental, dance, najwa

UK's First Inter-University Bellydance Festival

WARWICK UNIVERSITY is ready to wobble as bus loads of belly dancers head for Coventry.Students from around the UK will converge on the campus, in Coventry, for the UK's first inter-university Bellydance Festival next Tuesday night.

icCoventry - Bus loads of bellies...

Take a look at this great story about the first ever inter-university belly dance festival in the UK. This was held just a short drive from where I grew up - unfortunately I now live over 200 miles away.

It's great to see the UK is finally catching up with the rest of the belly dancing world!

Lisa x

technorati tags:bellydance, belly, dance, dancing, festival

I'm back

I know I've been a bit slack lately with my blog, but now I'm back with a vengeance, so keep me bookmarked for loads of great belly dancing information from around the world.

I have been really busy working on a new belly dancing project which I will tell you more about shortly. Watch this space!

Lisa x