From a Fellow Dancer's View Point- About Chris!

I have danced with Chris in Valizan’s class at BellyUp for at least 3 years now. When she came into our class, intermediate from the beginners class she was probably wondering what she had gotten herself in to. We were a loud and boisterous group and she often took a spot at the back of the class. As the years passed, saw her at the drill houses, workshops and even a pantaloon workshop as she explored and dabbled in the ATS world. This past year I feel that I have taken the time to get to know her better and her mantra seems to have been- I can never remember the moves we have been taught from one class to the next. Well, I can attest that while we all have that problem, her memory is much improved! She now often takes the lead spot while we dance in class and passes from one move to the next with a secret smile on her face- Yeah, I can do this…and you had better be following your leader! I have just had the pleasure of doing a duet with her at the BellyUp Student Recital and feel honoured for being her partner. Having found out that there was a song she fell in love with, I had approached her to see if she would be interested in doing a duet at the recital. She said sure. As this is an improvisational form of dance, I felt that whatever happens on that night, happens. But over the weeks of practicing with Chris, she came in one night and just blew me away. She was bang on the phrases of the song, passed lead and took it back seamlessly, crossovers and even threw in some moves that I never even thought of. The night of the show I was full of anticipation to get out there and dance with her as I so knew that she was going to do fantastic and so impress our fellow dancers. Which she of course did! So from coming from the back of the class, to leading a duet where you cannot hide behind another dancer, you have come a long way baby! Sherry

The Husband of a Bellydancer Story.

Ok, so it is not what you were thinking. My beautiful found her way to belly dance a few years ago. Initially it was Egyptian style that caught her eye. Then one day, she fell in love with the movement, costumes and adornments of American Tribal Style. She was hooked. She signed up for the classes at Belly Up under the guidance of the Mighty Valizan. My journey really begins there. Her transformation has been nothing short of enlightening. Her grace and self confidence have flourished in those classes. Not only through the life filled with dance, but the bonds that have grown with Valizan and the others in the classes, studio and indeed the entire belly dance community. I have been dragged into this life with her, although not unwillingly. She has been the core of my support these many years, giving my support to her and dance has been a thrill ride. Through this, we have both developed a very strong friendship that lives on outside of the dance world. All of this is fostered in the studio. Joharah has created such a beautiful home for these women to relish in each others common love. Everyone is welcome, everyone is encouraged. All of us are blessed by this new found family. John Hobbs Husband of a Belly Dancer

Cindy - My Journey into Bellydance

My journey began while looking for something to help alleviate the stress caused by a very rough period of time in my life. I also wanted to restore some quality time with my daughter. I tried going to a local all women's gym which had somewhat helped but I got bored. I tried yoga and pilates but still nothing was settling my mind. I saw an ad in the local paper offering bellydance classes My daughter and I bravely signed up and wonder of wonders it was the most amazing thing I have ever done! I finally found the ability to concentrate on something other than the bad things that were going on. I started to feel alive and come out of my shell I had been hiding in. I started to interact with others again. I spread my wings and flew! My daughter humoured me and danced alongside me (I think she knew I needed someone to hold my hand) for a little while but felt she needed to move on in another direction. One of the biggest things I've learned is that its okay to be any size or shape, and feel good about it! I've also discovered that the music can take me away to a magical place that helps me escape the reality of day to day doldrums and it's a healthy thing to do! Sure, problems continue to come and go but I now I feel better equipped to discern what's worth worrying about and what I can let go.

Marlee's Journey in Bellydance

Belly dancing has become my identity. It's my creative outlet, my life's passion. And, as with any passion, mine as been kept alive through new challenges, the quest for self improvement, and inspiration from my teacher and fellow dancers. When I joined Bellyup I was not a total beginner. I had had some experience in my twenties and again in my mid-fifties. But, when I reflect on what has transpired in the past three years, I am in awe! Back then I was really feeling the limits of my age. I was afraid to over-exert myself in case of injury. I thought my back was too fragile to handle deep hip circles. Three-point turns terrified me, and "cute" or "sexy" moves made me feel as if I looked ridiculous! Over time, with Joharah's encouragement and my own determination, I have become the dancer that never in a million years I imagined I could be! And it's not about the quality or calibre of my dancing --- it's all about the growth and improvement. It's been gradual and subtle, but the improvement is what continues to amaze me. I'm no longer fearful of new challenges that seem beyond my capabilities. I'm even starting to "let loose" on the dancefloor! Dancing is what keeps my spirit alive. Attending classes, and practicing and performing with my equally passionate dance "sisters" has enriched my life beyond words. Turn the music on and the smile on my face says it all! Marlee

Share Your Bellydance Story with Us!

BellyUp wants to feature the stories of your journey into bellydance. Whether you’re a beginner, an advanced student or somewhere in between, if you have a story to share with us about what bellydance means to you, or has done for you please share it ! Your story is guaranteed to inspire others and we love to hear them! We’ll be featuring your story on our BellyUp Blog and our web site. And if you have a photo of yourself that we can use please share that too and we can include it with your story. Email to info@bellyup.ca We look forward to hearing from you.

Summer is an awesome season to learn a new art form. Come learn Bellydance at a one-of-a-kind studio that is dedicated to teaching it and celebrating it as an art form! Classes for all levels. Check out the link below for what's happening at BellyUp this Summer! http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Countdown-to-Summer-Bellydance-Classes--Start-July-4th-.html?soid=1102010861709&aid=4VooWCPvoaY

You Never Forget Your First Time!

Like most bellydance students they never forget their very first performance. Maybe it was a student recital or a friend's birthday party. No matter where it was it'll always be an important milestone in your life. I'll certainly never forget my first few times performing even though they are pretty blurry memories mainly due to nerves. As much as I was dying to perform when the event was 2 months away, by the day of the event my performance nerves (they weren't just jitters) were so bad I felt as though my legs were like rubber bands. Once I was performing though I didn't feel a thing and had a great time. I enjoyed performing and still do, it just took alot to get me out there. I'd go through days and days of anxiety and the day of the show I'd think "what have I got myself into" all day long. The aftermath of the performance was usually several days of beating myself up for what I didn't do or what I could have done better. Thank God those days are over and I'm alot more relaxed and happy about performing. What I realized is that I'm way too hard on myself and it took a long time to give myself kudos for doing what I was doing. Remember it takes guts and hutzpah to get all costumed up and get up on stage solo or with a troupe not to mention the dedication and commitment of time you'll devote to learning and rehearsing your choreography. So give yourself alot of credit for each time you perform. Look at every performance as training for future performances. Get your teacher to give you a few pointers on what to work on for next time but take it constructively not personally. Remember the more opportunity you have to perform, the more you'll learn. If you are a junior dance student interested in performing offer to escort a lead dancer at your studio so you can see how she handles the client, the audience and watch her performance. You'll learn a lot and she'll appreciate some extra help at her gig and the support. I'll never forget the areas that my teacher pointed out to me to improve nor the important insights I gained from more experienced dancers when I was apprencticing. To calm my nerves before going on, I do a good warmup. Sometimes I don't have space to warm up at the venue so I'll spend time at home doing some stretching especially for my lower back, legs and upper body before I leave for the show. Nerves tighten up the body so a warm up is really important. I want my shimmy to be in good form by show time and if my legs are all full of nerves that's not going to help me power up my shimmy when I need it most. While I'm waiting to go on stage I spend that time shimmying, doing figure 8's, circles and undulations to keep myself stretched and warm. I also spend time on my own just to collect my thoughts, have a few moments to reflect inwardly and do some breathwork. I need my focus and attention on the performance, my music and my audience. I also never, ever watch the performer ahead of me either. I used to and then ended up comparing my performance to hers and worrying if I would do as well. Remember your performance will be what it is because of who you are. You will not dance the way the girl in front of you will or the one that follows you. So just go out and do your personal best for you. That's what matters most. And that's the biggest thing I've learned out of many years of performing. If I can say that I gave it my best then I'm happy with that. And if I made some of my audience smile and get up and dance with me along the way then all the nerves were worth it! Joharah