Last year my ex company had a D&D with the Arabian Night theme and I went to this shop in Arab Street to get my garbs. It was a gorgeous gold beads on white bra top and mermaid skirt ensemble. It seemed such a waste to showcase this ensemble only once, and moreover the shop owner kept urging me to take Bellydancing lessons, with the grand declaration that curvaceous women do sensuous credit to the belly dance. And being the grand bellydancing diva she is, she went on to brutally diss the not so curvaceous women who attempt the said dance.

“No front, no back, no curves, no form. A tranny looks better doing the belly dance.”

Touche!

Anyway, I attempted yoga a month ago but it did not go very well. My back felt worse so I think my slipped disc did not take too kindly to yoga. So  after checking with the bellydancing people that it’s alright for a poor afflicted body like mine, I went for a workshop today at Belly Dance. The trial workshop is only S$5.00!

And it was so good. The studio had a full length mirrored wall and you could see your every move and poise. It’s brutal but I say, the better to improve. And move we did. I, being a total narcissist, appreciated looking at my body gyrating like a graceful snake. This is a dance that celebrates femininity; hips, breasts and butt included! We shimmered, gyrated our hips and swayed like the best of them.

I had a problem with the head shaking though. After a lifetime of locking head upright, shoulders back and back straight poise, the requirement of a fluid head eludes me. LOL. I need work on this. Major work.

At the end of the workshop, we even managed to do a whole choreography of  belly dancing to the Lebanese music. (OK we tried) As I swayed my hips to the sensuous drum beats, I felt… sinuous. Lithe even.

I am so going to sign up for the Beginner’s full course.