Thursday, January 20, 2011

A Belly Dancing Adventure

Beware of Groupon. You might find yourself in a Belly Dancing class in Irving, if you're not careful.

My Belly Dancing adventure began last October, or so, when a friend forwarded a Groupon offer for Belly Dancing classes. Sure!, I thought. I can do that. Easy to pay $20 for 4 classes with no specifics...yet.

Months came and went, and with the expiration date looming, we had to actually make a commitment to go to the classes. The problem? Tracy had major conflicts with her childrens' schedules, and Kym had a conflict with a meeting she was supposed to attend. But we'd committed to these classes and it was now or never. Learn to Belly Dance or we'd lose our certificate.

So we went.



We braved unexpected traffic along two highways as we went back and forth through Grapevine for Music Theater.











But no worries. I was prepared for the caper! I'd prepped with pre-Belly Dancing caffeine.



I was afraid I'd feel the coffee jiggling around in my stomach, but since we were late, I needn't have worried.




We couldn't find the address when we finally made it to Irving/Las Colinas. Class started at 11:00. Note the time!

We finally found it at 11:07. Yikes!

Of course, we paused long enough to take a quick picture so I could write about our adventure.


Which one doesn't belong?





The real Belly Dancer/teacher. 'Cause she knew what she was doing and we, most definitely, did not!




**As a sidenote, I was chastised for trying to take a picture during our 'break time'. No phones in Belly Dancing class so as not to waste the teacher's time. I managed this one, though, and then she was kind enough to take the group photo with us (above).**

Things I learned from Belly Dancing:
1. It's harder than it looks.
2. When I go "up" "down" with my hips, I feel the jigglies. The teacher has no jigglies.
3. Doing the combos in class was one thing; practicing them at home was quite another.
4. Belly Dancing is for people of all sizes, shapes, and ages. Really. The class was FULL!

It was fun.
1. It made me feel a wee bit sexy. Okay, maybe not, but it made me feel like I had the potential to be a wee bit sexy if I practice enough.
2. It is not like a yoga workout; yoga has no adorned hip scarves for one.
3. Graduation night for our class is called Harem Night. Yikes.

I may just continue Belly Dancing after my 4 weeks are up. We'll see if I get better. Regardless, it was a great experience, something different (which keeps the mind young!), and may be fuel for a book plot, who knows. I'm thinking Lola Cruz would have a lot of fun Belly Dancing, don't you?

If you happen to be in the Dallas/FW area and want more info on Belly Dancing click here:
Dana's Dance Academy
Blue Anjou(Flower Mound)

On another note, if you're interested in indie publishing, check out this brand new blog: The Writer's Guide to ePublishing. Real numbers, tips, and resources for every writer. I'll be writing about this awesome web site next week!

Misa

9 comments:

  1. Looks like a fun class. Glad you had a good time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Misa, I've always wanted to try belly dancing but have never gotten up the nerve. I'm also afraid that afterwards, I wouldn't be able to walk. Maybe I'll try after seeing how much fun you had! Maggie

    ReplyDelete
  3. For some reason, I can't see this post! Well, I can see a white vertical rectangle and the photos. Maybe it's my IE. Hmmm.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yay, I can read it now! Misa, it sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing your adventure. Makes me want to try it out. I'm afraid I'd have "the jiggles," too. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Maggie, our class does not make you sore...at all. It's not a great workout, but it's pretty fun. I'm going to try a zumba class (did this a few years ago, but hadn't found one since we moved. Now have finally found one at a dance studio nearby) and I know THAT will make me sore!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm so glad you had fun ... before my stupid foot injury, I took lessons, and LOVED it. It's such a female-friendly art form, and the costumes make it even more fun. And it is an excellent workout. :)

    Again, so glad you guys had a blast ...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice adventure...
    >>big grins<<

    Angi

    ReplyDelete
  8. Never been brave enough to try belly dancing but my daughter-in-law talked me into taking a tap class with her last year. Not too bad until I realized we were expected to perform in the end of year recital. Yikes!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Even though it was a crazy day, it was tons of fun and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. But you've gotta get the hip scarves. It's just not the same without them!

    ReplyDelete

This is a comment awaiting moderation on the blog.