History and Health Benefits of Belly Dancing
Index Introduction to Belly Dance History of Belly Dance Movements in Belly dance
◦ Percussive Movements ◦ Fluid Movements ◦ Shimmies, Shivers and Vibrations
Health Benefits of Belly Dance ◦ Back and Joint Pains are Relieved ◦ Bone Density Increases ◦ Loosing weight
Who I Am?
Introduction to Belly Dancing Belly dance is an expressive dance which emphasizes complex movements of the torso. It is typically involving undulating movements of the belly and rapid gyration of the hips.
History of Belly Dance It descended from a religious dance that was performed during fertility rituals by temple priestesses. The roots of belly dancing in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and northeastern Africa; some sources claim that the pyramid builders in ancient Egypt were belly dancers.
Movements in Belly Dance Some of the movements of belly dance can be grouped into following categories: Percussive Movements Fluid Movements Shimmies, Shivers and Vibrations
Percussive Movements
Movement in this group include hip drop, vertical hip rocks, outwards hip hits, hip lifts and hip twists. These movements using other parts of the body can include lifts or drops of the ribcage and shoulder accents.
Fluid Movements Typical movements include horizontal and vertical figures of 8 or infinity loops with the hips, horizontal or tilting hip circles, and undulations of the hips and abdomen.
Shimmies, Shivers and Vibrations Small, fast, continuous movements of the hips or ribcage, which create an impression of texture and depth of movement. Shimmies are commonly layered over other movements, and are often used to interpret rolls on the or riq or fast strumming of the oud.
Health Benefits of Belly dance There are several benefits of belly dance, but today we will discuss about some of them. These are: Back and Joint Pains are Relieved Bone Density Increases Loosing weight
Back and Joint Pains are Relieved During the dance, the movements of hip drops, circles, figure eights, and shimmies put the joints and ligaments in the lower back .This movement helps increase the flow of synovial fluid (nature’s lubricant) in these joints and can help relieves stress to the back.
Loosing Weight It can burn up to 300 calories per hour. This estimate will vary, depending on the intensity of your dancing. Combined with a healthy diet that involves sensible eating, belly dance can without a doubt be part of a sound weight loss program.
Bones Density Increases Because a woman is on her feet, moving at the time of dance, it can be considered as a weight bearing exercise. Weight bearing exercise can prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bones.
Who I Am? Karyna Alexandar Tijero is a Belly dancing expert and Zumba instructors who are currently Co Founder of Astral Plane Market.