Absolutely not. Most important is to wear exercise clothes you are comfortable in. Even though we call the dance, ‘belly dance’, only a few moves are actually belly focused. The dance incorporates all aspects of the body, from hands, arms, shoulders, chest, hips to knees. That being said, if you want to show your belly, show it. As you progress through classes you might find lifting your shirt sometimes to see your belly will help you see the movement better and understand how your body moves and which muscles are being activated, but the choice is yours. Being comfortable is most important.

A hip scarf gives you a visual and auditory accent of your hips. They are colourful, fun and give you a vibe for your belly dance class. There are many different types of hip scarves. There is the iconic coin hip scarf but there are also ones that are either fringed, shimmery or have tassels. I have various hip scarves for sale, starting at $20. You can purchase one before or at your first class. Buying one at your first class will allow you to see, touch and try it on before purchasing. In addition you will be supporting my small, homegrown business which I greatly appreciate.

Traditionally belly dance is done barefoot but if you prefer you can wear socks, ballet slippers or a soft jazz shoe. We also have some special footies available for purchase which are special dance footwear to give the ball of your foot protection from dancing.

All you need to belly dance is you but we recommend a bottle of water and encourage a hip scarf to get you in the groove.

At the moment we do not offer this option as classes are selling out.

No sorry. This class is for registered participants only who are ages 14+.

Raqs Sharqi is more commonly known as ‘belly dance’ and sometimes called ‘Oriental dance’. The words ‘Raqs Sharqi’ are Arabic and translate to ‘Dance of the Orient’. There are different styles of belly dance, such ATS, shabbi, baladi, modern, classical Egyptian, gothic, nubian, al jeel, american cabaret, Lebanese, khaleggi, turkish folk and cabaret, and fusion styles which share a core foundation of Raqs Sharqi but have their own unique moves and music. Raqs Sharqi originated in Egypt and the isolated hip movements are very unique to Raqs Sharqi. The costumes worn are typically a bra, belt and skirt combo which are colourful and shimmery whereas ATS costumes tend to have more layers, halter-like tops, harem pants underneath large flowing skirts and incorporate flowers and other headpieces. To read more about the history of Raqs Sharqi visit Club Cairo’s website: https://www.clubcairo.co.uk/html/history.php

Studies have shown that dancing helps mental health because it focuses on body movement and emotional expression which help alleviate symptoms of depression.

Dancing improves cerebral health, spatial memory, executive functioning, processing speed and reduces brain atrophy in the hippocampus and thus the risk of dementia because it activates the brain to make new neural connections. Dancing is more beneficial than treadmill walking, for example, because of the social and cognitive aspects, it strengthens more areas of the brain. Sources: Blumen, H. (2023). Kick up your heels - ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia. The Conversation Online: https://theconversation.com/kick-up-your-heels-ballroom-dancing-offers-benefits-to-the-aging-brain-and-could-help-stave-off-dementia Laguipo, A. (2023).Is Dancing Good For the Brain? News Medical Life Science Online: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Is-Dancing-Good-for-the-Brain Punkanen, M., et al., (2017). Emotions in motion: depression in dance-movement and dance-movement in treatment of depression. Oxford Handbooks Online. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199949298.013.58 Goodill, S. (2016). Dance/movement therapy and the arts in healthcare: the first 50 years. American Journal of Dance Therapy. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10465-016-9235-z Balgaonkar, AV. (2010). Effect of dance/ motor therapy on the cognitive development of children. International Journal of Arts and Sciences. Verghese, J. et al., (2003). Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly. New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa022252 Merom, D. et al., (2016). Cognitive benefits of social dancing and walking in old age: the dancing mind randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00026 Machado L. T. et al.,(2018). Dance for neuroplasticity: A descriptive systematic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.12.010