Belly Dancing with Valerie ContinuesBeginning March 10Valerie Paik By: Kelley A. Blessing Ever since the advent of popular television shows such as Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, dance fever has swept the nation at an incredible rate! There are now dance classes at local fitness centers and a plethora of DVDs on sale for those moments when you’ve just gotta dance—even in the comfort of your own home! But, ballroom dance, a style that is quite popular in the aforementioned television shows, is not the only stylistic craze that has hit the United States. According to Tracy Ivie of Savvy Magazine, belly dancing “has experienced a resurgence in health clubs, adult ed [sic] centers as well as on DVDs and videotapes” (www.studiofitness.net).But what exactly is belly dancing, and more, importantly, why is it so popular? Belly dancing, or, more properly known as Oriental Dancing, has its origins in Middle Eastern society and culture (“All About Belly Dancing—Shira.net). World-renowned belly dancer, Shira, was able to provide some insight into the origins of this dance form. “For centuries, the role of Oriental dance in Middle Eastern society has been that of a folk dance that people would do at joyous occasions such as weddings, the birth of a child, community festivals, and other events that bring people together to party. It was a dance that men, women, and children did for fun, not a "performance" done to entertain an audience. Just as Americans at a modern-day wedding reception might do waltzes, two-steps, or even the chicken dance, so people in the Middle East would get up with their friends to shimmy to their favorite music” (“All About Belly Dancing—Shira.net). Shira, in a lengthy article about the history of Oriental dance, continued to stress the fact that belly dancing did not originate as a dance of seduction by women in harems to tempt the Sultan (“All About Belly Dancing—Shira.net). Apparently, the sex and seduction was introduced to the world by, none other then, Hollywood! Although the history is extremely interesting, the question of its surge in popularity still remains. Why, suddenly, did this Middle Eastern dance become so popular amongst Westerners? In a current society that is obsessed with the ideal body and calorie counting, people will do anything in order to shed a few extra pounds. Shows such as Dancing with the Stars and Dance Your Ass Off, hosted by Tony Award winning actress and Dancing with the Stars contestant, Marissa Jaret Winokur, stress the link between dancing and weight loss (Uproxx). While all forms of dance are extremely healthy, belly dancing is one of the few that provides the performer with a full body workout (Waldrop). “Unlike ballet…, which tends to work against rather than with the body’s physical inclinations…belly dancing is based on movements that come naturally to the female form” (Waldrop). Belly dancing works heavily with the contraction and development of important abdominal muscles (Waldrop), such as the transverses abdominus—the muscle that compresses the abdomen during respiration—as well as increases healthy spinal flexion and allows for increased flow of synovial fluid throughout the body, which helps to lubricate and cushion the joints (Gay, Clark, and Waldrop). By toning and stretching the deep muscles in the back (Lopez), belly dancing helps to improve posture and reduces low back pain that can occur when the muscles around the spine are weak (Waldrop). Belly dancing also contains a great deal of “hip drops and figure eights” (Waldrop), which help to increase the flexibly of the Ilio-psoas complex—a muscle group that aids hip flexion and spinal extension (Lopez, Gay and Clark)—and other muscles, such as the Rectus Femoris, which help to form the hip joint and aid in flexion and extension of the spine and legs (Lopez, Clark and Gay). By having increased flexibility in the hip and pelvic region of the body, a greater balance can be achieved while walking as well as increased suppleness and flexibility (Waldrop). Since belly dancing is a weight bearing exercise (Waldrop), it can help prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bones. According to Doctor Carolle Jean-Murat, M.D., as cited by Waldrop, one hour of belly dancing burns up to three hundred calories (Waldrop). All of that combined makes Oriental dancing an extremely healthy and enjoyable physical activity. Fred Astaire of Upper Montclair owners and five time US Ballroom and Theatrical Ballroom Champions, Kostadin Bidjourov and Carrie Babcock, recognized the importance and growing popularity of belly dancing. “We knew we had to bring it [belly dancing] back,” said Babcock. The studio had offered a belly dancing course once before and it was met with a great deal of success. “We now receive as many calls for belly dancing as we do for any of the ballroom dances we teach. Since we receive these calls, we can’t wait to bring it back!” And they are bringing it back with gusto and flair that can only be found at Fred Astaire of Upper Montclair! Classes, which start on September 16, 2009, and will last for six weeks, are going to be taught by “passionate performer and belly dance teacher,” (valeriedance.com) Valerie. For more information regarding belly dancing or ballroom dancing contact the Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studio of Upper Montclair: 973-783-8999 or by visiting their website: www.danceastaire.com. ### Works Cited Gay, Michelle, CMA; Cheryl Clark, CMA and Mariangela Lopez, CMA. "Introduction to Anatomy and Kinesiology." Manhattan, NY. 07 Aug. 2009. Lecture. Ivie, Tracy. Feb. 2009. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. . Shira. "All About Belly Dancing - Shira.net." All About Belly Dancing! Exploring The Art of Middle Eastern Dance! Learn About Belly Dance! Web. 10 Aug. 2009. . Uproxx. "FAT PEOPLE DANCING: THE TV SHOW | Warming Glow." Warming Glow is a blog dedicated to the best and worst of television programming. Mostly the worst. June 2009. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. . Valerie. Belly Dance Classes in New Jersey and Professional Belly Dancer in New York & New Jersey: The Art of Belly Dance with Valerie. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. . Waldrop, Sheri. "Health Benefits of Belly Dance." Nazeem Allayl Bellydance Studio for belly dancing Atlanta, GA. © Atlanta Belly Dance LLC 2009. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. .
Congratulations Charlotte Carey and Kostadin Bidjourov
1st Place at MillenniumJune, 2009
Charlotte Carey has been chasing this title for years and finally scores in Florida. Elaine Sheresky, partnered with Victor Russo, has been known to be unstoppable and unbeatable. This weekend at Millennium, that reign ended. Congratulations Charlotte, for winning the L-C Pro Am International Standard Open Scholarship(W/T/VW/FT/QS). More successes like this to you and Kostadin in the future.
Final summary
| No. |
W |
T |
V |
F |
Q |
Total |
Result |
| 313 Carey/Bidjourov |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
| 384 Ford/Litvinov |
5 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
26 |
6 |
| 393 Park/Michalski |
2 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
23 |
5 |
| 428 Sheresky/Russu |
4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
2 |
| 452 Parker/Triaszin |
6 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
19 |
3 |
| 459 Neyshtadt/Walker |
3 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
20 |
4 |
Paint the Town and Studio RedSpecial Thanks to: T
eresa
Marie Marinelli. Teresa met with owners Carrie and Kostadin and was the inspiration behind the new sign and the bold, dramatic red! She really gave permission and encouragment to be beautiful and stunning, and to make the most out of the space. Keep your eyes open for some small and some large changes around the studio. "Change can be good."
Teresa's
work as a Feng Shui practitioner spans many years and includes work
with both large corporations and individuals. She is the founder
of the renowned Feng Shui Alliance, one of the nation's pre-eminent
training programs for Feng Shui practitioners which bring together
the country's most distinguished Feng Shui scholars.
Studio Owners to Perform
On Tuesday, October 29, Kostadin Bidjourov and Carrie Babcock will step out of retirement to perform a waltz in Garfield.
Hosted by the SMILE FOREVER FOUNDATION, Fred Astaire of NJ will be putting on a show to benefit families in Bergen and Passaic Counties whose lives have been touched by cancer and autism.
The Smile Forever Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit charity that provides financial assistance to families experiencing disabling illnesses, especially cancer and autism, by contributing to living expenses. It's beneficiaries are local families, mostly from Bergen and Passaic counties. Since the Foundation is staffed by volunteers, 100% of the net proceeds ar dispersed directly to those in need.
DANCING LIKE THE STARS will start at 6:30 PM and end at 11:00 PM. The show will include Pro/Am showcase dancing and performances by seven world famous professional. From 10-11 there will be open dancing for the attendees. There will be a live auction, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. Tickets range from $125-$175, depending on how close you are to the stage. Tickets can be obtained through your teacher at Upper Montclair.
Upper Montclair For the Cure
From October 2-6, students and staff of the Upper Montclair Studio raised more than $500 in donations for the Women's Cancer Programs of EIF to support the fight against breast cancer. Since 1996, Lee National Denim Day has raised more than $70 million for the fight against breast cancer...$5 at a time.
For Denim Day, staff and students who wore jeans were asked to contribute $5. Our practice session was another chance to give - $15 per person. And managment donated $5 for every lesson bought and paid in full on Thursday, October 2.
 
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetimes. That's a startling statistic. Thanks to Team Upper Montclair for their participation in this important cause, and congratulations to all who participated!!!!
|
