| Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this | | | | in rocking chairs." I've noticed a lot of young people |
| article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre*e of | | | | who can't even keep up with us," says Audrey de la |
| charge, as long as you include my full signature file for | | | | Houssaye a retired chemist. Twenty years to tighten |
| ezines, and my Web site address( in hyperlink for | | | | my abdominal muscles that were weakened by |
| other sites. Please send a courtesy link or email where | | | | surgery, I am finally achieving results by belly dancing. |
| you publish to Thank you. | | | | Several women have told me they wished they had |
| _______________________ | | | | known about belly dancing in their child birthing years |
| TITLE: Belly Dancing for the Midlife Soul Part 2 | | | | as they really see how it would have helped them |
| AUTHOR: Sandra Schrift CONTACT: COPYRIGHT: | | | | surrender and open more easily to the birth energy. |
| ©2004 by Sandra Schrift. All rights reserved | | | | What Lamaze calls "pelvic rocking" and "deep |
| Format: 60 Characters per line Article URL: Article | | | | breathing" are referred to as "belly roll" and "flutter." |
| Autoresponder: | | | | Since life begins in the belly we now get a second |
| _______________________ | | | | chance to get back in touch with our bellies without |
| Belly Dancing for the Midlife Soul | | | | becoming pregnant. |
| Isadora Duncan, the mother of modern dance, says, | | | | Something absolutely miraculous happens to women |
| "The dancer of the future will be one whose body and | | | | as they swirl their veils and isolate their hips while |
| soul have grown so harmoniously together that the | | | | waving their snake-like arms. I love seeing my students |
| natural language of that soul will have become the | | | | rediscover the magic and mystery of their true |
| movement of the body. The dancer will not belong to | | | | feminine energy for belly dancing truly puts one in |
| a nation, but to all humanity." | | | | touch with the profound wisdom and beauty of who |
| In October 1989, while taking a brisk walk with my | | | | we really are, no matter what our age or size of our |
| friend, Judy Cullins, I was given an idea that would allow | | | | bellies. We are transformed into earth mothers, playful |
| me to merge my body and soul so harmoniously that | | | | little girls, queens in ornate costumes and seductresses |
| my life literally changed. Judy had casually mentioned | | | | all rolled into one desirable woman. |
| that she was taking a belly dance class through an | | | | In as much as belly dance is improvisational, there are |
| adult education program in San Diego. Her exact | | | | basic moves, but once learned the dance becomes a |
| words were, "It's a hoot," and that was just enough to | | | | personal expression of the dancer. Eventually each |
| spark a long held adult fantasy. So at the age of 52, | | | | belly dancer moves towards greater self-acceptance |
| this mother of five registered for the Tuesday night | | | | and confidence. Valentina, whose mother often called |
| belly dance class and never looked back. | | | | her a clumsy child, says, "I no longer feel awkward. I |
| During my first night of class, our teacher greeted us | | | | am now a dancer with a soul - and the soul is |
| at the door with these instructions, "Grab a veil out of | | | | beautiful!" Clinical Therapist, Susan Siegel says, "The |
| the box," she said. "There's a dancer inside of you and | | | | dancer was sleeping within me. It was not in my |
| she just needs to be let out." It was right there that I | | | | master plan but I love being alluring and spontaneous in |
| caught the belly dance bug and it changed the course | | | | my performance. It's more about feeling than thinking. |
| of my life forever. Although my friends and peers | | | | During belly dance, the mind, muscle, hip and shimmy |
| couldn't quite grasp the concept and repeatedly asked | | | | celebrate a woman's strength and the goddess within. |
| why a mature woman decided to belly dance, I could | | | | It's also very festive as women dress in alluring |
| only say that I found the whole idea of this type of | | | | costumes, shaking their hips and their belly, coming |
| expression both provoking and rewarding. | | | | together as "sisters" in a non-threatening environment. |
| I have found that belly dancing is a metaphor for life, | | | | Audrey de la Houssaye states, "I always want to look |
| for in dance we move through time and space, just as | | | | my best in a costume which motivates me to take |
| we do while we live out the passages of our lives. As I | | | | better care of my body." |
| studied the art of movement, I was also learning the | | | | While spending seventeen days at Ground Zero, |
| art of living, since belly dancing teaches one how to be | | | | Rachel Chavez, a San Diego nurse, and long time belly |
| in the moment, to be in the body and most of a to feel | | | | dancer, visualized herself dancing. Doing so seriously |
| with the entire being. I've not only learned how to stay | | | | reduced her stress. "I found myself swaying my arms |
| in shape, but I've learned to lead, to follow and best of | | | | to remove myself from the incessant sounds of the |
| all, to let go. | | | | cranes and jackhammers." |
| Ten years after taking my first lesson, I started | | | | Once a student feels comfortable with the dance |
| teaching classes to a group of mature women, age 50 | | | | moves and their ability to express themselves in an |
| and over (My oldest student was 91) Students come | | | | unstructured way, the women easily don costumes |
| with loads of self-doubt and self-consciousness, | | | | and eagerly look forward to participating in monthly |
| fearfully displaying their belly, yet eager to exercise and | | | | performances at senior centers and nursing homes in |
| have some fun. They all stay because they love the | | | | San Diego. Both the men and women in the audiences |
| chance to play and be in the present moment just like | | | | smile as they watch the dancers flail their veils, balance |
| we did as children. "Love your belly" is what I say, for | | | | swords and act flirtatious. When a dancer drapes a |
| it's the only one you have. "Belly dancing can be | | | | perfumed veil over the head of a man in the audience, |
| equated to removing a curtain as you start to express | | | | all the men smile, secretly flattering themselves that the |
| yourself," states Valentina Kouznetsov, a computer | | | | gesture really was intended for them. The women |
| engineer from Russia. "It's an exercise for my soul and | | | | smile too, because they all know better. "I love the |
| puts me in touch with my inner feminity. | | | | sense of feminine mystery" behind my veil and the |
| According to a recent Psychology Today survey, | | | | feeling of mastery says Susan Siegel. |
| fifty-six percent of women are not happy with their | | | | The women who enjoy this form of dance find it to be |
| bodies, most of whom are troubled by their abdomens, | | | | a powerful yet joyful expression of their inner souls. |
| hips, muscle tone and weight. But things are changing | | | | Belly dancers will never let their age get in the way of |
| and believe it or not the change is coming about | | | | their lives for dancing is more than fun |
| through the unusual art of belly dancing. During my | | | | Register for a free teleclass on "How To Be a Better |
| classes we work our abdominals and hips in a way | | | | Public Speaker Immediately"; Thursday, August 26, |
| that our culture doesn't teach. Sheila Disper, a retired | | | | 2004 from 7-8 p.m. EST. |
| social worker says, "We may be seniors but we're not | | | | |