fatinah

So...I was having conversation with my gal pals who were saying how lucky I was to do belly dancing and that I had an excuse not to always do sit ups etc. They assumed that belly dancers carry a little extra belly jelly for dancing but I told them in my experience with videos on youtube and the bellydance superstars that most dancers have toned to perfection abs.

So are you meant to have a bit of wobble or shoudl you have lean toned abs??

I think either can look sexy but just wondering what you girlies thought?

jenc

you could tell them that BD is a far better workout than sit-ups. I have discovered muscles I never knew I had. didn't know that abs came in 3 different varieities (lower, middle, upper) and never suspected that I could use them separately before I started BD, neber mind obliques and the brand new muscles at the side of my waist. And that's all from egyptian, not tribal in case you were wondering.

On the other hand, if you don't have wobbly bits as well, you have to work extra hard on shimmies.

I have both, by the way. There's a fair layer of flab over all those muscles. And there are plenty of good dancers out there, also with clips on youTube who carry a bit of weight.

Jen

*leila*

I am a beginner to belly dance, but i have to admit the way it tones my abs is amazing without me having to do boring sets of sit ups. And i love the way it evens out my shape so i still have feminine curves, i was doing so much aerobic type activites but they made me loose fat from all the wrong places , like my bust etc with belly dance , i get a great workout, good looking abs, and can keep my curvy shape. I would much rather have my curves than abs of steel. Even watching Jenna, and Rachel bryce on my home DVD's they have great stomachs, not over toned firm, and i love Jennas shape so feminine.

gisela

Well I guess it's how you look at it. I would consider Rachel Brice "overtoned".

As for the OP, for me there's no "should". You come into the dance as you are, with or without killer abs. You will develop some muscle control though, you can't help not to.

I have not lost weight by bellydancing but my belly has changed it's shape bit and I have a lot more muscles in there now. My idea of how I would like to look has changed though, but that could be age as well, hehe. Before I wanted to be as thin as possible. Now I want to look strong but natural. No sixpack for me. Round and curvy please .

However bellydancers are actually ordinary people living in this world and they do get affected by the general fashion and slimness pressure. As for the superstars I would think it's a need to be überfit just like superstars of the movies, music etc.

I'm not very slim, , maybe one day......

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You need chaos in your soul to create a dancing star-nietzsche

teela

I think there are some of us who will always have a belly due to life. I have one due to giving birth to two children. I also think you really need a bit of a belly to belly dance. I think I am seeing a confusion between being toned and the idea of build being equated with shape. You know if you are thin,then obviously you have to be in good shape and if you are built like one of the ladies from a Ruben painting, it is obvious you aren't in good shape. I think this is a skewed viewpoint. I've noticed on myself, I am fairly toned but I still have a belly and will always have a belly. I've accepted it. On the other hand, I am seeing control of certain muscles I didn't have before I took up belly dance.

*leila*

teela like you i hae had two kids. I have never been slender and always had a curvey build which i love, and i would regard myself as fit and healthy, our body shapes change constantly, i love my belly, and belly dancing has given me a new found love of my body, as i bought into societys recent percetions of the body beautiful, now through this dance i have accepted my body as it is, and what it can do, I now have muscles that must have lay dormant for years lol.

Samira bint Aya

I would call Rachel Brice super toned! And I would be very surprised if she has built those abs with belly dancing alone.

Personally, I do have a pouch. I have always felt uncomfortable with it, however, belly dancing has helped me be more accepting of it…

On a side note, a lot of belly dance instructional videos are marketed as fitness alternatives. While I think that belly dancing is good exercise, I don’t believe it can substitute a proper workout at the gym. It may help, but it will not really build the body in the same way as aerobics or Pilates….

I find that bellydancing helps in different ways. It makes me feel more feminine, to be more aware about my body, to respect my body more.

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Each dancing step brings a fresh breeze سميرة

Sara

I don't think it matters! It's upto the individual and as long as they are happy with themselves it's okay.

I know for me personally, I want to be toned and curvy at the same time. I want a flat belly, but I love my big bum ( I got voted the best bum in my halls ) and curvy hips. Yet, I hate my thighs and my belly.

I don't like parts of myself, but when I look at Dina, RB, Jenna, Lucy it doesn't matter what size they are cause when they dance they all look beautiful. As an individual I will be self critical but admire others I. When I'm dancing it doesn't matter because I feel good. When I'm not dancing I want to be as toned and slim as I can be cause I've always wanted to be able to show off my belly on a night out, especially cause we do fancy dress alot. It'd be fun. It's a silly little motive, but keeps me going at the gym.

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With a little bit of this and a little bit of that, now shake your bum.... :P

adiemus

Having watched a few (OK make that LOTS) of video clips, I think skinny looks horrible, waaay huge looks unhealthy, but curvaceaous (spelling anyone?!) looks great.
Personally I think Rachel Brice and lookalikes look too slim, but then again she is generally slender anyway, and the style of dance she is doing is more about control than shimmy or so it seems...
I've had two kids, have always had a curved belly, and am probably carrying about 5 kg more than I need to, but bellydance has helped me feel OK about my shape/size and now I love my curves!

As long as you are healthy and at a healthy weight, I don't think your size/shape matters so much (apart from the desire to fit a fashionable shape), but I think that too slim is not as attractive for dancing as 'nicely covered' (as my mother would say!).

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He wahine, he taonga- Every woman is a treasure(Maori proverb)

fatinah

thanks girls I am a size 8-10 uk so Im slim but I have a wobbly tum but since dancing I kinda like it and my hubby is commenting on how much more relaxed and confident i am since dancing so i guess it doesnt matter