Raqshobic from Maria Athanassiadou

mariagreek · 01-17-2008, 11:21 AM

RAQSHOBIC

FOR ALL OF THE DANCERS AND SPRORTS-ATHLETS

It is a combination of traditional Egyptian dance (Raqsharqi) and aerobic.
It constitutes a pleasant exercise, which according to the technique of particular dance, protects the vertebral column from each vibration. It has big factor of combustions (fut burning) and it helps to separate body in all the muscular teams .
With the present exercise, you can learn to isolate and control your body in all subdivisions. It helps in the better balance , strengthen all the muscular web, even teams initiating that are seldom used daily, with an easy and full disposal way.
Specifically for women, it constitutes a type of exercise of – dance that they can comfortably establish also in their entertainment..
It is a new tendency that will submerge the gyms, the faculties of dance and will give new wave in the space of gymnastics and exercising.
After 12th years of research, of tradition Egyptian dance and movement, for the pre-Islamic Raqsharqi, Mrs Maria Athanassiadou creates the Raqsh obic, so that it becomes popular in the wide public.
The results are spectacular. Students are particularly pleased, of the movements but also of music that is being used (beat - oriental). Also, as long as it goes up in levels, someone can use accessory, as cymbals, stick, veil e.g.. Which help in the intensification of all parts of body and specifically inside of arms.
The first presentation became in the meeting of CONGRESS of Gymnastica in March and June 2006 in Athens- Greece, from the creator Maria Athanassiadou, owner of intellectual rights of Raqshobic . Then, there have been followed other 4 presentations, after demand of instructors of gymnastics.

Copyright 2006-2007 Maria G. Athanassiadou. All Rights Reserved.

janaki · 01-17-2008, 01:22 PM

Hi Mariagreek,

I am sorry that my heart breaks once more to here that this beautiful art form is pushed and manipulated. There are so many excercises and machines available in gyms to achieve what you are trying to achieve and gym memberships are reasonable and accessible to many people. Why can't raqsharqi be the ART the way it should be and left alone. IMO dance is art and it is a true expression music, culture and the dancer. Teaching it as aerobics is a BIG NOOOOOOOOOO. I don't like to mix ART with EXERCISE. If you get benifits of excercise through dancing ( obviously we do) it is already a good thing.

If you don't mind me asking, if you are into researching for 12 years, what propmted you to do this? I woudl have thought that you would become more intense and authentic than otherwise.

I used to do immature stuff when I was starting out. The more I learned, the more respect I have for this dance and I am lot more careful with the "DONTS" now a days. I have arabian heritage but I am not born into this culture. It is very important for me that I pay that much more attention and respect to the culture I adopted myself into.

Sorry, I can't support this idea.

Rgds
Janaki

Yasmine Bint Al Nubia · 01-17-2008, 01:53 PM

Why the name Raqshobic?
Yasmine

Aisha Azar · 01-17-2008, 03:33 PM

Dear Maria,
I would like to ask you a few questions and I hope you do not mind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariagreek

RAQSHOBIC

FOR ALL OF THE DANCERS AND SPRORTS-ATHLETS

It is a combination of traditional Egyptian dance (Raqsharqi) and aerobic.

A'isha writes- Because of the stopping, starting and different movements that
cause a change in heart rate, etc, in Egyptian dance, it seems like it would be in direct contrast to an aerobic workout, which sustains movement and heart rate for, if I remember correctly, at least 20 minutes. I have a slight heart issue and had to add walking to my exersize because dancing dancing in the Egyptian style is not aerobic. I could be wrong, but to my mind it seems like these two things are in opposition to each other. Can you please explain further?

It constitutes a pleasant exercise, which according to the technique of particular dance, protects the vertebral column from each vibration. It has big factor of combustions (fut burning) and it helps to separate body in all the muscular teams .
With the present exercise, you can learn to isolate and control your body in all subdivisions. It helps in the better balance , strengthen all the muscular web, even teams initiating that are seldom used daily, with an easy and full disposal way.

A'isha writes- This makes sense in and of itself, but I do not see how it is different than strength and weight training, or how it is new.... or how it is aerobic.

Specifically for women, it constitutes a type of exercise of – dance that they can comfortably establish also in their entertainment..
It is a new tendency that will submerge the gyms, the faculties of dance and will give new wave in the space of gymnastics and exercising.
After 12th years of research, of tradition Egyptian dance and movement, for the pre-Islamic Raqsharqi,

A'isha writes- Pre-Islamic raqs sharghi?? What is it?

Mrs Maria Athanassiadou creates the Raqsh obic, so that it becomes popular in the wide public.
The results are spectacular. Students are particularly pleased, of the movements but also of music that is being used (beat - oriental). Also, as long as it goes up in levels, someone can use accessory, as cymbals, stick, veil e.g.. Which help in the intensification of all parts of body and specifically inside of arms.
The first presentation became in the meeting of CONGRESS of Gymnastica in March and June 2006 in Athens- Greece, from the creator Maria Athanassiadou, owner of intellectual rights of Raqshobic . Then, there have been followed other 4 presentations, after demand of instructors of gymnastics.

A'isha writes- Like Yasmine, I am wondering about the name, "Raqshobic".
Regards,
A'isha

Copyright 2006-2007 Maria G. Athanassiadou. All Rights Reserved.

Aniseteph · 01-17-2008, 04:32 PM

Well I guess belly dance workouts are nothing new, plenty of DVDs and my teacher has a workout class so I won't throw stones very hard....

... but my reaction was pretty much the same as Janaki's.

It's specifying raks sharki that gives it the

factor for me (maybe this is a language thing?). Bellyrobics or some such, you know what to expect - aerobics in a hipscarf to some vaguely ME sounding music with a few "bellydance" moves thrown in. Not saying it's right by any means, but I don't think it pretends to be anything more than Jane Fonda plus hip drops. You gotta have a gimmick, as they say...

But saying raks sharki, and specifying traditional Egyptian dance... how does that sit with fat burning and gymnastics? Sorry, fusion from hell IMHO.

janaki · 01-17-2008, 10:54 PM

I also would like to ask what is "pre islamic raq sharqi"???

Aniseteph · 01-18-2008, 01:37 AM

Perhaps it is all explained here, but I can't understand any of it!

Aisha Azar · 01-18-2008, 01:44 AM

I am confused.... a lot of what was being done there does not look the least bit aerobic....and it does also not look very much like Raqs sharghi...... And none of it looks "pre-Islamic...
Regards,
A'isha

chryssanthi sahar · 01-18-2008, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniseteph

Perhaps it is all explained here, but I can't understand any of it!

But I do understand all of it! And I can tell you, that what is said on this video (which is a clip from some Greek tv programme, I don't know which) is nothing more than what is said in the promotional text that MariatheGreek has posted here. Same things said with more words plus some reporters who say some irrelevant things about their experiences with belly dancers in Middle East, plus the students who are praising the stuff. As about the "pre-Islamic raqs sharqi"

, she says, that since the archaeological excavations have brought different ancient stuff about Egypt to the light, we can tell now for sure when the Raqs Sharqi in ancient times exactly started

MariatheGreek, sorry, I don't want to offend you, but the stuff about "pre Islamci Raqs Sharqi" is absolutely ridiculous!

There can be NO proves about the beginning of what we call today Raqs Sharqi, there can only be fantastic speculation. Maybe we can talk about pre-Islamic belly dance, but for sure we cannot talk about pre-Islamic Raqs Sharqi!
We've talked often about the subject "Roots of belly dance" here in OrientalDancer, just have a look at this thread where real experts like Aisha Azar and Tarik Sultan are giving explanations to the matter.
http://forum.orientaldancer.net/othe...lly-dance.html
And just one advice from me who know Greece as well as the rest of the world: in Greece you are what you claim to be and because people are too lazy and too comfortable to check if it is true or not, you can sell everything, if you "wrap" it in an appealing packing. But this is not valid for the rest of Europe and North America. People don't just believe everything they hear, they check and if they find out that you are bluffing, they send you to hell.

nightdancer · 01-18-2008, 04:52 AM

Okay, I am not going to lie, it looks like fun. It looks like a great workout. But none of that should be confused with authentic dance. However, I suppose that there is a potential for someone to take the great time they had in that class, and use it as a means to start learning more.

01-17-2008, 11:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
mariagreek Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pireas Greece Posts: 7	Raqshobic from Maria Athanassiadou RAQSHOBIC FOR ALL OF THE DANCERS AND SPRORTS-ATHLETS It is a combination of traditional Egyptian dance (Raqsharqi) and aerobic. It constitutes a pleasant exercise, which according to the technique of particular dance, protects the vertebral column from each vibration. It has big factor of combustions (fut burning) and it helps to separate body in all the muscular teams . With the present exercise, you can learn to isolate and control your body in all subdivisions. It helps in the better balance , strengthen all the muscular web, even teams initiating that are seldom used daily, with an easy and full disposal way. Specifically for women, it constitutes a type of exercise of – dance that they can comfortably establish also in their entertainment.. It is a new tendency that will submerge the gyms, the faculties of dance and will give new wave in the space of gymnastics and exercising. After 12th years of research, of tradition Egyptian dance and movement, for the pre-Islamic Raqsharqi, Mrs Maria Athanassiadou creates the Raqsh obic, so that it becomes popular in the wide public. The results are spectacular. Students are particularly pleased, of the movements but also of music that is being used (beat - oriental). Also, as long as it goes up in levels, someone can use accessory, as cymbals, stick, veil e.g.. Which help in the intensification of all parts of body and specifically inside of arms. The first presentation became in the meeting of CONGRESS of Gymnastica in March and June 2006 in Athens- Greece, from the creator Maria Athanassiadou, owner of intellectual rights of Raqshobic . Then, there have been followed other 4 presentations, after demand of instructors of gymnastics. Copyright 2006-2007 Maria G. Athanassiadou. All Rights Reserved.

01-17-2008, 01:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
Yasmine Bint Al Nubia V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Akron, Ohio Posts: 1,139	Why the name Raqshobic? Yasmine __________________ www.visionsofthenile.com

01-18-2008, 01:44 AM	#8 (permalink)
Aisha Azar V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 4,518	Raqshobic I am confused.... a lot of what was being done there does not look the least bit aerobic....and it does also not look very much like Raqs sharghi...... And none of it looks "pre-Islamic... Regards, A'isha

01-17-2008, 01:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
janaki V.I.P. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: hong kong Posts: 1,211	Hi Mariagreek, I am sorry that my heart breaks once more to here that this beautiful art form is pushed and manipulated. There are so many excercises and machines available in gyms to achieve what you are trying to achieve and gym memberships are reasonable and accessible to many people. Why can't raqsharqi be the ART the way it should be and left alone. IMO dance is art and it is a true expression music, culture and the dancer. Teaching it as aerobics is a BIG NOOOOOOOOOO. I don't like to mix ART with EXERCISE. If you get benifits of excercise through dancing ( obviously we do) it is already a good thing. If you don't mind me asking, if you are into researching for 12 years, what propmted you to do this? I woudl have thought that you would become more intense and authentic than otherwise. I used to do immature stuff when I was starting out. The more I learned, the more respect I have for this dance and I am lot more careful with the "DONTS" now a days. I have arabian heritage but I am not born into this culture. It is very important for me that I pay that much more attention and respect to the culture I adopted myself into. Sorry, I can't support this idea. Rgds Janaki

01-17-2008, 04:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
Aniseteph V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 1,712	Well I guess belly dance workouts are nothing new, plenty of DVDs and my teacher has a workout class so I won't throw stones very hard.... ... but my reaction was pretty much the same as Janaki's. It's specifying raks sharki that gives it the factor for me (maybe this is a language thing?). Bellyrobics or some such, you know what to expect - aerobics in a hipscarf to some vaguely ME sounding music with a few "bellydance" moves thrown in. Not saying it's right by any means, but I don't think it pretends to be anything more than Jane Fonda plus hip drops. You gotta have a gimmick, as they say... But saying raks sharki, and specifying traditional Egyptian dance... how does that sit with fat burning and gymnastics? Sorry, fusion from hell IMHO.

01-17-2008, 10:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
janaki V.I.P. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: hong kong Posts: 1,211	I also would like to ask what is "pre islamic raq sharqi"???

01-18-2008, 01:37 AM	#7 (permalink)
Aniseteph V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 1,712	Perhaps it is all explained here, but I can't understand any of it!

01-18-2008, 04:52 AM	#10 (permalink)
nightdancer Moderator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Below the Mason-Dixon Posts: 237	Okay, I am not going to lie, it looks like fun. It looks like a great workout. But none of that should be confused with authentic dance. However, I suppose that there is a potential for someone to take the great time they had in that class, and use it as a means to start learning more.