Samira bint Aya

I find the vertical figure 8, to be very straining on my lower back.

I have lower back problems (accident history) and I am super super mindful to any sensations coming from that part of my body. I wouldn’t call them dangerous though, as long as you respect your body. You can control the range of motion to where you feel comfortable.

I don’t think anything is dangerous, if you listen to what your body is telling you.

Kasmir,
Very useful list you’ve put together there! I printed it out to keep!

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Each dancing step brings a fresh breeze سميرة

Caroline_afifi

I dont teach weekly classes and never have.
I worry when I see people doing big backbends and any movement which twists the knee's. It takes time for people to learn correct technique (if they are being taught correctly in the first place). The early months are potentially open to a some damage.
I have a dodgy knee that flares up occasionaly and I had terrible shoulder problems following veil work in the early days.
I do have to say that back bends do look the most unnatural of all the moves and works against the body. I never teach them in workshops as they are potentially high risk and not worth it or relevant to the style I personally teach.

karena

They are the main move I use to help my lower back. The other week when I was away and couldn't go to any classes, I could be spotted doing them whenever I thought not many people were looking Obviously depends on the back problem though.

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"Nothing is black and white, it's all shades of grey" Me

Ankebuzz

Are there other places in the world that has a student and teacher syllabus for belly dancing, like with grades like ballet??

It's not mandatory here, but optional... I'm doing Grade 1 next month

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Ankebuzzzzzzzzzz

Mya

Also with reference to A'isha's post on the natural tuck (sorry if that's not exactly what she said) - I learnt to dance at a school and from an instructor who is not held in high regard on this forum. She never taught anything about posture except to bend the knees and how to create aesthetically pleasing lines with the body.
I learnt about this tuck from being on this forum as well as from working with dvds. Will someone please explain to me the difference between the wrong tuck that Aziyade is referring to and the natural tuck that Aisha is referring to? I teach people to tuck - mostly because trinidadians seem to have tendencies towards duck-butted-ness and i don't want them to hurt their lower backs but i surely don't want to teach them to do it the wrong way either!

I appreciate any clarification! Thanks for this great thread.

Mya

Marya

I used to find the vertical figure 8s a problem too, but now I don't because I learned to use my abdominal muscles more than hip muscles (Thank you Aisha for teaching me the right way to do this move) and they look incredibly wonderful too.

Marya

Aisha Azar

Dear Adiemus,
I am not sure if it is osteoarthritis. I do know that I have it in specifically "belly dance" related areas. None anywhere else. I just may end up with osteoperosis some day as my mother has it. But then.... I had the good sense not to have 8 children,too, so who knows???
Regards,
A'isha

Aisha Azar

Dear Mya,
Probably one of the only areas where Shareen El-Safy and I have a disagreement is where she has a very controlled, intense tuck as her basic posture along with standing sort of in front of the center of gravity rather than on it. I use that posture in order to create some movements, but my basic posture is much more relaxed and I believe that posture is a dynamic thing, changing throughout the dance to accommodate making specific movements easily and with more control.
My "tuck" really is just natural, good posture, which most of us do not use in our everyday lives. The knees are flexible and only very lightly bent, the pubic bone is pulled slightly upward toward the ceiling, the back, just slightly above the butt should be sort flattened out, not pushing up or down ( I DO use the term "flat back"), the rig cage should be pulled up all the way around so that there is no arch, and the shoulders should be relaxed. Your arms should be raised to about breast level, but not too far above that as you will then create tension in your shoulders.
I don't know why I am doing this so much lately!! I never feel that I can adequately explain what I am trying to say about movement or posture without using our actual bodies!!


Dear Marya,
I have seen your posture improve dramatically, both in dance and in your every day life. I have watched your flexibility grow and I have seen major improvements in general movement. You work VERY hard to be the best dancer you can be and that is just one of the reasons its so great to be able to work with you!

Regards to you both,
A'isha

Salome

My opinion is such that I see all of the fundamental movement families as natural movements done in natural posture, there is nothing dangerous about the movements themselves.

adiemus

A'isha, you may feel more discomfort in areas that you use more often if you have osteoarthritis in that area, but the onset of OA is either related to specific damage (usually a past fracture or direct trauma to the joint) otherwise it's genetic.

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