BELLY DANCE UNCOVERED

MELISSA BELLY DANCE NEWSLETTER

SPRING EDITION

APRIL 2013

Welcome to Melissa Belly Dance Abs work out for a leaner, flatter, toned stomach in my 3rd edition of the Belly Dance Uncovered Newsletter.

We uncover some fun and creative ways of working on our core strength, conditioning our abs, and flattening our tummies for summer whilst developing our belly dance technique at the same time! Exciting news, belly dance and belly dancing goodies!

Belly dance news - lots of exciting news this month! See below!
Spotlight on core strength, abdominal exercises and belly dance abs - including FREE video tutorial!
Interview with a student
FREE online class video!

For this 3rd edition we interview one of my students Becky, who shares her belly dance experiences with you all, we talk about belly dance and core stability in this editions Spotlight, take FREE taster classes with me, AND put your stamina to the test in a belly dance core stability and abs workout challenge (accompanied by an online video tutorial)!

Belly Dance News!

New April 2013 belly dance and belly dance fusion courses

Online courses – all you need to know and the limited spring special offer

The Arabian Kings Spring Banquet Ball Belly Dance Show

FREE Taster Workshops – London UK!

Melissa Belly Dance Teacher Training Course 2013

FREE online 1 hour bellydance class!

Melissa’s DVD’S

NEW BELLY DANCE AND BELLY DANCE FUSION COURSES!

https://melissabellydance.com/

Courses available: • Belly dance levels 1-4 • Tribal level 1 • Belly dance Hiphop (open to all) • Tahitian/ Polynesian Fusion (open to all) • Latin Fusion (open to all)

View the full course timetable here:

https://melissabellydance.com/timetable-and-courses/

The courses: Each course is 6 weeks long and also comes with 6 weeks access to the relevant online course so you can practice anytime, any place and anywhere!

All courses conclude with an exciting and fun end of term show (with the exception of Belly Balance Yoga) at the famous Guanabara, Covent Garden, London! All students have the special and exciting opportunity to perform alongside other class mates and the Melissa BellyDance team! Where YOU get to be the belly dance superstars for the night!

BONUS NEWS: If you miss a class due to other commitments, holidays ect you may take a make up class of your choice so long as its within the 6 week course timeframe, you can also catch up online with the relevant online class, so no need to miss out on anything!!

ONLINE BELLY DANCE AND BELLY DANCE FUSION COURSES!

SPECIAL SPRING OFFER!

Spring special offer!
Try the online beginners belly dance courses for 1/2 price!
Now Just £15 for the month! Approx 20 1hr long videos! And a new one uploaded each week!!
DON'T MISS OUT! AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY.
https://melissabellydance.com/belly-dance-level-1-access-50-off-easter-offer/

Unable to attend the Melissa Belly Dance courses?

Are you in another country ?

Now you can still take a course with Melissa BellyDance any place, any time and anywhere in the world!

Take an online belly dance or fusion course from anywhere in the world be that in the comfy of your own home or your hotel room!

The Online classes are also available to watch on your mobile phone so you can watch them on the go, you can even do a sneaky class in your lunch break as some current students do!

There is approx 20 videos available at any 1 time, and a new video is added each week, not to mention the bonus material!

ALL of Melissa’s courses are available online:

Belly dance levels 1-4, Belly Dance HipHop, Turkish Belly Dance, Polynesian Fusion, Latin Fusion.

WHY MELISSA BELLYDANCE?

Melissa’s classes are hugely popular and she’s well known for her teaching techniques and methods. Melissa belly dance academy runs syllabus based courses that follow a specific structure and development phases to ensure students learn technically, safely , and effectively.

Melissa’s teaching methods and approach uses a variety of learning styles to ensure that all students are able to understand and grasp the concepts, techniques and moves in a way that is accessible to them. Each of the belly dance courses from level 1 to level 4 teach belly dance moves and techniques in a specific order to encourage muscle and brain connection, co ordination and development. Each course builds strength in key belly dance muscles assisting progress in the current techniques and preparing the mind and body for the next stage and level in the Melissa BellyDance format. As you progress through the levels so will your body and your mind. Things that you never thought possible are now possible as you will have built and developed new synapses pathways enabling a strong and safe belly dance technique.

Melissa’s courses are action packed, incredibly addictive and a fun challenge creating physical and mental awareness in each student.

Belly dance will not only tone and sculpt your body and get you in touch with yourself and your feminine side, it will also encourage a healthy mind and body connection through training the brain and body alike.

HOW DO THE ONLINE COURSES/CLASSES WORK?

The classes/videos run as a 12 week course which means you can take the full 12 week course online. You can sign up to the videos at anytime, it doesn't need to be at the start of a term, there is always at least 1 full course available to view.
There is approx 20 videos available to watch at any 1 time, a new video is uploaded weekly, and you have access to bonus material.
Once you have subscribed you can log in as many times as you like and watch the videos as many times as you like over the month long subscription.
It’s just £30 per month – that’s only £1 a day!!
You’ll have 24 hour access for the entire length of your subscription.
Each video is approx 1 hour long.
The courses are syllabus based which means you learn specific key moves in each course with the option to progress through the levels.
You can join at ANY time from anywhere in the world!
Every student also has online support from Melissa herself!

Belly dance essentially is a dance and art form using key muscles in a variety of ways creating a beautiful, exquisite and empowering dance of the female form. Melissa belly dance courses are not just belly dance classes. They are an evolution, a journey into oneself and a journey of self discovery, at the same time they are a fun feminine rewarding workout!!

MELISSA BELLY DANCE TEACHER TRAINING COURSE 2022

BELLY DANCE TEACHER TRAINING WITH MELISSA BELLY DANCE

The Melissa Belly Dance Teacher Training course is one of the most respected in the UK.

Melissa’s belly dance teacher training courses are well known for the in depth knowledge, theory and practical practise provided.

Melissa Belly Dance is well known for her teaching methods, approach, techniques and fun upbeat classes.

Who is the course for?

The course is greatly beneficial to dancers as well as anyone with the desire to teach.

Students wanting to take this course should have belly dance level 2/3 experience plus.

Some attend the course to gain a deeper understanding of belly dance and to aid their personal progression as a dancer others attend to learn the skills required to become a safe, knowledgeable and respected belly dance teacher.

The exam consists of a written exam and a practical exam.

All participants that pass will receive a Melissa BellyDance certificate.

Belly Dance Teacher Training Course Content:

Class layout/ structure
Safe warm ups/ cool downs
Combinations/ choreography
Class/ course syllabus
Anatomy and belly dance
Moves, breakdowns and their safety points
Posture types and corrections
Student learning types and how to teach these types
Teaching methods
Musicality
Professionalism
Business planning
History
Benefits
1 essay on a given subject.
1 presentation of a given subject
exam written and practical

See website for dates:

About Melissa BellyDance:

Melissa has been running belly dance teacher training programmes for quite some time, with many students now teaching their own belly dance classes both in the UK and abroad.

Before becoming a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer Melissa worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and fitness expert.

Melissa has been teaching dance at the most reputable and sought after studios in and around London and instructs her classes with a wealth of knowledge, experience and dedication to her students learning and enjoyment.

To sign up to the course or for more information please email Melissa:

melissa@melissabellydance.com

MELISSA'S BELLY DANCE DVD'S

Buy Belly Dance Hiphop DVD:

https://melissabellydance.com/store/products/belly-dance-hiphop-fusion-dvd/

Buy Belly Dance Essentials DVD:

https://melissabellydance.com/store/products/melissas-belly-dance-essentials/

BELLY DANCE ABS AND CORE STABILITY TRAINING

In this edition of my Belly dance Uncovered Newsletter we take a look at core stability, abdominal workouts and how we can achieve both core strength and a bikini tummy through the art of belly dance! I have created a fun belly dance themed abs workout that not only works on your core strength and your abs but also works on developing your belly dance technique!

Result?? stronger leaner bellydancers and wait for it . a belly dancer beach body!!! Because belly dancers have curves in all the right places and a belly dancer that engages her muscles properly whilst practicing the art of belly dance has abs to die for!

I mean take a look at the famous Rachel Brice This girl has core strength for days and could probably put any fitness fanatic or Olympian to shame. See image below:

This is a prime example of how core strength and belly dance can easily be intertwined depending on your approach to your belly dance practice.

I am a strong believer that core stability and beautiful abs can be achieved through belly dance having witnessed the results not only in myself but also in my students. I regularly use belly dance style core stability and abdominal exercises in my belly dance classes and my own personal belly dance regime. The effects are amazing!

So first things first

What is core stability?

"Typically, the core is associated with the abdominal muscles groups and stability is associated with isometric or static strength. However in actuality, the core consists of the abdominal muscles groups (transverse abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques, rectus abdominis), hip abductors/ adductors, hip flexors, and lumbar spine. In addition, it is lumbar spine that is primarily responsible for posture and stability providing the strength needed for stability especially utilized in dynamic sports ."

( The muscles listed and mentioned above are all muscles of the torso)

(Wikipedia)

So as you can see these core stability muscles are the EXACT muscles we use and recruit whilst belly dancing! So if we were to engage these muscles properly whilst dancing we would most definitley be working our core, let alone the specific key core moves and belly dance core stability workout I'm about to share with you all!!

Aren't you lucky?!

What are the benefits of core strength training in general and for belly dancers?

Greater efficiency of movement
Stronger back
Reduced back pain
Improved body control and balance
Increased power output from both the core musculature and peripheral muscles such as the shoulders, arms and legs
Can assist in better posture through stronger stabilising core muscles that 'hold you up'
Reduced risk of injury (the core muscles act as shock absorbers for jumps and rebounds etc.)
Improved balance and stability
Enables you to achieve the more advanced of belly dance techniques such as zippers/ laybacks/ turkish drops/ floor work ect.
more control over your body whilst dancing
Improved dance performance! Be that on stage or in the dance studio!

(Rachel Brice)

A weak core generally = a less stable body, a weak back, back pain and makes you more susceptible to injuries.

"Weak or poorly controlled core muscles have been associated with low back pain. The back muscles are responsible for movements such as extension and flexion of the spine and rotation of the trunk.

Excessive or uneven shock on the spine may lead to back problems. This may be exaggerated because weak core muscles lead to improper positioning or a forward tilt. In many exercises that use the back muscles, the abdominal muscles contract isometrically stabilizing the body.

The stronger and more correctly balanced the core muscles are, the less the uneven strain on the spine".

(http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/core-strength-training.html)

How can belly dance strengthen my core, tone my Abs and burn calories?

There is a long lasting myth that if you do lots of ab crunches alone you'll get a flat stomach and a ripped 6 pack

False!

You need to do a variety of exercise that targets the core. Sit ups alone won't burn belly fat. Think of it as a holistic view.

So if we were to simply look at the exercise part alone we could say that belly dancing covers the fitness side that gets the heart rate pumping, burns calories, builds up a sweat, tones our muscles ect (this part is what helps to burn fat and shed pounds when done at the right intensity) and by combining core exercises we are are targeting our core muscles, building strength and definition as the 'belly dance' is a dance of the torso which directly works the core muscles when they are recruited and engaged during belly dance techniques.

Now that we have covered what the 'core' is and why it's important lets look at the 'how to'

There are many ways of 'how to' and my video below is one fun way for you to build your core strength and work on your abdominal muscles based on a belly dance theme with belly dance techniques.

Follow this link below to watch my belly dance abs and core workout video.

Remember: Be sure to your own warm up prior to participating in the video.

By watching and participating in these videos you agree that Melissa is not responsible for any injuries to yourself, always check with your doctor before participating in any exercise. Melissa 2012

BELLY DANCE ABS WORK OUT VIDEO

INTERVIEW WITH A STUDENT!

Allow me to introduce you to Becky. Becky has trained with me since level 1, has worked her way up through all of the levels and has also taken Polynesian Fusion and Urban Tribal Fusion with me. Becky shares her experiences with you all below,

here is what she has to say……

What made you get into belly dance initially?

It was quite by random actually! My company offers a personal allowance every year for employees to participate in a course that is specifically non-work related. I'd seen belly dance courses advertised at the local dance studio and thought I'd give it a try. I have never looked back since.

Is your perception of belly dance different to what it was when you first started?

Yes, I think it is. The only exposure I'd ever had was of the stereotypes I'd seen in pictures or on TV or film so that was what I expected. What I've learned since then is that that is only the tip of the iceberg. Melissa incorporates such a variety of fusion work, as well as teaching us about various muscle groups and how to correctly use and layer them. It's so much more technical than I had thought but also so much more rewarding.

You’ve been a student of Melissa’s for quite some time. Why would you say you chose her as your teacher and what do you enjoy about her classes?

Melissa was not my first belly dance teacher. I initially tried a different class about a month before and the lesson involved less dancing and more 'floating' around the room. I left the class disappointed and wondering if that was really what belly dance was?! Undeterred, I decided to try another class and within the first five minutes I knew that this was what I'd been looking for. Right from the start Melissa was enthusiastic, energetic, encouraging and challenged us. Four years later and I still feel the same. She never fails to bring something new and exciting to class. Her enthusiasm never wavers (I believe this may be due to the haribo she eats) and she always makes time to answer any queries we have or advice we need for a choreography or particular move. She makes each person within the class feel as if they are a valued member which is an amazing quality.

Have you noticed any changes in yourself since belly dancing with Melissa?

As a person who has always suffered from low self-esteem and little confidence I cannot describe how much belly dance has helped me. From the feeling of being absolutely petrified in my first end of term show to now where I can go up on stage regularly and smile throughout a performance, it's definitely been a journey, and not always easy, but it's been one that I really value in my life.

And not only is it good for confidence, its also good for toning muscles and losing weight and it's been a fantastic way of meeting new people and making friends. It has given me a place to belong.

Has belly dancing taught you anything? If so what?.

Its taught me about myself and has allowed me to grow as a person as well as a dancer. I can now do things that I would never have believed possible a few years ago. I can perform in front of thousands of people, I can layer four different parts of the body during routines, I can spend hours or days going over choreography and still enjoy what I'm doing at the end. It's even given me an appreciation for Arabic music that I'd never even heard of before I started!

Whats the biggest challenge you’ve come across Learning to belly dance?

The biggest challenge, as I've mentioned was the performance side of it. Having a room full of people staring at you is not the easiest thing to do! What I have learned though is that the more you do this the easier it becomes. What also helps is knowing that youre dancing with friends and the support that is there on stage with you is incredible. It almost creates a feeling of security in an otherwise scary environment!

I find also, as I'm sure most people have, that it is enormously frustrating to be taught a move in class and not be able to master it. It's been a challenge to learn to allow myself to fail multiple times before I can grasp a move and not to become frustrated with myself when I hit these barriers!

Has belly dance helped you in any way? If so how?

It has helped my confidence, my patience with myself through failure, made me more aware of my body and what I'm capable of achieving.

How has belly dance enriched your life?

Ultimately, its given me something in my life that I truly love doing. Id do it all day every day if I had the chance!!

What are your top 3 favourite things about belly dance?

1 - learning and mastering new moves and techniques, the challenge of it.

2 - spending time doing what I love with people who I love to be with and losing all troubles and worries of the outside world for that time. It's like being in a happy bubble!

3 - performing choreographies and seeing all our hard work pay off as well as building my own confidence with each performance.

Any other comments or thing's you'd like to share?

Everyone should give belly dance a go at least once in their lives!!

And that wraps up the 3rd edition of Belly Dance Uncovered with me, Melissa Belly Dance!

FREE 1 HOUR ONLINE BELLY DANCE CLASS

Take a free 1 hour belly dance class with Melissa online!

Before you get started be sure to wear something comfortable that you can move in and have some water nearby! Your going to sweat!

Melissa BellyDance

BELLY DANCE ABS WORK OUT UNCOVERED

BELLY DANCE ABS WORK OUT VIDEO

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