The Red and Black

Issue date: 8/7/08 Section: Athenscape

Media Credit: FILE PHOTO Billie Rolla performs her senior solo veil dance at the UGA Belly Dance Club's first annual Belly Bash on April 29, 2005, held in front of the fountain on Herty Field. She was an advanced member of the UGA Belly Dance Club. [Click to enlarge]

It began in Mesopotamia - the cradle of civilization. More than 6,000 years ago, amidst the birth of written language, algebra and philosophy, women began to move. The practice of belly dancing began as a fertility dance but soon gained popularity as a form of entertainment at festive occasions.

"Belly dance is a very grounded dance and very feminine," said Jacalin Durant, local belly dance instructor at dance studio Floorspace. "It gives the dancer a sense of empowerment."

Durant, known by her students as Jaidra, her stage name, is the instructor for "Bellydance Basics," a class offered all summer at Floorspace.

The class, which meets from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Tuesday night, is ongoing, but each session covers basic exercises that focus on strength, flexibility and simple choreography. And although belly dancing comes in many forms, the class focuses on postures and steps that are common in most varieties and are simple to master.

"I've had students as old as 70 and students who would bring in their 3-year-old daughters," Durant said. "Belly dance is just something that can give anyone an increased sense of well being and confidence."

Each session costs $12 for walk-ins or $60 for six sessions. Although pricier than your standard yoga or Pilates class, the aerobic benefits of belly dancing set it apart - it strength ens back and leg muscles without impact on the knees. It also improves posture and aids in digestion, a benefit of exercising the abdominal area.

"There is definitely an element of fitness to the course, but belly dancing is something anyone can do, and that shouldn't deter you," Durant said.

The class often incorporates props, such as veils and head props and exercises such as "dancing with emotion" in which the dancers must take on a persona as they dance.

"If you are going to perform, like any form of entertainment, you want to tell a story through your body language," Durant said. "You want your emotion to show through your dance."

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