Right now, I am at a time in my life where every body change is being felt, and I am more aware than ever of how my body reacts to certain stimuli. I often hear non-dancers talk about their evenings, their stresses, their lives….and I often wonder to myself, how nice to have all that time, but I wouldn’t trade the Bellydance life for anything in the world.

What delves deep into my thoughts today is how Bellydance keeps us young, vivacious, and looking our best compared to how we might be if we didn’t partake in the dance life. If I were to imagine my life without belly dance, it would be a lot less sparkly and exciting I think. Not only would I be in business attire by day and then pajamas once home, but my nails, hair, physique, health habits and so much more would be completely different. I am guessing this may be the same for many of my fellow dance brothers and sisters out there too.

Who I Was Before Dance

My entire life, before I joined the dance world, I was confident. I never had issues there. I always identified as being the good girl, the academic, the nerd, the musician, the funny one. Then I joined dance in my adult years and realized that on stage I could be anything. It was liberating.

No longer did I have to be a computer nerd by day, I could transform and be artistically free by night. This, in turn, creates a balance, an awareness, and to some extent, an energy that can be felt by others.

I had to learn about makeup, how to dance, how to grow stronger, create a brand persona and how to improve my physique to further my abilities. Quickly everything from what I ate, to how I breathed and walked blended into my daily life.

And the end result? I always feel younger than I am, and when I watch so many of my amazing peers and inspirations on stage, it seems this almost turns back the clocks and brings on energy unlike anything else.

How Bellydance Keeps Us Young

1. Part of the fun in this industry is the amount of networking and events we partake in. Bellydancers, in general, must learn to be quite charismatic with strangers in order to raise the energy in a room. There is special energy we carry, and often times it translates into a more youthful and young impression. While the normal person is watching t.v., we gawk at videos and randomly dance in public without realizing Jaja.

2. Dressing up means wearing a fancy dress and going to a fancy occasion every blue moon for non-dancers. In our industry, working dancers dress up every week in beautiful designer costumes, accessories, makeup, and hair. Our loved ones see us glam up consistently and because of our job, we must maintain our appearance in tip-top shape. Clients expect it, the photographs and videos immortalize it all, so whether it is a chipped nail or sloppy tresses, those things simply can’t be left like that. Bellydancers have to constantly keep their visual appearance up to standard so they do not look unkempt for their audience.

This means that while the normal person can go weeks without a manicure or pedicure for example (no one would notice it probably), working dancers would simply never get away with such a thing. Weekly touch-ups are part of the routine Jaja.

3. Attention to Physique is pretty important I feel for many working belly dancers. We need to make sure our bodies are healthy and strong to ensure longevity in this career. Whether you supplement with yoga, the gym, stretching exercises, or anything else, working dancers know that staying strong and injury-free is a must. We often become more and more aware of what our body is going through, and become quite sensitive and learn to listen to it much better over time.

Spill The Beans!

What do you think life would be like if you had not chosen dance? How would you balance the need to be artistically free? Would you be as aware of your body as you are now? I wonder? Dish it, everyone! How does Bellydance keep you feeling young? Contact me today if you would like to learn more about belly dancing.