Belly dancing........online???

my parents won't let me go to belly dancing classes because dad thinks i'm doing it so that i can cheat on my boyfriend...(dubba yew tee eff) and mom says i'll be a ...word i probably shouldn't say on here.



so, does anyone know of or can search for (i've tried) some belly dancing lessons online..for free if possible.

Belly dancing........online???
Your parents like many people think bellydance is something other than what it is I would highly recommend reading up on it's history and try to share with them what bellydance really is. Also referring to it as Middle Eastern Dance instead of bellydance carries less negative connotations. It's almost as if it goes from "hootchie cootchie" American trash to Regional folk dancing. It's the same dance but people associate different things with each term. If at all possible it's best to change your parents minds on bellydance as an art because the only real way to learn bellydance safely and appropriately is to learn it from a good teacher in a class where they can correct you and give you feedback. All that being said here's a list of resources you may find helpful. For books and videos try your local library as many carry some bellydance things and they would still be free then.



WEBSITES (for finding teachers/classes)

http://www.shira.net - probably the most extensive directory

http://www.middleeasterndance.net - my site which has a decent sized directory as well.

http://www.bhuz.com - another large directory as well as a great forum which can answer pretty much every question you will ever have about bellydance since it's comprised of bellydancers from all over the world.

If you can't find lessons looking on these three sites there may not be any in your area.



WEBSITES (for learning moves on-line)

http://www.middleeasterndance.net - my own site look under the movements section, there will be enough to keep you busy for a long time. Also please read the before you begin section with the disclaimer, warm-up, cool-down, and basics about posture.

http://www.shira.net - Shira's site is an extensive collection of articles written about and for bellydancers and can provide you with a wealth of information that will be very beneficial. It's one of the oldest and most respected sites on the Internet and is referenced by bellydancers world-wide. She has a specific page which tells you how to do some moves as well as extensive links to other sites that offer on-line lessons as well.

http://www.venusbellydance.com/vocabular... - More movement descriptions.

http://www.aleena.com/miramar/ - go to on-line dance lessons there are several articles about dancing there.

http://www.zilltech.com/onlinelessons.ht... - Another old, well, respected website full of information you should check out. She offers a few instructions for several basic moves.

http://www.kawakib.com/page-30.html - more of a technique lesson but might be helpful after learning some basics.

http://www.raqs.co.nz/moves.html - has some descriptions of select movements.



BOOKS

Belly Dancing Basics by Laura A. Cooper (ISBN: 140271078X) - newer book, not great but not bad either.

The Art of Belly Dancing by Dahlena with Dona Z. Meilach - This book is out of print but shows up on amazon and e-bay from time to time. It's ok but it's written for a different time the history part is especially questionable but the moves are pretty straight forward.

Grandmother's Secrets by Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi (ISBN: 1566563267) - An interesting read has several descriptions of dance moves as well.

A lot of books have been coming on the market recently and most of them (excluding out of print books) are available at Barnes and Nobel or borders books as well as other chains and smaller stores.



ON-LINE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

http://www.trybellydancing.com/ - Like a mini instructional video available on line. It's not bad quality.

http://www.expertvillage.com/interviews/... - Several mini instructional segments on various moves as well as zills, costuming, and musicality.

http://bellyrolls.com/howtopage.html - more mini on-line instructionals. The video quality is a little poorer and not is clear to see but the instructional quality is decent.



VIDEOS

Precision Motion Workout Series by Suzanna Del Vecchio - offers good posture basics as well as quality instruction on many moves.

Bellydance for Fitness Series by Neena and Veena Bidasher - this series is very cheap and available from major retailers like target, walmart, borders, and Barnes and Nobel but the quality of instruction is low. This is more of a workout for beginner dancers who already have had some training. The videos are a good quality as far as picture and sound but these are not good for an absolute beginner.

If you have any questions about bellydancing, please feel free to contact me through my site http://www.middleeasterndance.net
Reply:You can download free clips of 12 basic core moves @ www.magicalmotion.com and also read a discussion of history of the dance %26amp; diff. dances styles, costumes, etc. www.shira.net -- tons of info on every aspect; books, videos, reviewed. But since this dance is commonly taught in Adult education classes, City Parks%26amp; Recreation classes, etc. it is quite respectable. Or you are welcome to join my class, dear. We are middle-aged teachers, nurses, librarians.
Reply:You should really learn about the history of the dance and educate your parents on it because they have a big misconception about it. I think that if you go to youtube and watch videos you can learn from there. Maybe search for "how to belly dance" or something like that and you'll get something in the beginner level.