Last addition: July 2003
How can I get my belly to start belly rolling?
— submitted by SC
Dear SC,
If you are having difficulties with belly rolls, you need to awaken the muscle area. There are lots of exercises on my video Delilah's belly dance Workshop Volume III and also on Absolute Beginning Belly Dance for teachers and students and even more details on the companion Web Clubs. The belly area has to wake up and connect with your mind and your feeling senses. There are lots of nerves in the belly and solar plexus and lots of processing in action in the trunk of the body. Connect your mind with your belly and your breath. Learning to belly roll will improve your sex life. It’s all related. Men, boys and young girls all seem to be able to roll their bellies easier than women. One reason, I believe, results from the influence of our Puritanical roots that define the body as the devil’s playground and tell us women's bodies are tainted. Hogwash!. This nonsense makes women afraid of their own bodies. Still, so many women are asleep and they have never been asked to awaken and roll their bellies until belly dance class! This is truly a liberation!
Remember to be patient with yourself and maintain a daily diligence for at least a few moments each day.
Can I use knee pads to do floorwork?
— submitted by C.R.
Dear C.R.,
You can wear knee pads if you want but they aren’t very graceful looking and people may find it funny. If you are doing floorwork correctly, most likely, you shouldn’t need them. If you have weak legs or bad knees, get a physical therapist to work with you because floorwork can help strengthen your legs. But, if it’s going to do damage, don’t to do it. If you have special needs, you should ask a specialist.
The mistake many dancers make is that the minute they come down to the floor, they let go of their body weight and think “heavy”. They let drop their muscles and drag and grind tissue against the floor instead of lifting, extending and picking up. You should carry your core body balance the same way you do while standing. Stay extended, lifted in the spine, and economize all weight changes because your muscles are being fully engaged. See Delilah’s Belly Dance Workshop Volume III
