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It's been a while . . .
Jan. 21st, 2012 10:44 amWhy has it been so long since I've danced?
George introduced the movies at his work on Thursday, two documentaries, Twist and Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey. I only stayed for Twist (which George said that of the two, I would have enjoyed the most anyway), and what a fun, entertaining, informative movie it was! Quite honestly, it made me want to get up and dance, and it made me wonder, why has it been so long since I've danced?
The last belly dancing class I took a couple years ago kind of over-challenged most of the class. Many of us were middle-aged-ish, and the class was being taught by a recent college grad who was president of her belly dancing club. Very technical and very educational, but a little too advanced for beginners who lack the flexibility, and when you can't do something right off, it's frustrating and disappointing. I should pull out my belly dancing DVDs. Maybe look for another class.
George and I also seem to have missed the last few sessions of country line dancing that have been offered. I wish I knew where we could go outside of a class to practice, but right now, class would be the only place. Maybe we'll be better prepared scheduling-wise and money-wise the next time it rolls around.
I did get to do some dancing at the concert event I worked last month. Got a couple nice comments on my electric slide.
Still, maybe I should download some country music and refresh my memory on the line dancing steps.
Or pull out some 50s/60s music and start twisting down my waist. *nods*
Though I did have a good appointment with my endocrinologist earlier this week. I've lost a pound (which, after the Christmas holidays, is excellent), and more importantly, I lost it from my waist, which is what he wants to see. (Measurement ratio is as important as weight loss with my situation. I need to lose the weight, but I also need to lose it from the right place.) I attribute that to getting back on the treadmill for about 2 miles a day. Which I need to do today, since I've missed the past two days.
George introduced the movies at his work on Thursday, two documentaries, Twist and Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey. I only stayed for Twist (which George said that of the two, I would have enjoyed the most anyway), and what a fun, entertaining, informative movie it was! Quite honestly, it made me want to get up and dance, and it made me wonder, why has it been so long since I've danced?
The last belly dancing class I took a couple years ago kind of over-challenged most of the class. Many of us were middle-aged-ish, and the class was being taught by a recent college grad who was president of her belly dancing club. Very technical and very educational, but a little too advanced for beginners who lack the flexibility, and when you can't do something right off, it's frustrating and disappointing. I should pull out my belly dancing DVDs. Maybe look for another class.
George and I also seem to have missed the last few sessions of country line dancing that have been offered. I wish I knew where we could go outside of a class to practice, but right now, class would be the only place. Maybe we'll be better prepared scheduling-wise and money-wise the next time it rolls around.
I did get to do some dancing at the concert event I worked last month. Got a couple nice comments on my electric slide.
Still, maybe I should download some country music and refresh my memory on the line dancing steps.
Or pull out some 50s/60s music and start twisting down my waist. *nods*
Though I did have a good appointment with my endocrinologist earlier this week. I've lost a pound (which, after the Christmas holidays, is excellent), and more importantly, I lost it from my waist, which is what he wants to see. (Measurement ratio is as important as weight loss with my situation. I need to lose the weight, but I also need to lose it from the right place.) I attribute that to getting back on the treadmill for about 2 miles a day. Which I need to do today, since I've missed the past two days.
I'm pretty sure . . .
Jun. 9th, 2010 08:10 pmI think my zumba instructor is trying to cripple me. She's been working on our legs, and after strength training class tonight, while my legs don't hurt per se, I cannot go up and down the stairs to do the laundry. My legs are too weak.
Ow?
Ow?
Oy. I am wiped. out.
May. 26th, 2010 08:01 pmBut it's a good kind of wiped out. An invigorating wiped out.
I made it back to zumba class tonight. Honestly, I think Ms. Zumba might be trying to cripple me. My legs are all rubbery. I told her if I can't walk tomorrow, I'm calling her. Heh.
Also? Ms. Zumba met a belly dancer at her weekend job. A belly dancer who wants to teach in Culpeper! Woo hoo!!!!! \o/ I'm very excited about this. Hopefully, it will work out. Because that would be so freakin' awesome to have a belly dance class locally here. *bounces*
*remembers body is wiped*
*toddles off to shower*
I made it back to zumba class tonight. Honestly, I think Ms. Zumba might be trying to cripple me. My legs are all rubbery. I told her if I can't walk tomorrow, I'm calling her. Heh.
Also? Ms. Zumba met a belly dancer at her weekend job. A belly dancer who wants to teach in Culpeper! Woo hoo!!!!! \o/ I'm very excited about this. Hopefully, it will work out. Because that would be so freakin' awesome to have a belly dance class locally here. *bounces*
*remembers body is wiped*
*toddles off to shower*
I do love belly dancing
Feb. 13th, 2010 01:50 pmGot to go to a belly dancing workshop this morning, taught by the teacher I took classes from a couple years ago.
And I've decided: I like belly dancing much better than zumba.
Belly dancing is . . . beautiful. More than anything, it speaks to me as a celebration of the body, the physical vessel in which our souls reside. God made us physical creatures as well as spiritual creatures, and dancing like this, once you get past the self-consciousness of it, just sort of melds the three (physical; spiritual--or perhaps more accurately, emotional; and mental--because you really do have to stay present) into a single celebration of . . . being.
Also? It's theatrical. And you all know how I love theater and performance. The costumes and the presentation . . . it's just so much fun.
I really do feel good when I'm doing it and after. You get a workout without realizing you're getting a workout. And it makes me feel good to watch. It's amazing to see people who can isolate portions of their body and move them independently of everything else, when I didn't even realize there were muscles there to be moved.
And it's a nice social/learning time, especially when everyone is the same beginning level. Everyone is ready to embarrass herself and laugh at herself and just have fun with it. No one's judging, because none of us know what we're doing. (Okay, I had a wee bit of an advantage in that regard, since we learned the same routine I did a couple years back.)
Ironically, I was the only one in the class from Culpeper. Everyone else was from at least 40 minutes away, closer to big cities where you can find dancers if you know where to look. No such luck for me.
And I've decided: I like belly dancing much better than zumba.
Belly dancing is . . . beautiful. More than anything, it speaks to me as a celebration of the body, the physical vessel in which our souls reside. God made us physical creatures as well as spiritual creatures, and dancing like this, once you get past the self-consciousness of it, just sort of melds the three (physical; spiritual--or perhaps more accurately, emotional; and mental--because you really do have to stay present) into a single celebration of . . . being.
Also? It's theatrical. And you all know how I love theater and performance. The costumes and the presentation . . . it's just so much fun.
I really do feel good when I'm doing it and after. You get a workout without realizing you're getting a workout. And it makes me feel good to watch. It's amazing to see people who can isolate portions of their body and move them independently of everything else, when I didn't even realize there were muscles there to be moved.
And it's a nice social/learning time, especially when everyone is the same beginning level. Everyone is ready to embarrass herself and laugh at herself and just have fun with it. No one's judging, because none of us know what we're doing. (Okay, I had a wee bit of an advantage in that regard, since we learned the same routine I did a couple years back.)
Ironically, I was the only one in the class from Culpeper. Everyone else was from at least 40 minutes away, closer to big cities where you can find dancers if you know where to look. No such luck for me.
Zumba! (Take 2)
Dec. 9th, 2009 08:17 pmI made it to zumba class tonight. It was actually more like a private tutorial, since I was the only one who showed up. (She just moved the class to Wednesday nights, and a lot--or all, apparently--of her regulars can't do Wednesdays right now.)
It's not as much fun as belly dancing, but it's a good workout. Kind of a mix of Latin and hip-hop-type moves. (Which, watching my German/Scotch-Irish 40-year-old self doing hip-hop? It's like something out of a Saturday Night Live skit. The florescent lights do nothing to enhance the illusion that I actually look good doing what I'm doing.) But the music is a lot of fun, and there are some basic steps that come really easy to me.
We also had fun chatting between sets. I told her about the Michael Jackson movie, and tried to show her how to waltz, and she was telling me about teaching line dancing and stuff.
I do think I need to get a pair of leggings for the class, so I can see what my legs and knees are doing. I was trying to show her some belly dancing moves, and for belly dancing, you keep your knees soft, but she couldn't see that because of my workout pants.
Anyway . . .
It was good. Will take some practice to figure out how to do it without messing up my back on some things, but it was fun.
In other news, regarding my previous post, I have no desire to know what's up with Bobby. If I find out now, it will just torment me until January. So those of you don't want to know anything, you won't hear it from me.
It's not as much fun as belly dancing, but it's a good workout. Kind of a mix of Latin and hip-hop-type moves. (Which, watching my German/Scotch-Irish 40-year-old self doing hip-hop? It's like something out of a Saturday Night Live skit. The florescent lights do nothing to enhance the illusion that I actually look good doing what I'm doing.) But the music is a lot of fun, and there are some basic steps that come really easy to me.
We also had fun chatting between sets. I told her about the Michael Jackson movie, and tried to show her how to waltz, and she was telling me about teaching line dancing and stuff.
I do think I need to get a pair of leggings for the class, so I can see what my legs and knees are doing. I was trying to show her some belly dancing moves, and for belly dancing, you keep your knees soft, but she couldn't see that because of my workout pants.
Anyway . . .
It was good. Will take some practice to figure out how to do it without messing up my back on some things, but it was fun.
In other news, regarding my previous post, I have no desire to know what's up with Bobby. If I find out now, it will just torment me until January. So those of you don't want to know anything, you won't hear it from me.
Since I no longer can afford the drive to belly dancing classes, I've decided to try yoga again. I've taken yoga classes before, but not like this.
You see, the yoga I'm used to is more focused on the stretching and the flexibility. This? I can do. I'm reasonably flexible, and given a couple weeks of stretching, usually things don't hurt (as much).
The class I took last night? Involved muscles. Like strength exercises. Now, let's get one thing clear: I have no upper body strength. None. So if you put me in a position where I have to support my weight with my arms? It ain't happenin', folks. It's just not.
Though oddly enough, it's the insides of my legs that feel wubbly this morning.
I have also warned my instructor that if she hears someone scream in pain during the downward facing dog, it's probably me. My first reaction to that position is always "I hate this."
Because OW! And did I mention I have no upper body strength?
You see, the yoga I'm used to is more focused on the stretching and the flexibility. This? I can do. I'm reasonably flexible, and given a couple weeks of stretching, usually things don't hurt (as much).
The class I took last night? Involved muscles. Like strength exercises. Now, let's get one thing clear: I have no upper body strength. None. So if you put me in a position where I have to support my weight with my arms? It ain't happenin', folks. It's just not.
Though oddly enough, it's the insides of my legs that feel wubbly this morning.
I have also warned my instructor that if she hears someone scream in pain during the downward facing dog, it's probably me. My first reaction to that position is always "I hate this."
Because OW! And did I mention I have no upper body strength?
