What to expect

Please wear clothes that are comfortable and not too restrictive, leggings, shorts, harem pants or skirts are fine, t shirt, crop top are good to wear on top.

A scarf to tie around your hips to feel the movement, this does not need to be a coin belt, a piece of material or any scarf will do and soft flat shoes or bare feet.

Of course you are welcome to wear the full belly dance costume, it is your choice. Many students start off in gym wear and after a few weeks add a coin belt a sparkly top etc, all I can say is that you will soon find yourself searching the net and charity shops for all that glistens :) it gets addictive :)

What happens in class

On the first class you may be asked to fill in a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire which will give the instructor and yourself an idea of your fitness levels and health concerns. A PDF on the history of Belly Dance and Bollywood Dance Fitness will also be given to you to take away.

We start the class by grounding ourselves and taken a breath, followed by a gentle warm up routine and stretches.

Belly dance instruction will follow this and then Bollywood fitness with a much needed cool down and stretches to finish.

At the moment most classes are for all levels including beginners, if this is a long standing class those more experienced will stand at the front and support the beginners at the back. Beginner moves will be practiced during the class as well as the more advanced ones, each student can go at their own pace and adaptations will be given for those not quite ready to try the advance moves. Many moves are also on our private Facebook page as small instructional videos, so you can practice and catch up at any time.

What to bring

It is always a good idea to bring a bottle of water to keep yourself hydrated especially during the summer months, and your hip scarf, and any props that we may be using in class, such as a veil.