Shimmies, Squeezes & Sandra

I can FINALLY move my gluts.
And I'm so terribly glad for that.

I can finally move my gluts....left, left, right, right, left, right together release. Yes my gluts... or in layman's term, 'butt cheeks'. Not the hips... the cheeks. This is something all bellydancers are obsessed with doing all the time....whether they're standing in a queue, sitting at Starbucks or lying down watching TV, believe you me, they're squeezing their gluts.

The first time I saw that done, I was muffled with disbelief how in the world it is possible in the first place??! Try sitting with your legs apart, leaning slightly forward with hands resting on your thighs and move nothing else but your butt cheeks.

Heh! It does look funny....almost unreal. (Try it!)

It's the power of isolation. It never ceases to amaze me how we can tell our brain to move only a specific muscle in my body. It's absolutely possible and yes, EVERYONE can do it.

So that forms the basis of bellydance. The power of a shimmy or 'shaking of the hips' really comes from squeezing the glut/butt muscles! And Egyptian Bellydance is so much fun....so exciting to perform to and so beautiful to watch. I love the drum solos.

Sandra was in KL last weekend to give workshops. She hails from San Fransico and is famous in the international bellydance scene having appeared on the cover of several cds, and as a dancer, she's appreciated for her relaxed raks-sharki dance style.

I must say bellydance may be hard to learn but it is even harder to teach. And I hate it when I'm not helped to understand a technique and how it should be executed correctly. Sandra however, taught with elaborate explanations using metaphors sometimes which makes learning a fun experience.

Well, the classes over 2 days were jam-packed with gung-ho bellydance instructor and students of all ages... all came to learn from her.


That's the Sandra in the classroom (top photo) and the Sandra on stage (bottom photo). Stunning huh!

After Sharon's tribal bellydance workshop (although it has been months since....), my body has begun to understand the techniques and was responding pretty well to the exercises.
Yes! I can do a proper shimmy and I'll say that again, I CAN FINALLY MOVE MY BUTT CHEEKS!!!