Bellydance Bootcamp

The setting literally sets the stage for the work to come. In this case, the women were working on a rich oriental carpet, which worked well for the type of dancing to come. Additionally, the music and the instructor were both pleasant. I actually smiled when she said, "Feel like a kid - have fun!" It was a little weird, though, to see a male belly dancer with the rest of the troupe.

The movements consisted of shoulder shimmies (which I cannot master for the life of me!), head slides, leg stretches, glute squeezes (I could really feel my glutes with the exercise!), and pelvic thrusts. She also did something she called a box step, but it was more like a step back and forward movement. I didn't feel like I was belly dancing, per se, but I did feel like a got a nice low-impact workout with a belly dance flavor (i.e., by some of the specific belly dance moves performed in some of the exercises.) There wasn't enough cardio to make this workout a real calorie-burner, but it would be nice for "light days" with the added benefit of mild toning.