Belly Dancing in the Eden Valley
Perhaps belly dancing, also known as Arabic dance or raqs sharki, is not something you associate with the Lake District or the Pennines - but it's here and creating quite a following.
Belly Dancing is energising and very sociable. Learning belly dance is a chance to learn about another culture, to try something new and to discover the dance diva inside you.
It is NOT all about wearing scanty costumes and wiggling bits in restaurants - belly dancing has its roots in traditional Arabic folk dance and should be more about the movement of shifting sands under your feet, rather than the shaking of your sequins!
Belly dancing is good for you as it keeps you mobile, keeps you supple and helps build core strength in your body.
You don't have to show your belly and you don't have to wear fancy costumes - though usually the sparkle bug bites deep and many women fall head over heels in love with chiffon, coin belts, sequins and glitter!
There is, beleive it or not, a large and friendly belly dance community in the north of England. It is a body-comfortable, age-comfortable accepting community that just enjoys 'doing its thing'.
If you want to learn more about the dance, there are lots of classes available in Penrith, Appleby and Milburn. |
