Thread: Underwater Belly Dance?

Would it be feasible to have belly dance classes in a swimming pool to increase the health and training benefits? Years ago there were underwater aerobics classes. The philosophy behind it is that since water is heavier than air, it is harder to move through. The water gives resistance, increasing the benefits of each movement. I bet the effects would be the same for belly dance. It might even have benefits similar to wearing the weighted hip belt.

it would be difficult to see the instructors movements below the neck. But it would be a heck of a workout!

Nilaja

Perhaps the instructor can be on the side of the pool. Then again she'd have trouble seeing her students to be sure they were doing it right. On the other hand, if the participants had regular classes beforehand so that they basically knew how to do the movements, it might work.

not related to teaching an underwater dance class, but your subject reminded me of delilah and her hawaii retreats. she's got lots of underwater dancing pics. she used to always have a seaworthy costume contest, too.
Underwater Belly Dance with Delilah and Visionary Belly Dancing (it took me a minute to figure it out - but click on the fishes to go to the next photos)
Steve's Underwater Gallery

There have been aquaerobics classes at every gym I've ever joined. The instructor stands at the edge of the pool.

Those delilah pics are cool, but she really needs sequined flippers! :)

I love some of those pix, but I agree, the black flippers kind of detract.

Check out this dancer:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6t0hKcpzCY]YouTube - 'The Porpoise Song' (MeduSirena for TRIBALTOPIA).[/ame]

She belly dances underwater.

wow, looking sultry while holding your breath must be tough

talk to hadia about this one! during her 2 week intensive i had the pleasure to go swimming with her and we danced in the water. her did thigh and hip shimmies and because of the resistance they were sooo slow and you could actually get super comfortable with the movement, we worked on our arms creating fluidity and natural positions.

i was able to go again with other girls in the class and without hadia and we actually worked on our choreography in slow motion-it really created an amazing sense of what the heck our bodies were doing!