Nothing screams ‘adventurous’ more than wearing colorful jingle scarves and learning ‘snake arms’ dance moves smack in the middle of suburan Texas. My friend, Rachael, and I recently participated in an introductory belly dancing class where we realized our shimmies could use some shine.

Two talkative, skilled dancers taught the class, and gave us a beginner’s overview of the dance. Belly dancing, originally called Raks Al Sharki, is known as the oldest dance form and began in the Middle East thousands of years ago. Female-only dancers and musicians called chengis who belly danced, veil danced and played finger cymbals were very popular until the end of the 19th century. Its popularity surged in the 60s and 70s with rise of feminism during the women’s movement. It was never intended for male erotic entertainment, but more for feminine celebration, rituals and even childbirth preparation.

In the modernized studio, we practiced several core exercises needed to perform the various moves. Small muscle movements are the secret behind those slight abdomen maneuvers.

We moved on to learning various moves where we were supposed to incrementally move our hips, arms and shoulders, while keeping our knees bent and feet less than hip-width apart. (Trust me, much more than a belly is involved in this dance.) The shimmies were a highlight, making the jingle scarves shake by moving the legs and hips. Just when I had convinced myself that I was a shimmy master, the mirror reminded me this was my first class.

That’s the thing about belly dance: It promotes self-confidence and an ease within your own body. It’s magical to witness women dancing with a carefree energy, not concerned that certain body parts might jiggle in opposite directions. It was a safe space to jingle and roar (you know, the women’s empowerment one) with no expectations for what might happen next.

Photo credit: Rachael Steward

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About the author

Autumn Carpenter
While navigating the carpool lane and translating toddler conversations might not rank high on some adventure life lists, I happily include those accomplishments alongside skydiving, dodging Pamplonian bulls and surviving three-hour Vinyasa yoga classes. I look for the story in everyday situations, and convey them easily in both print and online mediums. I’m also SEO-friendly ghostblogger, web content writer and copywriter. Let’s collaborate on a project today!

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