Bellydance

Mondays 8pm-9pm Beginner / Intermediate Technique

Danspace 473 Hudson Street, Oakland, CA ~Directions~

Freyja is available for workshops, private lessons and small group classes

~Drop Ins Welcome!~

No Experience Necessary

Pilates: Mat

Fridays___ 9am-10am

Studio Rasa _ 933 Parker Street, Berkeley ~Directions~

Bellydance class consists of warm up, drills and varying exercises designed to improve body awareness, posture, and stability for dancing. Listening exercises help develop the ability to feel the music. Theory includes creative breakdown of muscular technique involved in this dance form and tips to get the most out of your practice There is a focus on moving from the core with strength and grace. Classes are mixed level and modifications are given to meet individual students needs and to keep the class challenging, yet not overwhelming for beginners as well as advanced students.

Pilates is a movement discipline that focuses on the core postural muscles that are essential to providing support for the spine and to helping keep the body balanced. Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and strengthen the deep torso muscles, which are important to help alleviate and prevent back pain. Pilates is an excellent addition to belly dance in that it conditions the muscles that are necessary to develop a healthy and strong dance posture while deepening body awareness. This awareness of the individual muscle groups in the dancer’s body (particularly in the torso) helps in learning and improving various isolations used in the dance.