Bellydance for Femininity, Weight Loss, and Fitness

I'm going to take up bellydancing to improve my feminine movement and allure. I also want to do it for fun, weight loss, and exercise. It will be a hobby and I can actually use some of the moves when I go out dancing.  I have had bellydance fitness tapes for a long time so I'm going to bring those out again. But to start I think I'm going to try some free videos online. I like the movements in belly dance and the costumes. It is so feminine! I spoke about wanting to take up a dance before in Feminine dances I want to learn, Lessons we can learn from Brazilian women, and Instantly improve your posture. I actually went to one session of a ballroom dancing class. But I only went once because the class was full of creepy guys I really didn't want to dance with. So I've decided on a solo dance instead. Maybe in the future I will actually pay to take a real class.



A reader suggested before that I watch some Bollywood films for lessons in femininity. I haven't watched one yet but I watched some videos on YouTube. I do like some of the dance moves because some are very much like belly dance moves. Some of the music is okay, not my favorite (because it's hard to enjoy when I can't understand the words), especially when the women are singing really high. But watch this video of Bollywood music scenes and this VIDEO (so cheesy...well maybe it's a comedy), and Bollywood Ladies video.



Do you see the difference between these videos and the ones by Black women in  R&B, hip hop, and pop videos? All of Ciara's videos, like 'Ride' and 'Oh' come to mind (not ladylike at all...gross). Even though there is some skin showing I still think that the women are not being vulgar or overly sexual. They are being more flirty and mysterious. I'm guessing this is due to a low tolerance for overtly sexual women in their culture (aside from the Kama Sutra lol)? Plus a lot of the time the women are smiling too and that seems to make things less sexual. Hmmm...maybe that's the difference between the sleaziness of strippers when compared to burlesque dancers, there's just something there that's more artistic and less vulgar. For some reason the men in these videos look so corny though! I think this is part of the reason why I'm not a fan of musicals. I just always find the music scenes to be corny and the men look silly. It also really stands out for me now that I don't like mustaches! Maybe some stubble or a really short beard but I am not attracted to mustaches on their own lol.

Well I guess the Indian ones aren't technically music videos. There have been some recent Black musicals like Sparkle, Joyful Noise, and Dreamgirls, but I'm drawing a blank about whether there are any Black musicals like the Bollywood films (my mind may just be asleep). Oh, I think Idlewild was sort of a musical wasn't it? But what about some like the regular musicals where they are not about musicians at all and they just start singing and dancing out of the blue? What would they be like? There are so many Black dance movies but I can't think of the musicals right now. That could be an interesting idea.

I also found a video channel by a Black woman named Tiffany Rothe who has a bunch of short exercise videos (around 10 minutes each) that seem like fun. Any exercise is better than nothing and you can break up your 30 minutes a day into 10 minute segments if that is more convenient. I love making use of free things. I really have no excuse not to use these videos for 10 minutes at a time. Here is a link to her 10 minute beginners ballet video.


This is a Brazilian exercise video. Part II

P.S. This is a totally unrelated topic but I just finished watching the show Suits and I LOVE it! Gina Torres is GORGEOUS on that show and I'm glued to the screen whenever she is on. I just wish she would get some romantic action (I want her and Harvey to start something). Plus Meghan Markle is on the show and she is actually part-Black and is the desired and sought after female on the show. Their wardrobe is totally my style and it's pencil skirts and dresses and feminine tops every episode! Excellent EBW role models in my opinion.

I just started watching Eureka and I'm really liking that too! It's pretty funny and Salli Richardarson-Whitfield is on it and she is so beautiful it's just nuts. I'm just on season 1 but there is romantic tension between her and two men on the show! The woman is 44 and Gina Torres is 43 and they are both so fit but not scary underweight. They are all the motivation I need to keep up my looks and figure. Also Vanessa Williams, Gabrielle Union, and Meghan Good are all coming out with new shows and OMG I think Scandal is starting up next week!!!!

Feminine Dances I Want to Learn

In the near future I want to learn samba and belly dance! My post about Lessons We Can Learn From Brazilian Women made me really want to learn the samba! I found videos online where women are doing the samba with partners and they are wearing dresses (not thongs) so I think that clearly, it is not the same booty-shaking dancing we are embarrassed about in clubs. I already have belly dance exercise tapes so I'll bring those out. I would like to take classes for both though. I also want to learn some feminine and tasteful moves for the dance club. Maybe I need to learn how to dance to actual "dance music" instead of hip hop too. I think that dance is a good feminine interest (of course men dance too but women take way more dance classes than men) and it will help me to move in a more feminine manner. Plus, dancing is great exercise.

The women who do this dance look so fit! Their bodies look like rubber! Definitely feminine...the guys have way too much flare for me though :)

Gorgeous!