Move Beyond the Kegel
[vc_row enable_arrows_animation="no"][vc_column][vc_column_text]I remember a ballet class once upon a time. I was around 21 years old and was working on a petite allegro exercise in my company class (small, fast jumps) when I suddenly experienced a small loss of urine. Nothing catastrophic or noticeable to anyone else but me, but
The Art of Self-Care
Prior to having a baby my ideas of self-care fell along the popularized social media promoted types- long luxurious baths with expensive face masks while sipping a medicinal mushroom tea & listening to something meditative & zen. But the second I was out of the bath, I was back to
“How do you find the time to do it?” – Guest Author Lisa Jean
As a bellydancing mom of three who dances and teaches, i get asked this all the time. At first glance, I don't know how to answer it. I just do what needs to be done. But when I look at the bigger picture, I can see how crazy it looks. But
The Third Trimester – Pregnancy Update
33 weeks prenatal pilates session The third trimester - my 34 week pregnancy update. Its been a long while since I did a pregnancy update - mainly because life has been insanely busy but also because while I am grateful for a healthy pregnancy, I have found this process incredibly difficult. I am
[An Open Letter to the Unconventional Woman] – Susan Crawford
Guest Author Susan Crawford [An Open Letter to the Unconventional Woman] I see you. The one who goes against the grain. The one who doesn’t fit in the box. The one who likes to do things just a little bit different. The one who never takes the easy road. I see you. You are strong, confident and grounded. You
All About Pilates
My name is Ashley Rhianne & I am a bellydance performer, teacher & Stott-pilates instructor based in Vancouver, Canada. I am so glad that you are here with me! I am Stott Pilates Level 1 (certified in May 2018) after an intensive 17 month immersion of training, practice teaching & completing exams.
The Art of Improvisation
Guest Author - Alisa Greer (USA) Today many belly dancers in the US learn our beautiful art exclusively through choreography. Choreography and drilling can be great tools for performing, learning, refining and polishing movements and establishing muscle memory. But choreography can also lead to a focus on perfectionism that doesn’t always
When you wanna give up
I recently taught a private class & had a student get very frustrated with herself to the point she wanted to quit. She’s a lovely dancer with training but hadn’t danced much at all during the past year (just restarted my virtual class this past spring). I offered her a
How the Arab-American community in Southern California greatly affected my dance and changed me for the better
Guest Author - Adrianne (USA) When I started out taking my first belly dance class I had no idea how this dance would greatly affect my life. I was painfully shy and I had not found my voice or strength yet. I still felt so young and naive, I was 26
Things you should be discussing with your students
Are you discussing these ethics with your students? While it can be an awkward discussion, as teachers it is important for us to share this information so that we set our students up with information & common practices that they may not be aware of. Here are a few things you should