Belly Dancing Classes in London
• Jalya And Her Students - watch video
• BBC Belly Dance Teacher - watch video
In search of a better Belly? You came to the right place. No more boring exercises. Smile. Belly laughs are healthy. Join me on the journey to the beautiful Belly. It is only a win-win situation. You are a goddess sent from heaven.
Belly Dancing is a feminine art form and one of the world's oldest fitness disciplines with many health benefits:
• Total Body Workout, tones your waist, hips and arms.
• Firms your butt, sculpts a curvy body.
• Helps with the obesity epidemic, improves metabolism.
• Reduces excess wind, indigestion, constipation and bloating.
• Improves posture, coordination and balance.
• Increases flexibility, strength and self-esteem.
• Reduces mental stress, makes you look and feel younger.
There are also additional educational elements such as rhythms and culture of The Art of Belly Dance.
Passed down by mother to daughter, this traditional ancient dance is perfect for the female reproductive health and as a preparation for the painless childbirth without stretch marks.
The Belly is the middle part of the body and the centre of life. Most of our major organs are located there and in my country we romantically and spiritually believe our souls are also present in the Belly. We even call the pregnant woman - the one with 2 souls 'Ikichanli' in Azerbaijanian or Turkish languages.
Period, period pain, making love, having children, caesarean, menopause - it all happens in the Belly. A healthy Belly will relief menstrual and lower back pain.
In China the Belly is the second brain. In science both our Belly and our brain originated from the same tissue which divides during fetal development. Like Siamese twins, the two brains are connected; when one gets upset so does the other. No wonder people trust their gut. One half of all our nerve cells are located within the Belly. The Belly is the organ of happiness. Pain in the Belly will give you nightmares and depression. From the Chinese viewpoint the Belly is the dan tian or 'field of the elixir', where you plant the seeds of long life and wisdom. Take care of your Belly and your Belly will take care of you. My priority is Belly Dance for health.
Belly Dance Workout Class: Is a general mixed ability class. For toning, conditioning, weight loss, flexibility and grace. Great fun way to shake off that Belly fat with 100% art of Belly Dance exotic moves. A true dance and fitness experience. It is important to have your Belly healthy. If you are lazy in your Belly you will easily collect fat there. Vertical, horizontal and diagonal muscles make up the Belly. Belly and back muscles are closely connected. They work together to support the spine. When your lower back muscles lengthen it will flatten your Belly and support your back. To make you Belly beautiful and your back painless, you have to do two things: 1) remove excess fat and 2) strengthen the abdominals and lower back with all the wonderful Belly movements found in Belly Dance. Go ahead and join me in search of a better Belly!
Beginner The Art of Belly Dance Class: Ideal for new dancers. No experience necessary. We learn beginner's techniques and routines. The journey towards the torso and pelvic movements isolations coordination accomplishment, through careful and patient strengthening and stretching of torso, pelvic and back muscles. Simple exercises to put the student on the road to a better understanding of her body in space and set the foundations for self-expression through movement. We develop our Belly Dance techniques progressively by breaking down the movements with in-depth presentation and continuously practice challenging combinations and exciting choreographies to Arabic and Turkish rhythms with the main focus on key Belly Dance moves.
Intermediate/Advance The Art of Belly Dance Class: We start with a warm up session which flows to isolating certain movements that engages the core muscles followed by a mixture of dance combinations and eventually leading to a beautiful dance routine. Every movement in the class has a name that can be referenced in the beginner’s class, where each movement has already been carefully explained. Then we work on more complex combinations and choreography with many styles being taught such as Egyptian, Turkish, Greek, folkloric, traditional, modern, Persian, oriental, cabaret with introduction to Middle Eastern rhythms and culture.
Hula Hoop Dance (Hula Hoops are provided in the class). Hula Hooping is not just for children. It is a Belly shrinking exercise for kids of all ages. Do you know Hula Hooping was an ancient invention? There are historical evidences to prove Hooping was one of the exercises practiced by the Egyptians and Greeks. Hooping as a toy for children was introduced in Great Britain in the 14th century. Hula Hooping is a cardiovascular activity that will allow you to burn as much as 100 calories in 10 minutes. Exercising with a Hula Hoop is low impact so it won’t cause injury. I love dancing while Hooping. It just feels good. Another advantage of Hoop is that it gives you the massage for the vital organs. I find Hooping meditative, and perhaps more importantly, Hooping makes me smile. Get your hands on this magical ring to stay fit and healthy. We include some dance steps to make Hula Hooping more fun and pleasurable. I am a firm believer that fun is healthy!
Private Belly Dancing Lessons: £70 per hour.
Belly Dancing after a large meal is not advised, as the body diverts blood away from the intestines to muscles, which may lead to nausea and cramps.
- Drop-in Belly Dance Classes.
Drop-in classes tend to be free flowing, the teacher adapts to the students present, providing opportunities for experimentation and free expression. Learning tends to be more natural, organic.
You can simply DROP-IN and PAY AS YOU GO!
- Ladies Only.
- No Membership Fees Needed.
- Number 1 Promise: Flat & Toned Belly.
Classes are popular. Please, arrive 10-15 minutes earlier.
Seymour The Art of Belly Dance and Hula Hoop Dance Classes.
- Belly Dancing Lessons £9 Drop-in.
- Thursdays 6:00pm - 7:00pm. Beginner.
- Bellly Dancing and Hula Hooping Lessons £12 Drop-in.
- Saturdays 3pm - 4:30pm. All Levels.
- 1,5 hour The Art of Belly Dance Class followed by Extra Bonus Free of Charge Hula Hooping for a full core workout. Great Hen Weekend Activity Idea!
- Location: SEYMOUR LEISURE CENTRE (click to see map)
- Seymour Place, London W1H 5TJ (a short walk from Marble Arch, Hide Park, Oxford Street, Paddington)
- Tube: Edgware Rd, Marylebone Rd, Baker St, Marble Arch, Paddington
- Buses: 2, 6, 7, 13, 15, 16, 23, 27, 30, 36, 74, 82, 98, 113, 139, 189, 205, 274, 414, 436
Portobello The Art Of Belly Dance and Belly Dance Workout Classes.
- Belly Dancing Lessons £9 Drop-in.
- Tuesdays 8:10pm - 9:10pm. The Art of Belly Dance mixed with Belly Dance Workout. All Levels.
- Sundays 12noon - 1pm. Intermediate/Advance.
- Location: PORTOBELLO GREEN FITNESS CLUB (click to see map)
- 3-5 Thorpe Close, Notting Hill, London W10 5XL
- Tube: Ladbroke Grove (2 min walk)
Buses: 7, 23, 52, 70, 295, 316, 452.
Belly Dance Workout Classes at London's Leading Health Clubs:
- • BBC Club (For BBC employees only. Please, contact TV Centre or Bush House gym).
- • Virgin Active Health Club Swiss Cottage (Belly Dancing classes on Monday 8:15pm - 9:15pm and on Friday 10:30am -11:30am. Please, contact club directly for more details and information on tel: 020 7644 2400).
- Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
- What to wear?
- • Bare feet, non slippery socks, ballet/jazz shoes
- • If high heels for you are like fast cars for men, start with straps that cross over the ankle and the bridge of the foot to hold the shoe in (something like a ballroom dancer's shoes). But please remember, the only people who can stand on heels all day, every day are mannequins, and they are made of plastic. Always give your feet a day off.
- • Stretch dance trousers, leggings.
- • Please, no jeans and very short skirts.
- • Hip scarves, coin belt if you have one.
- • Push up, padded or sport bra.
- • Short or long top.
- • Whatever is comfortable and makes you FEEL GOOD!
- Changing rooms are available at each of the classes locations.
FOR BELLY DANCE MERCHANDISE CHECK OUT THE SHOP PAGE!
MERCHANDISE IS AVAILABLE IN CLASSES. PLEASE, EMAIL OR TEXT YOUR REQUESTS (QUANTITY, SIZE, COLOUR) BEFOREHAND.
Pregnancy. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose: … a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak....(there is a poem...)
Sharp movements, shimmies, back bends, jumps, hip twists, overheating and stretches are not suitable and should not be performed by pregnant women, especially if they are not used to Belly Dancing. Belly Dancing movements are based on seasons, based on nature, and what I am teaching is not just the movements but a way of being in this world. I would want the expecting women to understand that Belly Dance is about getting in touch with the natural rhythm that is in life itself. It is not just doing the movements, but a deeper appreciation of what is natural and having the wisdom to see that sometimes, it is not best to be forcing something "out of season", (hula hooping when you are pregnant!) or insist on having summer (e.g. energy!) all the time; there is a time for winter (rest and renewal...). Every pregnancy is different. Always seek your doctor’s or midwife’s advice before doing any activities or physical exercises during pregnancy. It is not about not being able to do Belly Dance, it is about rhythm and timing in a woman's life; different movements at different times, i.e. soft, gentle while you are pregnant and sharp ones afterwards. It is about timing and I am trying my best not to deprive pregnancy of Belly Dancing but also want the pregnant woman to have a baby safely and this is the best I can do. E.g. I read in a book - one of those Belly Dancing books I read ages ago - that when women are having periods, they prefer /naturally want to do movements that are more flowing, e.g. snake arms (..which is like gliding the water /river with one's arms...), and that at the end and also when they are premenstrual when they have more energy and more pent-up emotions and more fiery, then they like doing lots of shimmies, hip lifts..... just to let the energy out through the movement... Although, Belly Dancing develops muscles that will make the labor easier, Belly Dancing during pregnancy can cause premature labor, because it mimics childbirth. Certain Belly Dance movements should not be practiced until the time is right and some particular movements can cause the unborn babies to react by being restless, the pregnant woman may have bleeding and pain as a result. On no account should these movements be danced continuously as labor could be triggered off. These movements should only be reserved for the birth process where they have a supporting and stimulating effect. Please, listen to your doctor and apply common sense. There is a time for everything...
Student's comments
Please, click here to read my Student's Google Reviews.
- "Thank you so much for bringing belly dance to my life! A year ago or so I never could imagine myself doing anything soft or feminine. What I love about belly dance is not only that it involves both movement and emotions at the same time, but also because of the gentleness and the sense of flow that it touches in me. Belly dancing for me is almost like a door that allow me to get in touch with the feminine part of myself which have been somehow neglected by me for a long time. Your dancing, your character and your sensitive soul and the way you put your heart and soul into the classes that is truly beautiful and inspiring. Sometimes when I dance I feel much more connected to my soul, much more connected to something deep inside me that is delicate and soft, but also powerful at the same time. And there are times I felt my spirit slowly soaring above the earthly worries as I started dancing. There are times
or days where there isn't a class I would just put on the music and dance or try and do the movements at home either early in the day or late at night, it keeps me quite grounded in myself and in the moment.
Thank you so much for being such a lovely and inspiring teacher and dancer!" - - Michelle, Engineering at University of Oxford Graduate, Architecture Student at Cambridge University.
- "Jalya is the most graceful and beautiful belly dancer and teacher. It is an experience rather than a class when she teachers, which takes one on a journey of getting in touch with their feminine side. Jalya has a unique way of leading her classes where you can learn and improve the technique like you are at a formal dance school but it happens in a fun way and then by the end of the lesson you would feel like Scheherazade performing a dance."
- - Aliya Mamedova
- "Someone asked me recently why I keep doing this. Maybe because I always wanted a flat stomach, but about ten years and millions of crunches later I realized that flat stomach is just not for some people. However a few months of belly dancing – and I finally have it! Or maybe because the instructor is so radiant and positively charged that each class is like a short trip to a warm country – sunny, happy and mood uplifting."
- - Anna
