Bellydance is a vast world of different genres, local styles, and songs in many different languages. With so much out there, it can be hard to know where to start.
Here’s some fast facts to help orient you:
What’s in a name?
Bellydance is an imperfect term for a family of dances with roots in the Middle East, North Africa, and former Ottoman parts of Asia and far Eastern Europe. Dancers are gradually moving away from the term bellydance. Raqs SharQui means “eastern dance” in Arabic. That means our name, SharQui Workout, is an accurate description of what we do.
Wait, there’s more styles of bellydance?
There are as many styles of bellydance as there are people who dance it. Taking classes at the online SharQui studio teaches you the foundations for all of them. You’ll find numerous casual, folkloric, theatrical, fantasy styles, Egyptian cinema, uniquely regional, and international fusion styles that have been influenced by other popular dances outside the Middle East. Fusion is very popular and requires a lot of expertise to do correctly, which is why you’ll see expert fusion artists teaching workshops at our studio.
Here are two videos past performances from Oreet, the founder of SharQui – the Bellydance Workout. They have completely different flavors, but they’re both beautiful!
Who bellydances?
Bellydance can be done by anybody. It can be as gentle or as athletic as you desire (we encourage you to experience it as an incredible core and cardio workout) and you’re never too old or too young to begin.
What makes SharQui different from other bellydance classes?
Bellydance classes vary in intensity, but SharQui is always a great workout. SharQui layers authentic bellydance over research-backed aerobic sequencing. (Fun fact – we were the first bellydance fitness program accredited by a national fitness organization!)
In a SharQui class, you’ll learn new moves and combinations in flow. You’ll gradually build up complex movements starting with the very basics – your feet! If you can walk in place, you can bellydance with SharQui.
Try it for yourself – in the video below, you’ll get to experience a short dance combination taught using the SharQui method and traditional teaching methods.
Get Started with Bellydance
It is easy to fall in love with bellydance. Whether it’s the intoxicating rhythms, the eye-popping sequined costumes, or the way it tones your core, there’s so much to love about this art form.
Get started with bellydance today by joining our Virtual Studio. As a member, you can join 20+ live classes per week via Zoom from our team of expert instructors. Plus, you’ll have access to recordings for at least 7 days after every class, so you can learn and practice at your own pace.
We’ve also made it even easier to get started with our 30 Day Kickstart challenge. This self-guided challenge was developed with complete beginners in mind – it will take you from your very first steps in bellydance to handling full SharQui workouts like it’s no big deal. When you join the Virtual Studio, you’ll get free access to the challenge for the lifetime of your membership.
We can’t wait to show you how to Shake Your Beauty!