June 2013 - Allegheny West Magazine

Belly Dancing Shimmies into the Western Suburbs
Belly Dancing came to the
West Hills for the first time
this spring, and it will return
in the fall! Drive down
Steubenville Pike in Imperial
and one might have heard the
jingle of coin skirts shaking to
Egyptian music and laughter
as women of all ages, shapes,
and sizes move to the music
that ranges from a powerful
tribal beat to a flowing ancient
beat. At Just Dance Conservatory,
these women are led by
Susan Goelz in smooth
movements while having a
great deal of fun!
Everyone can take part in
belly dancing because of the
very limited impact on the joints. Yet, it is still a challenging workout. It
is not about being the thinnest or the fittest. It is about enjoying oneself
and the pleasure of moving.
“As a professional dancer and fitness professional teaching many class
formats, I thought taking belly dancing would be a snap. I quickly found
out that was not the case. It takes the concentration of yoga, and the
ability to isolate muscles you didn’t know could move by themselves,”
says Marianne King, owner of Fitness for Life. She teamed up with
Just Dance Conservatory to offer unique fitness programs in a
comfortable supportive atmosphere.
Marianne states, “Here, women can appreciate where their bodies are,
build relationships, and connect with other women while enjoying the
movement.”
Julie Podolinsky, a participant in class, comments, "Great class! Lots
of fun! It’s amazing how differently you have to move your body from
what you are accustomed and trained to do."
When the class resumes in the fall, Susan Goelz hopes to instill the
love of movement in her participants while getting them to dress up a
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bit with their coins skirts and
be a bit feminine. She also
educates class participants on
many areas of ancient and
Middle Eastern dance. But
don’t mistake enjoyment of
the movement for seduction.
That is not what learning
ancient dances are all about. It
is about getting together and
learning the amazing ways
one’s body moves, while
learning different styles of
shimmying, hip stabs, and
snakelike movements with
isolated arm and leg progressions
for a fantastic
workout.
In Turkey, when there are
no men around, women just whip off their head scarves, tie them to
their waists and start dancing. It is not provocative at all but, rather,
is about dancing and having fun together.
For more information on belly dancing classes, contact Marianne
King at 724-695-2239, mkfitness@comcast.net. Or, visit
www.mkfitness4life.com.