Summary: Maria Parrason wants to teach you to belly dance. Belly Dancing 101 is for beginners or seasoned dancers looking to develop a new style. The two hour workshop will be held at the Tuscarawas County Y.M.C.A. on July 30 from 11:30-1:30 and is open to women and men of all ages, body types and fitness levels. Register today!
For some, daily exercise is as simple as a run through the neighborhood, a few laps at the pool or forty five minutes on the treadmill. If you dont already enjoy this type of exercise it can be difficult to motivate and keep a consistent pattern.
Maria Parrason has something else in mind. She teaches belly dancing. Developed in the Middle East thousands of years ago, belly dance, or in the Arabic language raqs sharqi, is not only fun, its fitness. Parrason will be offering a class for beginners or seasoned dancers on July 30 at the Tuscarawas County Y.M.C.A. at Dover. The class will be held from 11:30-1:30 and is open to women and men of all ages and body types. Cost of the class is $25.00.
Participants are asked to wear form fitting exercise clothes, socks or dance shoes and a waist sash. Bring a note book, a water bottle and prepare to have fun.
Belly dancing does compare to other forms of exercise for its health benefits. Belly dancing tones muscles, improves flexibility, strength, stamina and concentration. Muscle groups in the stomach, thighs, hips and buttocks are conditioned using isolated movements. The muscle exertion and breathing rates of belly dancers, when performing one dance, for example is equivalent to those of cyclists, swimmers and runners. As a form of fitness, belly dancing is a great choice for participants who want all the benefits of a vigorous workout that is still fun, exciting and socially satisfying, said Parrason.
Not just for burning calories, belly dancing also has cardio benefits. There are definitely cardiovascular benefits in belly dancing. The bodys circulatory system improves because your heart is pumping blood to the brain. Dancers deep and controlled breathing fortify the lungs increasing lungs workload and making greater the lungs air capacity," said Parrason.
Belly dancing has been practiced for thousands of year in many parts of the world. Music is important and Parrason incorporates different styles into her instruction. We dance to music from countries mainly in the Middle East and North Africa. The music sounds very different depending on which country it represents. For example, Greek belly dance music sounds totally different than Lebanese music because musician from those countries use different instruments. And, if there are vocals in the song, artists sing in the countries native language. There is Arabic, Egyptian, Greek, Turkish, Moroccan and World music appropriate for belly dancing. Middle Eastern music has definite rhythmic patterns very different from the Western World, said Parrason.
Commonly thought of as a womens activity, belly dancing is for men as well. There are male belly dancers. As a matter of fact, men were the first to belly dance dating as far back to pre-Christian times. Traditionally feminine dance moves can always be modified for the more masculine male belly dancer. Some of the world's greatest performers and teachers of Oriental Dance, aka Belly Dance, are men. They are powerful yet graceful entertainers, said Parrason.
If you are searching for a form of fitness that is fun and exciting or youd simply like to try something different, register for Belly Dancing 101 and give it a try. Belly dancing will get you in better shape! Even if you are really out of shape you will see results immediately, both mind and body. Not only will you feel stronger and more toned, but you will gain self confidence and better poise. Belly dancing is for all body types, ages and sizes, said Parrason.
In addition to this special event, Parrason teaches a belly dancing class at the Tuscarawas County Y.M.C.A. every Monday evening from 6:30-7:30. The class is free for members. The Tuscarawas County Y.M.C.A. is located at 600 Monroe St. at Dover.
Parrason is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in fine art.
After teaching belly dance in Columbus from 1997-2007, Parrason decided to move closer to her hometown of Akron. She opened her school Belly Dance by Mariah Studio in January of 2010. Classes are offered to students of all levels and ages at her downtown Canton Arts District studio. More information about this and other belly dancing classes can be found by calling 614-595-9215 or visiting Parrasons web site.
