Belly Dancing - NYC Belly Dance Class

New York, NY (PRWeb) January 15, 2006 -- In fitness circles, “fun” can be a dirty word. In dance, “belly dance” is often taboo. So fitness pro and professional dancer Melissa is combining the two for the ultimate in non-guilty pleasures: BellyCore, a fun belly dance class with a serious fitness component you may not even notice!

Many belly dance classes focus almost exclusively on technique, leaving strength, stamina, and fitness for out-of-class study. Melissa combines the two into a movement system that teaches you not only the alignment, length, and strength of Pilates, but the mobility and flexibility of bellydance. “Since belly dance and Pilates both focus on isolating some parts of the body while moving others, it seemed a natural combination,” says Melissa.

Many teachers of fitness-based belly dance classes hold an aerobic instructor certification—Melissa adds personal training and Pilates teaching experience to her list of qualifications. Melissa’s classes blend dance technique training and choreographic skills with vital fitness components culled from her intense and continuing study of the latest developments in exercise science to improve students’ balance, coordination, and body knowledge.

“People are looking for a new kind of workout. They’re tired of the same old cardio machines and weight room, but they still see the need to exercise for their health, self-image, and well-being,” says Melissa. “My personal training clients know how particular I am about a well-rounded workout, and I’ve used my experience with them to develop an entertaining class that gives you a workout without feeling like drudgery.”

Melissa’s BellyCore Fitness class differs from many belly dance fitness videos and classes because it uses real dance moves. The emphasis is on fast-moving, high-energy choreography that gets the heart rate up and the blood pumping. Add in the Pilates-based warm-up and sprinkle technique pointers through the class, and students find themselves moving very differently in a matter of weeks.

Another class, BellyCore Technique, focuses on a particular skill, using movement drills to anchor the fundamentals firmly in the student’s mind and body. “This class is less cardio-oriented, but the drills keep you moving during technique corrections so that your body really understands the motion. The goal is to teach dance skills and improve technique while still strengthening and stretching.”

Melissa has long been an advocate of functional training—exercises that improve the actual function of the body as well as your appearance—and has been dancing even longer. Blending the two seemed only natural. The 8-week Thursday night class series, starting February 2 at Ripley-Grier studios at 520 8th Ave, between 36th and 37th. will not only improve a dancer’s performance, but also tone and strengthen the body of the average Jane.