There’s a specific image that comes to mind when you picture a belly dancer: beaded bras, jingling coin skirts and perfectly toned stomachs.
She’s seductive, curvaceous, enchanting. She’s Esmeralda from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
In many ways, this image fits Paige Rechtman. She wears a bejeweled bra, a flowing skirt and a magenta flower in her hair. She’s a spitting image of grace, movement and beauty.
But this is an image Rechtman, 25, is hoping to expand — one belly dancing class at a time.
The UF graduate student offers a group fitness class every Tuesday at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center and every Sunday at the Southwest Recreation Center.
Women — and sometimes men — have lined up to learn the ways of the Middle Eastern tradition and work on their abs since the class started in the fall.
“There’s a huge misconception about belly dancing,” she said. “A lot of people, when they see it or hear about it, think it’s this very sexual, sexy kind of dancing, which it can be, but it’s also very empowering for women, which is the kind I hope to bring to UF.”
Rechtman started belly dancing five years ago when she decided to take a class while studying at the University of Georgia. It changed her life.
Belly dancing has had such an impact on her that it partially influenced her decision to go to graduate school for mental health counseling, which is what brought her to UF. She plans on using her education to do research on the positive and negative effects belly dancing has on women.
Because the classes are new to UF, Rechtman knows there will be belly dancing virgins and says she does her best to make everyone feel comfortable. Sometimes she even brings extra skirts and scarf wraps and lends them out on a first-come, first-served basis.
Plan on making it to Rechtman’s class or just want to try some moves at home? Take these tips with you to make your experience a success.
Anyone can belly dance: tips and tricks to get the shake in your hips
- Dress comfortably. Attire ranges from traditional belly dancing outfits to jeans, T-shirts and sweatpants. The best belly dancers go barefoot, so leave your shoes at the door.
- Enjoy all the benefits of belly dancing — not just the physical ones. Rechtman said it’s all about the “mind, body, spirit” feel. “It can be very creative and expressive as a spiritual aspect,” she said. “It’s a great way to express hidden thoughts in the subconscious and just let go. It’s cathartic, just like writing poetry or playing music.”
- Be prepared for a workout: Rechtman said belly dancing teaches students how to control and isolate different muscles in their stomachs while also toning the muscles of the arms and legs.
- Look away from the mirror. When Rechtman first started belly dancing five years ago, she didn’t have a mirror to look at during lessons. Learn to feel the moves with your body, not your eyes.
- Don’t worry if the moves seem hard at first. Rechtman assured they will come with time. “It’s a great feeling to be able to do a move after months of practicing,” she said. “You feel good. You feel really sexy, for yourself, not for anyone else.”
- Remember that anyone can belly dance. There are no prerequisites for skill or body type — any and all are welcome. “It gives me goose bumps to see a woman who’s not your typical supermodel dancing,” she said. “It makes you shiver because it’s still so beautiful.”
