Arabesque

I’ve been very self-​conscious about my ample physique for as long as I can remember so a few years ago, I decided to get involved in something that would give me a break from feeling bad about myself for at least an hour a week. I started bellydance class and I’ve enjoyed it more and more as I’ve progressed.
My friends tease me for it but I have absolutely no shame during bellydance class. I stand at the front of the room and I put forth all my effort. In fact, I bellydance with such reckless abandon that silver coins detach from my satin coin belt and scatter across the studio floor. Bellydance has made me more confident about being a curvy girl. I have a tendency to be an introverted chubby bunny but when I’m dancing, I am an exotic and voluptuous seductress. I smile coyly at myself in the studio’s mirrored wall, transfixed by my own spiralling hips. I feel sexy instead of uncomfortable about having a little extra junk in the trunk.
What I like about Arabesque Academy:
— The instructors at Arabesque are excellent, knowledgeable and approachable. They all have lots of experience as cabaret performers and as teachers.
— Most classes are drop-​in which is great if you don’t like to be pinned down to a specific date and time every week.
— There’s a real diversity of dance classes to try, in addition to the different levels. Supplement the standard lessons with classes in tribal, belly hop, folklore, conditioning, props… Also, the standard classes let you explore different styles of traditional Middle Eastern dance and music like saidii, khaleeji and cabaret.
— The student gala happens twice a year and it is very professionally put together. It’s so much fun to get dressed up and show off your well-​rehearsed moves in front of a supportive audience.
What I don’t love about Arabesque Academy:
— The studio isn’t in great shape. The change room consists of a kitchenette with a length of fabric pinned over the door. The floors are coated with tape — this is a tough surface for doing certain dance moves, especially when the tape gets gunked up with strands of hair and stray coins.
— The per-​lesson price feels far too high when 18 people show up to take a particular class. I wish Arabesque would put an attendance cap on their classes, dependent on which room is being used. It’s just not possible to get much from a lesson when it’s too cramped to do ‘snake arms’.