From the back left:  Michél Lavarn, Natalie Guerra,

Jena Stone, Gabbi Whetzel , Beth Gitton, Sandow Sinai and Megan Rodriguez.

 

Is that a jingle I hear? No, it’s not Santa. It’s the Hood Belly Dance Club coming our way.

Although this young club hasn’t been around for too long, it is are already making history. As the first Belly Dancing Club at Hood, these dancers are catching everyone’s eye. This once small group of five people has grown to almost 20 strong.

“It’s really fun to learn the steps,” junior Rowela Silvestre said.  “All of the moves are fun to learn. Every practice you learn a new thing.”

Not an experienced dancer? No need to worry, the Belly Dance Club teaches everyone. Silvestre is a new member and has no prior experience in this form of dance.

“Remembering posture is the first thing the new dancers forget, but you can’t forget it,” said Jena Stone, a junior who has been belly dancing for two years. “You have to remember to bend your knees and work your muscles.”

Stone is stresses the importance of exercise. ”When you show up to practice with these enthusiasts, be ready to sweat,” Stone said.

Stone is an elementary and special education student at Hood College. She is currently one of the intermediate level dancers as well as an aide for teaching the beginner classes. “I’m planning on being a teacher, so helping instruct is great practice.”

A typical lesson with the club’s president, Megan Rodriguez, starts with what every physical activity should start with: a good warm-up. That’s right, these club members start with squats, an abdominal workout, and of course, stretching.

The Belly Dance Club currently has two sections, a beginners group and intermediate. The beginners group focuses on the basics of belly dancing while those with more experience dance with the intermediate group.

Rodriguez, a junior, started teaching friends at Hood a few years ago. Then after a few started to show interest in learning how to belly dance, she began to teach them in small groups. Finally, they developed an official club and grew to the organization they are today.

Rodriguez has been dancing for six years, and has been teaching for three. She choreographs the songs she teaches to her club members. “I listen to music and when I find a song that I think would be awesome I just choreograph whatever pops into my head,” she said.

While many students may be concerned with their weight, Rodriguez stresses the idea of accepting your body. “You don’t have to be a size 2 to be good at belly dancing,” she said.

Rodriguez continued: “Oh my gosh, the bigger you are the less you have to work. In belly dancing every body type is beautiful and it all looks great,” Rodriguez said.

According to Rodriguez, belly dancing is not just for women; men can have a fun time as well. “There are some guys who are incredible belly dancers, even better than the women,” she said.

What’s the best part of belly dancing? “Belly dancing makes you appreciate your body the way it is,” Rodriguez said.

Junior Natalie Guerra is one of the intermediate belly dancers who knows this to be true. “I love that I’m now able to move my body the way I can, it’s cool,” she said.

Although Frederick doesn’t have a large belly dance community at the moment, Rodriguez is hoping to change that. The Hood Belly Dancing Club is planning to perform in the spring at the International Bazar.

Interested in joining the Belly Dance Club? Visit their Facebook page.

From the back left:  Michél Lavarn, Natalie Guerra, Jena Stone, Gabbi Whetzel , Beth Gitton, Sandow Sinai and Megan Rodriguez.