January 19th: Snake Hands

If you haven't yet met Lilik, the bellydancing guru, make sure to stop by and say hello. You don't even have to take the class. Just find some time with this lady because she is a fireball. You'll enjoy her charisma and her energy. She is just a lovely, happy person and a joy to talk to.

Before class I spent some time chatting with Lilik. Not only is she a very talented dancer but she is creative in other ways as well. We were talking about these small handcrafted trees that she makes (and incidentally sells at the Philbrook Museum during the Festival of Trees). Not only is she an artist, but she is crafty as well. In class, I discovered from talking to one of the participants that Lilik also makes bellydancing sarongs. You know, the brightly colored ones that jingle when you shake your bon-bon.

Fortunately, I did not have to wear one of the jingly sarongs. As I walked into class, Lilik immediately rushed up to me and handed me a black sarong with lace and fringe. Who was I to tell her no? I wrapped the sarong around my waist and gave it a test drive shaking my hips back and forth. Try not to visualize the image...it wasn't pretty.

In any case, the class was a good mix of experience levels. There were a couple of very nice women who had taken the class long enough that the dance moves seemed like second nature to them. There were also several of us who were completely new to the experience. Lilik was especially supportive of each of us and even pushed us outside our comfort zones. Those of us who lurked in the back of the room hoping to fade into the woodwork were quickly ushered to the front of the room, taking our turn in leading the group. Before I knew it, I was bellydancing! While not nearly as graceful or interesting to watch as Lilik, I was definitely holding my own.

I think that Lilik does a brilliant job teaching the dance steps. She makes sure that everyone has learned one dance step, practiced it many times, and has an opportunity to ask questions before she moves on. Eventually, she begins adding steps to the sequence, one dance move at a time, which makes learning easier. While I had several favorite steps, I think the one that was the most fun was called "snake hands" during which your arms become fluid and move up and down in an s-shaped curve. At the end of the class, Lilik even gave us a demonstration of "expert" bellydancing utilizing all of the moves we learned in class and adding the finger cymbals that the art form is known for.

While this class was certainly a workout, it was not at all overwhelming. It was fun. I would recommend this class to anyone who is interested in learning something new and getting some exercise in at the same time.

Lilik teaches Belly Dancing at the R.C. Dickenson Family YMCA on Wednesdays from 10:30 AM-11:30 AM

She teaches at South Neighborhood YMCA on Fridays from 10:30 AM-11:30 AM

She teaches at Thornton Family YMCA on Tuesdays from 6:30 PM-7:45 PM