São Paulo – Sesc São Caetano, in the Greater São Paulo Area, will offer an Arabic dance course for women starting on April 11th. Students of all ages will be taught the main body movements and the use of some props, such as ribbons, for presentations and exercises.
“Belly dance attracts lots of people from both genders and all ages. I have worked with it for over 25 years and I feel that it fascinates people. This course is geared towards the basic movements, the perfecting of body awareness. The belly dance burns calories and it also modulates the muscles,” says the teacher, choreographer and ballerina Luciana Lambert.
Although belly dance is considered a “sensual” dance, Lambert claims that sensuality is not the main objective. “It is therapeutic, it allows the woman to enjoy herself, it adjusts to women’s different biotypes and really allows them to let their sensuality come out, but that is not the main purpose. It has sacred origins, it used to be practised by women to praise a goddess,” says the teacher. According to Lambert, the dance was developed in the Fertile Crescent region at around 5,000 BC, in the region where Turkey is now located.
In addition to the exercises, the students will learn about the history of the technique and a bit of the cultures of Lebanon, Syria, the Persian Gulf and Egypt. The Arabic dance has a different characteristic in each country, the music has different rhythms and some movements also vary.
Service
Eastern dances: Arabic dance
Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:00 pm at Sesc São Caetano (Rua Piauí, 554, Santa Paula)
April 11th to June 29th
Enrolment opens on April 2nd. Free of charge
For information call (+55 11) 4223-8800
Openings: 20
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
