4/29/07 Belly Dance

This morning, I watched a "Bellydance fitness fusion" show on KCSM, a public TV station. I was riveted. The teacher is stunningly beautiful, and she and the demonstrators all have solid, full bodies -- no waify ballet bunheads here. I was particularly amazed watching a segment in which the dancers sit on the floor in 2nd position (a straddle) and do exercises for the...ah, rear end. Holy Booty Batman! I've never seen gluteals move like that before. Left boom, right boom, undulate. Move over, Beyonce and J.Lo, you've been out-bunned. I gotta try that!

It was an unusual Sunday for us. Dave took Gabriel to Pacific Coast Dream Machines in Half Moon Bay, a car, truck, airplane, motorcycle, and even motorized unicycle show. This left me with Julian and Katrina all day, with a home improvement project burning to happen. Hah.

After Katrina's much-too-short morning nap, I took Julian and Katrina to the Y, figuring I'd get a few minutes off today and do some weights.

And what do you think I came across happening at the Y? A bellydance class!! I don't believe in fate, but what a fabulous coincidence.

The class had already started, but after hovering shyly outside watching for a few minutes, I couldn't resist. I gathered myself and joined. This is one thing about years of experience in dance classes: humiliation, intimidation, inadequacy, feeling completely lost -- all part of the experience. Every dancer has left a class in tears at some point, and every dancer develops survival strategies and a thick skin. So even though I was completely out of my element, I knew how to survive. I positioned myself to best see the teacher, and then picked out the best dancer in the class to follow.

(The best dancer in the class, who'd clearly bellydanced before, was also the largest lady. But one's eye would be drawn to her first out of the whole group because of her powerful and graceful movement. Indeed, this time I felt like the waiflike ballerina, almost wishing I had more hips.)

What a cool way to move! It's like this gushingly open, sensual, earthy way of celebrating a full body. It didn't come naturally; I felt impeded by years of working for exacting placement, rather than knowing how to just let it go and flow. I was especially psyched when the class did those buns exercises sitting on the floor, though somehow it looked a whoooole lot different than what the teacher in the video did!

Alas, that was the last fun I'd have for the day. Katrina's afternoon nap was also much too short, leaving me just enough time to cut up a huge bowl of yummy fruit (the one Sunday morning tradition I couldn't forego), have a few blueberry yogurt pancakes, and that was it. So much for my closet project. She was impossible, not letting me sit down, let alone sit her down. She took a third micro-nap in the evening, that helped.

Julian played alone much of the day, mostly outside. I felt a little bad about that, but every time I checked him, he was always happily absorbed in something (including getting some "em em" from the neighbors...I sure wish I knew how to put a stop to that!). It's so rare that he gets to play unfettered, without someone -- Gabriel -- pushing him, getting in his way, taking toys, distracting him, ordering him around, taking over a game.

That said, when Dave and Gabriel got home and the boys were reunited tonight, they kicked right into gear, clearly happy to be together again. But that caused instant trouble too (such as spooning peas into their milk glasses). Dave commented that the most tiring and annoying situation for him is the boys together, and I agree. Katrina wore me out today with being endlessly fussy (I'm happy to say that's on the rare side these days), but I don't feel anger toward her or anything as I so often do when the boys are together. It was nice that when Dave got home, he was happy to relax sitting on the couch holding her, and she was at her most relaxed and sweet of the day when (almost) cuddling in Dad's arms.

No photos today, but it was again a nice warm day. Shorts for Julian, a cute short romper for Katrina, capris for me. It's nice looking at chubby (well, relatively) kid legs again.

4/29/07