The body, which becomes increasingly flexible, supple, and graceful when belly dancing, literally learns to move more beautifully. Many dancers experience a heightened sense of elegance, grace, and poise when they dance. This wonderful confidence remains and becomes part of the way one carries herself.

Might sound corny but it’s so true – I had a 5 year hiatus from dancing a while back, and during that time I hadn’t realized that I wasn’t feeling very beautiful anymore. Could it be because I wasn’t dancing anymore? Possibly. Could it be because we were building and I was more often than not wearing some kind of messy building clothes? Ya, maybe. Could it be because I actually buzzed off all my hair (gasp!)? I think it was a combo of all of these things.

What I can tell you is that when I did start dancing again, I suddenly found myself standing taller once more, my posture improved quite noticeably, and I began to feel graceful again. And not just during my dance classes, but all throughout my regular life as well. At one point I stopped and caught sight of myself in the mirror before the start of a dance class and had a wonderfully familiar feeling like I had run into a long lost buddy, and I actually thought to myself, “Oh! There you are! How wonderful to see you again!” Coincidence? I think not.