I’d love to know, when did you start bellydancing? And tell me, at what age do you plan on stopping bellydancing?

The first question is part of the usual kind of conversation dancers have all the time. The second question is kind of weird and not something we find ourselves asking each other as we don our hipscarves before class.

Personally, I plan on bellydancing into my 90s and beyond! Whether or not my body will play ball with that plan is another matter.

I believe that getting older is a privilege and something to celebrate. So as we get blessed with another day, week, month and year with the joy of bellydancing, let’s remember to care for our bodies as though they are a precious, sparking gem.

It’s time treat your body the same way as a pro dancer would. That way, you’ll be dancing for … as long as you want to!

What am I talking about here? Of course, it’s bellydance “after care” or cool down as we commonly know it.

Whilst drills and moves are great, it’s the tlc you give your body afterwards that will serve you well in the long run.

So for today’s blog post, I’m giving you a short cool down routine that you can add on to any practice session. Or you can even do it after your regular class when you get home.

Take a deep breath, here we go …

I hope I’ve helped you embrace the road to bellydance longevity. My aim is to bring spirit, soul and sparkle into your life – for as long as possible!

Be sure to give me a thumbs up on youtube so I know you dig my videos (and want more!) And I’d be so happy if you were to leave a comment too 🙂 If you feel the need to share the love, just hit one of the share buttons below.

Before I go, I’ll use maximum restraint from hitting the caps lock button (I’ll keep it to bold) when I say: the Santa Maria Bellydance Online sale continues! Get 50% off your first month when you use the promo code: SHIMMY2018. Go here to get started with me now!

In my online studio you’ll find a selection of warm ups, drills, combos, movement sequences, choreography, improvisation workshops and of course – cool downs.

Thank you so much for reading,

Love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Ps. 2018 Year Planner is shaping up nicely! Check out the events that I’m involved with below – perhaps I’ll see you there?

Upcoming workshops and events

* Vintage Style Bellydance Choreography Workshop with Helen: A Tribute to Katy Voutsaki – Sold out
Saturday 3rd February 2018, Reading, 11.00-1.30

* Vintage Style Bellydance Choreography Workshop with Helen Saturday 24th March 2018, 2.00-4.00pm, Redditch, £20 – Sold out email Emma at bellyjewels@mail.com to be added to the waiting list

* Vintage Style Bellydance Choreography Workshop with Helen places available Saturday 28th April 2.00-4.00pm, Gloucester, £25 Contact Penny at pennybellydancer@hotmail.com for bookings and info

* Casbah Cabaret the bellydance showcase for aspiring bellydance students and enthusiastic bellydance fans! Sunday 22 April, 7.00pm-10.00pm, doors open at 6.00pm,The Outlook
76-78A Kings Road, RG1 3BJ Reading. Performance slots are open now, go here to apply to perform. Go here for tickets.

* Ozgen will be returning to Reading! Bookings will be open soon so stay tuned. In the meantime, save the dates 26th and 27th May 2018

Happy New Year! Welcome to my first blog post of 2018, thank you so much for being here.

Do you find January a tough month? I know how you feel, the idea of hibernating under a blanket in front of the TV with a nice cuppa and a biscuit has its appeal.

That’s why I always think that one of the best things about learning bellydance is being in a group of awesome people – it’s not a lone sport! If anything can get me (willingly) out of the house in January it’s the chance to teach a group of funny and fabulous people and dance together. Yes, I believe that bellydance classes can help us through what can otherwise be a grueling month.

So in this tutorial, I invite you to join me and some of our gorgeous students for my “Helen’s 100s” drill. A short, sweet, super simple drill that only lasts 2 minutes. 100 hips drops on each hip – deep breath, let’s go!

Imagine if you did this once a day for a week, that would be 1400 hip drops!

Would you like to join us for more bellydance drills, technique and choreography? Our Winter 2018 term starts next week! I’m blessed to have a cracking team of talented, creative coaches and between us we offer courses from beginner to advanced levels. Visit our classes page to find the right course for you and book your place.

Would you like to rise to the top of the class? Or do you live to far away to join our live classes? Well, I have great news for you! I’m embracing the spirit of January sales and offering you a whole month of full access to Santa Maria Bellydance Online for half price!

That means you can take drills, technique, movement and choreography classes with me anytime you have internet connection for a bargainous £7.50 for a whole month when you join up for a monthly subscription in January 2018. Just enter the voucher code SHIMMY2018 to get your first months discount.

Thanks for joining me again for another blog episode, happy dancing 🙂

Love and shimmies,

Helen xx

This conversation was a massive eye-opener for me.  Both as a bellydance teacher and as a human being.

How can bellydance be life changing? Even life saving?

I asked Charlotte Desorgher about the Bellydance For Joy project she is leading which brings bellydance classes to women who have experienced the terror of violence and abuse.

We touched on some really interesting points and I was surprised by some of the challenges from a teaching point of view.

Just to give you a heads up, we won’t be shying away from the topic today. We’ll be hearing about women who have been through terrifying and traumatic experiences. It’s a tough listen in parts, but well worth hearing about the unexpected ways that bellydance has helped victims of violence and abuse.

The power of bellydance never ceases to amaze me. Do you know of a project or organization that is using bellydance in interesting and healing ways? Feel free to share in the Youtube comments and let us know about it!

Here’s how you can find out more and contribute towards Bellydance For Joy:

Bellydance for victims of abuse, rape and slavery: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects… Bellydance for Hospices (in memory of Yvette Cowles): https://www.globalgiving.org/projects…

Find our more about Charlotte:

Company of Dreams website: www.companyofdreams.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/companyofdre…
Twitter: @companyofdreams Instagram: @companyofdreamsdance

Thank you so much for reading and watching this week’s blog.

Love and shimmies to you,

Helen xx

Ps. Are you ready to get your sparkle on in 2018? Early bird bookings are now open! Visit our classes page to see all our courses and book your place.

Do you have a competitive streak? Even just a tiny bit?

Well, I want to tap into it today to help you smash your choo choo shimmies out of the park. My aim is to turn the choo choo from a move you dread into a move you love!

In today’s blog, I  invite you to join me for a 3 minute choo choo drill. Nice and simple, all you need is a small space and no interruptions for 3 minutes.

Join me now and let’s get started!

We’re all at different places with our fitness, strength and health, so do as much or as little of it as you like 🙂

Be sure to leave me comment on youtube and let me know how you get on. Imagine if you did it every day for 30 days!

Would you like some step by step help on how to achieve a strong, consistent choo choo shimmy? My new Choo Choo Masterclass is now live at SMB Online, yay! (a few of you have asked for this)

This is where I take you through some prep work with strength and conditioning exercises, an in depth technique session with oodles of tips, hints and visualisations, then some good old drills to let the move sink into your body ready for you to draw on any time you need a choo choo.Never dread choo choos again!

I hope today’s video helps you to build your confidence when it comes to choo choo shimmies. Keep on practicing regularly alongside me and enjoy seeing your choo choos get stronger and stronger.

Thank you for reading, love and (choo choo) shimmies to you,

Helen xxx

Ps. Here’s a sneak peek at my Choo Choo Shimmy Mastercass, now available within my extensive class library at SMB Online.

Get ready for piece of blog post joy. A week or so ago I had the pleasure of sitting down to interview international dance artist, Ozgen and hearing him talk beautifully openly and honestly about his life as a dancer, his real feelings about being a “male bellydancer” (whatever that means!) and lots more. Warning: we went deep!

The only topic that was off limits was … nothing. Ozgen was happy to answer absolutely any questions I had, what a gem.

So get your self a cuppa, settle in, and enjoy.

Thanks so much for being here and watching/listening to this week’s blog! I hope I’ve bought a little more soul, spirit and sparkle to your life with this insight into Ozgen’s life as a dancer and his thoughts and philosophies on dance, dancers (and life!) in general.

If you want to keep in the loop with Ozgen, be sure to follow him on instagram and join him on facebook.

If you enjoyed it, why not share it with your bellydance buddies? And be sure to give a thumbs up over at Youtube so I know you enjoy this kind of thing. You can even leave a comment if any of what we chatted about resonated with you.

I was all prepped to promote my upcoming Vintage Style Bellydance workshop in this space. However, I’ve been bowled over by the response as it sold out within a day! Sorry if you missed out on a spot, please do contact me to be added to the waiting list. The good news is that it looks like I’ll be hitting the road with the workshop so keep a look out for that. (It’s not often that I leave the mothership here in Reading!)

Now, if you’re looking to expand your bellydance repertoire and rise to the top of the class, you need regular, consistent practice that you can weave into your lifestyle. Santa Maria Bellydance Online is open 24/7 anywhere you have an internet connection. There you’ll find hours of my classes, drills, exercises, choreography sequences, combinations, technique tutorials, improvisation workshops and much more.

You even get to try the first 3 days for free to see if you dig it before you pay. Check it out here! I’m happy to say that I’ve reached students as far as the US, Germany, Norway, Italy and even Kuwait! I’d love you to join them too.

Until next time, love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Summer is here! Just like the gorgeous flowers that are emerging all around us, it’s time for you to blossom and sparkle. And, as ever, I’m on a mission to help you bring out your feminine side by teaching you to bellydance, step by step.

Before I dive into this week’s express class, I want to give the heads up to any local dancers (to Reading, UK) about an amazing opportunity to take some training with top international performer and teacher Serena Ramzy on 10th September 2017.

If you are an advancing dancer then it’s no exaggeration to say that this an unmissable opportunity to take some high level training. (You’ll find the link for further details and booking at the bottom of this post).

Are you just starting out on your bellydance journey? Or perhaps you’ve been on an extended break from bellydance? Then come along to one of our Beginner Bellydance Taster Sessions!

Dip your to in the glittery bellydance water with a one hour taster session this Summer. Find all the details and online booking here.

Now on to today’s express class.

In this episode I’ll give you 3 more speedy tips to stop you looking like a beginner and start you looking like an advanced dancer.

This time, the focus is on hands. Are you making one of  these 3 ham-fisted mistakes? Check out this week’s class to get it fixed in double quick time.

Now you’ve watched the class, I’d love to know what you think! Be sure to leave a comment on youtube and of course you’re always welcome to message me.

Thank you, as always, for reading and watching.

Love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Ps. Go here to book your place for training with Serena Ramzy (hint: there’s an early bird deal!). Link takes you to a different site.

We all have to start somewhere on our bellydance journey and that somewhere is a beginner class.

It’s heartening to think that even great bellydancers were beginners once. But, let’s face it, none of us want to be a beginner for longer than we have to! The moves feel awkward and we have that “beginner look” which marks us out as an inexperienced dancer.

Firstly, before we dive into this week’s tutorial, I want to say that this awkward feeling is completely normal! Secondly, it takes time, patience and regular tuition to master bellydance.

However, there are a few tell-tale “beginner” signs that, I believe, can be kicked to the kerb in a cinch.

Here is the first in my short series of “how to stop looking like a beginner” tutorials. In each snappy class I’ll home in on a certain dance element or body part. This time I’ll give you my 3 tips in relation to one culprit which will instantly help you blossom into your new dance persona!

Click the video find out what we’re going to focus on this week:

Now you’ve taken a look at today’s class, I’d love to know what you thought! Was it helpful? Do you have any tips to add that helped you shed your beginner bellydance identity? Be sure to comment under the youtube video.

Along our bellydance journey there are several landmark skills that mark our arrival into the next phase. One of the most challenging of these is, without doubt, feeling confident about improvising or choreographing your own dance.

So here at SMBA we’ll be offering a one off 6 week course focusing on advancing these more nuanced bellydance skills.

Don’t be scared, you’ll be taken through my specially developed exercises step by step, you won’t have to figure it all out on your own.

We’ll also expand your knowledge of bellydance music with an overall course theme of 10 Songs Every Bellydancer Should Know.

Go here to book your place, don’t take too long as we only have a few places left and we start next week!

Thanks for reading 🙂

Love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Ps. Are you in the loop? Subscribe for blog updates with bellydance tips to get on track and stay inspired. Plus receive my free online class! Go here to get yours.

In today’s class I have a super cool move to teach you and the best part is – it’s not  that difficult!

It’s a cheeky little figure called a single hip figure 8. The good news is that you can dig out when you’re improvising, or use in a choreography if you’re looking for a new move.

In this session I’ll give you the technique plus some tips along the way to make sure you look as fabulous as possible 🙂

Once you’ve taken the class, I’d love to know what you think: did you find it easy? or was it trickier than I imagined?  Be sure to leave a comment on youtube!

Let’s get started!

If you have bellydance pals who would enjoy this class, I’d be so grateful if you were to share it on your fave social media platforms. You never know, it could be just what someone’s looking for!

Thanks so much for reading.

With love and shimmies,
Helen xx

Ps. Our NEW 6 week Summer courses are coming up! Early prices are up for grabs until 10th May. Go to our classes page to check out the juicy new syllabus!