Inspiration: Dancing During Pregnancy

No, I am not pregnant. No, I am not planning on doing it. However, a close friend of mine is, and the subject of belly dance did come up during conversation.

I’ve seen videos of gorgeous dancers pregnant, including Sadie, Saida and Sera. I’ve read a lot of comments (anecdotal evidence) about women saying that they did belly rolls or omis during birth, or that said they found the process easier/less painful because of their belly dance training. I’ve also ready at least a few people suggesting that belly dance evolved as a fertility dance, and also as a way of training the muscles for the process of pregnancy and birth. And hubby insists there is a certain “advertisement” in the dancing, not because we’re advertising our sexual availability (as a lot of people think), but, in a more basic sense, we’re advertising our suitability, in a sort of “we are well trained to give birth without risk and get back to normal quicker”.

The truth is, we do not know how belly dancing originated, but I do like to think there is something very primal about it.

My friend did some belly dancing in the past, and had mentioned wanting some exercising. So I suggested Sera Solstice’s “Goddess Dance: Prenatal Bellydance & Meditation”. There’s a wonderful clip on YouTube of her dancing at 8 months pregnant, but while doing that, I found something else, even more poignant: a short clip of her dancing at home, with her daughter and bump first, six days before birth, and again with her daughter and now born son six days after the birth. I think that brings the point across in a way that no organised masterful performance can do, and it is quite sweet to watch too. Enjoy!

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1 Response

  1. Delirio says:

    Brilliant reading!
    And looking at the movements, yes,I can say from experience those movements *do* ease the pain and they *do* prepare you for what’s to come.
    🙂

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