“I can do it slowly, without music, when I’m alone in my studio”, I told my Bellydancing teacher Julz as she showed me for the millionth time how to move my feet for the Turkish Shimmy Half Turn.
“One, two, turn, turn,” I repeat over and over to my feet in a whisper, hoping they’ll hear.
There is so much more to this dancemove, but the feet have to become automatic, then I can work on the rest of it. So I’m practicing, hoping that when I get to class and the music is playing and the dancer I’m following moves smoothly into a Turkish Shimmy Half Turn, my feet will remember.
When I get discouraged, I think of how I keep hearing how healthy it is for our brains to keep learning something new. How learning to move my body in this way, a way I never moved it before or even imagined I could, is sparking nuerons in my brain, carving new pathways, keeping my brain guessing and engaged.
I’m actaully practicing three of the many things I’ll someday be doing when I get the Turkish, I’m practing moving my feet, keeping my posture and spotting (which is turning my head and looking at where I’m going before I get there, to keep from getting dizzy.)
And throught it all, I’m givng my brain, as well as my body, a work-out.
Here’s a video of what the Turkish Shimmy with quarter and half turns looks like:
Wow, Maria! What you are attempting is amazing. I don’t think I have enough neural pathways to wake up to do this. My scarf’s off to you! ; )
Ha! As I’ve learned Jane, you just never know! 🙂
You look regal! I’m impressed that you shared a video of you in the learning process. From what you’ve written about the person you used to be, that seems like evidence of a lot of growth and confidence. It’s beautiful. And your attitude about the learning process and how it requires that we be kind to ourselves, made me smile.
After doing it I thought something similar Trish. I never would have put up a video like that before. I’m so glad it brought across the idea of being kind to ourselves.