Barbara

Picture the scene: an open-air amphitheatre in Turkey with an audience of 450. Announcement-bellydancing competition, any takers? Says middle-aged man to middle-aged wife-"You've always wanted to do this-fancy a go?" Expletives followed. Imagine delight of said Wife when the names of the competitors were read out and hers was there! Roars of encouragement followed from complete strangers at table, so Wife went down, donned the kit and competed against a young, buxom blonde and a Romanian stick insect, plus two guys.

Stick Insect won, but the two blokes came up afterwards and said to Wife-"You should have won. Your dance was so full of fire and passion." So when the ad appeared in the Lincolnshire Echo-I was there at the first class and have loved it ever since.

What other recreation allows women of any size, shape or age to "search for the goddess inside of you”? It is an empowering dance, which releases tension and brings laughter in its place. It gives you companionship and power, especially when you try tribal dancing, which can intimidate even the bravest of men! (Personally, I think it's the turbans.)

You can approach this dance in any way you wish: recreation, fitness, fun, or you can push yourself to another level and perform. I got the first buzz from that in Turkey and thoroughly enjoy that aspect of the dance. You can extend this further as we have to Bollywood, which is an absolute riot!

 I am fortunate enough to dance with Claire and Diane, two wonderful dancers, who allow me to wobble about in the middle. I am certainly the senior member in age (maybe I should call myself the Zimmerchick?) but working with them I forget this, and this is what I have found wherever I have danced. It is a classless and ageless pursuit and I recommend it to anyone reading this. Don't worry about your size, shape or anything else. A goddess is perfect-and that is how you feel when you dance: it makes me feel truly alive.

Get dancing, ladies! You'll never regret it.

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