Using Dance to Get in Shape and Improve Fitness

Bollywood

Dance isn’t just any regular hobby. While expressing yourself and having loads of fun, you can get into shape too! Certain types of dance classes are slower paced, while others are designed for you to get a tough work out. Just like in any other sport, you are guaranteed to break a sweat while doing a dance fitness class. This is how dance fitness classes can increase your physical health.

Dance Strengthens Your Body

Similar to yoga, dance is a unique form of exercise in that it strengthens your body and increases your flexibility at the same time. You will gain muscle and tone without even having to step foot in the weight room at the gym. During dance fitness classes, you build muscle just by using your own body weight. Increasing your muscle mass boosts your metabolism, which means your body burns more calories even when you are resting, making dance fitness an easy and enjoyable way to manage your weight. You won’t just feel stronger, you’ll look stronger too. 

With dance, you can have fun and get fit at the same time.

Dance Improves Your Cardio

Dance fitness classes are particularly designed for the purpose of getting your heart rate up. These classes will kick your butt! Dance fitness classes will improve your cardiovascular health, which leads to healthier lungs and a healthier heart. Not to mention, you’ll enjoy yourself while doing it. Dance fitness is much more exciting than sticking to a treadmill or an elliptical machine for your cardio regimen.

Dance fitness is an excellent alternative to the gym. It’s a creative, enjoyable way to get the same complete benefits from a traditional workout. Plus, dance studios tend to have a more supportive and nurturing environment to support your dance fitness goals. 

If you feel inspired to use dance fitness as a means to get fit, contact us to learn more about our dance fitness class options. 

New Year, New Classes!

Ballet Classes

Two New Course Offerings Coming to Bella Diva – Feb, 2021

Starting Sunday, Feb. 7th we will be offering Adult Ballet taught by Elizabeth Buckius and another Beginner Belly Dance section instructed by Anna Saakova. 

Adult Ballet with Elizabeth Buckius Sundays 12:45-1:45 pm

Adult Ballet with Elizabeth Buckius

At Bella Diva we want to empathize ballet is for everybody and can be done by any BODY.  This class will be a great add-on for all our world dancers who wish to develop classical dance training and stage presence for performance. Adult ballet is a great workout for the whole body. Ballet is a weight-bearing form of exercise that strengthens muscles, promotes healthy bones, and burns calories. Because ballet uses the full range of muscles, it’s also great for cognitive functions such as coordination and concentration.  

Some of the many benefits of studying ballet as an adult: 

  1. Improves flexibility
  2. Improves muscle strength while lengthening muscles
  3. Improves coordination and balance  
  4. Improves posture 
  5. Develops self-expression
  6. Improves concentration
  7. Great for mindfulness and relaxation
  8. Improves stamina 

Our class will be adhering to the Vaganova Method of ballet. The Vaganova Method is a ballet technique and training system devised by the Russian dancer and pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova (1879–1951). It is acknowledged all over the world as the foremost training syllabus of the classical ballet.  

The Method is an extraordinary system that permits to develop the knowledge of how one’s body should be used in order to dance with expression, yet without injuries, like the best Russian dancers do. It is the foremost technique used by Mikhael Baryshnikov, Rudolph Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, and other stars of Russian classical ballet. 

Vaganova’s conviction that all theory must be enriched by the experience of teaching and new developments in artistic practice is also at the core of the Method: “Look at life all around; everything is growing, everything is moving forward. Therefore I recommend keeping in touch with life and with art.” 

Beginner Belly Dance with Anna Saakova Sundays 3:15-4:15 pm

Beginner Belly Dance with Anna Saakova

Anna, from Novorossiysk, Russia, began her dance training at the age of five as a ballroom dancer. Always fascinated by Egyptian mythology and culture, Anna discovered her passion for belly dance in 2006 when she joined Vita Saakova and her dance studio “Gulshan” in Novorossiysk. A year later, Anna was a part of the show group performing at concerts, competitions, and various events. Besides belly dance, Anna was also a part of Roman, Armenian, Bollywood, and Fusion dance troupes. As a solo performer, she won multiple competitions as well as getting first place for group Saidi and Dabke dance.  

In addition to the Bella Diva beginner curriculum, Anna will focus on the shimmy drills, new Egyptian technique, exercises to develop bigger hip amplitude, flexibility, fluidity of arms, various belly dance styles, rhythms, and more. With 11 years of theatrical experience, Anna will teach you the importance of emotional expression on stage, and how this can take your performance to the next level. 

Online Registration is now open! 

Two Benefits of Dance Are Increased Confidence and Healthier Body Image

Dance Could Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals

Dance is more than just a fun way to express yourself. Of course, there are dance benefits that come from strengthening and stretching your body. But dance benefits go even further beyond what you can see, as dancing is a means of achieving a healthier heart, mind, and spirit. Dance can improve the way you feel and think about yourself.

Here are two overlooked dance benefits to your mental well being.

Dance can be therapeutic
Dance can help improve the relationship you have with yourself.

1. Dance Increases Self-confidence

Whether you already view yourself as confident or would like to improve in that area, taking dance classes can help you overcome feelings of self-doubt. While dancing, our bodies release endorphins, known as the chemicals that make you feel happy. At the same time, dance reduces the cortisol level in your body, which is the stress-causing hormone. Both of these natural occurrences lead to a more balanced mood. And the more content we are, the better we feel about ourselves.

2. Dance Boosts Your Self-image

A step towards attaining optimal personal growth is learning to accept yourself and your body. Dance benefits and impacts the relationship you have with your body by increasing your mind-body awareness, allowing you to cultivate a healthier self-image. As you grow your strength and flexibility, you’ll learn to appreciate your body for all that it can do and, as a result, become more in tune with your body. 

Dance is not just about getting active. Even though it’s important to stay in shape, we can reflect on what else dance does for us beyond the mere physical. Dance benefits, both physical and mental, start within you and then flow into other areas of your life outside of the dance studio.

If you want to reap these mental dance benefits, contact us to learn more about our dance class options.

Bella Diva “On-Demand” World Dance Academy!

Virtual Dance Studio

Join Our On-Demand Virtual World Dance Studio

Imagine a global village for culture, fitness, and well-being, where everyone comes together to celebrate life by discovering what it means to be a global citizen through dance! 

Bella Diva Dance Teaching Staff

Bella Diva will be officially launching our On-Demand World Dance Academy this month, a virtual studio created to be a place where we learn, smile while we sweat, stay fit, and connect from anywhere in the world on your schedule.

Included will be your favorite classes taught by the Bella Diva staff, ranging from 20-30 minute mini-classes and drills to full hour-length classes incorporating a full warm-up, stretch, drills, technique, combo, and cool down. We will categorize all classes by level ranging from Beginner, Intermediate to Advanced.

Join out virtual On-Demand world dance studio!

New Content Added Weekly!

Styles currently being offered are Belly Dance, Samba, Bollywood, Bhangra, Hula, Yoga, and strength training. Hip Hop and Afro-Caribe are coming soon.

On-Demand members will also have access to past Bella Diva performances and virtual experiences.  

Find your groove and join the movement!

Sign up to discover and learn more!