A class at Arts/WEST helps to empower women.
Grabbing a hip scarf, warming up to the rhythm of Middle Eastern tunes and putting on a smile is how to prepare for Ellie Olin’s belly dancing class.
Olin, a belly dance instructor at ARTS/West, started her journey with belly dancing in 2000 when she was pregnant with her first child. She heard there were certain moves that would help with pregnancy and she developed a passion for the art.
“The first time I saw it I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ Olin said. “I was really entranced by the belly dancer. It was a really powerful thing to see this woman, to see how strong she was, how elegant she was. She had pretty much the entire crowed mesmerized.”
Similar to Olin, Nadine Borovicka, a belly dance instructor, said she fell in love with belly dancing when she saw a class her friend taught.
“I started going (to my friends’) class about four and a half years ago and I just fell in love with it,” Borovicka said. “It is a good workout, but it has such a sense of community.”
Borovicka recently moved to Athens from Huntington, West Virginia. She said she instantly felt connected to Olin’s class, though she’s only attended two sessions.
Belly dancing has to do with movements in the torso, the hips and the hands. There are seven core movements to belly dancing, according to shemiranibrahim.com: Lifts and drops, slides, shimmies, twists, circles, figure eights and undulations.
Olin said when she started dancing she became obsessed with getting better, a beginning of a physical and mental journey. She added belly dancing boosted her self-esteem and gave her a way to express herself.
Olin said she now loves Middle Eastern music, and connects with it on a “deeper level.”
Olin also performs and said for her the best compliment is when someone sees her perform and then tells her that she inspired him or her to learn.
“The only thing I care about is inspiring women,” she said. “I’m not looking for any reassurance.”
Olin teaches belly dancing to all people of ages and genders. Some are women in their 40s or 50s and others are in high school. She said she always tries to make the experience comfortable.
“I think it’s awesome because a lot of those women see the confidence in the room and it inspires them,” she said. “(They see) this is a really safe place where (they) can exercise and strengthen (their) body and have fun.”
Borovicka said the classes are really low key because of the friendly environment.
“It makes me feel flexible, stronger and happier.” Charlene Suggs, a student of Olin’s off and on for a couple of years, said. “Since we’re working on our core strength, it compliments (our) other strengths. Also since were doing isolating movements and hand movements it really helps mind and body connection.”
Metra Peterson, who has been attending Olin’s classes for five years, said she thinks belly dancing had a lot to do helping her “not spiral down” after going through menopause.
“I can still keep up with my kids and I think belly dancing has a lot to do with that,” she said.
Olin said that the whole experience is about connecting with other women spiritually and empowering them.
“When I perform at any venue I specifically make eye contact with women,” Olin said. “Dancing with other women is so much about connection with each other you’re encouraging and experiencing these intrinsic rhymes and earthy beats that really bring out this primal inspiration. And you connect with yourself, you connect with these other women, you connect with the rhythm. It’s an amazing experience I definitely have a passion for this.”
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