The Miracle Fertility Dance for Everyone - On Belly Dance, Injuries and Getting Pregnant

I am currently sitting at home with an injured back. It's been over 6 weeks now, out of which I spent over a week on a hospital bed. No dance practice, no rehearsals, no jobs... not even basic housework. 

While I know I will be back dancing (relatively) soon and will not suffer permanent damage, I still lost a good amount of my monthly wage, not talking about the emotional pressure of not being able to put on some music and practice in my home studio, which is my daily routine. Funnily enough, it's the dancing that put me there. 

And I am not the only one. Knee injuries, shoulders, feet, back... you name it. Sometimes it's just overworking, sometimes it's more serious. But it exists. 

This kept me thinking about the mantra I hear so often, at least in my region, about how healthy belly dance is, and all the health benefits you can get from it.

I think there is a discrepancy between two spheres here - hobby/recreational dancing and professional commercial performing. 

Sports and physical activity are healthy for the human body ... if done in the right way. There is a reason to the disclaimer saying you should consult with your GP before taking up any sport. There are conditions and diseases that may prevent a person from doing certain movements or whole activities all together. 

I have a serious problem with claims that describe belly dance as some kind of miracle dance form and cure for all kinds of physical problems and the magic solution to getting pregnant. I think it's misleading and is also dismissive of other dance forms.  I've had this problem for years, have openly said so and have been called aggressive, arrogant, dismissive, mean... even jealous of other instructors (their classes are overbooked and I am just trying to ruin their business... what else?). 

I love this dance. I make my living from it. Why would I try to put down something I love so much?

Was belly dance meant for pregnant women? Is it its sole purpose and origin? I am not a scholar, and while I am sure that some connections can certainly be made (check Morocco's accounts of witnessing a child birth where there was dancing involved), I think that there exists a problem with dissociating certain moves and contexts from the art form as a whole. I am pretty sure that what Badia Masabni put on stage in Cairo in the 1920's was not meant to represent some childbirth ritual. 

I am personally reluctant to teach pregnant women. Not because I think they cannot attend belly dance classes, but because I do not have the necessary education to know what they can and cannot do at various stages of pregnancy. I usually recommend they go to a colleague who has attended actual classes on this topic. I am not against belly dance for pregnant women at all - I think it can be a wonderful activity for pregnant women. BUT I am against people who don't know what they do and can harm the mother and the baby.

But we're a bit ahead here, already dealing with pregnant women. What about those that are yet to get pregnant? Let's look at the claim that belly dance can help you get pregnant. I have met a few women, who had trouble getting pregnant and finally managed to, after taking up belly dance. At the same time I have met loads of professional dancers that have been trying for years and just can't get pregnant.
I don't think it's the "belly dance" itself that is a magical cure - many times, these women are stressed and tense, under pressure from work, their partners or other factors, and when they start dancing, they relax, open up, become happier... and then the magic happens.  For some, this magic is dance, for others simply taking that long awaited vacation from work, for some a new relationship in which they feel happy... the list is long.
If it happened for you thanks to belly dance, congrats!!! If you are an instructor and advertise your classes using this argument, go ahead, but then please get in touch with my colleagues who are professional bellydancers and still struggle to get a baby and please explain to them what they're doing wrong in their dance technique. 

Lastly, bellydancers are NOT immune to dance injuries. Undeniably, belly dance is less demanding on the body than professional-level ballet for instance, and a lot depends on the personal style of the dancer. While there might be a "safe way" to dance - limited back-bends (if any) and hair work (like in Iraqi rada7 dancing, which can be very hard on the neck and upper spine), no splits or high kicks etc. - many dancers have lower back problems (usually between S4 and S5 sacral segments) even if they do not use these extreme positions in their routines. Admittedly, this might be just a feeling of discomfort with/without pain and not go as far as an injury. So I think there definitely is a "safeR way", but there is no 100% guarantee, with any kind of sport/dance.

These are also the sacral segments that I injured. When I was admitted to hospital and waiting for the MRI, everyone thought it's a herniated disc. I was in tears and already saying goodbye to my work rhythm and my previous movement range.  Fortunately, it turned out to be just an irritated nerve and strained muscles.
OK... I say just, but it still hurt like hell and still is painful until today. It came as a shock to me, as I really try to keep my back and core muscles strong, specifically to prevent back injuries, and I don't even do back-bends that much. But I was told in hospital, that because of my style of work (performing several times per week, often waiting in the cold, sometimes without the time for proper warm up), even the exercises I do cannot protect me completely. They probably saved me from the herniated disc though!
I will be dancing again soon, maybe as soon as 3 weeks. I will have my full motion range back (although maybe not straight away) and will have no permanent damage. Excellent news, as I would have been p*ssed if I had to give up on certain movements!
Not every professional dancer can choose the "safer way" to dance. Depending on the occasion, the country, the community or the manager, some dancers need to incorporate difficult and extreme extensions and positions in their routines. Add to that the fact that a professional dancer usually performs several times a week, trains and rehearses and might also be teaching classes on top of that. That is a lot of strain for the muscles and joints. (note: sometimes just waiting in the cold dressing rooms with a bare midriff is enough to hurt yourself while doing a rather safe movement)

Bend it! 

(photo by Uros Cotman/Ambrosia : http://www.ambrosiatribal.com)

So to say that belly dance is a "healthy dance form" is something I would have to disagree with. Or at least I think it should come with a disclaimer. Yes of course, if you go to class once a week for 45-60 minutes, no back-bends and such, I don't see much of a risk. Or let's say you perform once, twice a month with a "safe" choreography - also good. But that's not the case for everyone. It actually isn't the case for most pros. Or maybe we shouldn't be called bellydancers then... 

Saying that "this dance is for everyone" is also a bit misleading, in my humble opinion. What does this mean anyway? True, oriental dance does not have such strict standards on body type and flexibility as other styles might have. Which is fantastic and the reason why I think this dance can be so liberating for many women. So on a professional level, bellydance is globally less demanding than ballet or latin. But also not everyone can become a professional bellydancer! I think this is a fact we can all agree on and a topic that would deserve a whole post on its own. 

Now, if this statement is applied to the context of classes, then yes of course, it is 100% accurate. It truly is for everyone. But so are other dance forms. Look at adult beginner ballet classes for example! No one forces you to do a 120 degree arabesque or do the splits or 20 fouettés in a row or get on pointe. Why shouldn't that be for everyone? Professional ballet is certainly not for everyone, but if you want to do it is a hobby, there are classes meant for that. 

You can take up any dance form whenever you want, you just have to choose the right level and class method. What I do for example in my advanced coaching classes (competition preparation for example) is often NOT for everyone, but I have classes for all kinds of levels and abilities. 

Photo from an adult ballet class at Waipawa Dance Centre. The description from their website says: "At first, everyone attends a beginner's course and then you will be graded into the best class level for your individual skill and fitness level. There is a proper structure to your learning, which will allow you to work up to your full potention and should you choose to do the exams you will receive BBO qualifications that are recognised throughout the world!"

(http://waipawadancecentre.wordpress.com/ballet-classes/)

Moral of (my) story?
Dance, enjoy, be happy, hopefully get pregnant if you wish to. Teach bellydance but be a responsible instructor, know your job, don't mislead people. They trust you!
If you choose to be a professional and rely on bellydance for your income, make sure to be careful, strengthen your back and core, dance in the safer mode if you can and want to but also accept the risks and be prepared for the possibility of an injury.