Women in Mysuru take to belly dancing to stay fit and fine

MYSURU: After she was diagnosed with thyroid a few years ago, Yamuna Shekar gained weight at an alarming rate. Acting on the advice of doctors to lose weight, Yamuna, a homemaker from Vijayanagar, took to belly dancing three years ago, and successfully managed to shed as many as 10kg.
Yamuna, 45, is one of the many women in the city who have taken up belly dancing to stay fit.A popular dance form in the Middle East, belly dancing has become a form of exercise for women in Mysuru. Over the last three years, the trend of women joining belly dancing lessons to stay fit has steadily gathered pace.
The city has around ten belly dancing schools. From basic steps to complicated movements, instructors trained in the art ensure that the learners grasp the lessons thoroughly. While a majority of those joining these schools are women, a few men too have signed up for the classes, as an alternative to pumping iron at gyms to stay fit.
Head of the dance academy Beyond Taalas Pooja Joshi observed that interest in belly dancing was growing with each passing year in Mysuru. “Over the years, experiments to infuse elements of other dance forms to belly dance have been made. For example, experimenting with Kathak, Odissi, and other Latin dance forms have been successful. Now, it is being taken up for fitness,” she said. Noted belly dance instructor Thulasi Kushalappa said, “Belly dance helps reduce stress and mental pressure. Besides increasing flexibility, we feel light after practising belly dance.”
The belly dance instructors charge from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,500 per course. Besides being trained in the more conventional forms of belly dance, the learners are also taught other variants such as tribal belly, folk belly, etc.
Director of The Next Step – Cynthia’s Dance Studio, Cynthia Charles Archer pointed out that the dance form, though native to the Middle East, had acquired local hues of the regions where it was practiced. “Earlier, it was performed only at clubs, and later emerged as an art form. Now, in addition to helping one remain beautiful, it is also practised to stay fir since it helps beat stress and reduces pain in the lower back,” she added.
Most learners are professional women aged above 40. The centres have also started special batches and workshops to help them.