Bringing belly back

By Michelle Menaker
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Viewed 9591 times.

Transitions Bookplace and Café in Lincoln Park is just your average bookstore by day. But by night, you might see an unlikely scene: belly dancing.

"Anyone can go to a belly dancing class and feel better because if you just shake it and kind of move it around, you're going to feel better," said Dianne Hodges, a belly dancing instructor.

This is Hodge's second class at Transitions, but she has taught the ancient dance for six years.

"Energy is very congested in the pelvic area and the female organs and they don't really feel feminine," she said. "So that's how I started using it as a healing modality."

And that healing power is the focus of the class. Dancers say belly dancing can alleviate emotional trauma, anger and stress.

"It's fun, it's a great form of exercise and furthermore if you want to really get in touch with your feminine side and elevate the feminine energy, this is a route to do it definitely," said Betty Giannopoulos, a belly dancing student.

Hodges even encourages men to take her class, but at this session, there were only spectators. But first-time belly dancer Cheryl Pocus recommends it to anyone.

"It just seems to loosen all the stress, everything and just made me feel more balanced," she said.

If this is something you or your belly might be interested head on over to Transitions Bookplace on the corner of Sheffield and Clark. It's the third Tuesday of every month for the next three months.