Learn Oriental Dance with April
April is an Adelaide-based Oriental dancer (bellydancer) and teacher, with classes in the North Eastern suburbs and at The Dance Pad in St Peters.
As a teacher, it is her absolute joy to share her passion for Oriental dance with her students and watch them grow in confidence as they gain new skills and collect those ‘light-bulb’ moments. April aims to educate her students in the important cultural aspects of the dance as well as safe technique, and to create a supporting, welcoming and fun environment for all. From just-for-fun students to those more serious about improving their skills, April loves nothing more than having the opportunity to teach anyone who wants to learn!
Learn Oriental Dance with April
April is an Adelaide-based Oriental dancer (bellydancer) and teacher, with classes in the North Eastern suburbs and at The Dance Pad in St Peters.
As a teacher, it is her absolute joy to share her passion for Oriental dance with her students and watch them grow in confidence as they gain new skills and collect those ‘light-bulb’ moments. April aims to educate her students in the important cultural aspects of the dance as well as safe technique, and to create a supporting, welcoming and fun environment for all. From just-for-fun students to those more serious about improving their skills, April loves nothing more than having the opportunity to teach anyone who wants to learn!
Aprilβs very lovely and made me feel welcomed. Sheβs a great and patient teacher. So passionate about belly dancing. Highly recommended. Thank you, April
Afnanwhat is
Oriental Dance?
The term ‘Oriental dance’ comes from the Arabic Ψ±ΩΨ΅ Ψ΄Ψ±ΩΩ ‘Raqs Sharqi’ – meaning dance of the East/Orient. Better known as ‘bellydance’ in most Western countries, it is a sensual, feminine, strong, flowing and graceful dance that has been a part of Middle Eastern culture and life for thousands of years, with its form differing depending on the geographic region in which it evolved. Oriental dance is characterised by isolating the muscles to create fluid or staccato movements, gliding or energetic travelling steps and layering shimmies to illustrate the rich music and the dancers’ emotion.
April teaches Egyptian style Oriental dance as well as Middle Eastern folkloric styles that are a critical component to the study of this dance and the development of a well rounded dancer. Click below to find out more about what you’ll learn in classes!
why learn oriental dance?
Belly benefits
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23/07/23 Written by LillyI’ve always struggled following through with my commitments to dance classes long term. I took my first belly dance class in 2011, and have stopped and started countless times, sometimes months or years apart. I tried other forms of fitness, and those didn’t stick either. Eventually I’d just feel like I wasn’t good enough so why bother.. the joys of anxiety. It was after having my baby girl in 2022 that I knew I needed to get back into something that would help me to connect to my body again. To feel in control of the way it moves, strengthen the muscles that weakened and to appreciate my newly changed wobbly bits. Belly dance fit perfectly for that.Learning the art of belly dance with April has been all about technique and control. It forces you to engage muscles you didn’t even know you had. It’s a gentle way to stretch tired limbs and learn to move with flow and grace. She teaches you to listen to the music, hear its beat, translating the lyrics so you can understand the meaning and to express emotion through dance. That 1 hour class once a week to do something just for me, started to change how I saw myself in the mirror. Being among a group of women who support, laugh, struggle and grow together gave me such a sense of pride in what we were achieving together and as individuals. Now it’s not just in class, I dance in the kitchen, I dance with my daughter and I’ve even danced on stage. It’s helped me to find appreciation for my body, more so now than ever before. Mum bods are strong, sensual, incredible works of art that deserve to be cherished! So I may still take a break from class every now and then, but it’s not because I don’t feel worthy. I can return to class any time with arms ready in second position, knowing I’ll be welcomed back. |
why learn oriental dance?
Belly benefits
23/07/23
Written by Lilly
I’ve always struggled following through with my commitments to dance classes long term. I took my first belly dance class in 2011, and have stopped and started countless times, sometimes months or years apart. I tried other forms of fitness, and those didn’t stick either. Eventually I’d just feel like I wasn’t good enough so why bother.. the joys of anxiety. It was after having my baby girl in 2022 that I knew I needed to get back into something that would help me to connect to my body again. To feel in control of the way it moves, strengthen the muscles that weakened and to appreciate my newly changed wobbly bits. Belly dance fit perfectly for that.
Learning the art of belly dance with April has been all about technique and control. It forces you to engage muscles you didn’t even know you had. It’s a gentle way to stretch tired limbs and learn to move with flow and grace. She teaches you to listen to the music, hear its beat, translating the lyrics so you can understand the meaning and to express emotion through dance.
That 1 hour class once a week to do something just for me, started to change how I saw myself in the mirror. Being among a group of women who support, laugh, struggle and grow together gave me such a sense of pride in what we were achieving together and as individuals.
Now it’s not just in class, I dance in the kitchen, I dance with my daughter and I’ve even danced on stage. It’s helped me to find appreciation for my body, more so now than ever before. Mum bods are strong, sensual, incredible works of art that deserve to be cherished!
So I may still take a break from class every now and then, but it’s not because I don’t feel worthy. I can return to class any time with arms ready in second position, knowing I’ll be welcomed back.
