REPARTEE - 2009

'Accept your body and live in it in happiness'
 

9th September, 2009

 

AUSTRALIA – UK -

 

 

 

PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE

 

I love your Zaida site, it is so informative, and I saw the You Tube clip, you are a lovely dancer.

I live in England and would like to entertain and instruct residents who can or want to participate with some bellydancing in homes etc for free,

do you think I would need to get public liability insurance to do this ?

How does it work there.

Thanks for a great site I visit it often

 

Zaida  Your comments are very, very welcome.  YUM!

I wish you every success with your bellydance, and with entertaining the wrinklies.

 

About Insurance – I think this would depend on how litigation conscious people are in your section of the Universe.

I don’t carry insurance, but I treat my group as a hobby group of like-minded women and not a formal, commercial venture.

I charge them $4 per session and ALL the money goes to the owners of the hall – which is carpeted and air conditioned so it is just perfect.

 

I had to chuck out one troublemaker as she just would not accept that I was in charge and started to create problems when we were dancing in the Aged Care facilities and I felt that the wrinklies certainly did not want contretemps brought into their lives and also, that the operators of the Home would chuck us out.

So I gave her the heave-ho and she first complained to the owners of the hall I use for classes, then went to the police then a private solicitor.  They all told her to go jump.

That was the only time I felt slightly edgy about not having insurance cover.

 

Apart from that, I pointedly tell the girls not to do any move which could cause physical injury (like neck circles) and also tell them repeatedly,

“If you feel pain…. Stop!”

 

So I feel I have enough witnesses to back me; should someone hurt herself and try to blame me.

I have been teaching for almost 10 years and have had no problems other than the one I have mentioned.

Also, I ensure the girls do not try to move any of the residents in the Homes.  If a wheelchair occupant is in the way, we ask one of the staff to do the honours.

Good Luck and my very best wishes to you

 

 

 

 

PROLAPSE PROBLEMS

 

Hi Zaida, I have just found your website and am very impressed with its scope and simplicity.  I think you might be a good role model for me later. I can see me encouraging other older women to take up bellydancing instead of Seniors Exercise classes. I figure that when I get to the nursing home, I might as well be a teacher as well as a student.

 

I have been taking bellydance classes for about 12 months now, after doing a few short courses and workshops. I am 56, and feel that I am at the beginning of an amazing journey. How refreshing it is to hear about bellydancing from a woman who looks on it as wonderful fun and exercise for older women. It balances up my 20-something teacher's 'glitz and drama'. We probably need both.

 

I have another interest as well. I have pelvic organ prolapse, which would probably deter many women from bellydancing. I am a co-moderator of a Community Forum at www.wholewoman.com, which is a wonderful website devoted to helping women with POP to manage prolapse without resorting to repair surgery, which certainly has its problems. Christine Kent, the owner of the site, has a background in dance, and dance is a major part of the workouts she has designed to help women strengthen their bodies and enable them to use their bodies better, with the aim of supporting their pelvic organs more effectively. Changes in posture are the main basis of this work. The posture that we advocate is very similar to the posture you describe, as is the breathing. I have been using Wholewoman methods very successfully for the last five years. I invite you to visit the site and have a look at what we do.

 

Bellydancing though, requires me to tuck my butt under slightly, which is counter to the posture I need to adopt to control my prolapse. Tucking my butt under creates pressure and fullness sensations in my vulva, which are evidence of my bladder and uterus falling backwards and downwards. Very unpleasant.  I am not about to give up bellydancing, so my teacher is helping me to modify my bellydance movements, so I can use the posture I need to support my pelvic organs effectively. So far, so good. One day I hope to be able to teach bellydancing to women who have prolapse, knowing that it is possible, and is a wonderful way of affirming their femininity while they carry injuries that have negative stigma and can shatter their confidence and enjoyment of being a woman at any age.

 

Thanks for the inspiration.

 

 

 

Zaida  How nice to meet you. I would like to point you to this website...

 

http://www.medtel.com.au/web/product.php?actid=menu_prod_161_128_128_brand

 

this pelvic floor trainer really works - I can personally vouch for it.

Whether it works for your problems, I don’t know, but you could ask.

It is expensive, but if it obviates surgery....

 

We entertain at the Homes for Aged Care - different one each Thursday morning - most of the residents are female and I have been told that many of the people in Homes are there because of incontinence; which explains why most of them are female: one of the joys of childbirth.

 

I hope you can get your group of older women activated.  Belly Dancing is the best exercise for the whole body and mind.  My husband, Mike has just had a medical procedure which entailed general anaesthetic and when the doctor asked him how much exercise he did Mike replied, 'I belly dance'.

The doctor said approvingly, "Oh Good" and asked no more questions.

 

I shall be 73 on 31st July, and there is no need for you to wait until you are 'older' to start teaching.  I only discovered belly dance when I was 60 so I had to wait until I felt I knew a bit more than my students before I started learning to teach.  You never stop learning, both teaching and dancing.

 

Get in there and HAVE FUN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SELF CONSCIOUS

 

HI, I've just found your site after searching for Belly dancing in Mackay.

 

I'm presuming because of the very recent update, that the group is currently operating. I'm hoping so.

 

I'm nearly 50, not so healthy,  but want to be, very self conscious (protruding belly) and low self esteem.

But I have had a few brief episodes with Belly Dancing about 5 years ago and LOVED it.

 

I never did any performances - my self consciousness and finances both held me back.

 

Can you tell me where and when beginners classes are on, and of course how much. I have a very limited income.

I'm hoping very basic costumes or even just a skirt and top are ok to begin classes with. I can sew but can’t afford materials at present.

 

I loved the sessions I did in the past and really understood the things you said on the web site about attitude and the wonderful feeling of expressing yourself and the movements being natural stress relievers.

 

Looking forward to your reply

 

 

 

Zaida:   You made my day.  My Stars said I would meet a lovely woman....

 

We are a bunch of women who just enjoy dancing.  I am 73 (well, 31st July actually - but who's counting?) I have about 20 dancers but luckily they don't all come at once, usually 14 or so, as the hall is not a big hall, but air conditioned and carpeted.

 

9.30 on Monday Mornings - I am there by 9 a.m. so if you want to come earlier for a bit of one-on-one you are welcome, otherwise it is a group class and I only give a small bit of individual attention to anyone I see having problems with a particular move - don't want to bore the others.

 

We are all beginners.

 

You never stop learning.

 

Everyone moves at her own speed and the hardest thing for many of them to learn is which is her left or her right hand...  ~cackle~

 

Loose skirt and top and we dance barefoot.

 

Bring your SMILE.

 

I do this on a voluntary basis and it is just wonderful to see a woman turn into a DANCER.

 

We never bare our bellies.  No bra and skirt Hollywood style.

We all wear covered up costumes.  I feel I don't want anyone to watch the bellies rather than the dancers.

 

We dance at 3 of the Nursing Homes on Thursday mornings, once a month each; but that is an individual choice and those who don't want to..... don't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NATIONAL BRAIN INSTITUTE studies

 

Hi Zaida, I have just emailed all my dancing teacher friends, and although we do not know each other I thought because of the classes you do you may like to hear this too, please disregard if you have already heard.

 

The National Brain Institute has been doing studies for years on the prevention of Dementia, the official result is; Dancing.

 

Because of the coordination, memory of steps, socializing, Aerobic activity, happiness and feeling youthful that dancing brings it is the only prevention known.

So lets dance and be able to remember our way home.

 

 

 

 

Zaida:  I teach a lot of Brain Gym in my class.  It is amazing how many of them cannot tell ‘LEFT’ from ‘RIGHT’.  ~cackle~

Most of us are in our 60’s and 70’s, and we are all finding it keeps us very fit, physically and mentally.

 

We also have enormous stamina. Often during our public performances, people just cannot resist the music and HAVE to ‘have a go’.  They don’t last long!!!

 

Also, a new dancer thinks it is ‘very slow’ as I start very gentle and gradually work their little (read BIG) butts off.

 

One of my newies was heard to comment, ‘This is no good.  I want something faster’.

She had to sit down halfway through the class - and she is still coming to class, 8 weeks later. 

 

But thanks for thinking of me with your information.  I collect and use all the intelligence available.

 

Have you heard that the latest research has proven that it is very bad to HOLD a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.  It just weakens the muscle.

So you do a short, 8 second stretch and let it go.

I have always used 8 second stretches, so it is very nice to have my instinct confirmed.

 

Now the coaches of the various sports have to change their ideas.

 

The research proved that an athlete who just did short stretches before running or jumping, performed much better than one who held the stretch for up to half a minute.

 

INTERESTING.

 

 

 

 

Zaida