Aftermath of the bellydance trial class

OK I enjoyed it but I was embarrassed and I hate to watch myself.  Even when I was thin, I was not a fan of mirrors in clubs and such because I always had an odd feeling of being disconnected from myself when I saw (or still see) my reflection.

When I got home, I emailed the studio owner the following message:

"OK so I tried the class today and I had fun but I am worried because I couldn't really feel the muscles you were talking about for part of the class.

I mean, yeah, I am overweight and out of shape and I'm sure the c-section I had in March didn't do me any favours either.

So I have to ask you, honestly, have you ever had someone who was so uncoordinated and out of shape that they just couldn't pick it up?

Because I still think I'd be interested in the class but I need to know if there has ever been a no-hope-er because I think I was probably the worst one in the class today (hence why I mostly hid behind you).

Thanks "

She replied with:

"You are far too hard on yourself!  You were not the worst in the class - and honestly, feeling horribly uncoordinated is not at all uncommon!
I've had lots of people come in with two left feet. We generally do not move that fast in dance classes, so its a bit overwhelming at first.

Muscles, yes, exactly. You won't feel those yet at all.
Especially with a Csection, you need to rebuild and restrengthen those core muscles over time.
Most people have no control over glutes, or obliques. It took me at least a year before I started to feel those.
When I started dancing I was _____lbs - It was harder to feel the muscles.. but when i pushed in those areas I could eventually feel them, and as they built up i noticed certain moves and postures were so much easier to do. But the trick is to build them, it takes time and use to get them stronger. Everyone has core muscles or we'd be toppled over... Maximizing on those core muscles is a whole other story!  When i first started, my instructor kept saying "use your inner thigh"  I had NOOOO clue what that felt like. Honestly, I never felt that for at least 5 years into dance, and then one day i realized what was being used.

Bellydance isolates these muscles, and its a nice low impact way to strength and build them. I'm sure even just standing them doing hip slides you broke a sweat!  the room got very warm, very fast!! Its all part of it!  These are all weird, and isolated awkward moves.. once you break your body in, control it and have it listening to you, then the graceful feelings, the flexibility and strength really show their faces.. but the very first steps always seem like a battle. Its breaking muscle memory from your entire life! "

So her reply made me feel a lot better about my feeling of having no coordination.

After the class, we got to stay and watch the instructor/owner dance with her troupe and they were marvelous!  I just couldn't help but smile as I watched them. 

When taking actual classes, the pace is a lot slower for learning certain moves and such, but the trial class tried to give a bit of an overview on a number of the moves one would learn.

Oh and there's an open house at the studio on Jan 2nd and there is a free mini-trial of all the classes they offer then, so I hope I can get over there and try the mini-trial of the burlesque class.