CHENNAI: Aldana Munoz Soto took to belly dancing when she was just 12 and has performed at various stages ever since. A native of Argentina, she first visited Chennai in 2013 to learn different dance forms and now has completely shifted base to the city.
“I learnt various dance forms like ballet, jazz, contemporary and also have been training in kuchipudi for the last five years,” says Aldana.
Belly dancing is a form of isolation of the body, wherein you isolate a part of the body and concentrate your movements on that part alone, while the rest of your body is not moving at all. “In belly dancing, you isolate the chest and the hip — that is where all the movement comes from. Body isolation movements are used in dance forms like salsa and bachata too,” she avers.
Pointing out that belly dancing is a form of ‘fertility dance’, Aldana says it is considered a taboo in many parts of the world “But at the end of the day, it all depends on how you take it and how you manage yourself. You should value the art form and choose what to perform; there is nothing wrong about belly dancing. It is a way of expressing yourself and a celebration of the energy it evokes, the shakthi,” she says.
So what is the workshop going to focus on? Aldana shares that the workshop will look into the basics of belly dancing. “I want to focus on basic body isolation movements, which can be executed easily by anybody,” she smiles. In terms of music in belly dancing, she says that many options are available.
“Anything from Arabic to Egyptian and Turkish music can be used. And these days, doing a fusion wherein you combine another style of dance with different music genres has become common too.”
Talking about the benefits of performing this dance form, Aldana adds that belly dancing helps to stretch your muscles and makes you flexible. “You become aware of your own body and its potential. Your core gets stronger what we dancers call the ‘feminine line’ gets shaped up. It also gives you self-confidence and also a sense of joy,” she adds.
Aldana emphasises the need to understand your own body. “It is important that you know your body well. Anybody can perform belly dancing with proper practice. It is not rocket science,” she chuckles.
The workshop will be conducted on June 25 at 11 am at SADA studio, Mylapore.
For further details contact, 9003074444