Avoiding Injury From Belly Dance - Page 3

Your Delicate Neck

Your neck is very delicate. An injury can give you a lifetime of pain or partial paralysis. Treat your neck with respect.

Many belly dancers like to do hair tosses, especially when performing the Khaleegy women's dance shown below, raks al nasha'ar. (This is the dance that some teachers refer to as "Saudi".)

Too many dancers simply watch someone else do a hair toss, then start tossing their own without first building strength in the neck. If you want to add this move to your dance repertoire, try doing these exercises every day to prepare your neck:

• Forward And Back. Following the posture advice above, stand in place, arms dangling at your sides. Bring your chin down to your upper chest as far as it can go without sacrificing the shoulder position described above. Hold it in position for a few counts. Next raise your chin and tilt your head back as far as it can go. Do this in a slow, controlled fashion. Avoid abrupt movement. Repeat these forward and back positions several times.
• Side To Side. Check your stance to ensure your rib cage and shoulders are still in position as described above under posture. Tilt your head toward the left, as if trying to touch your left ear to your left shoulder. Be careful not to raise your shoulder to meet it! Feel the stretch in your neck on the opposite site as you hold the position for a few counts. Gently bring your head back to the upright position, then repeat the move on your right side. Do this a few times.
• Head Slides. Check your stance to ensure your posture is still correct. Now, looking straight forward and keeping your head upright, move your entire head horizontally to the right. If you had a pen attached to each ear, it would draw a straight horizontal line, parallel to the floor. Be careful not to tilt your head toward your shoulder, and be careful not to hunch your shoulder. Now repeat the same move to your left. Do several. Feel the stretch in your neck as you go gently from side to side.