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Avoiding Injury From Belly Dance - Page 5

© Shira

Avoid practicing spins either barefoot, in your stocking feet on a carpeted surface, or in shoes such as sneakers that grip the floor. Instead, wear dance shoes whose soles are designed to not grip the floor, such as ballet shoes, Scottish ghillies, or dance sandals.

Here's why: if your sole encounters too much friction with the floor when you spin, then you run the risk of painfully twisting your knee joint. Ouch! Shoes with slippery soles are the safest footwear for spinning.

In Conclusion

You'll know you have a well-informed, safety-minded belly dance teacher if she encourages the posture I described above, corrects your technique, offers exercises for building strength in the muscles needed to perform dance moves, and warns you of the injury risks.

Teachers who encourage arched backs and fail to warn you of injury risks may be hazardous to your health. It's your body, and you have a right to keep it healthy. When your teacher corrects your technique, take her advice to heart, and don't feel embarrassed by the attention. If your teacher tries to get you to do something that feels "wrong" or scares you, get another opinion.

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