Serena Studios

Yesterday my friend and I decided to take a bellydancing class.
Why?
Why not?
Honestly I agreed partially because my workout routine was a snoozefest of yoga, running, yoga, running, and then if we want to get real crazy I'd swim a few laps and do a few flips off the diving board until the lifeguard on duty yells at me.

So we decided on Serena Studios because it was nearby and because we'd heard good things about it from the dance majors at our school, and an hour long class was only $12. 

My friend was meh about it, but I loved it and promptly got a five-class card.

Here's why my experience was awesome:

As a work out it was pretty intense. Not sweaty, heavy breathing intense, but just the amount of muscle control you need and the fact that it works muscles that I didn't even know existed.

As a studio it was an incredibly welcoming environment. The place is tiny, but the receptionist was adorable, the teacher very warm and funny, and all the women there were really nice.

As a work out, this is probably one of the  most accepting classes I've taken. Maybe because it's very hard to be competitive with someone when you're just in your sports bra, or maybe its because this is a dance that was made by women for women.
While some people would say it's sexual (ahem. Blondie) I think that it's a dance that specifically showcases what's beautiful about every woman from the skinny little girls like me, to the curvy women with a belly (it is called belly dancing after all).

Also, it was crazy fun. How can you not crack a smile and laugh a little when you're standing there jiggling your butt?


Photo thanks to Serena Studios