Rose City Journal Comments
What a good explanation of self-confidence. You hit on a paradox I try to explain all the time: You have to take care of yourself from a position of self-love rather than self-loathing. I teach belly dance, and I'm always telling the classes that if you have no belly, it can't dance. We jiggle our J.Los like jello--and that's a good thing.
Sexiness is SO subjective visually, but a confident attitude cuts across all lines of taste.
What? No visuals? What kind of blog is this?
UNSUBSCRIBE!
Thanks Keri. I have been looking into belly dancing classes and I may pop up in one of yours.
It's taken time... But I'm definitely very comfortable in my skin these days. And yes, I would 100% agree, sexiness- and good looks- are totally subjective. Everyone has their own ideal or their "type." I call it "my kind of cute."
I am very interested in that topic and will write about it soon.
Thanks again for the note!
Kevin! You old dog! Jaw-dropping though it may be, I have no plans to post a pic of my J. Lo on the blog any time soon.
Ha.
It may not surprise you to learn (or, indeed, it may) that NKY is a veritable hotbed of belly dance. From the Kula Center in Newport to the Hip Sistas of Rabbit Hash all the way down to Williamstown. I think both the Y and Silverlake have classes now. Viva la dance-dance revolution . . .
Lisa...on a serious note, you're totally right about self confidence being sexy. Unfortunately, self confidence is near the top of the list of things that it's hardest for human beings to achieve.
Also, to me a woman's attractiveness isn't necessarily all about her weight. I would say it's more about her shape. Curves are great - it's a beautiful form, which is why it's been the subject of paintings since the beginning of time.
There are curvy thin girls and curvy chubby girls. Both types have caught my eye.
Call me shallow, but I will never be physically attracted to an obese woman.
And now you know way more than you ever cared to know about me! Sorry again for ruining your blog. :D
Kevin, no, I think that I, and the other readers, like hearing a man's perspective.
Self confidence is hard to achieve. We're always second-guessing ourselves. It's hard to say, I like myself this way, no matter what your fatal flaw.
And yes, curves are an ideal, to artists and appreciators of the female form. Still, for many women, we struggle with the whole "maybe I'd be happier if I looked like Kate Moss" ideal.
Then again... There's been a lot of press about Tyra Banks, and the weight she's gained since she quit super-modeling.
But compare her to Naomi Campbell, who is always thin and always pissed off.
I think I'd be pitching cell phones at assistants too if I was on a life-long diet.
Keri, yes I saw there were belly dance classes at Kula. I think the Y has one downtown on Friday evenings and that's it so far... That's why I haven't been yet. But I think I remember that the ones at Kula- or maybe it was your studio- dance competitively. I think that's really wonderful. What a fun way to express a love for dance, gain flexibility, and on the way, shred a few old hat ideas about "perfect" bodies.
I have been seriously thinking about joining a burlesque group. That is picking up in our area, too.
I'm just not sure if that's a little too over the edge for me and my feminist point of view.
But jeez, it sure looks like fun!
As a fairly Libertarian feminist myself, I think that you make decisions on what you want to do based on your own internal code of conduct, and not some external ideal of how any other group says you "should" behave (assuming you are generally sane, of course. Just because you may not be anti-cannabilistic at the core, for example, doesn't mean you should indulge).
So shave those armpits if you want to (or don't) and get out and dance!
Hmmm... Ya, I am big on the idea of an internal code of conduct. I think my own code is too rigid sometimes, and it's to my detriment. E.g., i need to loosen up a little.
I have been trying to do that lately and so far, so good.
Some kind of tribal, belly or burlesque might be just what the doctor ordered in January!
Lisa, we have a friend who is somewhat senior to her long-term beau (he's our junior and she's my senior). In fact she has kids not much younger than he. In any case, she's hot. VERY hot, and she took belly dancing.
It's hypnotic.
Her man is VERY happy with her "hobby", and I can see why. She seems to really like it and it seems to do good things for her body, too.
If only we had the time, I'd have the missus doing that for my Christmas present. :O
M
LOL... There's always Valentine's Day, Mark!
I am thinking about it. I think burlesque is kind of a lost art. Belly dance seems like a better workout, though.
Belly dance is an AMAZING workout. I've done and trained people in a little bit of everything, from running to Pilates to bodybuilding in the last 13 years. This is the form of exercise I come back to again and again (this and yoga). It's so enjoyable you really dcn't realize you are working out. But your arms know. And your thighs.
I like exercise that doesn't feel like exercise... Yoga. Hiking. Swimming. A couple of other things.
Bellydancing just might fit the bill.
Okay,
I've got a list of various belly dance classes from about a dozen teachers around Greater Cincinnati if you want me to send it to you (or any reader, for that matter, can just e-mail me directly for the list). And, of course, you are always welcome to my drop-in classes in Dry Ridge. I've got a few slots left in the main Belly Dance 101 class in Richwood as well. Let me know what you want to know and/or share with your corner of the blogoverse.
Kari, why don't you email me what you have and I will post it on the blog so readers can see who offers belly dance classes, too.
it's northernkentuckynews@insightbb.com
and thanks!
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