As most of you know, I took a belly dancing class last month. I remember saying it was fun and I was going to go back and take more. Well, as usual, I changed my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I thought, "I haven't taken any kind of dance class since 1994, I should have been sore and I should have been sweating." I had taken the class to get some sort of exercise, but realized that there were women in there that had been taking the classes for over a year and they were bigger than me. So, I scratched the belly dancing. Still wanting some sort of exercise along with a little bit of artistic expression, I talked to my old drill team director about a dance studio that she and her daughter go to. She was telling me how wonderful the classes were and that the teachers were amazing. So, last night I took my first jazz class in 13 years. OH HOLY JESUS, my body hurts!!! I forgot that I actually had hip flexers. Not only did this dance class point out how out of date the dancing I did is, it also made me feel extremely LARGE! I have clued you all in on the fact that I am not a small person, I never have been. I have never had the "dancer body" that most girls have when they take dance as long as I did. I was standing in that dance class last night looking around at all the waif thin girls surrounding me. Don't get me wrong, I think I kept up with all the 15-20 year olds reasonalby well. I was actually shocked that I was still able to do a double pirouette. (A turn on one leg with the foot of the free leg under your knee.) We learned some choreography and by the end of the class I had it for the most part, except for looking like an oaf. Seriously, I looked like a defensive lineman compared to these little girls. There was one part of the choreography where we had to jump and I could have sworn after I jumped, I felt the building shift...the stick figures at the other end of the studio went flying in the air, you know, kinda like the seesaw effect. I've always said that I'm surprised I never had an eating disorder. My ballet teacher and drill team director were constantly on my ass to lose weight. It was so bad that, in the sixth grade, when other kids were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Wonder Bread I was taking salad and iced tea to school for lunch. But now that I look back at pictures, I don't know where they wanted me to lose it from. Seriousely, you could have bounced a quarter off my ass. After all the years of battling my weight issues, I thought I had finally come to grips with the fact that I will never be what society sees as "thin" and I thought I was ok with that. I think was fooling myself. But, as large as I felt I still had a good time. I have paid for the month of September, we'll see how it goes after that.
Until next time...
Single Girl
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
I don't bend like I used to!
Posted by Amanda at 8:13 PM
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5 comments:
I'm on the small size and believe me I get jibes about my weight all the time, if not from family but from friends and outsiders. I have never been big and everyone seems to think that I need feeding up, my sister and mum are both larger and I guess I'm the odd one out. I really wouldn't worry about your weight no matter what your weight someone will comment, thats the great society we live in I'm afraid. My little sister has a heart condition and has also just been diagnosed with an over active thyroid, the poor kid has put lots of weight on and is being taunted at school, so no matter what someone will always have a go. And listen, I may go the gym but I wouldn't have a fookin clue about dancing so good for you!! xx
I think it's fantastic you went to that dance class. I would LOVE to go with you sometime. I haven't taken a dance class since I was a wee lass.
You shouldn't be down about your weight. As long as you take care of yourself, watch what you eat, and stay active then you are a lot healthier than most. Some people are just not built to be thin. Although I am very small in stature, I am nowhere near built like the tiny 4'11" asians you can pick your teeth with because I actually have curves. Also remember that a lot of those girls will see a massive decline in their metabolism when they reach their late 20's.
Just keep in mind that I personally know at least two girls who are a size 2 (or smaller) under the age of 35 who have astronomically high cholesterol and clogged arteries. You see how thin Baby is? Can you believe he "has the carotid artery of a 48-year old"? Exact words from his doctor and he was put on two different kinds of cholesterol meds. See...being thin has no bearing on being healthy. In the end, that's all we should strive for.
Healthy is good, and it sounds like you had fun, so I'd say that's a twofer.
Yeah...I said it...twofer.
Anyway...I used to get pissed about my weight because I'm 40 pounds over what the docs say I should be...and yet somehow...I don't look overweight. Go figure.
Self image is everything. If you think you look good...then you look gorgeous. :)
Awesome! I miss dance sooo much sometimes, but I would probably kill myself if I attempted a class right now -- I am SO out of shape!
You KNOW you shouldn't be worried about those little toothpicks! You are an absolutely amazing dancer! So what if you're not a size 5? I find it absolutely ridiculous that society is STILL making women feel that they need to be a size 0 in order to be attractive. Haven't we already established the fact that it isn't healthy to do that to yourself? Yet, the models are still tiny and clothing is still made for waifs. When will the madness end? You are healthy and toned and graceful and rhythmic, and that's what you need to be a great dancer. Not a stick figure body with no muscle. Besides, like Rice Spice said, their days are numbered -- in a few years, those little twig's metabolism will slow down and all those years of having Twinkies and Dr. Pepper for breakfast will catch up with them (sadly, I can attest to that).
(And I agree about the way the dance styles have changed -- the difference between what WE did back then and what Sarah was doing a few years ago was crazy!)
You write very well.
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