18/08/2026
💃 22 YEARS OF BELLYDANCE… AND I STILL WONDER WHY MY BACK HURTS. 😂
22 years of performing.
23 years of shimmies, undulations, hip drops, backbends, floorwork and probably a few questionable decisions along the way…
And I STILL occasionally wake up and think:
“Who authorised this back pain?!” 😂
But here’s the thing…
As much as I joke about it, bellydance has actually played a HUGE role in helping me recover from two serious back injuries.
Learning how to move with control, strengthen my core, articulate my spine, improve mobility and…perhaps most importantly…listen to my body completely changed the way I approached movement.
Bellydance taught me that strength isn’t always about pushing harder.
Sometimes it’s about moving smarter.
Sometimes it’s about slowing down.
Sometimes it’s about rebuilding confidence in a body that you thought had let you down.
And sometimes… it’s about doing a very slow shimmy and pretending you didn’t hear your back make that noise. 😂
After 22 years, I’ve learned that bellydance isn’t just something I perform.
It’s a conversation with my body.
And while my back may occasionally have some strong opinions…
I’m still dancing. 💃✨
Because movement has given me so much more than performance.
It has given me strength, resilience, connection and a way to come home to my body again.
22 years later… and apparently we’re still negotiating. 😂
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