A Date with Destiny by Maia J. Lagerstedt, Westchester County Times, February 2007
I wouldn’t say that I hate going to the gym; in fact, there really are times when I enjoy mindless travels to nowhere on the treadmill when I can simply walk and walk and walk and not have to worry about where I’m going. However, the thought invariably occurs to me that instead of traveling the road to nowhere, I could be going somewhere. Instead of repeatedly lifting weights designed for the sole purpose of lifting, I could be doing something. I finally realized that it’s not the exercise itself I take issue with—it’s exercising for the sake of exercising that I take issue with. If you love that kind of thing, great. Some people do. I’m just not one of them. And frankly, since I decided to make a concerted effort to make exercise a regular part of my life, I really wanted it to have a purpose, to be something I would fall in love with and make a commitment to. I’m happy to report that I found that love and commitment in bellydance.
Once I made the decision, I had to figure out where to begin and so I made a list. I wanted a variety of class options in one location not more than an hour from home. I wanted a teacher who welcomed beginners, and I wanted to have fun. After that, Google led me to Destiny.
Dancing with Destiny Studio occupies a historic space—Norman Rockwell’s former New Rochelle Studio, and it seems Rockwell left behind a few good vibes because on walking through the door for the first time, I felt immediately warm and welcome. The décor naturally has an exotic flair with scarves flowing from the ceiling in the Café-style reception area. The mirrored dance studio itself is punctuated with lush greenery, colorful throw pillows and intoxicatingly rhythmic music permeates the air.
One of the things that struck me about Destiny right away was her independent spirit. There is an array of bellydance styles to choose from, many of them 
ardently traditional. Let me just say here that I think that is both wonderful and important—I love that this artful form of expression has been preserved and is currently enjoying a sort of growth spurt. On the other hand, Destiny teaches her own interpretation of bellydance, which she calls “Gypsy” and is culled from many traditions: Albanian, Moroccan, Indian and others. Destiny’s independence made me feel at once that she was a kindred spirit. What kept me hooked, in part, was her emphasis on freestyle dance rather than choreographed dances because it was—and continues to be—a challenge for me and it helps unwind my creative process, having to listen to the music and let my body figure out what it wants to do with it.
Destiny’s Basic Beginner class is great for all levels of beginners. That is to say, whether you’re new to Destiny as a teacher, new to bellydance, new to any kind of dance or new to any form of exercise. Each class begins with stretches to slow, exotic rhythms to get you warmed up. Destiny explains each move in her own simple, easy-to-understand and oftentimes in colorful terms. Snake arms, hip slides, hip circles, hip drops, undulations and, of course, the shimmy are all explained and demonstrated. One thing that’s great about Destiny’s class is that she levels the playing field. The joy of the dance and the camaraderie is evident and one thing that I especially appreciated was that there was never any feeling of judgment. No one is looking down her nose at you because you haven’t mastered a move yet, since everyone there has gone through the same process. When you do get the move right, it feels amazing. And when a new student comes to class and you watch them going through the same process, it reminds of your own experience and when they too master the move, you just feel proud and happy for them. Class ends on a high note with everyone dancing freestyle, either practicing what they’ve learned during class, in a previous class…whatever. The one rule is that you can’t stop moving until the music stops.
Shake Shimmy and Tone is an accurate class description, and this high-energy class is as much fun as it sounds. This class incorporates the basic moves with traveling moves, more intricate rhythms and of course shimmying. Lots and lots of shimmying. In addition to a cardiovascular workout and toning muscles you may have never even known you had, Shake Shimmy and Tone is really a lot of fun. When is the last time you were encouraged to let yourself jiggle—and have it look OK. Better than OK. Good, even, with all those rustling skirts and jingling coin belts. This aspect alone was enough to make me fall deeply and madly in love with bellydancing—dancing around in bare feet, a flowing skirt and coin belt was enough to make me forget about the exercising aspect altogether. It’s just fun. It’s working up a sweat, dancing like a dervish—losing weight and getting in shape is just a by-product and that is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.
In terms of its physical benefits, bellydance is a great form of exercise because in learning the dance and dancing, you are utilizing all of your major muscle groups—arms and chest, buns and thighs, and yes, there is plenty of work for your abdominals—and you are getting a nice cardio workout at the same time. One of the great things about the exercise aspect of bellydance, too, is that women of virtually any age or body type can do it. Since bellydance is based on our bodies’ natural movements, moves can be adapted to any fitness level. These aspects are all great, and not necessarily unique to bellydance, but an underlying truth is that no matter how great an exercise is, there is no benefit in it whatsoever if you don’t do it. Think about all those well-intended resolutions about getting to the gym more often… For me, the most significant benefit of bellydance is that I love it and therefore my exercise regimen has longevity. I hear tell of women bellydancing into their 70s and 80s, even 90s and I intend to be one of them.
With several months of bellydance classes under my belt—a proverbial, albeit smaller belt, that is—I’m not going to woo you with promises of melting pounds and inches. In fact, I cringe every time one of those ads hits the telly, promising new and improved bodies, showing dramatic before and after photos all the while running a “results not typical disclaimer” in tiny, barely visible type. I will, however, share with you my experience and encourage you to seek your own.
Within the first two weeks of taking Destiny’s Basic Beginner class three times a week, I began to notice a few subtle changes—in addition to the muscle soreness that generally accompanies a workout to start getting back in shape. I could see visible evidence of muscles in my legs and arms becoming toned. I also noticed a sense of feeling happier, perhaps in part because it felt really, really good to have found something I really enjoyed and that despite the busy schedule I keep I was doing something that was good for me and I was making it a priority.
Destiny is a natural teacher. She keeps her classes fun and is always friendly, welcoming and energetic, and she has an innate ability to be encouraging and positive. Even in the beginning, I never felt discouraged and I never felt like I couldn’t do it. After six weeks, I began adding Shake Shimmy and Tone to the classes I was taking. Challenging? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely! And I am happy to say that my shimmies have very much improved since those early weeks. Trust me, it is not as easy as it might look.
For me personally, in four months of attending classes regularly, I lost two inches in my bust, an inch and a half from my waist, two inches in my hips. And it thrilled me to no end to actually have to go shopping for a new pair of jeans because mine had all gotten uncomfortably big. That was about a month ago now and those too are becoming perilously loose. The biggest change for me, however, was a change in my thinking. I have to admit had kind of been hoping for more of a dramatic weight loss. Of course, logically, I know that muscle weighs more than fat and that in toning my muscles and burning fat, the scale isn’t really an accurate tool with which to mark your progress, but I found myself focusing too much on that number on the scale. So I have made what is for me a bold move—I’ve gotten rid of the scale. I have discovered that deep down inside I truly believe that our bodies will find their own perfect weight if we provide them with good, healthy food and regular exercise that we enjoy.
It’s true that we each have our own journey and I recognize that what has been right for me may not be right for everyone, but I would like to offer a point to ponder. If you made another resolution this year to lose weight and get in shape—and it already seems like a chore or you’re straying from the beaten path—think about this: if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. This one thought keeps coming back to me and so I’ve made decisions recently to review the things I want to change and take different approaches. My point is this: if you’re looking for a way to be active while having a lot of fun and meeting some really cool women, Dancing with Destiny may be just what you’re looking for!
Dancing with Destiny Studio is located at