What's Your Cup of Tea?

I spent all day yesterday at an oriental dance workshop led by Morocco, America's premier oriental (belly) dance instructor and historian. She's been traveling around the Middle East studying tribal and folk dances for 49 years. She's 68 now, and still teaches four-hour long workshops on weekends all over the world. By the end of the workshop, she's still dancing--and most of us students are pretending to take notes because we're worn out.

I took belly dance the first time because I was sick of grad school and wanted to do something completely weird. Belly Dance was the weirdest thing in the Parks and Rec catalog. At first, I hated it--I was convinced my body didn't move that way. But I'd paid for the class, so I stuck it out--and at the end, decided to try it again.

It's thirteen years later and this is now my favorite form of exercise. Other people run (like the 101-year old London marathoner). Some swim. Some hike. Some walk. I enjoy all of those things--but when I'm 68, I'll still be dancing.

What about you? Have you found it yet? Have you found the form of movement your life will take for the rest of your life? Or are you content to just sit in your passenger seat, your recliner, your wheelchair until the bitter end?

P.S. If you want to give belly dance a try, the next six-week sessions of Belly Dance 101 and Belly Dance Fitness start September 2. Discounts are available--come shimmy with me.