It was watching Shakira belly dance on the beach in Barceloneta in her “Loca” music video that originally sparked my desire to move here- I wanted to replicate that moment. Luckily, Barcelona offers a plethora of belly dancing classes– and even entire dance studios dedicated to the art!- for all of us to unleash our inner Shakira.
Related Article: Feel the Rhythm: Dance Classes in Barcelona
Photo by WalterPro4755 via Visual Hunt
For those who are unfamiliar, belly dance is a dance form that dates back to ancient Middle Eastern and North African societies. The term “belly dance” is actually a slight misnomer in that the dance usually involves the entire torso, with the hips being the main focus. The movements tend to be smooth and fluid with shimmies and staccato movements to mix it up. The result is a dance that is quite feminine, very beautiful, and extremely fun to do!
Without further ado, here are some of the best places to learn how to belly dance in Barcelona, before taking your moves onto the beach like Shakira herself:
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With 600 square meters solely dedicated to teaching belly dance, the Munique Neith academy is one of the largest belly dance studios in all of Europe. They have classes from morning until night, from beginner to professional levels. The impressive space is designed as a Middle Eastern oasis in the middle of the Occident. With its convenience of classes and professionalism, this is definitely a good option for students of all levels. The academy is located at Carrer de Aribau, 46 near metro Universitat (line 1/red and line 2/purple).
This bright and spacious studio in Poble Sec offers mostly belly dance classes but also Bollywood, tribal dance, pilates, and contemporary. The belly dance clases from instructor Lesya Starr are extra special in that she focuses on the more spiritual essence of the dance as opposed to just the physical movements. You will thus leave her class not only having had a good workout but feeling more connected with your inner Goddess! El Mirall is located at Carrer Lafont, 18 near metro Paral-lel (line 2/purple or line 3/green).
Photo by meowdip via Visualhunt
This academy actually holds their classes at a few different studios. There is one near Marina metro, at Carrer de Pallars 85, and one near Plaça de Urquinoana, at Carrer de les Moles, 32. What sets these classes apart from the rest are that they follow a particular method called Sarabi that aims to help non-dancers learn to belly dance in a more efficient way. Escuela Sarabi offers classes in all levels and even has a training geared toward helping people become professional dancers. For more information, check out their website.
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