I've taken up ...

I went to belly dancing lessons. Years ago before I retired. Our teacher was a little (old) grey haired lady who could certainly move. The lessons were great and we had so much fun and laughter and I can still move my hips in a figure of eight. Got me thinking for next years keep fit.

Thebeeb made me laugh out loud

Grannyknot I'm so jealous! I bought a belly dancing dvd just before I became disabled. It was something I soooooo wanted to do but I've never even taken the wrapper off. So not being one to let life get away I now have blue hair, wear irregular choice shoes (why waste not being able to walk on boring shoes?) and I'm off to a rock concert, in my wheelchair, in June. Make the most out of every opportunity.

My belly dances on it's own no help from me at all!!

Actually I think I should have said they make me look at the world around me differently

Loved my belly dancing but sadly the class has folded now. I have taken up photography and art since I retired. Not much good at either but love how both of them make me see the world differently ??❤️

silver that's brilliant.

I was hoping the subject invited people to post about something they've recently tried

Belly dancing sounds fun, I haven't taken it up though, but have also started something new. With some guidance, I made a Christmas wreath with a robin which I felted. Great fun stabbing balls of wool into hopefully recognisable shapes, rather therapeutic too, but mind that needle. It's sharp!!

I'm , Grannyknot. I went to a belly dancing taster session once and loved it. Then the promised sessions never materialised.

The teacher was well into her 80s and looked fantastic. And she told me I had the belly for it....

Makes a virtue out of having a belly which is something I have acquired as I have gotten older

Grannyknot belly dancing is great fun. I took it up 10 years ago pre retirement. I am just off to a Christmas do in a Turkis Restaurant where we will be just belly dancers. Some of the dancers will be dancing set pieces but the rest of us will just get up and dance between the tables after the main course and after the dessert.

Great fun. For belly dance holidays, I recommend Ann Kingston and Farida. They both have websites and do holidays abroad. I had a lovely dress made in Cairo, but now I go to Morocco with Ann every 2 years or so. Every time I meet interesting people who are fun to be with.

I have been belly dancing since l was 50.(now 63) I was looking for something to do for exercise, went to my first class and was hooked, music is fab, had so much fun over the years, costumes do not have to be revealing at all, l would recommend it to anyone to keep supple and joints moving. Best fun ever!

Much nicer than the gym.........graceful and the music is sublime.

You can also enjoy a few moments of shimmy anytime without encountering any machinery...........

Just off to get my scarves out of the bag I have left them in for ages........thanks for reminding me of the pleasure of dance.

danni the teacher said we must bust the myth that it's all about the belly - she says it's all about the hips and the belly simply follows the hips around

I'm looking forward to the course.

On another note, I can't believe some of the lucks around for older folk - the cost of the lesson is a mere £3 a week. Compared to the cost of gym membership ...

Well I've certainly got the belly so I have a head start!!

Nina I also thought I'd see her dance - maybe nowadays it's all in her mind

Sounds like enormous fun! I remember a conversation with our next door neighbours about a relative of theirs who still kept up her dancing lessons. There was some dispute about the relative's age. They were debating whether she was actually 93, or was she 94 by now...No one could remember.

Video link was disappointing I thought I was going to actually see her dance.

That's not meant to sound like an accusation mumsy

Sounds like fun

Just the sort of thing I will be looking for when I (eventually) retire!

Well done you grannyknot so would I if there was a class nearby so I have to content myself with Zumba Gold but she does do Burlesque classes so I might try that next year.

this lady was 100yrs old ( video a couple of years old no idea if shes still living)

m.youtube.com/watch?v=LnxR9NuUg2I

There was one very famous and well respected belly dancer in Egypt (?) I think who was still supple and dancing well into her more mature years.

Does anyone know if she's still going?

Good for you, grannyknot. When DH was in the Army, we had some friends who had been at the British Embassy in Jeddah. She had learned to belly dance while she was there and they put on a demonstration for us and some other friends one evening - both in appropriate Arab dress, him playing a chalice drum. She was amazing! I didn't know there were so many bits of ones anatomy that could move independently of each other!

Oh Grannyknot, I love bellydancing too!
We had a supply teacher for one of my Zumba classes and she arrived with these jingle jangly triangular scarves in jewel colours. Just putting it on, like you, inspired movement. Sooo much fun and a truly excellent exercise class and mood enhancer.

Good for you Grannyknot, I know some people who do/have done this, and they all speak positively of it. It is a lot of fun, or so I am told. Being of a sedentary nature, and working well over fulltime, it is not something I would ever contemplate (you could read the above as "lazy old broad", and you would be right!)
Hope you have lots of fun!

Sounds fun