Carla has been attending classes at ArtFit for two and a half years. She came to us with previous bellydance experience. We are so glad that she decided to join us in bellydance and the other classes that we offer too. Carla has, recently, begun teaching Monday’s beginner bellydance class and has been a great addition to our studio.
What brought you to these classes?
I came to ArtFit looking for belly dance classes and I ended up finding much more. Belly dance is a great exercise, mental and physical, but I eventually found myself driven to bigger challenges. Starting pole dance and silks showed me that exercise does not have to be boring. In these classes I not only work towards physical fitness and artistic beauty, I overcome self-imposed fears.
What benefits have you gained from taking these classes?
I practiced several forms of dance before moving to Lubbock. I joined ArtFit after a 1-year hiatus from dance and I realized I should never have stopped. The belly dance instruction is excellent, in terms of technical details, choreography, improvisation and cultural aspects. I thought I knew quite a bit coming in, but Cheryl has huge knowledge breadth which, incorporated into belly dance, transforms her dance into a unique amazing style for this group. This makes ArtFit a true oasis in West Texas…
Pole and silks are very different from everything I have ever done in my life. Both require basic skills that I never had (cardio, strength, flexibility), all on top of spending a lot of time upside down, which scares me to this day… What I can say I have gained is confidence in my mind to remain focused and in my body to push further every time. These classes are hard, yet enjoyable. ArtFit students are very supportive and it seems that every time someone learns a new move, everyone wins! So, even on the tough days, you feel like it was worth watching someone else get there and you will too…
What do you hope to gain or achieve in the future through the classes that you take?
I need to continuously work on many things, from simply memorizing sequences and combinations to becoming more comfortable with doing things way up in the air… I need to keep working on flow, from one move to another, and also on strength and flexibility. I think everyone has specific moves they would like to conquer. For me, it is the pole air walk and the skin the cat plank…
Please tell us about any positive experiences that you have had with ArtFit or anything else that you would like to share.
The number one positive thing for me is the quality instruction. Olivia and Cheryl are highly skilled in many dance forms and in teaching. The level of technical description and body awareness makes moves easy to comprehend, even if one’s body is not quite ready to execute them… Students get used to being pushed beyond their comfort zone, but with the utmost care for safety. The atmosphere that they build is passed on to all students who are always cheering to see each other succeed. I think ArtFit is a unique place for adults to work out towards a personal achievement, and not only to get their daily reps of weight lifting.
