Belly Dance and dancing in Barcelona
Barcelona is a city where, whichever type of dance you want to learn, you will find courses and classes to suit you. In Barcelona you can, of course, learn flamenco but also tango, salsa, merengue and belly dance. Belly dance in Barcelona has become popular later than it did in the US and in Northern Europe, but now it is extremely popular.
Where you can learn belly dance in Barcelona
There are several places where you can learn belly dance in  Barcelona and there are classes suitable for every level and learning needs.
Gyms:
Almost every gym in Barcelona offers bellydance classes. However, gyms do not have many levels available but usually offer one general level, which is good if you are a beginner or just want to get a taste for belly dance.
Public Cultural centres:
In Barcelona every barrio (borough) has its own public cultural centre, called Centre Cívic in Catalan. There is for example a Centre Cívic in the barrio of Sagrada Familia (http://ccsagradafamilia.net/), which holds a lot of activities for every age group at a very reasonable price and classes and workshops on everything, including belly dance. Every other barrio, such as Barceloneta, Besòs, Guinardò etc has its own Centre Cívic.
Other cultural centres:
In Barcelona there are also several private or semiprivate cultural centres, which offer different types of classes, including belly dance classes. One example of such cultural centres is Femcultura (www.femcultura.com) that runs belly dance courses at every level, from courses for those who have never bellydanced before, to advanced levels, to courses where you can learn how to teach belly dance and seminars for belly dance teachers.
Belly dance academies:
In Barcelona there are also bellydance academies where you can learn belly dance in a very structured way, with different levels of classes and that also hold workshops if you want to learn more about a certain topic or technique. An example is the Munique Neith Academia de Danza del Vientre (www.muniqueneith.com ), where they have structured courses and also organise belly dance trips to Egypt.
Dance centres:
In Barcelona there are also several dance centres, where they teach every type of dance, including belly dance. A dance school where they run belly dance course is Bailongu (www.bailongu.com ), near the Sagrada Familia.
Individual teachers:
In Barcelona there are also several belly dance teachers who run courses individually; they advertise on the web or place ads in some shop windows, for example where they sell alternative remedies. One belly dance teacher, who has her own school and a dance troupe, is Aida. In addition to running courses for every level, from belly dance beginner to advanced, she also holds workshops, intensive courses and a course for belly dance teachers, with suggestions and tips for those who want to teach this ancient art form (http://www.aidadanzadelvientre.com/cursoprofesoras.htm)
What it is like to learn belly dance in Barcelona
Learning belly dance in Barcelona is
an interesting experience and obviously
every dancer and teacher has her own
style. However, I can say that most
belly dance courses in Barcelona are
extremely well structured; pupils are
followed well all the way from when
they learn the first moves to when they
achieve an advanced level. Also, no
aspect of belly dance is left out, with
every prop (finger cymbals, stick, veil)
being taught as part of the curriculum.
At the end of every term, almost every
belly dance teacher in Barcelona organises
an end of term performance in a theatre,
where those who want can perform the
choreographies they learnt during the
classes, in front of friend and relatives.
These events are called festivals and
are usually good fun.
Belly dance performances in Barcelona
There are not usually many professional belly dance performances in Barcelona. However, it is possible to see professional belly dancers perform in most Arabic restaurants around the city, usually on Friday and Saturday evenings, with each performance lasting about ten minutes.
Here to learn more about belly dance in barcelona and in Europe
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