At Baladi Fitness, we approach belly dancing from a fitness perspective, and we respectfully adhere to current industry standards regarding personal and group fitness classes.

Belly dancing is a beautiful and ancient dance form that has its roots the Middle East. The movements are symmetrical in nature and are very complimentary to the female form. It is a dance suitable for all shapes and sizes, and can be as challenging as the individual makes it.

Rather than concentrating on cardiovascular endurance, this fun workout focuses on maintaining midline stability while performing purposeful movements with other muscle groups. An example might be to maintain stability through the hips and legs while performing undulations with the shoulders and arms. An increase in strength and flexibility through the hips, shoulders, chest, and abdomen are often noticed after the first few sessions. Additionally, improvements in posture, balance and coordination are not uncommon. Because the classes are low-impact and most of the movements are fluid and circular in nature, it is great as a therapeutic exercise. It also has the potential to help women and teens suffering from body-image or self-esteem issues. Although participants are encouraged to challenge their bodies, the purpose of the class is to have fun, laugh, and to just feel great while being active!

Jeanette began belly dancing in 2001, and for the following 4 years studied this beautiful dance form under the instruction of Nada Lanteigne. In 2005 she started teaching her own classes, and since then she has taught to hundreds of women around the province. With the popularity of belly dancing growing and becoming even more of a presence in the media and music videos, her classes continue to garner interest from all types of women  

While studying belly dancing, Jeanette also became serious about physical training, and through time she was surprised to notice how the two activities complimented each other. Belly dancing requires strength and flexibility in areas that we are not used to engaging on a regular basis.   Learning how to isolate and manipulate these muscles became her focus.   Physical training provided Jeanette with a better understanding of how the body works, which has been instrumental in her development as a dancer and in her instruction. Her teaching style is not only fun and unique, but clear and easy to follow.