How belly dancing transformed Wendy

Wendy Goldberg has been doing Middle Eastern dancing better known as belly dancing since 2005.

“My friend kept on inviting me to one of her belly dancing classes and I decided to attend one class, but one became two and two became three,” said Wendy.

Today she is an instructor, choreographer and performer at her very own studio called, Samira Oriental Dance Studio in Brackenhurst.

More than just belly dancing

Wendy has been studying and sharing her love of Middle Eastern dance for the last 17 years. In 2020 she opened her own studio with the goal to attract women and educate them about Middle Eastern dancing.

“We are dedicated to promoting and preserving the most ancient and exotic of dances, as well as creating an atmosphere of positive encouragement and establishing a sisterhood where all women feel welcome and where the only limits are the ones we place on ourselves,” she explained.”

Also I must add that my first belly dance teacher, Desiree Edwards, was an immense inspiration to me I really owe her so much credit,” she said.

Wendy loves to perform at events and functions like weddings, kitchen teas and more.

“I do not compete or take part in any competition as I do belly dancing for the love and the fun of it.”

In her classes, she shares her passion for this dance with her students of all levels in hopes that many more generations of dancers will continue to explore all this dance has to offer.

Classes include instruction of basic to advanced techniques, use of props, choreography, stage presence, costuming and much more.

“I am in love with the Middle Eastern culture, their music and their dancing.

“Being able to do both practical and theory of it keeps me interested.”Wendy is still busy studying more about the culturess and the dancing techniques.

She typically performs with props such as veils, fire, a sword, tambourines and a shamadan.

Wendy enjoys all the styles of dancing, but the one standing out is the Lebanese style as it is the one she can mostly relate to.

For her Middle Eastern dancing is a part of her life and something which thrills her.

Benefits of Middle Eastern dancing

“Belly dancing is empowering and fun, but its health benefits and rewards are highly underestimated.”

Wendy said that the list of benefits is long, but she shared some of which she can relate to:

• It helps you to find your feminine side.

• It is a way of gaining strength and toning those muscles.

• Belly dance, like most other dance forms, allows your body to secrete endorphins and dopamine in your body – the ‘feel good’ hormones. You are always guaranteed to leave a class feeling great about your productivity and yourself.

• Belly dance incorporates many similar movements and postures of yoga and pilates that both work the spine, knees and pelvic areas of the body. Your back, knees and pelvis are all conditioned to be in the correct stance for healthy execution of movements.

• Belly dance classes are a tremendous way to make new friends who have a similar interest and to meet people from all walks of life. You can experience your dance journey together and learn about new people and their stories, which is a great emotional boost. It is a great way to learn and develop deeper connections with other people.

• Belly dance can be a meditative experience, especially the ‘cool-down’ part of the class at the end with its captivating music!

If you’d like to discover the benefits of belly dance classes for yourself, why not try out one Wendy’s classes?

This and that

Wendy was born and bred in Alberton with her two brothers. She went to Kenton Primary School and matriculated at Bracken High School.

Before her journey with belly dancing, she was a very keen ballet dancer. “I still do ballet as an addition to belly dance. Dancing is part of my DNA,” she said.

She has been married for 10 years to Riaan Visser and she has one daughter.

When she is not performing or teaching others, she works as a full-time wedding and event planner. Her biggest inspiration in life is her husband and her parents.

“They have such a positive influence on me, and they keep me going.”

In her spare time which is not much, she enjoys gardening and being creative. “I do like to draw and paint. Doing things around the house is also very therapeutic for me,” she said.