Belly Dance Studio at Little 5 Points

I was Visiting Atlanta and my friend brought me to class. It was both our first time taking a belly dancing class. We had a great time. The class was fun and a great workout at the same time. My friend is going to sign up for more classes since she lives in Atlanta.
They do have classes that focus more on techniques.
P. S. bring water to drink and wear light clothing.
1 class =$ 12
Not sure on a package deal

This place used to be my church. I would go every possible Saturday morning and I felt closer to God when Marwa would ‘yip’ me into a sweaty frenzy of hip drops and shimmies. Then the format changed– standardized across all shimmy fit classes. Some of my favorite songs were gone forever. The class was no longer challenging. And I fought it, hard. I fought like people fight for their religion. Because it was important to me, really important. Sweating out my day in Marwa’s class was like therapy. SO I sent emails, and more emails and when there was no response, I got into a tiff with the owner over the phone. In a fit of rage I wrote a scathing review here. But I could not stop going back, because I adored Marwa and if she wasn’t leaving then I figured I should get over it and appreciate the fact that I was still able to dance by her side. And then Shadia found my scathing review, and I was banned from the studio for life. For a few choice words on the internet. The irony is I had accidentally attended her class just a few weeks before, and she had no idea who I was. She had taken over Wed nights and I was not aware. I had a great time though and thought, ‘what was I so upset about? If this is her style, this is her studio… I should delete that weird Unilocal review.’ But too all to late, my friends. I’ve been discovered!

If you are looking for the real deal people this is not it. It is called belly dancing school .So why is the and the worm up starts with Michel Jackson pop music. Wired belly dancing don’t you think… In Belly dancing it is all Mideastern music that you can dance on from start to finish … There is no Gray made up areas where different music is presented…
I took five classes each class was five weeks. I also took the drop in shimmy classes, and a couple four hours work shops in all three studios. Mizmar and Zena, those are some of the classes they teach are very old music almost over twenty years these type of music have no importance in the Mideastern culture for belly dancing today how do I know because it is my culture.
I went to the school to meet some friends and enjoy a cultural dance as it turns out it was all fake… Shadia have a fake accent .this is the owner I found out that she trashes people behind there back especially the students… She her self is the worst belly dancing teacher I have ever seen… She chopped the culture with no respect and prevented me from participating in her troop because she felt threatened. accused me of not belonging to my own culture so I wont be able to give feedback or criticize …
Her belly dancers student and professionals are learning the wrong way it will be difficult to undo the damage, there is no pop moves or techno, bally moves in Belly dancing… There is no. W. arm shape either… and the middle finger doesn’t need to stick out in the dance because that is an insult in the middle eastern culture…
People /​Dancers. hop-​yest of professionals save your money and your breath. The owner is not qualified to teach what she doesn’t know. or feel. here moves starts backward instead of inwards and there all from left to right instead of right to left… What a joke.
I later found out she is not popular in restaurants also, and she is over looked when she dances… Hope this is a wake up call.

I’ve only taken one class series here so far, thanks to a groupon deal, but oh-​my-​wow! I’m hooked!
Schadia is the only one I’ve taken classes from– I’ve seen mixed reviews from other people and would say they should definitely try one of her classes! I’ll update more as I have different teachers.
The concept is great– and apparently much more traditional– than many belly dance classes– mainly because it is JUST a belly dance studio with a bit of variety thrown in. She seems to focus a lot on technique– to make sure we are doing it properly (and if you do– you WILL get a nice workout). She also is a big advocate for women finding the beauty in their bodies– no matter the shape or size. I’m usually turned off by this hokey mentality but after spending 5 minutes listening to Schadia talk– you too will be buying a pretty coin skirt and sashaying around in front of the mirror. Most of the other ladies in the class are all smiling and happy too, which is much more than I can say for a 6am spin class :)
It’s also really affordable to take the classes. You will need a few dance apparel basics– ballet shoes and a coin belt is REALLY helpful for learning the proper isolations. They prices in the studio are good but you can also find them cheaper if needed on amazon or ebay.
More to be added to this review later, I’m sure!

Fun classes. More of a workout than you would expect. My arms ended up more toned than my belly, but I enjoyed the classes.
Super tight studio. No parking and no common areas… so getting checked in is like a moving a herd of cattle. Because (pro) they begin class Right On Time and give you your full hour; (con) ladies are moving in and out of those little doors, trying to get in/​out of storage cubbies, looking for keys, trying to pay — — - yikes. Just a little reception area would be a good idea.
Prices typical and they run MANY good specials.

I love the classes here — just make sure you choose an instructor with whom you feel comfortable — I suggest trying out classes on different evenings and deciding which class feels best to you. There is such a warm, welcoming, all-​embracing vibe at the studio — and lots of shopping, too! I love that the teachers emphasize that belly dance is an artform — a celebration of femininity and fertility and women dancing with other women to celebrate us, not a striptease in a harem. Many of the choreographies are sexy, and, that is always a good thing! I love seeing shy students open up and relax, and very soon, shimmying and displaying our lovely bellies as we dance. This is a woman’s only studio. Some of the women are overweight, some are tiny, and there are women of all ages. I highly recommend this dance studio. Ladies, let’s celebrate being the exquisitely beautiful, sexy women we are. The classes are more like a hafla, or party, of friends.

I have taken, gosh, like eight classes here. I love this studio! The atmosphere is really relaxed and fun but definitely NOT at the expense of getting things done! Classes always start right on time, and they run the full length of your time slot. The teachers are always really friendly, effective, and good at what they do.
I’ve only been to the Little Five studio, and I wish they had a wider selection of coin belts, skirts, etc. I think I remember hearing that the other two studios have a much larger selection, though, so if you like to buy gorgeous dance clothes, try visiting the other two studios at some point.
The prices are also extremely reasonable — $ 50 for six one-​hour sessions? That’s less than $ 10/​session! My only complaint with the class structure is that if you miss even one of the choreography sessions, it’s pretty hard to catch up. You can try asking the teachers for help, but there’s not always enough time to REALLY catch you up. :(
Even if you’re not «a dancer», give Nazeem Allayl a shot — it’s a great workout and a ton of fun. It’s a very welcoming environment, too. So register for some classes, bring some friends, and get moving!!! :)
PS: Sorry fellas. Girls only!

I attended the six-​week Mizmar choreography class at the Perimeter location, taught by She’nez. What a great class. She’nez is hilarious, very personable and patient. She taught us the entire Mizmar dance over the course of six weeks, teaching us 2 – 3 new moves each week. It is surprisingly a good workout and you WILL break a sweat.
Our class had about 30 women. Despite the large class, we weren’t all that crammed for space as most of the studio is taken up by the dance floor. You are strongly encouraged to have a coin sash to wear during class as a teaching tool, and I found pretty much everyone had bought one by the second class. Luckily for us, the studio sells a wonderful array of coin sashes and other belly dance wear. The coin sashes are a tad on the pricey side. They start at $ 25 and the more elaborate ones sell for $ 35. I think if you look hard enough, you could probably find the sashes elsewhere for a cheaper price. Same with the shoes– you will need some kind of practice shoes to wear as being barefoot can get painful, tennis shoes are not allowed and thick socks will be asking for an accident.
You will feel it in your abs, arms and thighs. I highly recommend taking classes at this studio if you want a workout that is not boring and keeps you on your toes. On top of it, She’nez will have you laughing so hard your abs will hurt even more. The only downer is that the studio is in a pretty shady location. If possible, have your hubby or boyfriend pick you up after class (please note though, men are NOT allowed in the studio so he will have to wait in the car). Otherwise… everyone leaves class around the same time so it’s not like you are going to your car alone.

I’m finishing up my first 6 week course at Atlanta Belly Dance at L5P. I’m taking a technique course and it’s a lot of fun. My instructor is Mahtaab (sp?). She’s fabulous and makes class a lot of fun.
The technique course is just that… a class of instruction. I say this because you shouldn’t expect to work up a sweat in this class. However, your arms and abs will be challenged for sure.
The studio is small and the class is rather crowded — that I don’t like. Plus it gets kinda hot. Except for the first week, when the instructor spends way too much time talking about the studio and history of bellydance, the course is all good. I definitely recommend it if you want to learn some beautiful dance moves and have some fun in the process. Try to take it with Mahtaab if you can, she really does a great job.

I’ve only been to two classes here but I do plan on continuing (I’m going again tomorrow, and next week, etc.). I found the drop-​in belly dancing class to be a good workout, and specifically a great ab workout. It’s sort of a cardio class and they are supposed to be focusing on abs, glutes and thighs. Both classes I attended definitely focused on abs, which I loved, loved, loved. The second of the two classes also focused on glutes (we did back kicks at the end of class) and had some additional ab mat work in the middle of class, which was cool. The instructor of the second class is a total punisher of abs and glutes.
The first class had not much additional toning but did have more interesting dancing. This instructor likes to pick a theme for the class and this time it was Polynesian. We worked on those moves for the entire class and I enjoyed it.
The first class started and ended on time. The second a class started and ended about 20 minutes late. This sucked because I had to get to a yoga class afterward and I should have had plenty of time but I was really rushing to get there. It also sucked because the delay was mainly caused by the instructor’s pre-​class announcements which went on and on and on and on.
The studio is small but nice, parking is on the street but plentiful, I did work up a bit of a sweat and my abs were burning, the instructors are generally pretty nice, the other attendees are sort of interesting because some of them take it VERY seriously, and I didn’t have a coin sash and I didn’t even notice (I do have one now but I kinda liked not having one). Don’t be intimidated. Really. I’ve seen the other people that go here and they vary widely in both belly dancing ability and general level of fitness. You will be fine.
The cost is great. I’m currently using up my Groupon but if you drop in, it’s $ 10 per class, or you can buy a 6-​class card for $ 50 or a 13-​class card for $ 100, which makes it a really low cost per class. Their website has lots of info, too.

3.5 stars, to be specific.
Really fun, but not exactly sweat inducing. However, others were sweating around me and I figured it was probably because they were actually doing the dances correctly.
The classes we went to were the workout classes, not the dance technique classes and they do warn you before you start that to get better with technique, you should take one of their 6-​week courses.
I’ve gone to two classes after I bought a punch card from Groupon — one at the Candler Park location and another at the Perimeter. Both were fun ways to start a Saturday, but I wouldn’t want to go by myself — it was fun when me and my friends were laughing at each other trying to belly dance.
I say 3.5 stars because both classes didn’t start on time (I’m talking EXTREMELY late — like 15 – 20 minutes) and our instructors didn’t really keep us moving the whole time and seemed a little scattered (it was like it was their first time teaching the class). One was searching through her iPod half the time trying to find a good song. Shouldn’t that be figured out and planned BEFORE I pay you $ 10 (or whatever, I have the Groupon) to conduct an hour long class? But, yeah, still fun so 3.5 stars it is.

I went here for a drop-​in class one evening. I was a little nervous going (am I the belly dancing type, really?), but I shouldn’t have been. They were super friendly and encouraging– a very supportive environment. And it was only 10 bucks.
I didn’t really work up a sweat, but I did feel like I learned the basics of a couple moves by the time the hour was up.
The bad stuff? It was too crowded to *really* move, and they don’t take credit cards.

Carpe diem.
You know when you get into that «I have to change everything in my life» and «I’m not living to my fullest», blah, blah, moment one has either at the beginning or the end of the year?
Well, I had one of those earlier this year and in my infinite wisdom decided that if I were to live everyday as if it were my last, I would regret dying without of all things learning to belly dance before I meet my Maker.
So I went all in and signed up for all six classes (if you do so, you get a discount) before stepping foot in the class. And in all due fairness, this would have been a better experience if my teacher didn’t take a vacation after the second class. She’s an awesome instructor. However her replacement was interested more in auditioning for America’s Top Model and/​or So You Think You Can Dance. She spent two classes showing off her toned stomach rather than the proper techniques.
When asked if she could break down a couple moves she replied, «just look what I’m doing.»
Hmm, what a novel idea but I believe that’s what I was doing which led me to the confusion in the first place. After an uncomfortable silence, she instructed that she would teach us the improper way of doing it b/​c it’s the easiest way to explain it with the caveat never to do it in the future but would prove beneficial for the present. Confusing ain’t it?
While my head was spinning from her explanation, I realized that the rest of the class was indeed actually spinning and from that moment on, I was totally lost. I spent the rest of the «course» kissing the wall. I was spinning when everyone else was gyrating or spinning in the opposite direction leading me to spend some «quality» time with the glass wall and curtains.
Well at the very least, I can now die having spent some quality time perfecting my comedic timing and creating a new Veil dance entitled «Me, Myself, and I… and the curtains «.

Um, who knew belly dancing was so popular? Apparently not I. They have a ton of ongoing classes and they are superpacked out.
Women are obsessed with this stuff. Also apparently it’s like the crack cocaine of dance classes — addiction comes easily. Many of the women in the class were on their 3^rd or more time of taking a session — and they totally had the (slightly jealous here.) awesome ‘belly dancing class’ wardrobe to show it!
Speaking of wardrobe, if you even attempt to get through this class without buying any of the accessories (which will run you some cash), then you will have ‘belly dancing skirt’ envy. And it won’t be as much fun. So go ahead, buy one of the pretty sashes at the front with the jingling coins. It’s ok.
The first couple classes can be a bit hard to get through if you’re expecting to immediately start shaking those hips. You won’t get that until class 3 or so. But once you do, you will certainly feel (at least a ‘lil bit) like a hotsexymama when you shake your hips.
Another beginner tip: yes, it’s scary to show a very un-​tanned, un-​toned belly to the general public, but it really does help so you can see the movement of the ‘muscles’ (or soon to be ‘muscles’?) as they move around. Plus, you’ll be falling into peer pressure — I mean, everyone else is doin’ it. So, again, go ahead. Bare that belly. It’s all about stretching that comfort zone, people.
Costwise, the six week class we took ran $ 55, which was reasonable. Just make sure to get there early, or you may be stuck in the back row.
And no, don’t bother checking. There are no pictures on my profile with me showing any part of my stomach, thankyouverymuch.

Located between Little 5 Points and Candler Park, this belly dancing studio is in a perfect spot to attract people who are a little more open-​minded about jiggling their gut in front of others.
They have a studio where you can learn how to shake it in many different ways, but you can also rent their professional belly dancers for many events. But no, guys, no bachelor parties!
I often almost run over the belly dancing students as they mill around the studio, waiting for it to open. A friend of mine goes to class there every week and she loves it! But she wears a tank top, she just imagines the jiggle.
And if you’re willing to go and try it out, there’s no way you won’t be able to find this joint– there is a giant silhouette of a belly dancer painted on the side of the building.