Burlesque takes hold in the 'burbs

News
January 1, 2011

Watsonia is set to become the latest suburb to fall under the spell of Melbourne's burlesque revival.

With the release of Cher's film Burlesque this month and Australia's first burlesque festival launching in the city last may, Christine Sully is promoting fun and fitness as part of her new burlesque-based dance class, Booty Hips.

Ms Sully quit a corporate job in the city six years ago to do what she loved and now runs the exotic dance company Bellacize, specialising in belly, Bolliwood and pole dancing.

But she said classes for burlesque - a mix of dance and striptease in vintage lingerie - had taken off during the past year.

"I have been doing burlesque for the past seven or eight years but I found in 2010 it started to become more popular," Ms Sully said.

"I think the beauty of the burlesque is that it is s feminine, glamorous and terrific fun.

"It is easy to dance with the costumes and the girls feel really sexy and gain a lot of self-confidence.

"Plus, it's much classier than pole dancing." She said burlesque dance classes had been especially popular for hen's nights.

"It's a bit of fun because they learn a routine and the bride gets a special routine for her honeymoon," she said.

New fire in the belly

Herald Sun
March 18, 2010

Christine Sully was working in the corporate sector, when she decided she world rather be doing something she loved.

"Life going through the motions started to get to me," she says.

A life-long love of dance, and the realisation she had lost the passion for corporate life, gave Christine the confidence to take the plunge and follow her dream.

She created Bellacize, teaching belly dancing to promote fun, fitness, health and happiness.

"Bellacize has enabled me to live these dreams and feelings again. I'm grateful every day for this wonderful life and doing what I love. I feel like the luckiest person in the world," - she says.

"It's exhilarating and exciting to follow the path you know you are innately good at and love."

Sully says it was scary to leave a lob and the security of a guaranteed pay cheque, but she had done her research and knew she could make a living from dance.

Six years of hard work has paid off and the success of Bellacize, which now operates in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, has also given her the confidence to launch a new business - Charm School -teaching deportment, etiquette and self-confidence.

Bollywood Bash

Bride To Be
Jan 08 - Jan 09

Nicole Sloan celebrated her engagement with a Bollywood-inspired hen's party. Bellacize dance teacher Mili ensured the girls shimmied into the night!

SHAKING HIPS, expressive hand movements, the jingle-jangle of coin-laden scarves and lots of laughter. What better way to spend the Saturday night before your wedding? Hen Nicole Sloan couldn't think of one. "My sister Karen, also head bridesmaid, organised the whole hen's party to take place ­at my mum's house in Applecross (WA)," says Nicole.

The theme for the night was Bollywood Dancing, and Karen had really gone all out. "I knew about the theme, but had no idea the lengths my sister had gone to in transforming our mother's living room into the ultimate boudoir to get us into the swing of things," says Nicole. But it was Bellacize dance instructor Mili who set the night on fire, like a hot vindaloo!

"Mili began the evening with a dance performance. She was gorgeous, the way she was dressed and the beautiful movements had us all instantly mesmerised," says Nicole. "The fun really started after her performance, when she produced a big bag of coined, shimmery scarves and insisted we look the part for our lesson!" The girls donned the scarves immediately, as well as bindi's and bangles, amidst lots of giggling.

As the bride-to-be, Nicole's costume, a halter-neck midriff top with matching skirt covered with coins, was appropriately white. Although, "it was definitely risqué enough to escape looking virginal," she says.

"Mili showed us the moves for a few songs, and we all danced them together - our smiles were huge," she recalls. "We all thought we were pretty hot stuff!"

With the scarves tied securely around all the girls' hips, the sound of coins chinking filled the room, and inhibitions melted away. "Everyone got into the dancing and sashaying, the mums, the aunties and the rest of us," says Nicole.

Then came the bride's challenge. "It was time for me to put into practice the seductive moves I had just learnt." Nicole says.

"A chair was placed in the middle of the circle of ladies and I had to seduce my future mother-in-law!" And if that wasn't strange enough, "My husband bears a striking resemblance to his mum, talk about feeling mixed up!" After a while, Nicole's bridesmaids and friends joined in too. "It turned into one huge harem of ladies dancing for their 'husband' in the middle," she says.

At the end of the night, the girls reluctantly handed back the shimmery scarves, but not Nicole. "As the bride, I got to keep my scarf and I got a music CD for later - fantastic!"

For private Bollywood, belly dancing and burlesque classes, see www.bellacize.com

Manly Bridal Special

The New Age-hen
Spring 2007

While the requisite pre-wedding girls' night out appears to be as popular as ever, new trends have emerged that are set to change the face of the traditional hen's night forever. For the more conservative among us, this new direction could well come as some relief.

With the average age of brides now hovering around 29, many are opting for an experience that is both low-key and inclusive, having found that they have already outgrown the customary all-night-rage which would often inadvertently exclude some of the brides nearest and dearest on the basis of age.

The concept of belly dancing the night away is starting to take off in Sydney. Bellacize, which provides dance instruction as well as party games, is the brainchild of Melbourne-based fitness instructor Christine Sully, who established the business to cater for womens only parties.

"I started Bellacize because it was clear to me that many women tended to avoid hens' nights with strippers because they thought it was tacky," she said. "However they wanted something more than just a sit-down dinner to celebrate with the bride-to-be. Belly dancing is where it all began for Bellacize.

In my experience women don't necessarily want to be entertained, they want to participate. They want to be the divas and stars of the night and they want to feel sexy. We bring all the costumes, shimmie scarves and we even teach the hen a lap dance for her to do on the honeymoon. By the end of the night everyone will be able to belly dance, with the dancing setting off endorphins, giggling and laughing."

Ms Sully explained the Bellacize program is suitable for all ages and with belly dancing, you can do it into the night and even pregnant ladies can do it, as long as they don't shimmie!"

Bellacize also offers burlesque dancing, and Bollywood themes for Hen’s nights The cost is $320 flat fee (home-based entertainment only) or an extra $200 for groups over 25.

The Sunday Age Magazine

Q&A Love your work
by Chris Sheedy 20/08/2006

Belly dancer Christine Sully, 36, teaches women to shake their shoulders and shimmy their hips at the Queen Victoria Women's Centre in Melbourne.

How did you begin belly dancing?
I've always danced. I'm curious about all styles but
I started belly dancing because I love its free form and the way it brings out your femininity.

What are the health benefits of belly dancing?
Dancing is terrific for cardio fitness. It's not just a matter of shaking around - you're igniting specific muscle areas in your abs, thighs and buttocks so it's great for toning.

Does it give women greater confidence?
Absolutely. Girls suddenly light up, where before they were shrinking violets. That's what I love about it - seeing not only the physical change but the emotional change as well. Shimmying releases endorphins; it's like a happy drug goes off.

Do women in your classes start to feel differently about their bodies?
Definitely. They become much more comfortable with their body shape. Because they are using their body in different ways and showing it off, they're not as self-conscious. Moving your body to music and enjoying your body sets your spirit free.

Can anybody belly dance?
Yes, women of any shape and of any age can do it. My youngest student is 12 years old and my oldest is 76. It helps if you're a bit overweight with shimmying because when you're very thin, you have to work a lot harder.

Is there much work for belly dancers in Australia, apart from
Turkish restaurants?
Belly dancing has become quite mainstream. There are a lot of belly-dance classes and it's also very big for hens' nights.

Herald Sun

Belly dancing has allure
by Ann Peacock 13/08/2006

I'VE written quite a bit about dancing lately, but nothing like this!

We all know that the TV popularity of Dancing with the Stars and the recent success of live show, Floorplay, is proof that we love to watch dancing, but what about learning it ourselves?

I heard about a fun way to spend a Saturday night that aims to get people moving and grooving as they never have before.

To me, the concept of going to a dance studio to sip champagne - while being taught how to dance in a style of your choosing sounds like a perfect night out with your best girlfriends, or maybe a hens' night with a difference.

But Christine Sully from Bellacize Training assures me that it can he just as much, or more, fun - in mixed company too!

Well, if after the demonstration from one of the instructors you decided to try your hand at pole dancing, I can see why your male companions would enjoy it.

Christine tells me that, apparently, the men are quite good at doing it as well.

Even belly dance, showgirl, or Bollywood styles would have allure.

With many props, including poles, scarfs, veils, canes and chairs, the lessons go for about 1 1/2 hours (from 5.30pm-7pm) and aim to get you wriggling and jiggling like an expert.

If you decide to finish there, the cost is $39 per head, but there is the option to stay on, enjoy a three-course dinner and the remainder, for $65.

"After dinner, the DJ runs a fabulous karaoke night and makes sure each table has their fair share of singing time. They play your favourite tracks to dance to until it all ends at about 2am the following morning," Christine says.

Well, that's one way to put that dance lesson to good use. I've heard pole dancing is great exercise for all ages.

And Christine says there is a lot more on offer than a good workout.

"We get all types of people coming along and everyone has a lot of fun," Christine said.

For more information, go to www.bellacize.com or call 0423 807 260. Beliacize nights happen every Saturday at MKL, 465 Spencer St in the city.

The Age

Pole dance
by Belinda Cranston 16/02/2006

Beneath the exterior of every woman lies an exotic dancer, says Christine Sully. A born performer, Sully says she never feels self-conscious when dancing before an audience - nor does she have any difficulty unlocking the inhibitions of others.

From the age of four up until her late teens, Sully danced away in tap, jazz and ballet classes.

She grew up to be an aerobics instructor but noticed some of the women in her classes had limited staying power.

"The men would stick to it. The women would attend sporadically. They would say, 'I'd love to lose some weight' but would stop coming after three or four months."

To improve the mood of her classes, Sully tried incorporating belly dancing, with almost immediate results. "People loved it. They kept coming back," she recalls.

Sully has since purchased a pole and dances before women on hens nights and in various shows. "I have a showgirl outfit. It has lots of silver spangles. The shoes make you very tall. I go from being five feet five to six foot."

Sully says she loves exotic dancing because of the mood it evokes in her and others. "A lot of the music is snake like. It's very sensual. It gets the endorphins going. It's good for the spirit. I don't get that from mainstream exercise in a gym."

Sully also says performing exotic dances gives her a great workout.

"You end up having a great physique."

EXPERT VIEW
Dr Penelope McNulty, former ballet dancer and teacher, Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute

McNulty says anything that makes exercise more fun has got to be good. For those wanting to lose weight, she says, exotic dancing could be beneficial, provided it is undertaken at least three times a week.

"Some of it is incredibly vigorous. You have to make sure there is an aerobic component. If your heart rate goes up and stays up for about 20 minutes then that will certainly work towards losing weight."

Flexibility is important.

"You have to ensure you have a proper warm-up because you are going to be doing a lot of different kinds of movements and be in some unusual positions."

Melbourne Weekly Magazine

Bellacize
by Melinda Oliver 12/10/2005

Christine Sully teaches Bellacize workouts - an exotic combination of sensual belly dance, energetic Bollywood moves and Latin style. "Belly dance is great for the spirit and our sensual sacral chakra," she says.

"The class sequence begins with a warmup of isolation exercises, followed by hip shimmies to fast drums. It then explores dance moves from each of the three styles, wrapping up with free-flowing actions which tap into feminine and sensual energy."

Sully, a personal fitness trainer with a background in dance, developed the Bellacize workout after realising gym members needed exercise to be a positive, enjoyable experience - not a necessary chore.

"I couldn't help noticing the grim and uninspired faces of people working out and would see them come and go in spurts," she says. "I chose belly dance as the foundation, as it's not only great exercise, but therapeutic and spiritual. Shimmies get the endorphins and hormones racing, which puts the ladies in a great mood for the rest of the day."

Sully says the one-hour class is done to dynamic cultural music with the lights switched off during some dance tracks so participants feel less inhibited.

Christine Sully teaches Bellacize at Chapel off Chapel, Space Health Clubs and QV Women's Association in the city, plus tutoring in homes or at work.

For details, tel: 0423 807260 or email bellacize@optusnet.com.au.