Tina Hobin, 84, from Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, is a lifelong belly dancer. It’s no wonder that for more than 50 years, she has been so vital a force in the dance world! Since opening her own studios in 1974, Hobin has influenced the lives of thousands. She’s even turned inmates at a women’s prison onto the virtues of moving their bodies and fostering healthy lifestyles through the craft of belly dancing.
Hobin, the UK’s oldest professional belly dancer, stumbled into the world of oriental dance in the 1970s. Ever since, she’s devoted her life to mastering it. Though its roots are in Egypt, for Hobin and her students, belly dancing is a form of self-expression. Every Sunday, she teaches uplifting, energetic community dance classes. These choreography sessions do more than just teach dance moves, they improve physical health by increasing flexibility and upper back strength.
Of course, over the years Hobin’s expertise has brought her all over the world, where she has hosted dozens of belly dancing workshops. It is evident from the way that she dedicates herself to her craft that she shares the philosophy of getting up and moving. “Exercise and dancing gives people a purpose… it’s important because it improves muscle tone,” she said, underlining the physical advantages of her classes.
Hobin personally works to prevent the sexualization of belly dancing and aims to promote participation that includes everyone. She stated, “I don’t encourage people to come showing their bellies and boobs. I like to encourage women from all walks of life, all shapes and ages – there’s not a particular image you have to emulate.” Perhaps that’s why this philosophy resonates with her students, most of whom have discovered new confidence and self-esteem from her practice.
She’s committed to changing attitudes. She expressed frustration over how producers have historically viewed belly dancers: “Producers told me there hadn’t been a belly dancer who had gone far [on screen]. That really, really annoyed me – they assumed [I was like] a stripper or prostitute.”
Hobin understands that modern lifestyles can make our daily lives more sedentary, contributing to health problems. “Too many people are sitting down and watching TV instead of moving,” she noted. Her classes address these trends directly. They exemplify how to get participants moving, actively combating issues like back pain and increasing participants’ mobility.
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