FatChanceBellyDance, Inc.

I can’t dance. I’m not graceful. I’m not feminine. I’m not coordinated. But I’ve gone to their Tuesday beginner class about 6 or 7 times now. Even though I haven’t gotten any better, I keep going back.
I work in a very male dominated environment. Just so you know, I’ll tell you what it is… I work in video games. The female to male ratio I would say is 2 women to 10 guys.
For the most part, the guys are not mean or anything where I am. But when you’re talking about battle mechanics and which is better Tolkien fantasy vs space sci-​fi on a daily basis… There’s not much room to explore my inner female energy.
I was told by a counselor that I should embrace my inner female flower. When I heard that, I laughed. After some exploration, I decided to try belly dancing at fcbd.
I was nervous. My first day just so happened to have a bunch of visitors from other cities who were learning to teach… That was a little intimidating. But no one judged me. So I went a 2^nd time… Which was better because there were a bunch of other beginners.
I could tell that belly dancing is slowly helping to bring out a more feminine me. No matter how tired I am I go to the class and leave feeling re-​energized.
I went yesterday and all day today I feel more flowy, visualizing in my head doing the taxeem. As if to battle the male energies at work with my flowy intuitive female energy! Take that! How’s that for a battle mechanic!
There is a different teacher almost every week. Some teachers are better with beginners than others. I mean my goal is not to be a professional belly dancer. I know I won’t get that much better than where I am now. But it’s helping me embrace that inner female flower which I had long been dismissed.
So even though time and time again I will be out of sync, not completely getting the move right, I’ll be going back… So I can work on my female power battle mechanics. Aaallllaaaalaaa!

I just got back from my first lesson. WHAT a blast. It was everything that the other reviewers say — wholesome, nonjudgmental, fun. There were, in fact, all ages and all sizes and shapes of women there. The other women were friendly and relaxed. The teacher was great — clear, happy, present, engaged with everyone in the room. The office/​logistics were also great — easy to check in and pay, friendly, etc. All good.

so are you affraid to dance?
scared to get down in front of strangers and shake your money maker?
well DONT BE!
awesome place really welcoming, easy location. Saturday morning class today was great it was the first beginners class in the 6week series I was told you can drop in on any class in the cycle and they do lots of review.
I am definately hooked and who can beat $ 15 drop in rate! parking was easy to find on the street get there early class starts promptly!
** oh and cool stuff in the shop totally reasonable prices!
enjoy. and shake those hips!

If you feel like learning belly dance, this is the right pale to start. Caroleena is one of the pioneers of the form as it has evolved in this country. All of the teachers at fcbd are talented dancers, performers, and most importantly… Teachers. Thorough and encouraging all across the board. For what they offer the price tag in the classes is surprisingly cheap. Awesome little store to peruse and great books to read.

fat chance in the mission

I dropped in for a class while we were visiting from San Diego. I had been taking classes in San Diego and had to visit the home of ATS while I was in San Francisco! I took my first zills class while I was there and got to meet Carolena! Nice studio with a shop where you can buy jewelry, clothes and books. $ 10 for a class, which is very reasonable!

My GF found a deal on one of those deal websites…$ 24 for 6 classes. When we arrived we were greeted by the friendly staff. We had fun learning all the different moves. It was a good workout. Our next lesson will incorporate Zils (finger cymbals). I’m excited.

I would love to have a fat chance with myself with belly dance but I need help looking for the place to get down with my belly cause my belly is jelling lol.

Wonderful place! I have enjoyed taking classes here for years. it is just so much fun — with a variety of very good teachers. I also really enjoy dancing with the other students. They start slowly with the basics and then build into more complex movements and rhythms also using the finger cymbals (zils). The tribal style outfits are very beautiful and entertaining to watch as well. The ambiance is laid back — both stimulating and relaxing with a variety of multicultural decorations, much reading material, music and often videos of dance to watch as you wait for class to begin.

If you want to learn bellydance, this is the place to go. FCBD is the originator of American Tribal Style, an improvisational style of dance that is beyond amazing. I’ve been a student here for 5 years and took the General Skills intensive. This is THE place to be.

Take a class here!!! It’s so fun, an amazing workout and the music rocks.

As Christine from FCBD tells the class, «Let’s face it ladies. We’re not getting any younger.» Over the past few years, my waist size has begun to be keep pace with my age. I needed to get my ever-​expanding midriff under control.
I have never been athletic. Gyms terrify me. I even find yoga to be a traumatizing experience. I started looking for options to «trick» myself into a work-​out and found Fat Chance. I was honestly, a little intimidated by the idea of a dance class, but I talked a girlfriend into going along for moral support.
The structure made it easy to just drop in and try it out. No registration is necessary. Classes are $ 10 each, and they offer the same class three times each week.
After that first class ended, I felt exhilarated! I actually had fun. So, I figured WTF, and was back the following Tuesday. Then I was back Friday and Saturday!
Well, for the first time in my life, I am hooked on a work out. I have been going three times a week, plus practicing to the video at home. I’m even getting a little better!
The instructors are always patient and every time class is over, I’m disappointed because I want to keep dancing. The other students are of all ages, shapes and sizes. There’s no see and be seen factor at all.
And that ever-​expanding midriff? I’m down 13 pounds and two dress sizes in seven weeks!
*****
Notes: The classes fill up so get there early so you get space in front of the mirror. (It would be nice if they installed more mirrors in the room!)

If you want to learn American Tribal Style Belly Dance, there’s no better place to learn — the director of this school started ATS!
I first heard about this school when I was living in Ireland and taking belly dance classes there, so I guess you could say it’s world-​renowned! It’s not uncommon for there to be drop-​in students from other parts of the country (or world) in classes. If you’re a tribal belly dancer and you’re visiting San Francisco I think it’s pretty much a given that you’ll take a class here.
The school is a few blocks from the 16^th and Mission BART station, which makes it easy to get to. It’s also a great price, $ 10 drop-​in or $ 8 per class if you pay for six classes at once. All the teachers are phenomenal dancers with years of experience. There’s no intimidation factor at all and in every beginners class there is plenty of review.
I highly recommend this school to anyone who’s interested in belly dance or just looking for a fun workout!

Got a groupon for three c;lasses in bellydancing.
I am as stiff as a board and it’s really friggin hard. The instructor was wonderful though: relaxed and patient. (Note: going to a beginners dance class while you are a professional dancer is just cheating). We did a lot in one class: Egyptian, Arabic and I think Indian?. She was even forgiving when I got lost and I messed up my partners’ grooves. I suck.
But I am going back. Probablyy much to the horror of my classmates.
The space was beautifully decorated with dancing costumes from all over the world and kinda pricey but cute items for sale. The class itself was not expensive: $ 10 each. Wow, right?
The area the school is in isn’t the greatest and was glad the sun was still up when it was over. I need to remember to walk across the street from the SROs the next time.
The class is well worth ithe effort.

I agree it is a great place for beginners. I had never done belly dance before but it sounded fun/​scary and my friend had a groupon so we checked it out. We did a drop-​in on a beginner Sat morning class (normally $ 10 drop-​in) and it was really fun!
The environment is very chill and encouraging. They didn’t even mind when people came in late (the class starts off with yoga-​like moves for warm-​up). A dog was walking around our class (just for a bit — it was amusing). You can wear whatever you want — belly dance clothes or yoga/​workout clothes, anything goes (it’s very California in that way). It was nice to see people of all body types in the class, which I don’t normally see in other dance/​yoga/​workout classes.
It was easy to follow the teacher and she sometimes came around and gave pointers for adjustments, but she was very laidback. She gave encouragement like telling us it’s hard to get certain moves right the first time (or even the first few years) like the hip gyrating thing I couldn’t get right. It was surprising how much arm strength is used in belly dancing. Luckily we also learned an Egyptian booty shaking dance move that was super easy and fun and at least made you think you were accomplishing some basic dancing.

Ever wanted to learn to Belly Dance? Never danced before? That’s okay! Self conscious about your body? Don’t be! Women of all shapes, sizes and ages take this class! It’s super empowering to be in a room of women from all walks of life all trying to learn something new! This is THE place to learn or purchase your costume.
A great team of team of teachers that really focus on teaching you the basics and giving you time to practice drills. The teachers are super patient! But the end of every class you will be dancing. I love the fact that they start each session with the traditional prayer. Throughout the class you may hear the Zagareet — the shrill call of a dancer trying to encourage her fellow dancers. It’s just a great environment to learn.
Wear what ever makes you feel comfortable — yoga pants and a tank top or a choli & flowing skirt. All are accepted here! You can drop in and take any of the beginners classes — no reservation needed. They have several levels available once you’ve become comfortable with the basics.
I personally had never experienced Belly Dancing before taking a class a Fat Chance. I’m not the type of girl to go wandering around without my midriff covered. However, I found FCBD to be a very welcoming and empowering place to learn.

SO fun!
My girlfriends and I were inspired to learn how to belly dance after a recent dinner at a Moroccan restaurant. After several week trying to schedule a night when we were all available to go, we finally made it to a class last week.
We showed up on a «gap» night, meaning that we were in between 6 week courses. Even though we had missed the 6 weeks of classes that our fellow dancers had, everyone was SO helpful to try and bring us into the group and to give us some hints on how to shimmy. I can’t say we were any good, but we sure did have a great time. The dancing is a blast, the woman are all so supportive and kind and the teachers are fantastic.
And, side note, the part of my body that was the sorest the next day was my arms!
I can’t wait for our next class!

Wanted to drop a line for a new dance form I’ve taken on. I’ve only been to two of the classes here, so my statements are not final yet. Okay, I’ve done Butoh for eight years and aerial arts for three. I’ve always wanted to get into something new, and belly dance won out over Capoiera.
I’ve been researching belly dancers online and found this place to have a good reputation and reasonable price for beginners. I wasn’t informed that the first class I went to was the 6^th class in a series. Thus, I attempted advanced moves on a first try! It was okay. My arms were exhausted from the earlier yoga class I did though. The teacher was a little bit too introverted for my taste. I wanted more eye contact, verbal coaching, and the ability to see what her feet were doing under her long dress!
The second class was a bit better. It was a different teacher who was very extroverted, which is what I need as a kinesthetic learner! I must say though, it is odd to be constantly looking in the mirror to mimic and yet, I had to try not to get sucked into my own image for too long! I prefer using mirrors less. I also felt strange at the request to smile a lot. I suppose it’s because of my background in Butoh. However, I’ve seen famous belly dancers who do not smile outrageously, and I appreciate the honesty in their movement and facial expressions. Another thing, I wished for someone who wasn’t so dead serious.
I’m planning on attending the next session with a different instructor who I’ve heard is lighthearted and good at teaching. I hope she hits the spot. I don’t expect the director to teach because it sounds like she is into retirement according the her statement on the website. Boohoo!
The ladies who attend are very friendly. One group was visiting from New York and taking the beginner class. That was fun. We got into groups and followed the New Yorker lead girls. Eventually, I’d like to nail the basics and add a bit of butohesque pop-​locking to this American Tribal style of belly dance. All in all, I’d say it’s a good starting place to harness the basics.

American Tribal Style (ATS) belly dance is an group improvisational dance form based on a shared movement vocabulary.
Founded by Carolena Nericcio, originator of ATS, the Fat Chance Belly Dance studio provides a firm foundation in the elements of the form. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a whole lot of fun to dance with other people. ATS dance moves are also a good basis for solo or choreographed belly dance.
There’s a lot to like about the FCBD studio. The practice space is clean, well lit and ventilated. There’s adequate space to change and store your gear, but no showers. The store/​lounge area is a nice place to hang out before class and shop for belly dance-​related items. The space is decorated with Carolena’s considerable collection of world garments and jewelry.
FCBD classes are taught by experienced members of the troupe, and teachers vary from class to class and week to week. I’ve found all of the teachers to be high energy, good at explaining things and receptive to questions from the class.
The material is presented in a very structured way. The first level has a six-​week cycle that covers all the basic elements of the form, leading to more complex steps and patterns in the 12– week second level. Students are encouraged to complete all classes at one level before they progress to the next, however, the classes can be taken out of order. There’s an excellent description of the classes and schedule on the web site.
I’ve studied at FCBD on and off for two years. The FCBD studio is a welcoming space for women of all shapes, ages and levels of dance ability, and it’s a supportive yet low-​pressure environment to study dance.

I too have been coming to FCBD for years on and off. I like pretty much everything about them.
The fact that I can pick and choose my classes — I can stay in Level I for 6 years if I feel like it, or drop in on a Level II when I feel up to it is very nice. Not to feel forced or expected to move on when you don’t feel ready is wonderful.
The instructors are great. They rotate instructors so you may not have the same one every time, but that’s good too as sometimes you get a piece of a movement from one of them and a piece from another and it all comes together into learning the whole thing.
It’s a lot of fun, great exercise, and there is no pressure. You are encouraged to improve, encouraged to participate in their student salons and the like, but you don’t have to and what you learn is at your own pace. No one tries to make you bend in a way you aren’t ready for yet, or reach for a range of movement you aren’t flexible enough for.