A belly dance class is the most wonderful and fun hen night idea. 

Although belly dancing is sexy and sensual, it is not lascivious or rude as some people consider pole dancing or lap dancing to be.  Therefore it is suitable for ladies of all ages: on a hen night or hen weekend Mum and all her friends can join in too, as long as they are reasonably fit!

It's essential to find a venue where there is enough room for the bellydance class to take place.  Although we do make sure we tailor the movements for a relatively small space, there should be enough space for each woman to extend her arms, at the very least.  The room should have adequate ventilation via openable doors and/or windows, or air conditioning.

If you are having your hen night in a pub or restaurant, it is best to book a private function room.  If you liaise with the venue they can often remove the tables from the room so the class can take place at 6.30 or 7pm, before reassembling the room for a celebration meal.

The element of surprise is one of the greatest elements of a hen night or weekend. With an Egyptian Dance Class you can be assured that it will be a pleasant surprise for all, and not a nasty shock!  The dance teacher often has extensive liaison with the friend/sister/mother of the bride-to-be in order to spring the surprise, and all this ensures that she earns her fee.  In addition she has to be smuggled in somewhere to change and limber up before the class.  She then has to enter a totally unfamiliar room and take charge of a bunch of excited and giddy ladies!

Although belly dancing is perceived by many outsiders to be "a bit of a laugh", any person who has reached teacher level takes the dance very seriously and should be fully versed in the techniques and movements unique to Arabic dance.  She should also be very hot on safety elements and maintaining good posture, particularly essential when dealing with a mixed group of total beginners.  All this "seriousness" forms the backbone to giving the hen night participants a really fun time at the same time as stimulating a genuine interest in bellydance.

It is wise to have the belly dancing class really early on in the evening because it is best done when the ladies have not had any substantial amounts of food or alcohol.  The movements of belly dance, especially the "camels" or belly undulations, are best performed on a (relatively) empty stomach.  It's a good idea to have plenty of water or soft drinks available to be consumed during the class. 

The beauty of Arabic dance is that in its original forms it was and is performed by women for other women: it's use as a tool to titillate men is a recent Western "twist" far removed from the more modest Arabic way.  Having said that, Arabic women can be quite ribald in each others' company and away from "strange" men!  In the West, bellydance parties, also known as "haflas" are not commonly women-only affairs and some of the ladies' husbands come along and often help out with the running of the evening.  These private parties are not generally open to the general public, however, so many people are unaware of the standard of beautiful feminine dance which is to be found in the UK and other Western countries.

The hen night, or hen weekend, is therefore the perfect venue for bellydance performance and tuition.