Belly dancer, 84, has navel approach to exercise

Tina Hobin, an 84-year-old belly dancer from Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire, has a powerful message for people of all ages: stay active and embrace the joy of movement. Tina, who teaches belly dancing classes every week, proudly claims to be the oldest professional belly dancer in the UK. 'Life is precious,' she reflects on her long career in dance. 'Exercise and dancing give people a purpose, and it's important because it improves muscle tone. ' She has noticed a concerning trend where many people are spending too much time sitting down and watching television, which can lead to back pain and other mobility issues. But can dancing really help prevent these problems? According to Tina, her unique form of exercise, which has its roots in ancient Egypt, has been beneficial for many of her students, helping them with physical health issues such as strengthening their upper backs and increasing flexibility. 'It's changed my life,' she says enthusiastically. 'It's fantastic, it raises your energy levels, and people can't believe my age; I've stayed slim since my 30s. ' Tina explains that belly dancing originated as a way for women in labor to focus on their pelvic and abdominal areas to ease the pain of contractions. 'Women tend to fight against contraction, but through the movements, they went with it; it's just nature,' she explains. However, she acknowledges that the art of belly dancing has often been misunderstood in Britain, where it has been associated with sexualization. Tina has faced challenges in her career, especially when it comes to how belly dancing is perceived. 'I was doing a lot of TV,' she recalls, 'and producers told me there hadn't been a belly dancer who had gone far on screen. That really annoyed me—they assumed I was like a stripper or prostitute. ' In the UK, belly dancing has often been performed in nightclubs or by strippers, which Tina does not support. '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. ' Despite her struggles with the term 'belly dancing,' she understands that it is the name most people recognize. She prefers to refer to it as 'the sacred dance of life' or 'belly dancing for health and fitness. ' Tina has witnessed many women gain confidence and self-esteem through her classes. 'I've seen women who have been divorced and their husbands left them for someone else,' she shares. 'They didn't think they were good enough anymore, but they do dancing, and it's helped them get in touch with themselves. ' She also mentions individuals who have experienced abuse and found healing through dance, reconnecting with their bodies and sexuality. Tina's journey in belly dancing began in the 1970s when she saw a newspaper article about a class and was captivated by the elegance of the dancer. She decided to join the class and has never looked back. Since 1974, she has been teaching her own classes, including sessions for inmates at a women's prison, and has been invited to teach workshops around the world. Tina has no plans to stop dancing anytime soon. 'I'll dance until I'm 120,' she declares with determination.