Think belly dancing is just a bunch of hip shaking? Instructor Suha Deeb warns that your abs are in for a big surprise.

Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t get it right away,’ Suha Deeb calls out, her voice competing with the Arabic music that echoes off the walls. ‘You’ll get it eventually!’ On this Monday night a group of women, their ages spanning four decades, are standing in Babel Theatre with their hands above their heads and their focus on their midriffs. They’re here to learn the basics of traditional belly dancing, and tone their abs in the process.

I met with Deeb, a third generation folk dancer, performer and instructor, before her belly dancing class to see if there was any truth to my  preconceived notions (originating entirely from Shakira). ‘There’s a difference between Arabic belly dancing and that shake-your-hips stuff,’ she says when I venture into questions about costumes and sexual health. ‘That’s more of a fitness fad for people who have a ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ fantasy or a fetish for Arab things.’ Point taken.

Back in the studio, Deeb demonstrates Beyoncé-inspired hip rolls and booty drops, before cautioning her students that this is precisely how not to belly dance. ‘Most of the movements in Arabic belly dance are in the waist and the stomach,’ she says. ‘You need to have incredibly strong abs.’ ‘It’s an intense workout,’ confirms Perla, who joined the class just a few weeks earlier. ‘I’m learning to control my body in ways I never thought I could. If I tense my arm, my chest moves. If I squeeze my butt, somehow my belly moves,’ she adds with a laugh.

The hour-long lesson begins with a quick stretch, a set of warmup drills and a series of basic movements that would later become a choreographed combination. Before the mirror, all eyes on their reflections, the group’s faces twist and wrinkle with concentration. The women scrunch their abs to the right, to the left and back to the right again. They manage to lift one hip at a time without moving anything but a set of stomach muscles. Panting, they reach for water bottles while the music plays on. My vision of women sensually flitting around in coin belts had been weakened before I arrived, but it was now officially shattered – this dance, when done properly, is way harder than it looks.

‘Something can be fun and also a lot of work. Belly dancing is a cultural dance form, and one that involves strengthening your core muscles as well as understanding the melodies and rhythms of traditional Arab music,’ Deeb says. ‘This is an education. There isn’t a quick payoff.’