Loving Yourself Is Where All the Romance Begins

If you look through my blog, you will mostly find me talking about belly dance. It is the dance form that shapes how I move, how I breathe, and how I understand my own body. Belly dance has a beautiful grounding depth to it. It requires a specific kind of presence—heavy hip drops, internal muscle control, and sharp, intricate isolations. It is a powerful way of connecting with yourself, and it will always be my core anchor.

But lately, I found myself stepping outside my usual movement vocabulary. I put on a pair of headphones, pressed play on Cyndi Wang’s classic Mandopop track “Honey,” and decided to record a quick dance cover.

It wasn't a sudden career shift, nor was it a departure from my identity as a belly dancer. Honestly, it was just an act of pure curiosity.

The Texture of Movement

Every dance style has its own unique weight, rhythm, and emotional language. While belly dance feels earthy and fluid, pop choreography—especially a song as delightfully sweet as “Honey”—has a completely different texture. It is airy, bouncy, and unapologetically playful.

Stepping into that breezy pop rhythm felt incredibly refreshing. There is a simple, lighthearted joy in letting your body bounce to a bubbly pop beat instead of rolling your hips to a traditional Arabic drum. It allowed me to explore a softer, slightly more carefree side of my own femininity.

As dancers, we can sometimes get so caught up in the technical precision of our primary genre. We worry about perfect posture, immaculate technique, and whether a movement looks exactly right in the mirror. But sometimes, it is good to remember what it feels like to just move to a catchy tune without overthinking it. Trying out a dance cover doesn't lessen my love for belly dance; rather, it keeps my relationship with movement fresh and alive. It reminds me to stay curious.

A Little Self-Love, A Little More Romance

When I was reviewing the video clips for this cover, a phrase kept coming back to me, which ultimately became the title of the video: “Loving yourself is where all the romance begins.”

We hear a lot about self-love these days, but it often gets wrapped up in big, dramatic concepts or expensive wellness routines. To me, it doesn't have to be that serious or grand. Sometimes, self-love is quiet, low-stakes, and completely non-productive. It is simply the choice to spend a little bit of your day doing something that makes your heart feel light, just for the sake of it.

Putting on a pretty skirt—one that feels nice when you turn around—and dancing to a song that makes you smile is its own kind of small, personal romance. In those minutes when the camera was rolling and the music was playing, I wasn’t trying to prove anything to an audience. I wasn't analyzing my technique. I was just giving myself permission to enjoy the sweetness of the melody. A little self-love, a little more romance.

Maybe that is one of the nicest things about dancing: you don't always need a reason. Sometimes you just need a song you love, something pretty to wear, and a little space to move.

For me, that was Honey—a little sweetness, a little playfulness, and a reminder that loving yourself can be as simple as dancing just because you want to.
Video Information on Social Media
Dancer: Cathy Hsieh
Song: 王心凌 - Honey

#凱西CATHY

凱西CATHY YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/c/CathyHsieh
凱西CATHY TikTok：https://www.tiktok.com/@cathyhsieh66
凱西CATHY Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/cathybellydance
凱西CATHY Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/cathyhsieh106