announcements
curriculum
Your teacher may vary the lessons plan according to the skill and interest of the dancers in class. This list is simply a guide of goals.
Syllabus
- Elevé
- Ankle strengthening – weight shift from equal heel-ball, to ball with slightly lifted heel
- elevé focus on tracking of heel, keeping weight between 1st and 2nd toes (watch the “wee wees”)
- 4ct or 8ct rise/settle
- Difference between elevé and relevé
- Glutes: smooth vs locked
- Walking HT with smooth Glutes HT (1:1)
- Walking FT with smooth Glutes HT (2:1)
- Step Touch HT with smooth Glutes HT (1:1)
- Step Touch HT with mixed Glutes FT (step = smooth glute on weighted hip, touch = lock glute on unweighted hip)
- Vertical Figure 8 (V8) – down to up, aka upward/uwd
- 4 points: weight shift R (keeping L glute) > R glute > weight shift L (keeping R glute) > L glute
- Focus on the heaviness and downward aspect of the hips
- Pickup foot, slowly travel fwd
Combo
- no combo this week
Syllabus
- Hip Twist
- knee driven vs low-front oblique driven – low-front hip pulls twist forward (low-front opposite hip stabilizes)
- “do we believe in the psoas today?”
- 1-2-3&4 pattern
- knee driven vs low-front oblique driven – low-front hip pulls twist forward (low-front opposite hip stabilizes)
- Walking Hip Twists
- Step fwd R with hips R-L-RLR-, L-R-LRL-, R-L-RLR- then step fwd L for L-… R-… L-… (3 hip patterns each step)
- Step R with hips R-L-, touch L with hips LRL-, then step L with hips L-R-, touch R with hips RLR-
- 3 tempo variations: quarter time (QT), half time (HT), full time (FT)
- Shimmy drill to “Khatwet Serena” by Hossam Ramzy
Combo
- 1 = Step R foot open to SR, arms L2
- 2 = Cross L foot behind to SR in plié, arms gather front
- 3 = Step R foot open to SR, arms passing through L2
- 4 = Pivot to DSR in L bevel, R arm to head
- 5 = L hip drop
- & = L hip lift
- 6 = L hip drop with kick
- & = L hip to neutral, L arm to Frame
- 7&8 = Hip twists LRL
- (repeat to L side, focusing R hip)
Syllabus
- TBD
Combo
- TBD
Syllabus
- TBD
Combo
- TBD
Syllabus
- TBD
Combo
- TBD
Syllabus
- TBD
Combo
- TBD
additional resources
This is a list of suggested readings that would supplement your studies each week. These are optional and not reviewed in classes.
- “Dos and Don’ts of Cross Training” from Dance Spirit
- “Cross Training & Injury Prevention” from The Ballet Companion by Eliza Gaynor Minden
- “How to Keep a Dance Journal” from Dance Insight
- “The Psoas Muscle: Ultimate Guide” from Yoganatomy
- “The Importance of Tendu” by Annette Thomas (written from the perspective of ice skating, it highlights the ability of ballet to cross-over into other mediums)
- “Masculinity in American Belly Dance; Perspectives from 8 Male and Masculine-Identified Belly Dancers” by Drake Von Trapp (dissertation)
- Articles about the Arabic language by Abigail Keyes:
- “Improvisation in Dance: Why Freestyling is So Important” by Sophie Giles (written from the perspective of hip hop, it can translate into belly dance with a little thought).
Books on the history of belly dance:
- Looking for Little Egypt by Donna Carlton
- Before They Were Belly Dancers by Kathleen W Fraser
- Midnight in Cairo: The Divas of Egypt’s Roaring 20s by Raphael Cormack
- Egyptian Belly Dance in Transition: The Raqs Shari Revolution 1890-1930 by Heather D Ward
This is a playlist of some examples of belly dance, and a variety of styles, dancers, and eras. Enjoy!
Here’s a running playlist of some music you’ll hear used in class. Your teacher may use other music of course, but this should get you started!