Belly Dance Geek Blog
10 Reasons it’s Hard to Watch Yourself On Video
Watching yourself on video can be painful. You thought your show went well, and you got compliments from the audience. You’re psyched that the show was videotaped, because your teacher/mentor/friend/common sense told you that watching yourself on video is a great way to improve your dance. You’re excited to get started. But when you press play, your heart sinks. You get that “ugh” feeling in the pit of your stomach. And all that energy and motiviation you had is gone. And that’s a problem. Because...
read moreGeek Out With Oreet – Again!
Make Competitions Work for You Episode 14 of the Belly Dance Geek Clubhouse: My guest, Oreet, will talk to us about belly dance competitions. You’ll learn: 4 benefits of competiting (even if you don’t win) How performing in a competition is different from a regular show What judges look for How to tell if competitions are right for you How to tell if a particular competition is right for you We’ll also have some discussion time, so you can ask Oreet your questions. About Oreet...
read moreWhat can I help you with in 2014?
Speak now or forever hold your peace Okay, maybe not forever. But if there’s something you’d like me to make or do next year, now is the time to tell me. I never planned to have a business. I’m one of those people who really likes regular paychecks and benefits. If there was a salaried job out there doing what I do, I’d apply so fast, my resume would cause a sonic boom. But since that job doesn’t exist, I started a business. One of the strangest things about being Fancy Business Lady...
read morePoll: Your Dance Grandmas
I’ve had lineage on the brain lately. Until a few years ago, I didn’t realize how lucky I was. I knew what a rich treasure of knowledge and tradition my teacher had given me, passed down through her dance lineage. But I thought everybody got that. It wasn’t until I started coaching other dancers that I realized not everyone was so lucky. (sadface) A big part of why I do what I do is to carry that torch into the next generations of dancers. (hopefulface) And becoming a “video grandma”, as my students in...
read moreHow to Change the Tempo of a Song
Wish that song was just a little bit slower? Maybe you can’t quite keep up. Maybe you need a more moderate pace for classroom drills. Or do you wish you could speed it up? Maybe you know that draggy song would be great if you could just pick up the pace. Maybe you’re working up to faster 3/4 shimmies, but everything falls apart when you double the speed. Changing a song’s tempo is quick and easy! I’ll show you how: In this screencast tutorial, we’ll...
read moreGeek Out with Amity Alize
How to host a workshop without driving yourself crazy. Episode 13 of the Belly Dance Geek Clubhouse: My guest, Amity Alize will talk about the mistakes workshop organizers make that cost them money and sleep. Whether you’re a professional sponsor, or thinking about organizing your first charity event, there’s something in here for you! You’ll learn: How to avoid common pitfalls in workshop hosting Important tax rules and reporting when hiring dancers Helpful tips on how to organize yourself so you...
read moreBelly Dance “Mad Libs” Tweet Tips
Last month, I did my fifth “tweet tips” series of daily tips for belly dancers. August’s theme was compositional skeletons. These are a set of instructions that you can plug your own moves into to create a combination. (Or you can look at it from the other direction: they are what would be left if you took a combination, and took away the specific moves.) They’re sort of like Mad Libs, but instead of plugging in words to make funny stories, you plug in moves to make interesting combinations. Now that the series...
read moreGeek Out with Alia Thabit
3 Things You Can Put in a Dance – Besides Steps Episode 12 of the Belly Dance Geek Clubhouse: My guest, Alia Thabit will talk about elements of dance other than the moves and steps. You’ll learn: How to free yourself from just the moves What “emotional timbres” are What “feel the music” actually means Why the audience makes a difference in your dance How to find a balance between abstract & narrative elements in Oriental dance We’ll also have some discussion time, so...
read moreTutorial Poll
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool. Your Turn Why do (or dont) you want to see more tutorials? What topics would you like me to cover in my tutorials? What makes a tutorial useful to you? Share your thoughts in the comments.
read moreHow to Shorten a Song
Have you ever wished you had a shorter version of a song? Maybe you need a 3-minute drum solo, but your favorite is 6 min. Maybe you have a whole routine in a single track, and you want to use one section separately. Cutting down a song is easier than you think! What you’ll learn: In this screencast tutorial, we’ll cover two techniques for shortening songs: How to cut the beginning or ending of a song (with an optional fade) How to cut out the middle of a song What You’ll Need: 1) A song...
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