Belly Dance Geek Blog
The Big 5: Khaleegy
This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are the genres that an educated audience would recognize, and expect certain dance stylizations. (i.e., the genres for which just listening to the music isn’t enough.) To read more about this idea, or to find links to the other articles in the series, check out the first article in the series, The Big 5. Khaleegy What it is: A musical style from Gulf region (“the Khaleej”), generally featuring the Khaleegy rhythm...
read moreThe Big 5: Beladi Progression
This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are the genres that an educated audience would recognize, and expect certain dance stylizations. (i.e., the genres for which just listening to the music isn’t enough.) To read more about this idea, or to find links to the other articles in the series, check out the first article in the series, The Big 5. Beladi Progression (aka Beladi drum solo, beladi tasqim, or just “the beladi”.) What it is: An Egyptian musical genre/song...
read moreThe Big 5: Saidi
This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are the genres that an educated audience would recognize, and expect certain dance stylizations. (i.e., the genres for which just listening to the music isn’t enough.) To read more about this idea, or to find links to the other articles in the series, check out the first article in the series, The Big 5. Saidi What it is: A genre of music from Upper Egypt, usually featuring the Saidi rhythm (dum-tak, dum-dum, tak). There is a style of...
read moreVideo Role Poll
Your Turn This poll is closed, but it’s not too late to join the discussion: Why do or don’t you use instructional videos? Do you always use the ones you buy, or do they tend to sit on your shelves unopened? Which videos have been the most useful to you? (even if you don’t use them anymore) Share your thoughts in the comments…
read moreThe Big 5
When listening isn’t enough In my last article, I mentioned that educated audiences will expect certain stylizations when they hear certain kinds of music. In order to meet those expectations, you need to learn about the different song styles, their cultural contexts, aesthetics, and stylizations. I received a follow-up question from Carlie Cubb, who asked if I could suggest any resources to help her do that research. I thought that was a great question (thanks, Carlie!), and too good not to share. But what started as a quick...
read more6 Half-Truths About Improv and Choreography
Last month, I talked about what improv and choreography can do for you. Now I’d like to talk about what they don’t do for you. We expect too much of improv & choreography We like to think that: Improv prepares you for anything Choreography makes your dance perfect. But these are only half-truths. Like most half-truths, they’re not wrong. They have some truth, and they can be useful. But taking them at face value can stall your development as a dancer. So...
read moreGeek Out with Mahin
Dancing Safe & Strong: Fitness, Injury Prevention and Improving Your Dance with Exercise Episode 5 of the Belly Dance Geek Clubhouse: My guest is Mahin of the Daily Belly Dance Quickies. “Dance safe, dance for life” Belly dance is much gentler on the body than many dance forms, but all physical activity comes with some degree of risk. Mahin will share important knowledge and tips to help you protect yourself and your students. You’ll learn: The elements of fitness (and how they...
read moreHave You Been to Hip Drop Hell?
Special guest: Alia Thabit Today’s article is a special guest post by my friend Alia Thabit. She’s as big a fan of improv as I am, but comes at it from a totally different angle. Her approach has helped me a lot, so I think you’re going to love this! – Nadira Have You Been to Hip Drop Hell? (And three ways to get out) Sometimes we get trapped, caught in a loop, repeating the same moves over and over, unable to change. And we stay there....
read moreStarting Age Poll
One of the big differences between belly dance and other dance forms is that (in the West at least) most of us start studying belly dance as adults. But that’s not true of everyone. Results Your Turn: This poll is now closed, but the discussion doesn’t have to end! Do you think there’s an ideal age to get started? Why do you think most dancers start as adults? If you have children, do they belly dance? Share your thoughts in the comments. ...
read moreImprov vs. Choreography
Dance is a lot like cooking. You can follow a recipe, or add a pinch of this and a dash of that. As long as you know what you’re doing, you’ll end up with a tasty dinner. Improv and choreography both use the same ingredients (compositional principles) to cook up a delicious dance. It’s just the process that’s different. But they each have different strengths. Just like a stir-fry lends itself to experimentation, and a wedding cake calls for a precise recipe, improv and choreography have...
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