Belly Dance Geek Blog
Taktaba Episode 2: Long-Term Repetition
November 21st, 2007 First, I’d like to thank you all for your patience and support. Episode 2 was a long time (and a lot of work) in coming, and I hope you’ll think it was worth the wait. This episode deals with long-term repetition. That’s repetition over the course of a song or an entire routine. We’ll discuss: Balancing length & complexity (with graphs!) Balancing frequency & drama (also with graphs!) Using theme and variation to keep repeated elements fresh and interesting Using the structure of...
read moreTaktaba Workshop + Episode 2 coming soon
Hi everyone, It’s my pleasure to announce the very first Taktaba workshop! The workshop will kick off the Shimmies for a Cure benefit hafla:April 28, 2007Somerville City Club20 Innerbelt Rd Somerville, MA 02143My workshop begins at 12:30pm, will be followed by three more fabulous workshops, and then a dinner show. I hope that many of my Boston-area viewers will be able to come!DETAILS:This one-hour workshop is an overview of the Taktaba analytical approach to dance composition, and is based on an exploration of the 4 elements of...
read moreWe are Experiencing Technical Difficulties
Hi Everybody, Thanks for your continued patience. The external hard drive I use for editing has died, meaning that I have lost:- Episdoe 2 in-progress (about 1/3 of it needed to be re-shot anyway, and I do still have the original tapes, but not including any editing)- Episode 1 full-sized (this is a bigger loss, since without the source media, I have only the iPod-formatted version)I won’t have time to buy a new one and do the reshoot before the new year, so, unfortunately, it’ll be a little while before Episode 2 is...
read moreEpisode 2 Delayed Again
A few sections of Episode 2 will need to be reshot, so I won’t have Episode 2 posted for another few days. I think it’ll be worth the wait, though: this one has over 40 minutes of dancing time. I’m hoping to have that out by Wednesday or Thursday, but as you’ve probably noticed already, these things tend to take longer than I expect. So bear with me!
read moreEpisode 2 in Editing, Performance video available in the meantime
Hi everybody, After much delay, Episode 2 has finally been filmed. I hope to finish the editing tomorrow and have it posted for you bright and early Monday morning. That said, this is a long episode: 42 minutes of dancing time alone, plus lots of talking, tips, tricks, and graphs. Yes, GRAPHS; I am an engineer by training and a geek by inclination. So it may take a little longer than usual to edit, compress, and upload this one. This episode deals with long-term repetition within a piece or set, including:- deciding how often to repeat an...
read moreEpisode 2 coming soon
Thank you everyone for your wonderful feedback. I’m so glad to hear that so many of you found Episode 1 (Repetition & Alternation) to be helpful, and I especially appreciate your suggestions for improving the show and requests for future episodes.In fact, Episode 2 was suggested by a viewer, Mala Bhargava. Mala suggested that I cover some additional aspects of repetition, particularly relating to repetition within the context of an entire piece, rather than within a combination. After mulling over her suggestions, I’ve come...
read moreTaktaba Episode 1: Repetition and Alternation
October 17th, 2006 This episode treats the twin topics of repetition and alternation, including: When and how repetition can be effective Different alternation patterns, and their psychological effects on your audience Exercises Combinations Runtime: 24 minutes Watch it online Download it Download Episode 1 Buy on DVD: If you’d like to watch this episode on DVD, you can buy it in hardcopy on Amazon. (That’s an affiliate link.) But I’m offering the DVD just for your convenience: it’s 100% free...
read moreEpisode 1 Coming Less Soon
Sorry everybody, but Episode 1 is going to be delayed a few more days. Some of my footage is unusable and needs to be reshot.Please bear with me while I figure out this whole podcasting thing.
read moreEpisode 1 Coming Soon
Hi everybody, Thanks for coming back! Unfortunately, Episode One is going to be delayed for a few days (editing is really time-consuming). I’m hoping to have it up on Wednesday night.Please check back in a couple of days.Thanks again,Nadira
read moreEpisode 0: Podcast Promo and a Poll!
Hi everyone, My podcast promo is now available: (This video has been formatted for iPod; you can download it from Our Media) I will be filming the first episode over Columbus Day weekend, and plan to release one episode every two weeks or so. Keep your eyes open for Episode One on Monday or Tuesday of next week, and please pass this on to anyone you know who might be interested.In the meantime, I have quite a few topics in mind for the show, and would like to know which YOU are most interested in. Which topics are you most interested in...
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