Cartoonish Expression

Cartoonish Expression

How focusing on the nuances of “joy” helps keep your expression honest and natural.

A 4-Minute Breakdown of the Full Rou...

A 4-minute breakdown of the classic 6-part routine, with video from a show with live music.

Get the Hell Off the Stage!

Get the Hell Off the Stage!

Why the last 15 seconds of your show are the most important.

The Muse Doesn’t Show Up Until...

The Muse Doesn’t Show Up Until You Do

  Don’t wait for inspiration One thing that used to keep me from...

How Thinking Like a Toddler Helps Yo...

How Thinking Like a Toddler Helps You Practice

Why “eyes on the prize” doesn’t help you create a consistent practice habit – but thinking like a toddler does.

Could Your Dance Practice Survive a ...

Could Your Dance Practice Survive a Zombie Apocalypse?

Zombies probably won’t threaten your practice habit, but plenty of other things will! Make a plan now, so your practice will survive.

How Themes Keep Your Practice Flexib...

How Themes Keep Your Practice Flexible

A strong and flexible practice is one that will last!

10 Trivial Things That Derail Your P...

10 Trivial Things That Derail Your Practice

Pay attention to every little thing that makes it harder to practice. And take them seriously, no matter how trivial.

Embrace Your Excuses

Embrace Your Excuses

  Just don’t take them at face value…   When...

The Tightrope Season

The Tightrope Season

How to protect your practice during the holidays

The Golden Hour

The Golden Hour

How Daylight Savings can help you finally build a practice habit.

Split-Second Decisions for Drum Solo...

Split-Second Decisions for Drum Solos

How Shimmy/Accent/Filler makes drum solos go more smoothly

Inside the Dancer’s Studio

Inside the Dancer’s Studio

Get a sneak peek into my own practice space, and tell me about yours!

10 Things I Learned at the LVBDI

10 Things I Learned at the LVBDI

  I taught, I performed, I geeked out. The Las Vegas Belly Dance...

Perfect vs. Progress

Perfect vs. Progress

  Why confusing perfectionism with high standards holds you back in your...

How to Create a Looping Music Track

How to Create a Looping Music Track

Does rewinding your music interrupt your practice? Learn how to create your own looping track.

Authenticity: Are We Missing the Poi...

Authenticity: Are We Missing the Point?

  Have you ever had cow’s udder ravioli? That’s what the...

Task-Juggling for Busy Dancers

Task-Juggling for Busy Dancers

  I don’t usually blog about non-dance things, but I mentioned...

The Psychology of Stage Positions

The Psychology of Stage Positions

“Use your stage space!” Most of us hear that over and over again...

Dance Secret Tweet Tips

Dance Secret Tweet Tips

  Last month, I did my sixth “tweet tips” series of daily...

10 Reasons it’s Hard to Watch ...

10 Reasons it’s Hard to Watch Yourself On Video

Watching yourself on video can be painful. You thought your show went well,...

How to Change the Tempo of a Song

How to Change the Tempo of a Song

    Wish that song was just a little bit slower? Maybe you...

Belly Dance “Mad Libs” T...

Belly Dance “Mad Libs” Tweet Tips

  Last month, I did my fifth “tweet tips” series of daily...

How to Shorten a Song

How to Shorten a Song

  Have you ever wished you had a shorter version of a song? Maybe you...

The Diamond Solitaire Moment

The Diamond Solitaire Moment

  How to make special moments sparkle. Have you ever looked at how a...

Creativity Boost Tweet Tips

Creativity Boost Tweet Tips

  Last month, I did my fourth “tweet tips” series of daily...

The ABCs vs. the 3 Rs

The ABCs vs. the 3 Rs

Why more drilling isn’t always the answer. Have you ever seen a dancer...

The Routine Roller Coaster

The Routine Roller Coaster

  Did you know that entertainment is the art of manipulation? Usually,...

Stagecraft Tweet Tips

Stagecraft Tweet Tips

  Last month, I did my third “tweet tips” series of daily...

4 Things Shamu Can Teach You About S...

4 Things Shamu Can Teach You About Stagecraft

I was obsessed with SeaWorld as a kid. I went twice: first in Orlando when I...

The Big 5: Ifs, Ands, & Buts

The Big 5: Ifs, Ands, & Buts

  This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are...

The Big 5: 9/8s

The Big 5: 9/8s

  This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are...

The Big 5: Lyrical Veil

The Big 5: Lyrical Veil

  This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are...

The Big 5: Khaleegy

The Big 5: Khaleegy

  This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are...

The Big 5: Beladi Progression

The Big 5: Beladi Progression

  This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are...

The Big 5: Saidi

The Big 5: Saidi

  This post is part of my series on “The Big 5”. Those are...

The Big 5

The Big 5

When listening isn’t enough In my last article, I mentioned that...

6 Half-Truths About Improv and Chore...

6 Half-Truths About Improv and Choreography

    Last month, I talked about what improv and choreography can do...

Have You Been to Hip Drop Hell?

Have You Been to Hip Drop Hell?

  Special guest: Alia Thabit Today’s article is a special guest...

Improv vs. Choreography

Improv vs. Choreography

  Dance is a lot like cooking. You can follow a recipe, or add a pinch...

Must-Know Music Tweet Tips

Must-Know Music Tweet Tips

  Last month, I did my second twitter series of daily tips for belly...

7 Ways to Avoid Arm Tiredness

7 Ways to Avoid Arm Tiredness

  Do your arms get tired when you dance? Strong, lifted, interesting...

Stage Presence Tweet Tips

Stage Presence Tweet Tips

  Last month, I did a series of daily “tweet tips” on stage...

The Cake/Icing/Sprinkles Theory

The Cake/Icing/Sprinkles Theory

  Why more isn’t better. Have you ever eaten a spoonful of...

Un-Traveling

Un-Traveling

  How to travel when you have nowhere to go (This post is dedicated to...

The Serendipity Habit

Why You Should Answer When Opportunity Knocks   I have a confession to...

The Trust Factor

The Trust Factor

Why you have to turn off part of your brain in order to improvise.   If...

The Learning Spiral

The Learning Spiral

  The very first thing I learned in ballet class was the plie. I was...

Why You Should Make Friends With You...

Why You Should Make Friends With Your Safety Moves

  By far the most common question I get about improvisation is: “I...

Yo Yo Ma on Perfection

Yo Yo Ma on Perfection

“Perfection is not very communicative… If you are only worried...

The What-How-Why Gap

The What-How-Why Gap

  Have you ever seen a dancer with flawless technique, but who just...

Sensuality is Not a Dirty Word!

Sensuality is Not a Dirty Word!

  Have you ever watched a dancer who was completely captivating?...

How to Tell When You’re Ready ...

How to Tell When You’re Ready to Make a Video

  If you saw someone drowning in a pool, would you think “I’m not a...

6 Reasons to Produce Your Video Reso...

(Hint: only one of them is about money. And only sort of.)What is Resourceful...

Five Things to Do in the Black Frida...

Five Things to Do in the Black Friday Line

You couldn’t get me to go to the Black Friday* sales if my life...

What Victor Hugo Can Teach Us About ...

What Victor Hugo Can Teach Us About Improvisation

      I went to a group singing workshop last night, and we...

Why Transitions Are Like Punctuation

Why Transitions Are Like Punctuation

  Without punctuation reading would be really hard you’d have no...

How Transitions Work Their Magic

How Transitions Work Their Magic

  Transitions are an almost mystical concept: They’re this magical...

Or Does Your Dancing Need More ̶...

Or Does Your Dancing Need More “Puppy”?

  In my last article, we talked about kitty energy. Kitty energy is...

Does Your Dancing Need More “K...

Does Your Dancing Need More “Kitty”?

  When I was an intermediate student, my teacher included performance...