Belly Dance Recital Etiquette
Belly dance shows are often called haflas. Hafla means “party” and what I am talking about refers more to recitals. So, I am using that term here. * Be on time. Even if you are not performing until the second half, you will keep the stage manager from nervously pacing if you have checked in [...]
The Ethical Use of Information
Quite often our belly dance teacher and fellow students are our friends. We dance, change clothes, eat, compete, work, and socialize together. It is easy to lose sight of the responsibility that a teacher has of safeguarding student information when it appears that everything is out in the open anyway. However, that obligation DOES exist! [...]
Basic Belly Dance Posture
Most teachers give the same posture instructions: “Feet hip width apart; shoulders down and back; shoulders, hips and feet in alignment; bend the knees; tuck your butt. Some add, “Engage your abs.” But what does all that mean? How do you know if you are in proper alignment? Let’s look at each one. Feet Hip [...]
A Trade Like Any Other (book review)
No belly dance library can be complete without a copy of A Trade Like Any Other by Karin van Niewkerk. Written as a scholarly view of female dancers and singers in Egypt, this answers many questions and elicits many more. THe conclusions are drawn from historical sources and observations, but mainly from the dancers themselves. [...]
Get a Strong Traditional Foundation Before Exploring
I have been in these synchronistic situations lately around getting a strong foundation before branching out and doing your own thing: a conversation with a dancer, watching a movie about a painter, listening to how a lovely and gigantic garden was planned. I really think that is so true, yet I see “dancers” out there [...]
The Told Me I Couldn’t (a review)
Author Tamalyn Dallal opens her tale with all the naivete of youth. Only when we are untouched by fear and disappointment of age could we venture so trustingly into the wild unknown of the developing third world. Dallal sweeps us up in her enthusiasm and dreams of becoming an international start. First stop- Columbia! With [...]
Don’t Take It Personally
Belly dance can be a cut throat, dog-eat-dog world. If you want to survive in it (or any other competitive “sport”), you have to learn not to take it personally and not to give weight to everything you hear. Hemingway said, “Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially [...]
The Videotaping Debate
People tend to get into trouble when they look at things from only their own point of view. Videotaping performances is a good example. Many people feel the typical “no videotaping” rule is unfair and stupid, but the big picture includes right to privacy issues, copyright issues, and revenue issues that may not be considered. [...]
If You Are Not the Teacher, Don’t “Teach”
I am back in the role of dance student. I am taking a partner’s dancing class and had the worst time last night because of guys who just wouldn’t shut up! Each one has a different background. Some just started. Some have been dancing a while, but still don’t have a good grasp of it. [...]
Succeeding in BDT
There are a few things that will make your path to certification in the Belly Dance Trainer program a little easier. Here they are: Have Solid Dance Skills Before You Attempt to Teach. This might seem like a no-brainer, but if you have never taken a belly dance class in your life, you probably ought [...]
