Teaching to Seasoned Dancers of Other Styles

Belly dance is definitely its own thing. We wear costuming to class. We giggle. We play with make-up and only go to class once a week. I’ve taken Latin, Polynesian and ballet and those classes were just not like that. So, it can be challenging for a teacher to have dancers from other styles in [...]

Playing The Beledi Pattern on Zils

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9qog4NsqLc If you are trying to play the beledi pattern, I assume you are already familiar with basic zils, but here goes the pre-zil stuff. The zils go on the middle finger and thumb with the elastic sitting just below the nail bed. MAKE SURE YOUR ELASTIC IS TIGHT ENOUGH TO TURN YOUR FINGERS BLUE [...]

Breaking Down the Karsilama Step and Adding Layers

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAnvUDy4F2A Basic karsilama step is a rock step. You start from basic stance. The active foot moves forward on 1, your weight shifts back to center on 2, the active foot steps straight behind the body on 3, then you return to center on 4. Karsilama step with a hip slide- Repeat the same basic [...]

Take Workshops With the Old Masters

I came up in belly dance during a time when there weren’t as many opportunities as there are now. There weren’t as many styles, venues, costumes, music choices, festivals, or students. While it’s easy to see how having more is a good thing, there is a downside to it. The older masters tend to be [...]