East Coast Classic Belly Dance Competition Judging Criteria
I started the East Coast Belly Dance Classic in 2002 because I was hoping that it would be a way to recognize and encourage the pursuit of excellence. Part of helping me reach that objective was the creation of weighted judging criteria. Contestants were scored for their proficiency in four areas: technique, artistry, costuming, and [...]
Don’t Be “That” Girl
There are fewer and fewer venues now to see a belly dance show. Those of us who have a regular place to go are lucky. For others, it may be a special event that requires a road trip just to experience this. If you have never seen a live show or just aren’t sure how [...]
Creating Combinations
Combinations are a great way to drill your skills, increase muscle memory, build in familiarity with new transitions, and to make your dance more lovely. But how do you do this? Here are some ideas. If you are a beginner and are still struggling with move names and the execution of basics, you can start [...]
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 [...]
Beyond Moves, Combos and Choreography is Available As an Ebook
I was asked about whether my book, Beyond Moves, Combos and Choreography is available as an ebook. It is and actually always has been. I just don’t sell it that way and neither does Amazon. You can get it from the publisher, Lulu, here. It’s $13.99
Demonstration of How to Do a Hip Lift and Hip Drop
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep2-kk-ThoI Start with your body on a diagonal. Frame the active hip. Put your weight on your back foot. Bend the knees. Start the movement from the center line of the body. Lift the active hip above the center line, then drop it back to neutral. For a hip drop, drop the hip below the [...]
Look Out! Video Coming Soon!
Look out! Starting next week I will be posting videos both here and on my youtube channel. Some will be by me. Some will be by certified belly dance trainers. Some will be demonstrations. Some will be quick lectures on a topic. I hope that you learn something and can see how the belly dance [...]
Five Days in Cairo (part 4)
Day five. I woke depressed. I didn’t know if I wanted to do something or do nothing. I had to pick up my costume from Madame Hekmet, so I went to do that while waiting for the other girls to get up and get dressed. The taxi driver didn’t know where I was going, so [...]
A Dancer of the Past or Present?
This article was written by Halima and originally published in Zaghareet! January/February 1997 I have often pondered the possibility of reincarnation. Our families and religious backgrounds influence us in our decisions to allow such an idea to become reality in our lives or not. Nevertheless, I am always looking for signs to prove that it [...]
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 [...]
