After more than a decade of teaching this dance, here's what I wish all my new belly dance students would know It's crazy how many people step into my beginner belly dance classes feeling apprehensive and even ashamed for not having any dance background or feeling like they are not naturally skilled at dance.
If we all came out of the womb as perfect dancers, what would be the point of taking a class? One of the first things I tell my clients is that I too, only started dancing as an adult. I never had any lessons or training as a child. Growing up I had orthopedic issues, and was very sedentary. And I still don't pick up new physical disciplines and movement patterns with a whole lot of ease. I just don't let that stop me, and these days I see it as a blessing. It's because I am the way I am that I really take my time to understand movement techniques and to break them down into manageable chunks. And because I am the way I am I can really relate to everyone who steps into my classes feeling apprehensive. And in fact, I personally really enjoy teaching students who are struggling. I love breaking movements down into really simple forms and the opportunity to analyze and shift the way that I am teaching to fit each person's needs in that moment. Plus, over the many years that I've been teaching, it has been so rewarding to watch hundreds of people go from feeling like they have "two left feet" to blossoming into skilled and graceful dancers. If you've been intimidated about taking up this art form and you need the support from a teacher who has been in your shoes, or if you already have belly dance experience but are looking for a supportive and empowering community to join to take your dancing to the next level, consider joining one of our classes here at SharqiDance! We offer highly interactive live classes both online (Zoom) and in person (Long Branch, NJ). All our classes are offered as closed-container, two month courses with a start date and an end date, and a limited amount of time to register. This way we can keep our classes consistent, small and individualized. We build on skills learned week after week until the end of the course, with class recap email notes and videos to help you practice between classes. But whether or not you decide to study with me here at SharqiDance, or with another teacher and school, if you are new to this dance, remember this: No one is born a skilled dancer. Belly dance is an art form that anyone can learn. Yes, even those of us with two left feet. All it takes is a willingness to learn, a love of the dance, and consistent practice. And of course, it helps to have the guidance of a teacher who wants to see you succeed! So go forth and get started on your belly dance journey. You just might surprise yourself at what you will be able to do, a few months and years down the line.
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Why do belly dancers need to know about Saidi? If you have some experience with raqs sharqi (commonly known as "belly dance") you might have noticed that in order to be a well-rounded dancer, it's necessary to know so much more than just belly dance! The classical music we use, as well as our entrance songs and drum solos feature shifts in rhythm and instrumentation that are important to understand and reflect in our dancing. These different "sections" within our music take us on a journey through different Middle Eastern musical genres. Some of those genres are specific to certain regions of the Middle East, where people might dance a certain way which reflects their customs and traditions. It's important for us to know the regional dances that go along with the types of music that come up for us often, so that we can interpret our music appropriately. Saidi... Sa'idi... Sa3idiOne of the regional/folkloric genres of music that comes up for us the most is Saidi. The word Saidi (صعيدى, sometimes spelled Sa'idi or even Sa3idi) means from Upper Egypt. Upper Egypt, or the Said, is a region in the south of Egypt. This region is known as "Upper Egypt" because it has a higher elevation than the north of Egypt, which is known as Lower Egypt. (Fun fact: since the north of Egypt is lower in elevation than the south of Egypt, the Nile river flows to the north. Notice in the map below, how the Nile river delta flows northward into the Mediterranean sea) Image source: Cacahuate - Wikimedia Saidi people speak their own dialect of Egyptian Arabic and have unique customs, music, dances, and traditions. The word Saidi can be used to refer to anything that comes from Upper Egypt. In the context of belly dance, when we talk about Saidi we are usually either referring to music and/or dances from the Said region, or to Saidi rhythm. Tahtib: Saidi Martial Art & DanceAn important tradition in the Said is a dance and martial art known as tahtib (or tahteeb, تحطيب), where participants engage in mock fighting with sticks, done to music. The roots of this practice date back to ancient Egypt, where it was used as a military skill, alongside archery and wrestling. These days, tahtib is mostly practiced as a social game or as a mock fighting dance for entertainment, traditionally done by men. Tahtib in its native context Tahtib as a mock fighting dance performance Stick Dancing for WomenIn more recent decades, women developed their own versions of stick dancing (raqs assaya) for performance, playfully imitating the men's movements in softer, more feminine ways. In the women's versions of Saidi-style raqs assaya, a smaller and lighter stick or cane (a stick with a hook at the end) is used. When danced as part of a belly dance performance, the stick or cane might be decorated with shiny metallic tape or sequins. Female dancers often wear glamourized versions of baladi dresses when dancing to Saidi music. Belly dancer Vanessa of Cairo performing Saidi with a cane Belly dancer Arielle performing Saidi raqs assaya with two sticks Egyptian belly dancer Sahar Samara performing Saidi raqs assaya Dancers Kareem GaD and Taly Hanafy performing a Saidi duet Saidi MusicSaidi music typically features the tabl baladi, darbuka, and daff on percussion and the very distinct mizmar and rebaba on melody. A very common rhythm in Saidi music is Saidi rhythm, a 4/4 rhythm played as "dum tek, dum dum, tek." Saidi rhythm is also found outside of Saidi music, so the rhythm alone does not necessarily mean that a song or section of a song is Saidi. Saidi music also features a variety of other rhythms, such as malfuf (2/4), fellahi (2/4), maqsum (4/4), baladi (4/4), and others. So it's important to consider the instruments and the feeling of the music and to do some research before deciding on how to interpret it. Famous Saidi song, Luxor Baladna, played by Upper Egypt Ensemble Luxor Baladna translation Additional resources: Wikipedia - Tahtib Shira.net - Saidi Dance Oriental Dancer - Saidi Dance SharqiDance - Saidi Rhythm for Belly Dancers Was This Post Helpful?Was this post helpful? Did you learn something new about Saidi music or dance? If so, hit "like" below and leave a comment with your feedback!
You can also visit our blog map to find more posts like this, or subscribe to our newsletter, YouTube channel, or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. If you'd like to learn belly dance online with us, check out our available classes here. Happy learning, and happy dancing! What if I told you that most of the countless hip isolations we do in belly dance come from just 6 foundational hip movements? Would that motivate you to practice these movements for a few minutes on a regular basis? What if there were 6 videos you could reference, to learn the technique for each of these movements... Would that make learning this beautiful (and surprisingly difficult) dance a little less daunting and intimidating? If you answered "yes" to these questions, I have good news for you! Here's my gift to get you started on your belly dance journey with your best hip forward! Or if you already take belly dance classes (especially one of my classes), these videos are a great tool for practice between classes. Try out these 6 essential hip movements below:
Bonus VideoOnce you're comfortable with the 6 essential hip movements above, challenge yourself with our bonus Hip Combos video below! Need Real-Time Feedback & Support? Some people do very well with pre-recorded videos... but if you want live feedback & support, our online classes provide that. Check out our schedule below to see what we're offering right now!
Not sure what to wear to your first belly dance class? You're not alone! This is one of the most common questions I get from brand new belly dance students, so I decided to make a video and blog post to address it. There is a misconception that you have to show your belly or wear a fancy costume just to go to class... but this is simply not the case. In reality, what you need to wear is anything that makes you happy, that you feel comfortable and confident in, and that allows you to move freely. You don't have to show your belly unless that makes you happy and you are comfortable with it. It does help to wear clothes that aren't too loose just so your teacher can see your movements, but you don't have to show skin or wear anything super tight if you are not comfortable with that. It's also nice to bring a hip scarf or any fabric to tie around your hips to emphasize your movements, but that is not required. As for footwear, typically we dance barefoot, but if you are uncomfortable dancing on bare feet, you can wear dance slippers, jazz shoes or foot undeez instead. If you normally wear orthotics, it's acceptable for you to wear whatever shoes and orthotic inserts you normally wear, but you'll need to check with your teacher about their policy for wearing "street shoes" inside the studio. It's possible that they might ask you to have designated shoes just for dancing if street shoes are not allowed on the studio floors. And that's it, so plain and simple! Wear anything comfortable that allows you to move and allows for your movements to be seen, and have fun! Was This Post Helpful?Did you find this post helpful? Would you like to see more like it? If so, comment below letting us know!
You can also visit our blog map to find more of our articles, or subscribe to our newsletter or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. And you'd like to learn belly dance online, check out our available classes here. I was thrilled to wake up this morning to a post from one of my dear students, linking to a spineuniverse.com article named Belly Dance Your Back Pain Away. Call me a pessimist, but I don't usually expect much from articles written about belly dance in the mainstream. They tend to be, at best, just fluff pieces that totally minimize what belly dance really is, or at worst they could be full of stereotypes and misinformation. This time around, I was pleasantly surprised. For once, an accurate and informative take on the dance form we love so much - and from a medical source, at that! So let's break down the many benefits of belly dance as listed on the article, and why I love them so much:
That just about covers the benefits mentioned in the article (if you haven't checked it out by now, you can read it here.) Belly dance offers countless other benefits as well, which you may have noticed if you already practice it. What positive impact has belly dance had in your life, health, or well-being? What are the benefits you've personally experienced from it? Was This Post Helpful?Was this post helpful? Would you like to learn more about belly dance? Hit "like" below, share, and leave a comment with your feedback!
You can also visit our blog map to find more posts like this, or subscribe to our newsletter, YouTube channel, or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. If you'd like to learn belly dance online with us, check out our available classes here. Learn About This Crucial Type of Belly Dance Music Megeance (alternatively spelled mejance, majency, mejanse, meganse, mejanci, meyancé, madjensie) is a style of music that is used for a belly dancer's entrance. This raqs sharqi (belly dance) opening number typically begins with a fast rhythm that allows for the dancer to cover space as she "greets" her audience and captures their attention, then changes in rhythm and melody so that the dancer can take her* audience on a sort of journey through a variety of Middle Eastern dance styles. This is where the dancer can showcase her range. The megeance will often include sections of Middle Eastern music such as baladi, saidi, khaleegy, and others. Sometimes, the megeance will even include taqasim or a mini darbuka solo within itself. In a sense, the megeance can be a considered a mini belly dance set, because its varied sections are composed of the same elements that are typically included in a full belly dance show: a fast and powerful entrance, folkloric and/or miscellaneous Middle Eastern dances, a possible taqsim and/or drum solo, and an exit that "book ends" the same themes of the entrance. In the megeance those elements are compressed into a "mini-show," which can be performed on its own (for example in a belly dance event, competition or hafla), or in the beginning of a full belly dance set (as in a restaurant show, wedding or party). Watch Shahrzad Dance to Her Megeance In Egypt, where famous dancers often put together their own orchestra of musicians, a dancer's megeance is typically composed specifically for her. This is the case for the megeance above, Bahlem Bi Shahrzad, which was created by and composed for Shahrzad herself!
Here in the west, where belly dancers don't generally have access to a live orchestra of their own, it is more common for belly dancers to use music that was composed to be a "general" megeance, or use megeance songs that were composed for another famous dancer. Whether dancing to a live orchestra or recorded music, at a belly dance hafla or a wedding, every well-rounded belly dance student and professional belly dancer should understand the dynamics and purpose of the megeance, and do her best to do it justice! *In this post, I used the pronoun "she" to refer to belly dancers. However, it is important to note that this art form is inclusive of men as well as agender, bi-gender, gender-fluid and otherwise gender non-conforming folks. I choose feminine pronouns when writing about belly dance for simplicity, but I welcome you to pick your own preferred pronoun when you read through this and my other posts. Was this post helpful? Would you like to learn more about belly dance? Hit "like" below, share, and leave a comment with your feedback! You can also visit our blog map to find more posts like this, or subscribe to our newsletter, YouTube channel, or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. Happy learning, and happy dancing! As today brings the entire decade to a close, before we head into 2020, we take the time to reflect on all the amazing experiences and people that were brought to us... Current & former SharqiDance students pose with Shahrzad, our guest instructor for Spring Into Dance 2019 2019 - A Year and Decade in Review This decade saw the birth of SharqiDance, my dream business teaching belly dance in New Jersey, giving me the opportunity to cross paths with and teach hundreds of people this empowering, feminine and healing art form. For that, I could not be more grateful! Just this year alone, we've had so many incredible experiences. Our SharqiSquad (the SharqiDance student troupe) performed at belly dance events all over New Jersey--gracing the stage of Roxy & Dukes in Dunnelle, Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, and studio haflas all throughout the year. We performed at public events and festivals: The Asbury Park Promenade of Mermaids, The Lakewood Renaissance Faire, and Soulsational Festival in Bayville; we hosted world-reknowned belly dancer Shahrzad at our very own studio in Wall Township, NJ, we added a Darbuka Mastery class with the amazing April Centrone to our roster, and we were honored to close out the year performing at a NY Arabic Orchestra concert in New York City! What's Next in 2020 This was all made possible thanks to the amazing people who took a chance and gathered the courage to try out a belly dance class with us. This has enabled us to come up with even bigger, better plans for 2020. If belly dance has been on your mind this past decade, but you haven't quite yet gathered the courage to start, now is the time, with 2020 poised to be our biggest, baddest year yet! If you're local to Monmouth or Ocean County, NJ, come join our empowering, positive and supportive community! Or if you're too far away, contact me to schedule an online private class over video chat. It's never too late to start, and I would love to have you join us! -Yamê Stay in Touch!If you liked this article, you can visit our blog map to find other posts about belly dance and other related topics. Or subscribe to our newsletter, YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram pages to be the first to see more content from us!
Happy Dancing! To get what you want, you have to want what you get. -Paraphrased from an unknown author There is so much truth and wisdom in this short yet powerful sentence. It is, in a nutshell, the best advice I can give regarding acquiring new skills, building your goal body, becoming healthier, attracting great relationships, progressing in your career, making more money, or just in general creating the life of your dreams! Appreciating what we already have opens our eyes to notice opportunities that are already available to us... opportunities which are impossible to detect when we are spending our time focused on what we don't have. That attitude of gratitude then goes on to attract more new outcomes that bring us the same feeling, resulting in a beautiful cycle of awesomeness. As it relates specifically to raqs sharqi (belly dance), this means that if you want to become a better dancer or achieve specific dance goals, the best way to go about it is to not be frustrated by the level you currently find yourself at, not to look at other dancers who are "better" than you and compare yourself to them in a way that puts you down, but instead to fully appreciate where you are at right now, all while keeping your goals in the back of your mind as you enjoy every moment of your journey towards achieving them. Look at me, your dear author, fully appreciating the fact that I am dancing to this incredible live band on a stage in LA ;) Does this seem vague, abstract, or too "woo woo" for you?
Then let me put it a bit differently... I'll give you two scenarios, and you tell me which one will lead to more progress for the dancer in question. Dancer A took up belly dancing classes because she was enchanted by the gracefulness, elegance and femininity of raqs sharqi. But every time she comes to class, she can't help but look around the room and feel horrible about herself. She hates the way her body looks, and she struggles with new steps and movements. When she looks around, she sees that other students are "getting it," which only adds to her frustration. When she sees a professional dancer, there is a nagging voice inside her head that says things like "You'll never be able to dance like that," "you started way too late to ever be any good," or "you're too ugly to perform in public." Dancer B also took up belly dance because of its feminine elegance and gracefulness. But when she comes to class, she does not focus on what anyone else is doing; she only focuses on herself and her own learning. She appreciates her body and the fact that it is healthy and functional and able to learn this amazing art form. If she does look around the room, it's to appreciate how wonderful it is that all these people are gathered together to learn new ways to move their body and express themselves to complex, poetic music. When she sees a professional dancer, she thinks "I'm so lucky that I get to see this performance" "that'll be me some day," or "I'm so inspired by this dancer!" If both these dancers take the same exact class, practice the same amount of time, and take the same actions to improve, which one do you think will see more visible progress? Which one will be happier in their journey? Which one is most likely to stick with it longer? I think the answer is so obvious I don't even need to say it! Still skeptical? Then I'll leave you with this: why not give this whole attitude of gratitude thing a try, starting now? It is Thanksgiving week, after all! Jot down a couple of positive things belly dance has brought into your life. Note a couple of positive things about your own dancing, as it is right now. Lastly, write about the dancers you love the most, and then visualize yourself embodying all those characteristics you just wrote about. Feel like sharing what you wrote? Post it in the comments below! If you do this regularly and consistently, you will notice a visible difference in both your attitude and your dancing, and you won't want to stop that beautiful cycle of awesomeness. Bring that gratitude attitude into every aspect of your life, and you will reap the rewards as you see yourself flourishing in every possible way. I hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving this week. Happy Dancing! Has the idea of joining a belly dance class been nagging you for some time, but every time you get the chance, you back out at the last minute because you are afraid of the unknown?
If so, it sounds like you are suffering from a case of "cold belly!" Like cold feet, cold belly is a doubt strong enough to prevent you from doing something you were planning on doing, in this case, going to that belly dance class you've been wanting to try! And believe it or not, this "cold belly" phenomenon is is more common than you think! Maybe you're afraid of having to bare your belly, or you think the class will be packed with young, mean women who will make you feel bad about yourself. Or maybe you're insecure about your lack of dance experience and you picture a class full of experienced dancers, making you think you won't be able to keep up with everyone else. Maybe you think you're not fit enough to try out this dance, or maybe you just don't feel like getting up and going out after you've already settled in at home for the night... Regardless of the reasons behind your apprehension and inaction, the fact of the matter is that you are not alone in feeling this way! In fact, the majority of women who show interest in belly dance classes never actually end up showing up for one! But isn't that a shame? Because the reality of most belly dance classes in the US (and certainly the reality for our belly dance classes at SharqiDance in New Jersey) is that they are a gentle, friendly and fun environment for women (and sometimes men and non-gender binary folks) of all ages, levels, shapes, and sizes to learn how to move their bodies in incredible ways and how to express themselves artistically through dance all while falling in love with Middle Eastern music and culture! Most people start belly dancing because they think it will be a fun way to exercise. But most people stick with belly dancing because of the amazing connections they make with the incredible people they meet in class and in their local community, all while challenging themselves--inside a supportive environment--to keep getting better and better at this rich and evolving art form! There is nothing to fear. You don't even need to show your belly to belly dance! In fact, most people in class actually don't. You also don't need prior dance experience to start belly dancing, and there is no age too young or too old to start. And guess what, you can become quite good even if you start late in life without any prior dance experience, because belly dance is low-impact and easy on your body! This also means you do not need to be fit to start belly dance, and you might be glad to learn that the belly dance community embraces a much wider range of looks, body types and sizes than society at large! That doesn't mean the dance is easy, it just means that with guidance from a good teacher and practice, consistency, and time, it can be done well no matter who you are or what you look like! Does that sound like something you should be scared of? We think not! It's time to stop letting the weeks, months and years go by, and just give belly dance a shot already! Just imagine where you could be in one, five, or ten years if you just take that chance and get started today! You might discover a fun new thing to do every week, or you might uncover a lifelong passion. Or maybe you'll find that belly dance is not for you, but you won't know until you've tried! So, are you ready to try out a class? We all have different backgrounds. Most of us came to belly dance at different stages of our lives, for different reasons and with different goals, and we all started with differing amounts of natural skill. We also have different learning styles and prioritize the dance differently in our lives.
Belly dance can mean different things to different people. Some do it for fun and socialization, or as way to get to know more about a foreign culture and its enchanting music and dances. Others do it as an outlet for artistic expression, or as a form of exercise to get in touch with their bodies at a deeper level. Some just belly dance to feel more sexy and beautiful, while others want to reach the highest levels, dancing at professional venues or competitive stages. No matter your reasons for being drawn to belly dance, always remember that your journey through this dance is unique to you, and honor that unique journey by looking within yourself for the reasons why you do this dance, so that every time you do it, you can seek to get out of it the feelings, experiences, and results that you need. There is no reason to look at other dancers with judgment if you think they are worse than you and therefore not "worthy." There is also no reason to look at other dancers with envy if you think they are "better" than you or that they have some unfair advantage. Those dancers are walking their own paths that are different from yours, for their own reasons that are different from yours, encountering their own roadblocks that are different from yours, towards destinations that are also different from yours. If you spend time comparing yourself to others, you lose sight of your own journey and give up control of your destiny! You miss out on lessons you can learn from your individual struggles and on the unique insights you can offer, because no one else has walked the same path as you. You miss the opportunity to learn more about yourself and carve a path that truly fits your own needs, hopes and dreams! Respect your unique journey through belly dance, honor and own all the reasons why you dance, and don't worry about what others are doing. This way you will feel happier throughout your journey, and it will take you to the most incredible destinations! |
AuthorYamê is a Brazilian-American View Posts By CategoryIf you'd like to read more articles by Yamê or SharqiDance's guest authors, please view our blog map here.
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