Homework: March 23rd, 2011

If you choose to practice this week, here are my recommendations:   Finger Cymbals: (play out loud if you can, muffled or “air zils” when you can’t) - rolls - chicken in the pants - shave and a hair cut Finger Cymbal Combination: - grapevine step with shave and a haircut (8 steps in all) - hip shimmies with chicken in the pants (8 counts) (repeat to other side) Hip Shimmy Layering - practice hip shimmy at 4 points - practice hip shimmy with a hip slide - practice hip shimmy on a circle Note: if you’re still working on your shimmy, practice in...

Homework: March 16th, 2011

News & Announcements I’m planning to add a second weekly class. If you know someone who would like to try belly dance, or if you’re interested in taking class twice a week, please let me know ASAP. I’ll be setting the class schedule in the next few days. If you choose to practice this week, here are my recommendations:   Finger Cymbals: (play out loud if you can, muffled or “air zils” when you can’t) - continue to work on ringing sound - practice rolls and “wanna dance, wanna dance, got a chicken in my pants”...

Level 1 Final Class: December 15th, 2010

Hi Ladies, It was a pleasure having you in class this session! I hope you enjoyed it, and found it useful. I certainly think you learned a lot! Just check out the Fall 2010 Cheat Sheet for a full list of the movements we covered. And that’s not counting the Ala Bali Choreography! You can download the Ala Bali Choreography Notes and save them for reference. Note: to download these files, right-click and choose the option to save the file. Depending on your browser, this option may be called “save link as”, “save target as”...

Level 1 Homework: December 8th, 2010

If you choose to practice this week, here are my recommendations:   3-Minute Shimmy Drill - choose a 3-minute upbeat song, and shimmy for the entire piece - add arms and/or weight shifts (it distracts you from how hard you’re working!) - switch shimmy types when you get tired: hip, knee, 1-legged knee, twisting, shoulder Challenge: do this every other day this week Lower-Body Undulations: - practice at moderate and fast speeds - practice walking sideways – flat foot – on your toes (relevee) - practice the 8-8-4-4-2-2 pattern Challenge...

Level 1 Homework: December 1st, 2010

If you choose to practice this week, here are my recommendations. The list is a little longer than usual, but don’t get intimidated! I included more details than usual, since we’re working on a lot of new movements. Hip Clicks & Shimmy - singles (sharp & soft) - doubles - hip shimmy (practice these briefly before working on the other material)   Hip Lifts: - in place - traveling forward & back - turning in place Challenge: work up to a faster speed   Sidestep Hit: - practice just the hip hit (work with leg extended, but not stepping....

Level 1 Homework: November 17th 2010

If you choose to practice this week, here’s what I’d recommend: Knee Shimmy: - one-legged - two-legged - shifting weight (whole body goes along) Challenge1: try one-legged shimmy with quiet, medium, and loud shimmy “volume” Challenge 2: during 2-legged shimmy, shift weight while keeping head still, then shoulders still, then ribcage still (i.e., working up to a hip slide). Challenge 3: add freestyle arms & wrist circles Hip Twists: - soft - sharp - alternating - doubles (RR,LL) - triples (RLR, LRL) - add foot release - turning with it - twisting...