Bellydance Basics May Series: Class 5

Hello Dancers!

Our focus today was on hip twists, specifically the American Tribal Style movement "Basic Egyptian". We explored the different variations (quarter turns, half turns, and full turns) but focused mainly on the Basic Egyptian and Basic Egyptian Half Turn. Essentially, the Basic Egyptian movement is hip twist with the foot on the ball. It's a "stepping" movement which allows for us to travel in just about any direction. Remember that in the ATS format, you start with the foot on the ball as count one, then flat foot on count two.

CHOREOGRAPHY to NAGA

0:13
Wait 8 counts
Camel Walk (16 counts)
Torso Rotation starting right (8 counts)

0:39
Taxeem with tribal arm undulation (2 counts each side, 16 counts total)
add traveling/walking, same foot and hip.

0:53
Bodywave (16 counts total)
facing left diagonal. 8 counts each.
first 8 counts with arms at shoulder height.
last 4 counts with arms travel down the sides of the body.


1:05
Maya
add traveling/walking, same foot and hip.
arms travel slowly up the sides of the body.


1:19
Propeller Turn (1 turn, 16 counts total)
both arms up, lower right arm (cts 1,2), then raise (cts 3,4), lower left arm (cts 5,6), then raise (cts 7,8); lower right arm (cts 1,2), raise just the wrist (cts 3.4), then plunge the right hand down as you step the right foot over the left to do a full turn (ct 5). Stop facing left diagonal with a pose (cts 6,7,8), right arm straight up and left arm curve in front of your body; weight in the back leg (left).


1:33
Hip Bumps (8 counts)
Pivot Bump Doubles (8 counts)

1:43
Choo Choo ArcTurn (8 counts)
repeat

1:53
Hip Slide right with Flamenco arms facing right (4 counts) + Maya left (4 counts)
Hip Slide left with Flamenco arms facing left (4 counts) + Maya right (4 counts)


2:04
Choo Choo right, traveling clockwise (8 counts)
Choo Choo left, traveling ccw (8 counts)

New this week:

2:15
Hip Slide right with Flamenco arms facing right (4 counts) + Hip Circle ccw (4 counts)
Hip Slide left with Flamenco arms facing left (4 counts) + Hip Circle cw (4 counts)


2:25
Hip Singles 2 right, 2 left - while walking(8 counts)
repeat

2:36
Arabic (4 counts)
Arabic Hip Twist (4 counts)
repeat

2:47
Camel Walk with body pivots (16 counts)
- pivot the body to face stage right on count 5
- during the torso rotation, make a quarter turn with your feet to face front again.

2:58
Basic Egyptian (16 counts)
- if not traveling during the Basic Egyptian, do quarter turns during the last 8 counts.

3:08
Basic Egyptian Half Turn

3:19
Basic Egyptian in place while the hands float down

Finale (a-rhythmic, no beats)
Corkscrew Turn
- This movement is essentially like the Propeller Turn except that both arms plunge down. In class, we modified just a bit to just have both arms lift, drop, lift, then plunge down to turn. Remember the right foot crosses over the left.


Hope you enjoyed the choreography, the dancing, and group choreography exercises. It's so good to know you CAN remember choreography and that it's even more fun dancing it with your classmates!

Thank you so much for coming to class, having an open mind, and embracing this dance form. I'm going to miss you for the next several months!

Love,
Lily
www.LilyBellydance.com




Enjoy!
See you next week... our last class of the series!
Lily