Pages

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

ChoreoCreation 2012: Class 2

Class 2 Recap and Homework!


Technique:

Footwork/Foot patterns

- walk

- grapevine

- cross touch

Hips

- hip singles (warm up)

- hip twists (review)

- pelvic locks

Chest

- chest locks



Movement:

- hip singles full time, walking half time (warm up)

- hip singles full time, cross touch half time

- pelvic locks full time, walking half time

- pelvic locks full time, cross touch half time

- chest lock + pelvic lock, walking half time

- locking and smooth: chest+pelvic, walking half time (arabic/undulation and broken arabic/undulation)



Creative:


1. With a piece of music, enter in:

- diagonal

- spiral

- circle

- v or pyramid



2. Dance your entrances for the class.









Class 2 Homework

MORNING PAGES

In your dance journal, write (pen to paper):

Morning Pages Topic 3 - Why do I like this music? Why did I pick this music?



Morning Pages Topic 4 - What message do I want to share with the world using bellydance and this music?



MUSIC

Take the outline from last week and write down the counts to these sections. For example:

0:05 - Fade in, quiet - 4 sets of 8

0:43 - Question and answer of the violin and flute - 6 sets of 8

1:25 - Percussion - 2 sets of 8

1:40 - Violin solo - 4 sets of 8

2:02 - Flute solo - 4 sets of 8

2:36 - Violin and Flute together, crescendo to the end - 4 sets of 8

2:59 - End



Note that music is typically in 4/4 time (counting 1,2,3,4) whereas dancers typically count in 8/4 time (counting 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8). However, not all music is in 4/4 time and the timing can change within a song. If you need help with how to count your music, let me know.



Finally, make a table for the music, leaving the Movement section blank. Here is the example:

http://lilymoves.blogspot.com/2011/10/tfbd-sepoct-series-class-7.html



DANCE

1. Lock yourself up in a room with no distractions and no mirrors. Dance to your music freely without judgement. Just move. Write nothing down. Just move and get connected with the music. Do this at least 3 times before our next class.

2. Practice dancing the entrance of your piece.

3. Create a stationary 16 count combo. We will use this in the next class.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

ChoreoCreation 2012: Class 1

Class 1 - Footwork and WIP
Technique:
Footwork/Foot patterns
- walk
- grapevine
- step together step
- step touch
Hips
- hip singles
- hip twists
Movement:
- hip singles walking
- hip singles grapevine
- hip singles steptouch
- Basic Egyptian

Choreography -
Remember that your music is important, but don't feel like you have to pick THE ONE. I hope you'll use this class as an opportunity to work on something. Enjoy the process! Then apply it to another piece of music later. Remember that your choreography is a Work In Progress (WIP). Love the progress. Love the process. Like with all things, from movements to creating a choreography, practice is so important!


Class 1 Homework


MORNING PAGES
What are Morning Pages? Basically, it's an unedited spillage of thoughts in reference to a topic or question written in the morning when your mind is fresh. So make it unedited and write whatever comes to mind. It doesn't need to be complete sentences, cohesive, or make sense. Just write! General length of time for writing each topic is 8 minutes.

In your dance journal, write (pen to paper):

Morning Pages Topic 1- "Why dance?" With your answer to that question, then ask why X… and continue until you can't stand it any more.

Example: Why dance? Because I love to move. Why move? Because that how I feel alive. Why the need to feel alive? Because I don't feel alive during the week 9-5. Why don't I feel alive during the week? … etc. etc. etc.

Morning Pages Topic 2 - "Of all the types of dance (ballet, modern, flamenco, hip hop, etc.), why bellydance?"

At the next class, I will check your journal, but I won't read them because I know there can be some personal stuff in there!

MUSIC
1. Listen to your music 30 times. Sing or hum along to it.
2. In your dance journal, outline your music in terms of what the music is actually doing, for example:
- Fade in, quiet
- Question and answer of the violin and flute
- Percussion
- Violin solo
- Flute solo
- Violin and Flute together, crescendo to the end
- End

Don't worry if you don't know musical terms, just describe what the music is doing.

3. Then add the music time of the start of each section, for example:
0:05 - Fade in, quiet
0:43 - Question and answer of the violin and flute
1:25 - Percussion
1:40 - Violin solo
2:02 - Flute solo
2:36 - Violin and Flute together, crescendo to the end
2:59 - End

DANCE
1. Lock yourself up in a room with no distractions and no mirrors. Dance to your music freely without judgement. Just move. Write nothing down. Just move and get connected with the music. Do this at least 3 times before our next class.

2. Plan out how you want to start your piece. Plan an entrance with just the feet. Practice dancing just the feet.

Monday, January 9, 2012

TexStyles

Hi everyone,
This Friday, January 13, a local fabric shop called TexStyles is offering special discounts
to belly dancers in the evening if you want to come shop and swoon over some of their great fabrics and trims. I'm not affiliate with them, but consider coming to support a local business that wants to support dancers. Also, if you're planning to attend my costuming working workshop, this would be a great place to visit for your fabrics and adornments!

Here's their post from Facebook (address and more information in the link
below)

TexStyles is proud to announce a new event being held for our amazing Belly
Dance Community. This coming Friday Night from 7PM until 9PM we will hold
our first ever Bedleh at the Beledi! Consider us your home for costuming.
We have brought literally 100s of new laces and trims back with you in
mind. Friday we will close the doors to everyone but our Belly Dancers! We
will be playing Excellent world music and serving Mint Tea! Come in bring a
rug to get comfy on and spend some time playing with our trims and chiffon
and other wonderfully rich fabrics!

https://www.facebook.com/Austin.TexStyles?sk=info