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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Bellydance Basics Class 8


Thank you for a fantastic final class of our 8 week series! Remember next week starts the new session with new material... at the new Austin Bellydance studio!

We reviewed and drilled our foundation movements and added one more movement (merely a variation on something you've already learned!)

New:  Right foot steps and left hip up, Left foot steps and right hip up... continuing walking forward and backwards this way!


Here is the entire choreography...

Cleopatra in New York (version 2)

0:10 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Arm waves & Cross touch
  • Right arm wave and right foot cross - 4 counts
  • Left arm wave and left foot extends - 4 counts
  • Right arm wave and left foot cross - 4 counts
  • Left arm wave and right foot extends - 4 counts
  • repeat

0:30 Vocal
4 x 8 counts: Hip Slides & Hip Circle
  • Hip slide right - 4 counts
  • Hip slide left - 4 counts
  • Hip circle downbeat left clockwise - 8 counts
  • repeat
4 x 8 counts: Figure 8 U2D (maya) combo
  • Right hip up to down - 4 counts
  • Left hip up to down, Right, Left, Right  while walking half turn - 4 counts
  • Left hip up to down - 4 counts
  • Right hip up to down, Left, Right, Left while walking half turn - 4 counts
  • repeat

1:09 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Arm waves & Cross touch

1:29 Vocal
8 x 8 counts: Figure 8 D2U ¾ & Chest circle
  • Arms next to hips for Figure 8. Hands come together at chest  (elbows lifted) and open for chest circle.
  • Figure 8 D2U ¾ Half Time (8 counts: RLR, LRL)
  • Chest circle dbF cw Eight Time

2:09 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Undulation & Grapevine
  • Grapevine dbR travel L Quarter Time
  • Undulation dbF Quarter Time


2:29 Build Up
4 x 8 counts: Shimmy & Hip twist to turn
  • Standing in place shimmy. Arms start over head and gradually fall to hip level - 4 counts
  • Step right foot on ball for hip twist on right. Left hand by left ear, right arm extends forward.

  • 3-step turn to the right. Arms in 2nd position.
  • Standing in place shimmy. Arms start over head and gradually fall to hip level  - 4 counts
  • Step left foot on ball for hip twist on left. Right hand at right ear, left arm extends forward.
  • 3-step turn to the left. Arms in 2nd position.

2:49 Build Up Part 2
2 x 8 counts: Shoulder Shimmy & Cross Step
  • Arms/shoulder: Shoulder shimmy for 3 counts. Lift arms up on count 4.
  • Feet: Right foot cross over Left, Left foot steps out, for cross step traveling to the left. Pivot back to right on count 4.
  • Hips: Hip twist downbeat right half time. (same hip and feet)

3:00 Build Up (repeat)
2 x 8 counts: Shimmy & Hip twist to turn
  • Standing in place shimmy. Arms start over head and gradually fall to hip level - 4 counts
  • Step right foot on ball for hip twist on right. Left hand by left ear, right arm extends forward.

  • 3-step turn to the right. Arms in 2nd position.
  • Standing in place shimmy. Arms start over head and gradually fall to hip level  - 4 counts
  • Step left foot on ball for hip twist on left. Right hand at right ear, left arm extends forward.
  • 3-step turn to the left. Arms in 2nd position.

3:08 Build Up Part 2 (repeat)
2 x 8 counts: Shoulder Shimmy & Cross Step
  • Arms/shoulder: Shoulder shimmy for 3 counts. Lift arms up on count 4.
  • Feet: Right foot cross over Left, Left foot steps out, for cross step traveling to the left. Pivot back to right on count 4.
  • Hips: Hip twist downbeat right half time. (same hip and feet)

3:19 Finale
2 x 8 counts: Walking forward and back
  • Feet: Walking forward full time for 4 cts, walking backwards for 4 counts, and in a ccw pattern for 8 counts.
  • Hips: Singles full time downbeat Left.
  • Arms: Open from high 1st position to 2nd for 4 cts, then from 2nd to high 1st for 4 cts. Held at 5th position for 8 cts.

3:30 Pose
  • First 4 cts: Standing in place,  lower arms
  • Exterior hip circle, clockwise, downbeat front, eighth time (one circle in 8 counts); with grande plie while scooping the hands together and then separating to the sides.
  • Slow raising the arms up  to pose as the music fades

Sunday, February 24, 2013

TFBD Jan/Feb Class 7: Malfuf


Today's rhythm is "Malfuf". It can be found with a few different spellings: malfoof, malfouf, malfuf. This rhythm has two beats to the bar and has one dum on count 1. It is often used for entrances and exits.

D - r - r - T - r - r - T - r 


Thursday, February 21, 2013

Bellydance Basics Class 7

Our second to last class of this 8 week series! Here's what we covered:

Review, review, review previous sections.
New movements:
- Shoulder shimmy
- Cross step
- Hip twist



New section and combo:

2 x 8 counts: Shoulder Shimmy & Cross Step
  • Arms/shoulder: Shoulder shimmy for 3 counts. Lift arms up on count 4.
  • Feet: Right foot cross over Left, Left foot steps out, for cross step traveling to the left. Pivot back to right on count 4.
  • Hips: Hip twist downbeat right half time. (same hip and feet)

Sunday, February 17, 2013

TFBD Jan/Feb Class 6: Ayoub/Zar

The new rhythm for this week is the Ayoub or Zar rhythm. The rhythm is typically used in a zar or trance dance used to ward off evil spirits. It has 2 beats to the bar and sounds a bit heavy and spooky. At faster tempos, it can often be used as an entrance or exit of a piece of music.
There are two Dumms, each on count 1 and 2.

D - r - r - T - D - r - T - r

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Bellydance Basics Class 6

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks to all of you who came to class to spend your Valentine's evening with some hip action. In a nutshell, here is what we covered:


  1. Review Class 5 material
  2. Hip shimmy - start with hip singles slowly, then double it, then double it again. Keeping feet flat on the floor, weight evening distributed throughout the feet. This is essentially double-time hips!
  3. Hip twist - twist the hip forward, keeping the knees pointed forward and directly over the ankles. Be aware that the ankles should be aligned.
  4. New combo:
  • Hip shimmy for 4 counts
  • On count 5, step right foot on the ball and twist the right hip forward.
  • On counts 6,7,8, take a three-step turn to the right starting on the right foot.
  • Repeat on the left side.
Then we add arms to this combo!


Here is our dance so far...


0:10 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Arm waves & Cross touch
  • Right arm wave and right foot cross - 4 counts
  • Left arm wave and left foot extends - 4 counts
  • Right arm wave and left foot cross - 4 counts
  • Left arm wave and right foot extends - 4 counts
  • repeat

0:30 Vocal
4 x 8 counts: Hip Slides & Hip Circle
  • Hip slide right - 4 counts
  • Hip slide left - 4 counts
  • Hip circle downbeat left clockwise - 8 counts
  • repeat
4 x 8 counts: Figure 8 U2D (maya) combo
  • Right hip up to down - 4 counts
  • Left hip up to down, Right, Left, Right  while walking half turn - 4 counts
  • Left hip up to down - 4 counts
  • Right hip up to down, Left, Right, Left while walking half turn - 4 counts
  • repeat

1:09 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Arm waves & Cross touch

1:29 Vocal
8 x 8 counts: Figure 8 D2U ¾ & Chest circle
  • Arms next to hips for Figure 8. Hands come together at chest  (elbows lifted) and open for chest circle.
  • Figure 8 D2U ¾ Half Time (8 counts: RLR, LRL)
  • Chest circle dbF cw Eight Time

2:09 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Undulation & Grapevine
  • Grapevine dbR travel L Quarter Time
  • Undulation dbF Quarter Time


2:29 Build Up
4 x 8 counts: Shimmy & Hip twist to turn
  • Standing in place shimmy. Arms start over head and gradually fall to hip level - 4 counts
  • Step right foot on ball for hip twist on right. Left hand by left ear, right arm extends forward.
  • 3-step turn to the right. Arms in 2nd position.
  • Standing in place shimmy. Arms start over head and gradually fall to hip level  - 4 counts
  • Step left foot on ball for hip twist on left. Right hand at right ear, left arm extends forward.
  • 3-step turn to the left. Arms in 2nd position.

Thank you and see you next week!
Lily

Friday, February 8, 2013

Bellydance Basics Class 5

Hello!
Here's what we covered this past Thursday....

Figure 8's up to down, also known as "mayas". It is essentially the same as the Figure 8's down to up except the reverse.

Our new combo is:
Figure 8 U2D (maya) combo
  • Right hip up to down - 4 counts
  • Left hip up to down, Right, Left, Right  while walking half turn - 4 counts
  • Left hip up to down - 4 counts
  • Right hip up to down, Left, Right, Left while walking half turn - 4 counts



We added this new combo to an earlier section of the song:

0:10 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Arm waves & Cross touch

  • Right arm wave and right foot cross - 4 counts
  • Left arm wave and left foot extends - 4 counts
  • Right arm wave and left foot cross - 4 counts
  • Left arm wave and right foot extends - 4 counts
  • repeat

0:30 Vocal
4 x 8 counts: Hip Slides & Hip Circle

  • Hip slide right - 4 counts
  • Hip slide left - 4 counts
  • Hip circle downbeat left clockwise - 8 counts
  • repeat
4 x 8 counts: Figure 8 U2D (maya) combo
  • Right hip up to down - 4 counts
  • Left hip up to down, Right, Left, Right  while walking half turn - 4 counts
  • Left hip up to down - 4 counts
  • Right hip up to down, Left, Right, Left while walking half turn - 4 counts
  • repeat

1:09 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Arm waves & Cross touch

1:29 Vocal
8 x 8 counts: Figure 8 D2U ¾ & Chest circle
  • Arms next to hips for Figure 8. Hands come together at chest  (elbows lifted) and open for chest circle.
  • Figure 8 D2U ¾ Half Time (8 counts: RLR, LRL)
  • Chest circle dbF cw Eight Time

2:09 Theme
4 x 8 counts: Undulation & Grapevine
  • Grapevine dbR travel L Quarter Time
  • Undulation dbF Quarter Time


2:29 Build Up
4 x 8 counts: Shimmy & Hip twist to turn
* Standing in place shimmy - 4 counts
* Grapevine traveling to the left - 4 counts
(Repeat 4 times)

Sunday, February 3, 2013

TFBD Jan/Feb: Class 4 - Maksoum and Saiidi

As with all arabic rhythms that are being spelled out, just remember you can see it spelled a few different ways. So if you're searching for these names on iTunes, try a couple different spellings that sound the same. For example: maqsoum, maksoom, maqsum, saaidi, sa'idi, etc.

The maksoum rhythm has 4 beats to the bar. "Maksoum" literally means to break. So breaking the wahda kabirah in half, you get the maksoum. It has the same dum and tek patterns, but spread across 4 counts instead of 8.

DT - rT - Dr - Tr

This is a rather peppy and fun rhythm, which is why it's widely used in modern arabic pop songs.


The saiidi rhythm also has 4 beats to the bar. The name "saiidi" comes from the upper region of Egypt. Typically used in a folk style dance that is danced with a cane. It originated as a martial arts style dance where the men dance heroically with staffs fighting each other. This dance style has evolved to the female performer dancing with a cane. The dance style is also called "saiidi".

Rhythmically, it's very much like the maksoum rhythm except there is two dums in the latter half.
DT - rD - Dr - Tr

Because of it's origins being a martial arts style dance, it has a strong, gallant feeling.