July-August series starts this THURSDAY!

Hi there!
We still have plenty of space in the 7pm class, which offers great foundation technique and drilling of combinations. The 8:15pm class is starting to fill up.

Register now!

April Newsletter

Ah! March went by so fast, I barely had time to write the class notes... and now look, it's April. Middle of April, for that matter.

The first two week of April was spent traveling abroad. I was actually on vacation. No laptop!

Never too late to send out a newsletter. So here you go! New classes start May 2. Don't forget to register...
http://eepurl.com/x-2XD

2013 Mar/Apr Series: Class 2

Well, hello Spring Break... and SXSW!

Classical Bellydance Class:
Song: Sawwah (Khatir Hicham version)
Composer: Baligh Hamdi
Popularized by singer: Abdel Halim Hafez
Movement focus: Pelvic locks and ribcage locks
Across the Floor: Chasse; Posse,; arabesque; chaines turns
Combos:
- Chasse with pelvic locks FT dbB, arms low
- Step RLR Posse with pelvic locks FT dbB, arms at 5th
- arabesque 8 cts, chaines turns 8 cts

Fusion Bellydance Class:
Finger cymbal patterns

• 1
• 3
• 3-1-3-1-3
• 5
• 3-5-5
• 5-5-3

Method of floor descend and ascend

Big thanks to those who attended class!
Lily

2013 Mar/Apr Series: Class 1

If you weren't sure... yes, we started the new series today! If you came to class, you were given an outline of what we are covering in each class of this series. Also, going forward, I'm keeping these "class notes" really brief.

Classical Bellydance Class:
Song: Aziza
Movement focus: Hip singles and hip slides
Across the Floor: Walking, Chasse, and Arabesque
Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Combo: Chasse with singles; Double time hips with double time feet.


Fusion Bellydance Class:
Bellydance on knees

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

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 

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)