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Wingin It - Improvisation
Winging It - Improvisation Middle Eastern dance styles are made up of both choreography and improvisation. Theater dance and group are done with choreography. Restaurant and night club dance, commonly called belly dance in America but is really Oriental Dance or Danse Orientale in the rest of the world is done by improvisation. Winging it is actually a misnomer. It is planned! Why improvisation when in this situation? Mainly because you as a performer are working with musicians. This is the ultimate in performing for this style. Today many clubs have closed as owners do not want to pay musicians and dancers. This is a travesty and harming our business. But, if you are lucky enough to live in an area where live music is available or you get the opportunity to work with musicians, take it. It is so worth it. After being in Los Angeles and seeing a theater performance with live music where 9 out of 10 dancers just did not know what they were doing. All dancers were excellent, not
It Is The Little Things That Count
IT IS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT To begin dancers are told to not work so hard. Make it look effortless. What does that mean? How do you achieve this? Dancing with efficiency helps you conserve energy and minimize wear and tear on the body. It allows you to achieve big impressions out of little moments and creates last memories to the viewer. Mastering the art of effortless movement requires a new perspective. "Less is More" is often the term we hear. This equals priorities towards simplicity and ease. Use rehearsals to determine when to step on the gas and when to coast. Giving 100% all the time wears you out physically and mentally. It makes it impossible to keep going. Each time you repeat a sequence you are recording it physically and connecting with the sensation. Movements have sweet spots. Pause, ask yourself how much force you are using? You will usually find you have some to spare. Pull it back! It is all about following through. The idea of release is not
Now! What Is Ethnic Dance
NOW WHAT IS ETHNIC DANCE - As Americans we are made up of a combination of cultures and nations. With the dance you can visit the culture without leaving your home town. Deciding what class to take is often much easier than finding a good teacher. Most cultures in a community have ethnic festivals. Go to the local Greek festival or Lebanese Festival etc. Some are run through Colleges and Universities. Others are run through the local churches. Everyone wants to run an International Festival. In New England every Lebanese church runs one and in San Diego we are lucky enough to have the Houses of Nations at Balboa Park. Every weekend another House is represented and there is often wonderful entertainment. Some polite inquiries could easily provide you with the names of instructors etc. The local Tourist center might be a place to check also. Bedouin Performers Lebanon Ethnic restaurants can also be a good source. If they have entertainment, ask the dancer who her teacher is and
The Ancient Phoenicians and Roman Dance Posted on January 9, 2019 by tales1001 There are several forms of the dance in Lebanon today which originated from what it was called back in ancient times, Phoenicia. The Debke, Raks Sharki and the Andulusian Moushahat just for starters. There are several forms of the dance in Lebanon today which originated from what it was called back in ancient times, Phoenicia. The Debke, Raks Sharki and the Andulusian Moushahat just for starters. The origins of Raks Sharki/Belly Dance also found in the Ancient Egyptian background as they were neighbors and often traded across the Mediterranean Sea. The Ancient Phoenicians were spiritual people and danced to worship their gods and goddesses. Astarte was the goddess of life. They believed the female body was sacred. Rhythm was the basic element of the dance. The dances were ritualistic. Simple loud, rhythms, had effect on the human psyche. The chorus dance was performed i