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 where she/he is located? Musicians are a good source for finding teachers as they work with them. Good, working musicians are at a premium. This is a great idea if you are in a big city that has ethnic clubs with good music. Everybody knows everybody in this business that is for sure. Then of course, let us not forget, the internet. Google Belly Dance Teacher in your city or area. That should come up with some leads. If all else fails contact me and I will help you. I know just about everyone in this business. Fadi el Saadi. Ranin CDMORE QUALIFICATIONS – Ethnic dance is much more than just learning steps and movements. You cannot take the history out of the dance, nor can you take the dance out of the history. The class should be so much more than just movement. The instructor has to be knowledgeable in much more than steps but also as to the origin and significance to the culture. The history and the ritual behind each dance is what gives it uniqueness and substance that needs to be passed on during instruction from teacher to student is a priceless legacy. Folklore Scene San Diego CA
Authentic costuming should be introduced. The real thing if possible! If not, then at least by pictures and DVDs or other visual aids. Musical instruments need to be recognized for the sound and the look. In the Boston area it was easy to get people to go to the local restaurant or club to see and hear the instrumentation. But in Southern CA and Eastern TennesseeI have had to resort to other means. Now a word about props Finger cymbals should be learned. I wait about six weeks to introduce them. Before that people have enough to grasp the steps to straight 4/4 music. If you wait longer it gets too hard to add them as they are locked in to what they are doing. Right now finger cymbals or zills are not so much in vogue. That does not mean you should not learn how to use them. Not only are they added to a show but they help with rhythm and counting. The same goes for castanets for Flamenco or Ipo gourds etc fro Polynesian. Plus a few weeks down the road you will be introduced to the different rhythms that make up belly dancing. Other props that can be used are scarves, shawls, veils, canes Isis wings, shamadan ( candelabrum) swords (American idea)and various other props come into play. On stage in Beirut Lebanon Amani in Druze costume
As for music, let me say. The instructor should make every attempt to use native music for their classes. It is plentiful and beautiful. Something for everyone! Of course, the music must relate to the dance being covered. Commercial Arabic music is great for warm-ups and fun stuff but not for a full solo performance. You need something with more structure and fullness.
So now you have an idea as to what to look for. Now go out there and dance! Enjoy and learn all you can about the dance of the Middle and Near East countries or any other country you are interested in. Morwenna Southern CA
PRACTICE PERFECTION? DANCERS: They spend their whole life aiming for perfection. Now, there is no problem with aiming for perfection as it keeps your ideals at a high standard. Will you ever reach that goal? NO! But, it gives you power to be be better all the time. We all want to have, perfect feet, the perfect body etc. But dance like life is a questionable thing. We fully desire to conquer space and time. We want our dance to be perfect. We are humans after all. The unending refinement of our dance ability is through sustained training and exploration. This is where vitality comes in. It provides us with the opportunity to feed our need for discovery and humility. CLASS : The real goal is to arrive early for class being prepared to learn. Class is a joy. View in your mind the treasure trove of what you learn Savor the intricacies of each movement. Every gesture is is worthy of your attention. Feel you are getting closer to perfection every day. TEACHING : Even as an instr
DANCE WITHOUT STRESS The missing ingredient in most dancer's optimal performance is the lack of rest. As many dancers know, repetitive strain on muscles can lead to minor tears in the muscle tissue. If the body does not get a chance to heal, an overuse injury can occur. Rest gives muscles a chance to repair themselves. Most dancers but most dancers do not allow for this in their schedules. Active relaxation is the tool all dancers need to recover both physically and mentally. Find a way to soften and move with ease is actually calming for our nervous system. Using a set of physical and mental techniques through progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, visualization, and a combination of all of these can help. These can be done as you ready for bed or just grabbing 10 minutes anytime. This prevents soreness, enhances flexibility, reduces stress and boosts immune system. You Have to Breathe : You cannot dance and just be a chest breather. Breathe into the belly and allow
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