History of Belly Dance. The origin of bellydance is an actively debated subject among dance enthusiasts.
Some of the most popular theories include the following: 1. It descended from a religious dance that was performed during fertility rituals by temple priestesses. As early as 1000 B.C., temple engravings depicting dancers have been found in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece. 2. 3. 4. Perhaps the richness of Middle Eastern dance tradition and its universal appeal can be attributed to the blending of many various sources, cultures, and dance styles. Cultural Context Historically, dance has always been an important part of Arabic culture. Through a series of invasions, Europeans gained greater exposure to the culture of the Middle East and North Africa.
Until the mid-1800s the Eastern territories, particularly Persia, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Egypt were collectively referred to as the Orient. During the next several decades, bellydancing could only be seen at vaudeville, burlesque, and carnival sideshows. Movements. Movements If you have not already done so I highly recommend returning to the main page and then reading through the "Before You Begin" section.
This section contains information on basic posture and the terms of use for this site which are important to read. Just click any of the buttons for a list of movements that go with that section of the body. If you can't find a movement then e-mail me and I'll see what I can do. Do you know a move that's not here? Do you think you know one of the moves listed in the pages but, by a different name? Due to popular demand, off-site videos from communities like youtube, expert village. and metacafe have been embedded in the movements section to help you further identify movements and see visual aids that can improve your understanding of the written text.
The Belly Dance Movement Thesaurus. Bellydance Movements Thesaurus (also called the BDMT or BDT) Moves that are bold are the ones that have been identified under another name.
Names that appear in magenta are alternative names that are not used on this site but, have been identified as a move listed on this site. Sometimes more than one move may share the same alternative name. Below are some shortcuts to different parts of the list to help you find your move easier. 1/2 Airplane Turn 1/2 Airplane Turn (Veil) Brand-New to Belly Dance? Welcome! And Some Helpful Advice.... Table of Contents Classes, Teachers, & Practice.
Dear Shira: Please Help Me Learn to Do Backbends! Dear Shira: The Question and Shira Responds Dear B-or-B and B-B-N-B, What a great question!
Belly Dance Technique: Beautiful Arms. By Shira Many belly dance teachers do their students a disservice by failing to teach how to use the arms gracefully.
Here are some thoughts on how to add graceful arm moves to your dance. The Foundation First, it's helpful to consider a couple of concepts: At a very fundamental level, Western (European and North American) dance is what your limbs (arms and legs) do: traveling steps, high kicks, leaps, sweeping arm movements, etc. Avoiding the Western Accent Role Models Suggested Drills These drills can be used in home practice to incorporate beautiful arm movements into the dance. How to Shimmy: Belly Dance Technique.
There is a sharp, shimmering version of the hip shimmy called the "vibration shimmy" which is done by tensing the butt, but that's not the version that's most commonly used - because it can't be sustained for long.
Instead, the shimmy used most often in modern Egyptian belly dance is driven by the legs. Many teachers call it the "knee shimmy" because the knees pump back and forth past each other - but personally, I hate that name, because it encourages beginners to take the wrong approach. Exercise for Shimmy Instead, stand in dance position with your feet close together. Close your eyes and think about softening your knees, letting your tail sink towards the floor and allowing your hips and buttocks to relax completely.
Now, let your right hip drop. This is the feeling you want to maintain, all the time you're shimmying, even at speed. Belly dance turn: learn several turns step by step ~ Free belly dance classes online. So it's about time to do this video!
All about turns. I talked to you before about the main things you need to keep in mind when you do turns and now it's time to break them down. This collection of turns is not specific to belly dancing and these are not all the turns belly dancers or all dancers do. These are just the ones that we use mostly in belly dancing. I hope the breakdown will make it easy for you to finally get these turns down and spice up your dancing with turns you have not used in the past. Make no mistake here, you will not get these turns down the first day or two or three! This video is almost 45 min but I believe it's important to learn these turns together as some are very similar. Here is a list of each turn linked to the particular video of the turn if you don't want to watch the complete long video: Your first bellydance lessons ~ Free belly dance classes online. General tips on how to belly dance. Belly Dancing is a form of dance that originated in the Middle East region many centuries ago.
Even though this type of dance is deeply rooted in Arabic and Middle Eastern culture, it’s recognized worldwide as a popular form of dance. It’s practiced by people of many different cultures. For anybody who is trying to learn how to Belly Dance, it’s not just about the actual dancing movements, it’s about the whole presentation. Dressing like an actual belly dancer is a big part of it, so is having the right background music (most commonly music of Middle Eastern culture). It’s not totally necessary to go out and get authentic dress if you’re just practicing, but the right music is imperative to being a Belly Dancer.
Bellydance Online Textbook. ©Natasya Katsikaris 2002-2014 Reproduction forbidden by federal copyright law.
Please contact the author if you wish to quote this material Input and corrections are welcome ... Recommended Reading: Serpent of the Nile by Wendy Buonaventura 1989 Looking for Little Egypt by Donna Carlton1994 Various articles by Morocco (Carolina Varga Dinicu) The Tribal Bible by Kajira Djoumahna Click here to go directly to the illustrated Bellydance Movement Dictionary Click here for all about zills (finger cymbals) Click here to see YouTube clips of different bellydance styles. FREE Belly Dance Student Guide - Shemiran Ibrahim Belly Dance Teacher Trainer. Make the most out of your Belly Dance course with tips from award winning Middle Eastern teacher Shemiran Ibrahim Click on image for FREE download Hello Students! Belly Dance Principles - Upper Body - Shemiran Ibrahim Belly Dance Teacher Trainer. Technique for arms and hands, and energetic understanding in Belly Dance Following are some basic principles for arms and hands. Arms and hands take time to master, so go easy on yourself!
In your first term focus on your feet and hips dancing out the rhythm. With time, you start layering your upper body and arms on top of your lower body movements to dance out the melody. Adult learning is difficult and takes time. Articles - Shemiran Ibrahim Belly Dance Teacher Trainer. Belly Dance Principles - Lower Body - Shemiran Ibrahim Belly Dance Teacher Trainer. Technique for feet, and the two poses of Belly Dance NOTE: These following technical notes are not intended to be used on their own.
They are there to supplement the student’s in-class learning as most teachers do not offer notes, and most students find themselves going home and forgetting what they learnt. Please use these notes in conjunction with a Beginner level Belly Dance course. Each Belly Dance teacher in the world will teach in her own way, but there are fundamentals and basics that all teachers will cover at some point or other. So please use the following notes to help you elaborate on what you are learning in class, and hopefully help you practice a bit at home before next week’s class!
The Classical form of Belly Dance is known as Danse Orientale and is the basic form out of which most other styles come from. Belly Dancing Principle: All Belly Dancing starts in the feet. The Seven Core Movements of Belly Dance - Shemiran Ibrahim Belly Dance Teacher Trainer. NOTE: These following technical notes are not intended to be used on their own.
They are there to supplement the student’s in-class learning with a good teacher. Shopping for Zills Zarifa's Touch of Egypt. Zarifa Brass finger cymbals, known as zills in Turkish belly dancing or "sagat" in Arabic belly dance, are a beautiful addition to your dance routine. Although originally played by the musicians for belly dance performers, the light, flashing accents at a dancers fingertips, adding accents to both the music and the movements of the dance, have become a symbol associated almost exclusively with the art of belly dance. The right zills for you. Zill Rhythms for the Belly Dancer. Finger cymbals: History and Context By Elizabeth Artemis Mourat - www.serpentine.org. Zill Patterns and Playing Tips. Zill Patterns and Playing Tips There are many rhythm combinations used in Middle Eastern music and finger cymbals can be used in a variety of patterns to accent the music in different ways.
This page will focus on the more common rhythms and playing patterns. Before you jump into these patterns though, you should familiarize yourself with the basic techniques and various sounds your zills are capable of making as well as the notation style I will use on this page. Belly Dance Articles General - Shemiran Ibrahim Belly Dance Teacher Trainer. Shopping for Zills Zarifa's Touch of Egypt.