Diane's classes have finally started back up! (Daliana of Bellysima) The showing was light last night, probably because people didn't know it was starting. That's OK because small class means excellent personal attention :-)
Diane is a master at the perfomance demeanor and is teaching it in this class. She knows how to draw the audience's eyes to what she wants them to see (like hip moves), how to look at the audience, how to hold your body in the best positions (so it looks best to the audience). Last night we did a small choreo that involved some very basic moves but looked impressive with the right "face" and eye movement.
I really, really missed her classes & I'm so happy they have started back!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tribal Improv Class Offering! , Myspace, Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I hope to be offering a Tribal Improv class in GSO NC within the next few months. My main goal is to find people in the area to dance tribal improv with, even if I have to teach them myself :-) I have been taking classes with Sara Beaman (Blue Moon Belly Dance and The Devoted) in Durham since Oct 2007 and I'm dying to get some people together in the GSO area to dance with. This is a dance form that requires a group!
Here is some basic info on Tribal Improv:Tribal improvisational belly dance is characterized by the use of physical and verbal cues to shift formations and dance combinations. It allows dancers to "choreograph on the spot" using pre-arranged moves and their cues in order to dance as a group in an improvisational lead-and-follow manner. Basics of tribal improv includes group formations and interaction, leader changes, and cues and transitions.
See the video posted on my profile page of Fat Chance Belly Dance , a well known tribal improv group. Carolina Nericcio, founder of FCBD, founded this dance style and developed American Tribal Style (ATS), from which all tribal improv is derived. Also see Awalim and FCBD videos posted in my blog for more examples of this awesomely fun dance form!
Atlanta Business Trip - Day 4 08.06.05, TRIBE, Thu, June 5, 2008 - 8:06 PM
Well, the last GA class was excellent! Liora is very personable & both classes - beginner & intermediate -were a lot of fun. There were mainly older ladies (like myself :-) in the classes so I felt right at home! I think it's bacause the neighborhood is more suburbia & the class is at a rec center.
www.liorabellydance.com/
I got there LATE because of that pesky work stuff which ran way overtime. Had to rush to the hotel, change clothes, & run. The traffic was bad, but could have been a lot worse. It was moving, if you know what I mean! That's life in the big city! Took me right back to my days in LA, but I digress....
The beginner class was pretty laid back - it was either the 1st or 2nd in the series. Liora gave some very good analogies for the moves, which helped the ladies figure out what they needed to do. For example, "Mall Walk" was a slow shimmy, a medium one was "I got a coupon & there's a sale", & the fast one was just all the way. It was most amusing. She went over everything carefully, gave a lot of practice time - but not too much - and went to assist ladies that were having difficulty. It was just right for the students in the class. When she went over shoulder shimmies, she noted the eventual goal & said to focus on the goal, which I liked. She gave intermediate steps here too. She told the class how she worked on & improved her shimmies, hip & shoulders. It was very good advice, very clear & easy to understand.
The intermediate class was also very good. The continuing students were laughing & having fun and felt very comfortable with Liora. It was fun just to be in a group like that. She continued in the same way with this class, giving some excellent exercises to improve belly control. I learned a new move: the Teacup (aka the Horseshoe). It is a pivot R with hip drop, swing around back & pivot L with hip drop. Looks really cool! She is teaching a choreo to Derivation from Beats Antique Tribal Derivations. The class asked to see the whole thing & I have to say I am really bummed out that I can not learn it!!!! It is an awesomwe choreo - very slinky.
Some things I especially liked about both class were that everyone was so at ease, that Liora include what she teaches in the warm-ups from the previous weeks, & that her instructions are clear & precise. She also gave safety tips, as Sara Beaman & Blue Moon do.
I was amazed that Liora remembered me from the Mardi Love workshop last year! She stayed after the class & chatted with me for about 10 minutes. She is just as nice as I remembered. I confess that I looked her & Fatina up first when I realized that this could be a belly dance week for me. I really like both of them & have good memories of them from the Mardi workshop. Alas, Fatina was much too far away for me to go to her class.
I am very, very pleased with my classes this week. It has been great fun & a fabulous learning experience for me. Even my scary city experience does not seem so grim in retrospect :-)
www.liorabellydance.com/
I got there LATE because of that pesky work stuff which ran way overtime. Had to rush to the hotel, change clothes, & run. The traffic was bad, but could have been a lot worse. It was moving, if you know what I mean! That's life in the big city! Took me right back to my days in LA, but I digress....
The beginner class was pretty laid back - it was either the 1st or 2nd in the series. Liora gave some very good analogies for the moves, which helped the ladies figure out what they needed to do. For example, "Mall Walk" was a slow shimmy, a medium one was "I got a coupon & there's a sale", & the fast one was just all the way. It was most amusing. She went over everything carefully, gave a lot of practice time - but not too much - and went to assist ladies that were having difficulty. It was just right for the students in the class. When she went over shoulder shimmies, she noted the eventual goal & said to focus on the goal, which I liked. She gave intermediate steps here too. She told the class how she worked on & improved her shimmies, hip & shoulders. It was very good advice, very clear & easy to understand.
The intermediate class was also very good. The continuing students were laughing & having fun and felt very comfortable with Liora. It was fun just to be in a group like that. She continued in the same way with this class, giving some excellent exercises to improve belly control. I learned a new move: the Teacup (aka the Horseshoe). It is a pivot R with hip drop, swing around back & pivot L with hip drop. Looks really cool! She is teaching a choreo to Derivation from Beats Antique Tribal Derivations. The class asked to see the whole thing & I have to say I am really bummed out that I can not learn it!!!! It is an awesomwe choreo - very slinky.
Some things I especially liked about both class were that everyone was so at ease, that Liora include what she teaches in the warm-ups from the previous weeks, & that her instructions are clear & precise. She also gave safety tips, as Sara Beaman & Blue Moon do.
I was amazed that Liora remembered me from the Mardi Love workshop last year! She stayed after the class & chatted with me for about 10 minutes. She is just as nice as I remembered. I confess that I looked her & Fatina up first when I realized that this could be a belly dance week for me. I really like both of them & have good memories of them from the Mardi workshop. Alas, Fatina was much too far away for me to go to her class.
I am very, very pleased with my classes this week. It has been great fun & a fabulous learning experience for me. Even my scary city experience does not seem so grim in retrospect :-)
Atlanta Business Trip - Day 3 08.06.03 , TRIBE, Wed, June 4, 2008 - 6:45 PM
Tonight I have to do a bit of work, so I only went to the early beginner class of Aziza Nawal. Aziza is a cabaret dancer, so once again there were a number of footwork-type moves that I was toally unfamiliar with. I was OK with the warm up & drilling, but when it got to the choreo, I had trouble keeping up. There are also a lot of arm movements in cabaret that I am not used to. I guess it is layering in general that I need to practice.
azizaraks.net/
The class was good. The studio was smallish but nice. The people in the class did not seem very happy overall, though I saw no reason for it. There were some obviously having fun. Same as every night, I learned new ways to look at the same moves - snake arms again! This time shoulder roils forward, elbow up, shoulder roll back, elbows down. It is so strange to think of how many ways you can look at a seemingly simple move. It was different from what I've done practiced because my shoulders became sore pretty fast!
The choreo was fun & though I tried to get it written down I just couldn't. I was impressed that Aziza came up afterwards & offered to email me the choreo notes & the name of the music. Cool!!!! I will use it to practice the fancy footwork I have such trouble with. She gave me her card so I could email her.
I was amazed to run into a lady that I remembered from the class last night, who was attending the advanced class right after mine. She was very friendly. I asked her if she's taking Liora's class tomorrow but she isn't. Too bad - it would be nice to see a familiar face. The advanced class students seemed much more into it. There was a definite difference between the students in the classes, attitude-wise. I wonder if the beginning people were shy around strangers...
Well, must do a bit of work now. I have 1 more class to look forward to in Atlanta!
azizaraks.net/
The class was good. The studio was smallish but nice. The people in the class did not seem very happy overall, though I saw no reason for it. There were some obviously having fun. Same as every night, I learned new ways to look at the same moves - snake arms again! This time shoulder roils forward, elbow up, shoulder roll back, elbows down. It is so strange to think of how many ways you can look at a seemingly simple move. It was different from what I've done practiced because my shoulders became sore pretty fast!
The choreo was fun & though I tried to get it written down I just couldn't. I was impressed that Aziza came up afterwards & offered to email me the choreo notes & the name of the music. Cool!!!! I will use it to practice the fancy footwork I have such trouble with. She gave me her card so I could email her.
I was amazed to run into a lady that I remembered from the class last night, who was attending the advanced class right after mine. She was very friendly. I asked her if she's taking Liora's class tomorrow but she isn't. Too bad - it would be nice to see a familiar face. The advanced class students seemed much more into it. There was a definite difference between the students in the classes, attitude-wise. I wonder if the beginning people were shy around strangers...
Well, must do a bit of work now. I have 1 more class to look forward to in Atlanta!
Atlanta Business Trip - Day 2 08.06.03, TRIBE, Tue, June 3, 2008 - 9:09 PM
So much for the diet. I was so tired from the day sitting in class & then 2.5 hours of dancing, I stopped at the first taco bell I saw & ate 2 tacos & a burrito :-) Blast!
The Awalim classes were FAB! I learned a lot of new stuff!!!! The students all seemed in good spirits & the ladies in the troupe were amusing to listen too. Only one dark spot marred the evening, but more on that later...
www.awalim.com/
First - Tribal Basics: Learened a new drill for working the lower abs - pull in the belly button & push out the lower back, almost like a standing lower abs crunch. Used both alone & as back part of hip square! Also, new perspective on snake arms - on the down! upper arm, lower arm, wrist, hand. Looks very cool andis approached totally different from what I've ever tried before. We did paddle turn practice: set=F-B-F-B-F-B-all-the-way around, reversing direction after each set. First slow, then fast; reversing direction kept me from getting dizzy! There was LOTS of undulation practice, up-to-down, down-to-up, then lower undulations only - over, then under. Practiced each back-to-back & in every combination. THEN we praticed walking with undulations, which I do not recall ever doing before. It was a really good class! Ziah is an excellent teacher. There was another lady in front to make it easier to see & at the end of the class we were asked to mix it up. Ziah walked around & offered advice. I liked that too, though I got no advice...
Anyway, on the Drills & Zils! Wow, that was a workout. My zilling really needs some work. We did a warmup & drills much like the one in class 1, except faster & zilling the whole time. I was sweating like crazy & lost control of my hands several times. Ziah had us layering hips with snake arms plus zils, & other stuff that was a major challenge to me. Wow.
We also did some significant traveling practice with zils & without. Everyone got into a line & we did a big figure 8 across the studio. The traveling involved layering of some type, like zilling while doing an Egytptian walk with chest drops. And that was the easy one :-) I thnk we did 3 or 4 different traveling layered 8's, then put the zils away & got into some even more interesting footwork + moves. The last one, which was quite challenging, was the arabic 2 plus hip twist, traveling to the side. Ack. Ack, ack!
Class finished out with some really cool combos & moves that Ziah was teaching for the choreo they are working on. Did not get the name of the song or the artist :-( She was using stuff I've never seen, and really interesting combos of stuff I know. I just love seeing different people's choreographies! Everything is so unexpected! I got most of it written down, so I can mess around with the new moves & maybe incorporate them into something later. woo hoo!
I also really enjoyed the cool-down. It involved a lot of stretching & yoga moves.
The dark spot on an otherwise very happy evening was at the very end. I was worried about walking to my car in the dark, because I had to park on a quiet street next to some bushes & an empty lot. I asked a few of the ladies at the end if they could either walk me to my car (for a ride back to theirs) or give me a ride to me car - no one wanted to do it! I got some significant waffle-speak, and obvious don't-want-to-do-it feelings. I made it clear that I was in town on business, I was afraid to walk to my car alone at night. Finally, a really nice lady said she'd be happy to take me. I was just so amazed that it was even an issue! The whole thing was most distressing!
I do recommend this class to anyone in the area. If I lived here, I'd be going every week. Definitely park close to the studio & on well lighted streets, even if you have to drive around & around, late for class - you may be walking back in the dark alone!
I am SOOO glad I have been able to check out these classes. I was unhappy about the trip, then I realized it could be something totally cool instead of a week of sitting in a hotel by myself!
Haala - I did not see Majida Anwar, so couldn't say Hi for you :-)
The Awalim classes were FAB! I learned a lot of new stuff!!!! The students all seemed in good spirits & the ladies in the troupe were amusing to listen too. Only one dark spot marred the evening, but more on that later...
www.awalim.com/
First - Tribal Basics: Learened a new drill for working the lower abs - pull in the belly button & push out the lower back, almost like a standing lower abs crunch. Used both alone & as back part of hip square! Also, new perspective on snake arms - on the down! upper arm, lower arm, wrist, hand. Looks very cool andis approached totally different from what I've ever tried before. We did paddle turn practice: set=F-B-F-B-F-B-all-the-way around, reversing direction after each set. First slow, then fast; reversing direction kept me from getting dizzy! There was LOTS of undulation practice, up-to-down, down-to-up, then lower undulations only - over, then under. Practiced each back-to-back & in every combination. THEN we praticed walking with undulations, which I do not recall ever doing before. It was a really good class! Ziah is an excellent teacher. There was another lady in front to make it easier to see & at the end of the class we were asked to mix it up. Ziah walked around & offered advice. I liked that too, though I got no advice...
Anyway, on the Drills & Zils! Wow, that was a workout. My zilling really needs some work. We did a warmup & drills much like the one in class 1, except faster & zilling the whole time. I was sweating like crazy & lost control of my hands several times. Ziah had us layering hips with snake arms plus zils, & other stuff that was a major challenge to me. Wow.
We also did some significant traveling practice with zils & without. Everyone got into a line & we did a big figure 8 across the studio. The traveling involved layering of some type, like zilling while doing an Egytptian walk with chest drops. And that was the easy one :-) I thnk we did 3 or 4 different traveling layered 8's, then put the zils away & got into some even more interesting footwork + moves. The last one, which was quite challenging, was the arabic 2 plus hip twist, traveling to the side. Ack. Ack, ack!
Class finished out with some really cool combos & moves that Ziah was teaching for the choreo they are working on. Did not get the name of the song or the artist :-( She was using stuff I've never seen, and really interesting combos of stuff I know. I just love seeing different people's choreographies! Everything is so unexpected! I got most of it written down, so I can mess around with the new moves & maybe incorporate them into something later. woo hoo!
I also really enjoyed the cool-down. It involved a lot of stretching & yoga moves.
The dark spot on an otherwise very happy evening was at the very end. I was worried about walking to my car in the dark, because I had to park on a quiet street next to some bushes & an empty lot. I asked a few of the ladies at the end if they could either walk me to my car (for a ride back to theirs) or give me a ride to me car - no one wanted to do it! I got some significant waffle-speak, and obvious don't-want-to-do-it feelings. I made it clear that I was in town on business, I was afraid to walk to my car alone at night. Finally, a really nice lady said she'd be happy to take me. I was just so amazed that it was even an issue! The whole thing was most distressing!
I do recommend this class to anyone in the area. If I lived here, I'd be going every week. Definitely park close to the studio & on well lighted streets, even if you have to drive around & around, late for class - you may be walking back in the dark alone!
I am SOOO glad I have been able to check out these classes. I was unhappy about the trip, then I realized it could be something totally cool instead of a week of sitting in a hotel by myself!
Haala - I did not see Majida Anwar, so couldn't say Hi for you :-)
Atlanta Business Trip - Day 1 08.06.02, TRIBE, Mon, June 2, 2008 - 8:03 PM
First, my real dance name is Azadi. Picked it a while ago, found in a book about a girl growing up under the Taliban rule. Azadi means Freedom in Kurdish (I think it's Kurdish).
On to the trip. It took about 5.5 hours to get here, which was making pretty good time. I found my hotel & checked in, then found the place where my business class is. The class location was not easy to find. Then, off to Borders to buy a map of Atlanta & to WalMart to get water, fruit, & nuts. I am starting the blood type diet. Nothing else has worked, so what the heck.
I had planned to have my Mon classes with Company Mezza to start with Beginner at 630 & move on to Advanced at 730. Unfortunately, I did not exchange emails with the beginner teacher & the class had been canceled :-( I did get to attend the Advanced class though!
companymezza.com/
The teacher was Diane Adams. I really enjoyed the class, even though much of it was beyond me. She has been working with a group of dancers on choreos & they knew it, I didn't. I had to laugh several times, because I sucked so bad! She just got back from a workshop/gathering in Canada & had some new stuff too, so I was able to jot down some notes & get a few things down.
She taught a few interesting combos that had some salsa/cuban flavor. They were pretty cool. Everything was was faster than I am used to moving too. After class I told her this - she said she is focusing on faster stuff with her advanced students, so it wasn't just me! Also, this was total cabaret/Egyptian (I think) which I really have never done before. There was a pile of footwork - a PILE - which I have historically not been too good at.
She did some good warmups & stretches that I had not done before, utilizing weight shifting. One warmup was to put all weight on 1 leg & do single hip circles, keeping the hips parallel to the floor. She also did combos of chest circles & drops that I really had to focus on to keep up with. It was a really good thing to have things totally mixed up like that!
Diane also taught some dance moves I have not done. There was one where you are doing a hip drop but instead of a straight drop you make it 3 tiny drops, so small it almost looks like a shimmy drop. The abs have to be tight & the glutes are used to make the tiny drops distinct. I was not able to achive it, but I am going to work on it.
I must note that the ladies in the class were really cool too. They were all having a good time & doing the best they could (which was pretty frickin' good). If anyone is in the area they will be doing a show Oct 5 in this area - can't recall where but I am sure it will be posted.
This was an excellent start to my week of belly dance class mania! I sure hope that my business class doesn't tire me out too much - I have big plans for the week!
Tomorrow - heading to Decatur to take Tribal Basics with Awalim! Lalalalalalalala!! Oh, & Drills & Zils if I can make it that long :-)))
On to the trip. It took about 5.5 hours to get here, which was making pretty good time. I found my hotel & checked in, then found the place where my business class is. The class location was not easy to find. Then, off to Borders to buy a map of Atlanta & to WalMart to get water, fruit, & nuts. I am starting the blood type diet. Nothing else has worked, so what the heck.
I had planned to have my Mon classes with Company Mezza to start with Beginner at 630 & move on to Advanced at 730. Unfortunately, I did not exchange emails with the beginner teacher & the class had been canceled :-( I did get to attend the Advanced class though!
companymezza.com/
The teacher was Diane Adams. I really enjoyed the class, even though much of it was beyond me. She has been working with a group of dancers on choreos & they knew it, I didn't. I had to laugh several times, because I sucked so bad! She just got back from a workshop/gathering in Canada & had some new stuff too, so I was able to jot down some notes & get a few things down.
She taught a few interesting combos that had some salsa/cuban flavor. They were pretty cool. Everything was was faster than I am used to moving too. After class I told her this - she said she is focusing on faster stuff with her advanced students, so it wasn't just me! Also, this was total cabaret/Egyptian (I think) which I really have never done before. There was a pile of footwork - a PILE - which I have historically not been too good at.
She did some good warmups & stretches that I had not done before, utilizing weight shifting. One warmup was to put all weight on 1 leg & do single hip circles, keeping the hips parallel to the floor. She also did combos of chest circles & drops that I really had to focus on to keep up with. It was a really good thing to have things totally mixed up like that!
Diane also taught some dance moves I have not done. There was one where you are doing a hip drop but instead of a straight drop you make it 3 tiny drops, so small it almost looks like a shimmy drop. The abs have to be tight & the glutes are used to make the tiny drops distinct. I was not able to achive it, but I am going to work on it.
I must note that the ladies in the class were really cool too. They were all having a good time & doing the best they could (which was pretty frickin' good). If anyone is in the area they will be doing a show Oct 5 in this area - can't recall where but I am sure it will be posted.
This was an excellent start to my week of belly dance class mania! I sure hope that my business class doesn't tire me out too much - I have big plans for the week!
Tomorrow - heading to Decatur to take Tribal Basics with Awalim! Lalalalalalalala!! Oh, & Drills & Zils if I can make it that long :-)))
In The Zone..., TRIBE, Wed, January 16, 2008 - 6:24 PM
I have thought over why I screw up every time & have figured out that I start thinking about what is going on instead of just dancing. I need to get into The Zone, where I am just feeling the dance & the music, not analyzing my performance, the crowd, or wondering whether the cats have water.
I am practicing getting into The Zone now and noticing it in others - I see it in Lori, Xavier, others that dance well. Xavier has even commented on it before, how he doesn't even know what else is going on sometimes. Of course I was not ready to hear & apply to my own practice when he said it.
So, how to get into The Zone? I have read about it now, or re-read & finally understood stuff that went over my head before ;-) I am pondering on developing a small pre-performance ritual (like closing my eyes, taking a few breaths & getting centered), or possibly blessing an amulet or a particular piece of jewelry & always wearing it when I perform. This would be a way to help me focus & remember. Hmmm. There is a performance coming up in a few days, so I'll try it out.
I am sitting in a hotel room in SC, where I traveled for work again this week. I have practiced dancing tonight, esp the choreo for the performance. I notice when my mind wanders, I screw up. Sometimes I get too focused on what I am doing, like a pestle or something & can't recall what comes next. That is weird - I am analyzing what I am doing so hard I lose everything else. It is another way for the mind to wander off.
Diane (Daliana) knew I was a "Numbers Girl" almost right away. I was surprised, but I guess it is obvious to a learned observer when someone is over analyzing stuff. I have good technique - requires analysis - but not so good dancing - requires release. Can't.... let.... go!!!
One thing I am trying which seems to help is to try to be aware of every part of my body in space. Sounds like a weird thing, but it does help. If I am aware of my hands, for instance, I know when they are floppy & when they have energy. The trick is to be aware!
Best go to bed now, since I have to do some analysis for real tomorrow. I didn't do anything tonight except sleep, read, & practice the dance. And check on tribe & blog a bit, of course. I should have been analyzing the sniffer traces we took today & testing out the new commands I learned. I also really need to write a troubleshooting procedure. Argh.
I am practicing getting into The Zone now and noticing it in others - I see it in Lori, Xavier, others that dance well. Xavier has even commented on it before, how he doesn't even know what else is going on sometimes. Of course I was not ready to hear & apply to my own practice when he said it.
So, how to get into The Zone? I have read about it now, or re-read & finally understood stuff that went over my head before ;-) I am pondering on developing a small pre-performance ritual (like closing my eyes, taking a few breaths & getting centered), or possibly blessing an amulet or a particular piece of jewelry & always wearing it when I perform. This would be a way to help me focus & remember. Hmmm. There is a performance coming up in a few days, so I'll try it out.
I am sitting in a hotel room in SC, where I traveled for work again this week. I have practiced dancing tonight, esp the choreo for the performance. I notice when my mind wanders, I screw up. Sometimes I get too focused on what I am doing, like a pestle or something & can't recall what comes next. That is weird - I am analyzing what I am doing so hard I lose everything else. It is another way for the mind to wander off.
Diane (Daliana) knew I was a "Numbers Girl" almost right away. I was surprised, but I guess it is obvious to a learned observer when someone is over analyzing stuff. I have good technique - requires analysis - but not so good dancing - requires release. Can't.... let.... go!!!
One thing I am trying which seems to help is to try to be aware of every part of my body in space. Sounds like a weird thing, but it does help. If I am aware of my hands, for instance, I know when they are floppy & when they have energy. The trick is to be aware!
Best go to bed now, since I have to do some analysis for real tomorrow. I didn't do anything tonight except sleep, read, & practice the dance. And check on tribe & blog a bit, of course. I should have been analyzing the sniffer traces we took today & testing out the new commands I learned. I also really need to write a troubleshooting procedure. Argh.
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