At-Home Practice
Beginning Bellydance: Drills and at-home practice
Written by Nancy McAndrew; do not redistribute without author consent
Always practice good dance posture: feet no wider than your hips, weight in the heels, knees soft, tail bone tucked, ribs lifted and head balanced on top of the spine. Maintaining your posture will make the movements easier and help prevent injury to your joints and/or lower back. It may feel awkward at first, but as you continue to practice, it will become second nature. Check your posture periodically as you dance.
Upper Body: While practicing these movements aim at isolating your upper torso and minimizing movement below your waist. You can imagine yourself in a block of concrete from the hips down. If imagination and willpower aren't doing the trick, have a seat on the floor or a backless stool (the couch is not ideal, but sitting on the edge and maintaining a very straight back will suffice). Keep your weight evenly distributed on your sit bones and drill the following movements;
Rib cage slides: side-to-side, keep the shoulders parallel to the floor, no leaning!
Rib cage squares & circles: clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW); ribs move to the side, front, side, back-- in a diamond shape. Make the movement continuous for a circle
Rib cage lifts: practice both soft and sharp; practice emphasis on both the up and down
Snake Arms: let the shoulder power the movement. Keep it strong, not floppy.
Lower Body: A strong upper body position will allow your hips to move more freely. Keep the arms active and alive, don't let them wilt into Sad Tree Position. Remember to keep your feet right under you, a wide stance will strain your hips. Your knees should remain nice and soft.
Hip Circles: start big and get smaller & faster; both CW & CCW. The knees move together, not opposite one another.
Taxeem: the hip scoops up and toward you. Try to keep the heels down and pull from the obliques.
Maya: reversed Taxeem: start up, hip moves out and down
Singles: one hip “bumps” up on the beat. Repeat on both sides
Pivot-Bump: go around in 4 bumps and then in 8; go full time (bump on 1, 2, 3, 4) and double time (bump on 1, and, 2, and, 3, and, 4, and). Use both the Right and the Left hip
Choo-Choo: Hip bumps as you travel to the Right, then repeat to the left
Basic Egyptian: Try it in place, walking forward and backward; in a 1/4-turn, and then a 1/2-turn
Hip locks: using the gluts, alternate contractions while standing. Keep the knees really soft and be sure you aren't pushing from the knee!
Written by Nancy McAndrew; do not redistribute without author consent
Always practice good dance posture: feet no wider than your hips, weight in the heels, knees soft, tail bone tucked, ribs lifted and head balanced on top of the spine. Maintaining your posture will make the movements easier and help prevent injury to your joints and/or lower back. It may feel awkward at first, but as you continue to practice, it will become second nature. Check your posture periodically as you dance.
Upper Body: While practicing these movements aim at isolating your upper torso and minimizing movement below your waist. You can imagine yourself in a block of concrete from the hips down. If imagination and willpower aren't doing the trick, have a seat on the floor or a backless stool (the couch is not ideal, but sitting on the edge and maintaining a very straight back will suffice). Keep your weight evenly distributed on your sit bones and drill the following movements;
Rib cage slides: side-to-side, keep the shoulders parallel to the floor, no leaning!
Rib cage squares & circles: clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW); ribs move to the side, front, side, back-- in a diamond shape. Make the movement continuous for a circle
Rib cage lifts: practice both soft and sharp; practice emphasis on both the up and down
Snake Arms: let the shoulder power the movement. Keep it strong, not floppy.
Lower Body: A strong upper body position will allow your hips to move more freely. Keep the arms active and alive, don't let them wilt into Sad Tree Position. Remember to keep your feet right under you, a wide stance will strain your hips. Your knees should remain nice and soft.
Hip Circles: start big and get smaller & faster; both CW & CCW. The knees move together, not opposite one another.
Taxeem: the hip scoops up and toward you. Try to keep the heels down and pull from the obliques.
Maya: reversed Taxeem: start up, hip moves out and down
Singles: one hip “bumps” up on the beat. Repeat on both sides
Pivot-Bump: go around in 4 bumps and then in 8; go full time (bump on 1, 2, 3, 4) and double time (bump on 1, and, 2, and, 3, and, 4, and). Use both the Right and the Left hip
Choo-Choo: Hip bumps as you travel to the Right, then repeat to the left
Basic Egyptian: Try it in place, walking forward and backward; in a 1/4-turn, and then a 1/2-turn
Hip locks: using the gluts, alternate contractions while standing. Keep the knees really soft and be sure you aren't pushing from the knee!
Moroccan Wedding DanceOnce drums begin, take 1 count (4 beats) for nothing, then begin
16 count – 4 Basic Egyptians, in place
16 count - Traveling combo, Left (combo= choo choo, bump, pivot-bump, bump)
16 count- Traveling combo, Right
16 count- 4 Moroccan Hops
8 count- Hip circle, Clockwise
16 count- 4 Moroccan Hops
8 count- Twisting pivot, on the Right
8 count- 2 Basic Egyptians, in place
8 count- Twisting pivot, on the Left
8 count- 2 Basic Egyptian, in place
16 count- Basic Egyptian, quarter turn
12 count- Twisting triplets (AKA Pivot Shift Step)
8 count- 2Basic Egyptian, in place
16 count- 2 Basic Egyptian ½ turns
16 count- Rib Cage Circle w/ Pivot to finish
Choreographed March 2003
By: N. McAndrew, L. Bennett, D. Bray-Ware
Music from “Passion Sources” by Peter Gabriel
16 count – 4 Basic Egyptians, in place
16 count - Traveling combo, Left (combo= choo choo, bump, pivot-bump, bump)
16 count- Traveling combo, Right
16 count- 4 Moroccan Hops
8 count- Hip circle, Clockwise
16 count- 4 Moroccan Hops
8 count- Twisting pivot, on the Right
8 count- 2 Basic Egyptians, in place
8 count- Twisting pivot, on the Left
8 count- 2 Basic Egyptian, in place
16 count- Basic Egyptian, quarter turn
12 count- Twisting triplets (AKA Pivot Shift Step)
8 count- 2Basic Egyptian, in place
16 count- 2 Basic Egyptian ½ turns
16 count- Rib Cage Circle w/ Pivot to finish
Choreographed March 2003
By: N. McAndrew, L. Bennett, D. Bray-Ware
Music from “Passion Sources” by Peter Gabriel
