Moving Beyond your First Lesson
Hopefully at this point in your new journey, you realize that it was quite easy to follow along with a beginner belly dance DVD. If you’re dedicated and wanting to learn the dance, you probably have allowed for a minimum of three days out of the week. You may have also noticed that each time you practiced, you put the movements to memory.
Provided that you have also grown accustomed to the music that is on the DVD, you understand that certain moves are appropriate for certain pieces of music. For instance, you wouldn’t want to do a hip shimmy when the music is slow, nor would you want to do a slow figure eight when the music is fast.
Turn off the TV or whatever else that may grab your attention. Hopefully you have a belly dance CD of some sort. Put it in your stereo and just start doing the moves. Remember, belly dance involves every part of your body. So, the first song that you hear, think of a move that fits the piece. If you feel like the song calls for hip drops, dedicate the entire song to hip drops. You know how to do it, so feel confident!
Don’t forget your dance posture with your tailbone tucked in and lifted torso. Breathe.
The first song was a breeze, and now the second. What next? Again, listen to the piece and think of another part of your body that you can move. The next song should focus on a different area. Think of head to toe.
Head: side to side, front and back, head circles. Frame your head with your arms, so that you control your head movement.
Shoulders: shoulder shimmy, shoulder lift
Arms: Snake arms, goddess arms, arms side to side to frame your hips.
Chest: chest circles, chest lifts
Torso: undulations, tucks and pops, body waves
Hips: shimmy, drop and lifts, circles, twists, sharp hip pops
Legs: shimmy, travel steps, grapevine
Toes: tip toe doing the choo choo, point the toes when doing little kicks
Find a point in your practice where you can do this in front of a mirror. See how beautiful your body looks. The wonderful thing about this dance, is that we already have what comes natural to us: the sway in our hips and the natural bounce from our chest.
When you look at yourself in the mirror, critique yourself. Don’t be too harsh, as you may not be motivated the next time. Compare the way you look to what you saw on your DVD. If you find that what you did was totally different, don’t worry. All good things come in time.
Provided that you have also grown accustomed to the music that is on the DVD, you understand that certain moves are appropriate for certain pieces of music. For instance, you wouldn’t want to do a hip shimmy when the music is slow, nor would you want to do a slow figure eight when the music is fast.
Turn off the TV or whatever else that may grab your attention. Hopefully you have a belly dance CD of some sort. Put it in your stereo and just start doing the moves. Remember, belly dance involves every part of your body. So, the first song that you hear, think of a move that fits the piece. If you feel like the song calls for hip drops, dedicate the entire song to hip drops. You know how to do it, so feel confident!
Don’t forget your dance posture with your tailbone tucked in and lifted torso. Breathe.
The first song was a breeze, and now the second. What next? Again, listen to the piece and think of another part of your body that you can move. The next song should focus on a different area. Think of head to toe.
Head: side to side, front and back, head circles. Frame your head with your arms, so that you control your head movement.
Shoulders: shoulder shimmy, shoulder lift
Arms: Snake arms, goddess arms, arms side to side to frame your hips.
Chest: chest circles, chest lifts
Torso: undulations, tucks and pops, body waves
Hips: shimmy, drop and lifts, circles, twists, sharp hip pops
Legs: shimmy, travel steps, grapevine
Toes: tip toe doing the choo choo, point the toes when doing little kicks
Find a point in your practice where you can do this in front of a mirror. See how beautiful your body looks. The wonderful thing about this dance, is that we already have what comes natural to us: the sway in our hips and the natural bounce from our chest.
When you look at yourself in the mirror, critique yourself. Don’t be too harsh, as you may not be motivated the next time. Compare the way you look to what you saw on your DVD. If you find that what you did was totally different, don’t worry. All good things come in time.
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