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 by sahiracc

12 Days of Belly Dance Christmas Gifts for YOU! šŸŽ Begins December 8th.

Are you ready to dance through your holidays with joy and grace?
 
 
Join me for my annual 12 Days of Belly Dance Christmas celebration ā€“ a festive belly dance-themed event where I will share with you over a dozen special belly dance gifts to move you joyfully through your holiday season.
 
āƒ Free live classes and on-demand tutorials
āƒ Dance goal-setting resources and downloadables
āƒ Dance community gatherings, connection and challenges
āƒ And festive events and prizes all with a belly dance theme
 
šŸŽ 12 days to get into the spirit of the season as I add a little shimmy, glitter and spice to your days.
 
The 12 Days of Belly Dance Christmas begins on December 8th. But this special event is only available to folks who register in advance.
 
So head on over now get your invitation at:
 
 
I canā€™t wait to celebrate with you there.
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 by sahiracc

Sahira presents “Feel Good Groove” by Miss Thea

This performance video is very special to me.
 
Earlier this year I was invited to create a performance to an original song by the amazing Miss Thea, in celebration of the release of her album “Rosewater”.
 
I absolutely love this woman’s music, and have been using it for my online classes for a couple of years now. So I was thrilled by the opportunity to interpret her music through my artistic lens.
 
The project became so much than a dance choreography for me.
 
Submissions were due just a week after my family took a long vacation to the east coast, and I thought what better way to dive into this “Feel Good Groove” than on a magical vacation with the most important people in my life.
 
What you see here is what happens when fabulously fun music combine with amazing scenery, gorgeous weather, and the incredible love of family.
 
Enjoy!
 
Music is “Feel Good Groove” by Miss Thea from her album “Rosewater”. Get your copy at her Bandcamp.
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 by sahiracc

Belly Dance Folklore | Saidi Style – The Saidi Basic

There is an ancient and rich culture behind the beautiful art of Arab dance – or belly dance – and one of my absolutely favorite folkloric styles is Saidi.
 
From upper Egypt, this powerful dance form uses several steps that are not part of the regular belly dance vocabulary, but are a must to include if you are dancing to music that references the rhythm of this style.
 
In this video I walk you through the most essential Saidi style movement – The Saidi Basic – with special attention paid to the stylization and attitude that are the hallmarks of this step.
 
So if you are ready to explore the beauty and power of Saidi style dance, join me here.
 
Let’s dance!
 
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 by sahiracc

Sahira and the Shimmy Sirens perform at The Crimson Vagabond Roadshow 2022 | Zekrayat

My students are amazing!
 
In this video I am ridiculously proud to present to you a new original flutter fan veil choreography to the song “Zekrayat” by Dr. Samy Farag.
 
I am joined on stage here by my incredible students Kala, Tiffany, Amy and Rachel – “The Shimmy Sirens”.
 
We had the opportunity to share this beautiful piece with an incredible crowd at the 2022 Crimson Vagabond Roadshow at Talento Bilingue in Houston, Texas.
 
Enjoy!
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 by sahiracc

Saroyan Backstage Tour “From Metal to Music” Part 2 – The Machinery

In this video I’m giving you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how my absolute favorite finger cymbals are manufactured from start to finish!
 
Vince Fesunoff, owner of Saroyan Mastercrafts takes us step-by-step through the process – from the huge coil of metal that enters the workshop through to the nearly finished product.
 
I don’t know about you, but learning more about all of the detail and thought that goes into these beautiful little instruments make me appreciate them even more than before!
 
So join me for these never-before-seen videos of the inside workings of the Saroyan manufacturing process.
 
And once you’re feeling inspired and exciting about all the amazing work they do there, you can get your hands on a set of finger cymbals for yourself right here:
 
 
Enjoy!
 
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 by sahiracc

The Musical Counting Method

In this video I am going to share with you a powerful, game-changing resource for your finger cymbal practice!
 
Be sure to download the free PDF companion to this tutorial. You can get yours here:
 
 
The musical counting method is a time-tested way of counting music and rhythms that will allow you to fully understand where patterns fit within the music and how they relate to your danceļæ¼.
 
While finger cymbals have not always been taught using this counting method in the past, there is a movement in the dance community today to utilize this robust and accurate musical methodļæ¼ in order to empower dancers to understand music on a deeper level.
 
With the musical counting method you will be able to accurately identify, count, notate and reproduce finger cymbal rhythms and patterns in your practice.ļæ¼
 
So join me for this primer on the musical accounting method! I canā€™t wait to make music with you.
 
Be sure to download the free PDF companion to this tutorial. You can get yours hereļæ¼:
 
Where to find the zills played in this video Sahirabellydances.com/Saroyan-Afghanis
 
 
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 by sahiracc

Saroyan Backstage Tour – “From Metal to Music” Part 1- Sneak Peek

Earlier this year I had the unique opportunity to visit and tour the Saroyan Mastercrafts shop in Riverside, California.
 
Vince and Virginia, the current owners of the business, were kind enough to not only show me around the shop but also to give me a step-by-step demonstration of how they make the finger cymbals that we all know and love.
 
It was fascinating to see the incredibly involved process that goes into making a Saroyan cymbal, and I gained an immense appreciation for the amount of detailed work and thoughtfulness happening behind the scenes in this small, family-owned business.
 
You know I took a ton of video while I was there and I am thrilled to present the first in a multi-part series for you here!
 
Welcome to your exclusive Saroyan Backstage Tour – “From Metal to Music”
 
This video is Part 1 and in it, Saroyan Owner Vince Fesunoff will give you an overview of the process behind making a Saroyan finger cymbal.
 
Keep your eyes open for more behind the scenes video in this continuing series!
 
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 by sahiracc

Sahira performs at Hot Raqs 2022

This past year I had the pleasure of attending the incredible Hot Raqs festival in California for the first time!

 
The event was absolutely spectacular and I met and made so many wonderful friends there.
 
This is the video from my performance at the festival. I am showcasing a original Beladi choreography as well as my absolute favorite thing everā€¦ļæ¼acapella finger cymbals!
 
Enjoy!
 
 
 
PS. Rumor has it that I may be back in 2023 this time as an instructor!ļæ¼ļæ¼ šŸ¤©
 
Music: Baladi in Crecendo by Armen Kuzikian
Zills : Afghanis in Brass by Saroyan Mastercrafts
 
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 by sahiracc

YT Yoga Flow for Belly Dancers

In today’s video I am excited to share with you this special yoga flow I created specifically for the belly dancer body.
 
This is the yoga flow that I do every single morning right after I get out of bed. It has helped me work out the muscular stiffness and tension of the morning, realign the body, maintain and increase flexibility as well as energize myself for the day ahead!
 
This unique yoga flow is built upon a traditional sun salutation with some very specific modifications designed to target the area of the body that belly dancers use most.
 
Add this to your daily routine or as part of your regular practice to experience the benefits for yourself!
 
 
*****
 
Do you enjoy this kind of mindful movement? Then you were going to love the practice is included in my seven day Belly dance jumpstart!
 
This free jumpstart delivers seven days of short and sweet belly dance tutorials to your inbox along with prompts for more mindful and joyful movement.
 
Join me for free today!
 
 
****

 

 
Thank you to the amazing Miss Thea for the music used in this video.
https://missthea.bandcamp.com/track/slow-breath 
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 by sahiracc

Advanced Belly Dance Acapella Finger Cymbal Tutorial – Running 5s

Let’s dance to the beat of our own drum with this fun and funky acapella finger cymbal riff!

This pattern is built mostly on a “5” pattern – five 16th note strokes of the cymbals in a row. We’ll be doing 4 of them and I think you’ll find that the feel of the rhythm is pretty groovy and unique.

The running 5s are counted:

1e&a2 &a3e& 4e&a1 &a2e&

And then we’ll add three emphatic clacks at the end!

3 & 4

In this video I will take you through the pattern step-by-step with special attention given to the counts so you can feel the beat in your body. We will play with two different cymbal and sounds and then DANCE to the beat of our own drum with a few simple and fun belly dance movements to complete the combination!

Are you ready? Grab your finger cymbals and let’s dive in!

In this video I am playing some of my favorite finger cymbals – The Saroyan Afghani’s in Silver. Get your very own pair here .

 

*****

Do you enjoy this kind of finger cymbal challenge? Then check out my signature membership “The Belly Dance Journey”, where you can dive deep with me every month into the wonderful world of zills with intermediate and advanced finger cymbal sounds, patterns, riffs and combinations.

SahiraBellyDances.com/Journey

The membership opens just twice a year, so get on the waitlist now so you are the first to know when it opens again!

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