I absolutely LOVE to introduce my Houston students to the larger belly dance community, and Migrations Dance Festival in Austin, Texas has always been a friendly stage for us to play on.
I started taking my intermediate dancers to this festival three years ago, and we have been hooked on the community, energy and joy of the event ever since.
Here is a special video from our 2022 Migrations Dance Festival performance. This is my original choreography to Armen Kusikian’s “Baladi in Crescendo”.
Enjoy!
*****
If you would like to get on the stage with us and you live in the Houston area, we would love to see you in class! You can get more information about class schedules and registration at SahiraBellyDances.com
Today I would love to share with you an incredible online belly dance magazine. I’ve been a fan and a reader of it for some time now… but this recent issue was a little bit different.
This time, I am a contributor!
I am talking about the incredible Fanoos Magazine, and this summer they released an issue all about ZILLS! (So how could I possibly not jump in on that party?!)
While I know that you are no stranger to finger cymbals, I would love to hear if you gained a new insight or idea from this article. Hit reply and let me know!
And while you are at it be sure to take a moment to read some of the other incredible finger cymbal articles in the issue. There is some serious zillicious goodness inside!
This tutorial is going to give you exactly what you need to execute the two most popular Bellydance shimmies cleanly, correctly and safely.
In this video we are talking about the Egyptian Shimmy and the Hip Shimmy.
Are you ready?
I’m going to show you the technique behind each as well as help you understand how these shimmies should feel in your body.
We will talk about knee safety in the execution as well as finding the most comfortable place to create these shimmies with confidence and grace.
Once you have all the technique under your belt, we will drill both shimmies with music to help you set them into muscle memory!
Are you ready to expand your belly dance shimmy repertoire? Join me for my FREE online course “5 Fabulous Shimmies Every Bellydancer Should Know” and increase your shimmy knowledge today!
Special thanks to Miss Thea for the use of her amazing music in this tutorial. The title of this song is “Short Belly Dance Drum Finale”. You can find her music online at missthea.bandcamp.com
Layering more than one movement together is a hallmark of great belly dance and a fabulous intermediate/advanced technique challenge.
So let’s layer, shall we?
In today’s tutorial I will walk you through both the ommi of the hips and the chommi in the chest so you have all the technique you need to create this super gooey and challenging belly dance layering movement.
Sometimes called “The Corkscrew” when put together, I am going to take you step by step through how you layer the hips and chest together to create the most luscious and smooth version of this gorgeous layer.
I will also give you a few tips on what you need to do in order to make your belly dance layers easier to accomplish.
Then we will drill the movement to music and have some fun!
*****
Special thank to the amazing Miss Thea for the use of her amazing music! This track is “Hourglass” from her album “Dreams of Egypt”. Learn more about her and support her awesome music here: missthea.bandcamp.com
Today I’d like to share with you what I believe is the most versatile finger cymbal pattern in belly dance.
I wonder if you would agree?
While this simple patten is often overused, it is an important part of every finger cymbal player’s repertoire. So today I am going to break it down for you in a way that is clear and easy to understand so that you can learn to play it cleanly and musically with your dance.
Let’s dive in.
If you are ready to create a rock solid foundation for your zilling, please join me for my FREE Zillstar Finger Cymbal Jumpstart. SahiraBellyDances.com/ZillStar
Here is a fun tutorial I created for you that was specially designed to get you up and dancing a graceful belly dance combination quickly and easily (even if you have very little belly dance experience)!
Intrigued? You should be!
Today you are going to learn (or review) three foundational belly dance movements and put them together to create a beautiful and graceful combination that you can dance right away.
Are you ready? Let’s do it!
*****
A huge thank you to the amazing Miss Thea for the use of her music in this video. This song is “Tipsy Sirtos” from her album Dreams of Egypt.
In my twenty-two years of dance I’ve had some amazing experiences.
From traveling to Indonesia, Australia, Mexico, England, Germany, Canada and even Egypt to teach and perform, to taking part in some amazing cultural celebrations, celebrity birthday parties and incredibly opulent corporate events.
But nothing tops this one.
Earlier this year I was invited to perform on stage with the National Arab Orchestra when they came to Houston.
This incredible ensemble is known all over the world for their impeccable representations of the music and culture of the Arab World. And while their concerts are positively transformational, they don’t often include raqs sharki on their stage.
This time they did.
My friend and colleague Karen Barbee is the mastermind responsible for getting them to agree to including the dance in their program and I was honored when she asked me to be the one to represent our community on the stage.
Today I’d love to share with you that performance.
The video is a bit cobbled together from videos I was given from my husband and three other friends after the show. And while no video will ever do justice to this incredible experience, I wanted to share with you what I have.
I believe you will see the magic that I felt on that stage.
I had a wonderful conversation yesterday with a friend and dancer who has been a figure in the Houston dance community for many years. She took me on a trip down memory lane that had me missing the old days of being a new dancer at Sirrom School of Dance, doing my first student troupe shows and finally getting onstage for my very first solo performance.
Those were beautiful days and I have many fond memories of all my dance mamas who held my hand and supported me in those early years.
I’ve had a video of my very first solo performance on video tape for about 20 years… and I recently digitized it, but decided I could never imagine sharing it with anyone.
But all that reminiscing has made me nostalgic.
So here it is. My very first solo performance ever… to a live Greek band in Houston at a restaurant called “Opas”. The restaurant is long gone, but this amazing band is the same band I was performing with at Alexander the Great just a few years ago.
While I wouldn’t say this performance is anything to write home about, it was a transformative moment in my life. The insane nervousness and fear I felt before going on that stage melted away as I danced with those magical musicians. This moment made me decide that belly dance was the place for me.
And I’ve never looked back.
An enormous thank you to my Mama Thalia for putting me on stage that night. (It was a risky move and I cannot thank her enough!) Thank you to Tassos and the band for nurturing me as a dancer through 15 amazing years.
The 2022 Zill Challenge is happening soon – and it’s going to be even bigger and better than the last!
Are you ready to banish finger cymbal confusion and overwhelm and learn how to confidently play multiple tones, count zill patterns, and pair together the dance and your cymbals seamlessly?
Last year 500 dancers from 23 countries came together for The Zill Challenge – 10 days of fabulous finger cymbal learning, community and fun! The 2022 Zill Challenge begins on May 23rd, and you are invited to the party.
What to expect when you join:
✓ 10 days of short and sweet finger cymbal tutorials delivered to your inbox.
✓ 10 days of live broadcasts inside our exclusive Facebook community to answer questions, share inspiration, giveaway prizes and cheer you on.
✓ All while having a crazy amount of fun with hundreds of other zillstars from all over the world!
PS. Not sure you have the time or the talent to take on the challenge? I promise that you do! It takes only about 15 minutes a day and is totally FREE to join, so you have nothing to lose! Check it out!
One of the easiest ways to measure improvement in your finger cymbal playing is by clocking yourself with a metronome. And while speed is definitely not everything when it comes to good zill skills, it is definitely one of the easiest things to measure. (And if you are anything like me, you might just love a concrete personal challenge! 🤓)
Today’s drill is a very simple concept, yet the benefits you will reap by adding it to your finger cymbal practice are HUGE! So join me for this straight-forward and highly effective drill and see what it can do for your zilling.
And one you’ve practiced that, check out this fun riff I taught on social media last week. First learn it. Then play it.
(Are you following me on social yet? If not, please join me @SahiraBellyDances on both Facebook and Instagram. I share fun stuff like this all the time.)
