Of all the folklore we encounter in belly dance, Saidi is one of the most common (and one of my favorites)!
In this tutorial I am going to walk you through a bit of what makes this style so much fun, including its earthy energy and opportunity for sass and attitude.
Spend a little time with me today and you’ll walk away with a better understanding of this style and a fab new combination you can use in your practice or performance!
Yallah! Let’s go!
Music used in this tutorial is Luxor Baladna by Upper Egypt Ensemble
Do you feel a a bit nervous when you pick up your finger cymbals because you’re not sure WHAT you should be playing? You are not alone!
I am approached by dancers all the time who feel a bit lost when they find themselves with zills on their hands, music in the air and the expectation that they are supposed to just starting playing something. It can be a little scary, especially if you are under the impression that you could possibly make the “wrong” choice.
I’m here to tell you that you have a lot more options than you might think, and that short of playing something that is not in tempo with the music or doing something non-committal and sloppy, there aren’t too many choices that I would characterize as “incorrect.”
In this video we are going to explore 3 basic ways you can choose to play your zills. There are definitely more ways to be explored, but these three will get you started confidently playing your finger cymbals the next time the music begins to play.
Are you ready to dive in deeper so you can put together fabulous zill patterns of your own? Check out my signature course – Acapella Finger Cymbal Foundations – an online course that will have you composing and playing your own fabulous zill riffs like a pro in no time!
I love RenFaires. I’ve been dancing at the Texas Renaissance Festival for over two decades and in that time I’ve fallen in love with the big, boisterous folkloric fusion that is an iconic style at RenFaires all over the US.
One of my favorite faire troupes is Hahbi’ Ru. They performed for many years in the Bay Area of California, and I absolutely love their particular style of fusion. (I’ve always said that I would drop everything and run away with them if I ever had the chance!)
While I haven’t had that chance, I did get the opportunity to dance an incredible choreography created in the Hahbi’ Ru style created by Drake von Trapp. This beautiful piece was a part of his masters research on the amazing John Compton. I actually had the opportunity to teach with John in Taiwan back in 2008 and had a wonderful time working with him and getting to know him, so dancing this choreography was really powerful for me.
Enjoy this performance with Drake, Kamrah, Liorah, Silvia and me! Choreography by Drake von Trapp.
This is one of those shimmies that really confuse dancers when it’s not explained well. Which is too bad, because it’s a REALLY good one!
The Hagallah is a 3/4 shimmy on the down with a twist, stepping on the downbeat (….see how that might be confusing?) and it’s used extensively in a folkloric dance of the same name. It also happens to be one of my favorite traveling shimmies – so you’ll definitely want to learn this one!
In this tutorial I will walk you through the movement in step-by-step detail so you can confidently create this sensational shimmy and add it to your dance vocabulary.
Are you ready? Grab your hip scarf… Let’s Hagallah!
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Now that you’ve had a taste of one of the fabulous variations and textures, the Belly Dance Shimmy world has to offer you are ready to join me for my Sensational Shimmy Intensive, where you will learn how to confidently and gracefully dance 19 of the best belly dance shimmies and variations.
As a thank you for joining me here I’ve included a discount code for 20% off the course when you watch to the end of the video!
Welcome to another video in the “Top 10 Moves That Every Belly Dancer Must Know” series!
In this video we are exploring one of belly dance’s most quintessential movements so you can learn to belly dance gracefully and confidently, knowing that you are creating and executing the movements safely and beautifully.
Today we are exploring the Forward Undulation. A gorgeously gooey movement, the undulation is a snaky movement of the spine from the chest down to the pelvis.
I will take you through the foundational isolations you need to create this movement and explain the muscles you’ll use to drive them. Then we will put those isolations together to create this gorgeous movement, drill it with some layers and variations and then dance it with music.
So are you ready to belly dance?
Let’s do it!
If you like this movement tutorial you are going to LOVE the FREE 7-Day Belly Dance Jumpstart – 7 days of belly dance tutorials designed to help discover health, movement, joy and creativity while learning a few of the most important belly dance movements! Join the fun here:
A huge THANK YOU to the fabulous Miss Thea for the use of her music in this video. You can get her fabulous music for yourself here on Band Camp: https://missthea.bandcamp.com
I am a firm believer that Belly Dance is for EVERY BODY.
No matter your age, background, body type or gender identity, this beautiful dance form can help you find health, creativity and grace.
Through my 24 years of dance I have experienced many changes in my body, and I am blessed to teach this dance every single week to people of all ages, sizes and backgrounds. I can confidently say that no matter who you are, this dance can be a beautiful part of your life.
In this video I am going to share with you several ideas that I use on a regular basis to help navigate changes in my body and concepts that have helped my students (who range in age from 10-79) always feel confident, safe and beautiful as they dance.
Learn these concepts and then I’ll teach you a simple and lovely combination showcasing several ways you can adjust it to work for you, no matter what season of life you are in right now.
For some dancers, it’s an absolute dream come true.
For others it makes them break out in a serious sweat.
I’m talking about dancing to live music.
Belly dance at its core is an improvisational art form that historically was (obviously) always done to live music. The music and the dance were created in the moment, and often there was very little advanced coordination between dancer and musician before getting out onto the stage.
Becoming comfortable improvising to live music is a journey that can take a dancer many years to accomplish.
This amazing opportunity allowed me to give my students a very unique stepping stone towards finding joy and confidence dancing to live music and creating in the moment.
This performance is from Go Live, and amazing dance festival in San Antonio, Texas. Here my dancers and I had the opportunity to share the stage with the incredible Georges Lammam ensemble.
What made this performance particularly special was that we were allowed to choose a song to dance to months in advance of the performance. We practiced and choreographed and practiced diligently for three months leading up to this moment.
But as you know, the live rendition of a song rarely sounds like its recording, (nor should it, really)! Georges and the ensemble were incredibly gracious in working with us, and even we even had the opportunity for a quick rehearsal with them the evening before… What a luxury!
And here is what happened when we took to the stage with them, live and totally in the moment.
In this tutorial, we are going to dive deep into one of the more nuanced and lesser used shimmies in the bellydance vocabulary.
This is the Moroccan Shimmy… It is part of the triplet shimmy family, but has a slightly different accent that sets it apart and makes it even more delicious and slightly more challenging to perform well.
I will take you step-by-step through this beautiful shimmy, focusing on the weight shifts and muscle contractions needed to create a strong and juicy movement.
Once you have a solid foundation for this movement, we will take it to the next level and dance it with music.
Wondering how the triplet shimmy differs? Check it out here. The more shimmy textures you have in your dance vocabulary, the better!
Now that you’ve had a taste of some of the fabulous variations and textures the belly dance shimmy world has to offer you are ready to join me for my Sensational Shimmy Intensive and online course where you will learn how to confidently and gracefully dance 19 of the best bellydance shimmies and variations.
As a thank you for joining me here I’ve included a discount code for 20% off the course when you watch to the end of the video!
Every year hundreds of dancers from all over the world come together online for a game-changing, 10-day finger cymbal challenge.
They come from all backgrounds and walks of life and are united by a common desire to play their zills with more confidence and creativity. Their experience ranges from brand new to the art form to veteran dancers who have been playing for multiple decades.
Together to form an amazing community of accepting and supportive zillers, who spend time every day for 10 days on their zill practice, as they receive support, create new friendships, and have a whole lot of fun playing their zills in a supportive educational environment.
This is what last year’s zill challenge participants were able to perform after just 10 days of focused work.
This year’s challenge choreography is totally new!
Are you ready to find confidence and creativity in your finger cymbal skills while putting the PLAY into your practice?
Enhance your finger cymbal skills and boost your confidence with The 2024 Zill Challenge.
This engaging 10-day event invites dancers of all levels to connect and elevate their zill practice. Join a community of passionate dancers from around the world for this exciting learning experience.
Over the course of 10 days, you’ll strengthen your technique, explore new rhythms, and improve your timing. By the end of the challenge, you will perform a dynamic short choreography featuring exciting new zill riffs. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your progress inside the exclusive challenge community, receive personal support, and win great prizes!
Whether you’re new to zills or an enthusiast looking to grow, the 2024 Zill Challenge will rejuvenate your practice and spark your creativity.
Ready to embrace the challenge?
Discover or rediscover the fun of finger cymbals and join the 2024 Zill Challenge today at TheZillChallenge.com!
