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Let’s have a conversation together… without uttering a single word!

Today we are playing a super-fun game that is a time-honored tradition in the music world – Trading 4s! Think of it as part “Simon Says” and part “Telephone Game”. I’ll play a short pattern or riff on my cymbals and you will answer back!

There are several fun ways to play with this and make it your own –
* You can repeat back exactly what I play (with a single sound or with the sounds I use)
* You can change up the sounds
* You can use my riff as inspiration and create something different in response!
* Feel free to take inspiration from any kind of music you enjoy.

And don’t forget to have fun!

These ideas are a fabulous springboard to creating your own zill improvisation… so keep playing with the concepts until you feel comfortable changing them up to make them your own!

Post a practice video and tag me on social media at @SahiraBellyDances so I can cheer you on!

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Get ready for the most game-changing finger cymbal challenge in the world! Put the PLAY back in your finger cymbal practice and become the zillstar you are meant to be!

The Annual 10-day Zill Challenge opens for registration on May 1st and the adventure begins on May 14th.

Register here: http://TheZillChallenge.com

Love this zills I am playing? They are Saroyan Mastercraft’s Turkish Delights in silver. Get your own set at http://SahiraBellyDances.com/SaroyanCymbals

Are you a fan of Bollywood movies?

I absolutely LOVE them! The music, the dancing, the drama and colors and pageantry – it’s all so very decadent! I would love my life to be more like a Bollywood film. (Gotta work on figuring out how to make that happen.)

I had not seen Kuch Kuch Hota Hai when I was approached by my friend and fellow creator J. Ashar a few years ago to create a music video in honor of the 20th anniversary, but I always have such a great time working with him that I said yes to his wacky idea right away.

While I’ve spent my entire life in the theater, playing roles from Marian in The Music Man to the Cabbage in my high school PSA play against drug use, and have danced for over two decades in so many different scenarios, I had never been asked to do this on stage before. I tried hard not to giggle too much, but I may have lost it just once or twice. (Can you see it in the video?)

A huge thank you to J. Ashar for inviting me to be a part of this special project. Enjoy!

The Comma is one of the most iconic movements in belly dance, and there are so many ways you can texturize and finesse it to fit your mood and the music.

The Comma is part of the unweighted hip drop family, and drilling it with me will give you a fabulous strengthening and toning workout for your legs, hips, and obliques.

It’s a move that absolutely every belly dancer must know!

In this video I am going to show you exactly how to do the Comma with style and confidence from the ground up – focusing on the correct muscles to use in order to perform it safely and beautifully.

So grab your hipscarf and let’s dance!

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Ready to learn more of the “must have” belly dance movements? Dive deep into the beautiful art of belly dance with this FREE 7-day programs designed to get you moving with confidence and grace today! http://SahiraBellyDances.com/jumpstart

This opportunity would usually fall into the “once in a lifetime” category for sure…

Except that this is the SECOND time that I’ve had the immense honor of performing with the National Arab Orchestra. (I’m such a lucky girl!)

The first performance happened at a concert in Houston in 2022. (Want to see that one? You can find it here.)

This incredible second opportunity was given to me when I taught at an incredible festival event in San Antonio – Go Live, hosted by Karen Barbee and Michael Ibrahim.

A three-day even unlike any other, Go Live gives dancers from around the world the opportunity to learn how to dance to live music while actually dancing to live music with some of the best ensembles for Arab music in the US. (I HIGHLY recommend you check it out.)

Performers were purposefully NOT given the opportunity to practice with the ensemble before getting on stage… because the in-the-moment improvisation is a big part of what this artful is all about.

This performance just flew by for me. I would have loved to have spent so much more time up there on stage with these incredible musicians. You can almost see the disappointment on my face when the music ends.

Enjoy!

Let’s talk math and level up your belly dance technique while breaking a sweat!

Did you know that a 3/4 shimmy and a triplet shimmy are NOT the same thing?

This is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to shimmies. So often the fast triplet shimmy is broken down as a slow three-quarter shimmy, which leads to dancers feeling twitchy and frantic when they try to ramp it up to speed.

Since I was an engineer before I was a belly dancer all of this math means something to me! And even if math is not your thing, knowing the difference between these two shimmies will be a game-changer for your practice.

In this video, I will take you through the details of a well-crafted 3/4 shimmy, the difference between a 3/4 and a triplet (and why that may have messed you up in the past) and how to actually make a true 3/4 shimmy happen cleanly and with control. We will practice and drill the movement slowly, eventually ramping up the speed to work our muscles and our stamina.

Are you ready to sweat? Let’s dance!

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Are shimmies kinda your thing? (Mine too!)

This tutorial is from my full online ​“Sensational Shimmies” Intensive Course​ – your one stop shop to learn, drill, perfect and have fun with 22 different shimmies and variations that are quintessential in the belly dance world.

Whether you are

❃ a new dancer looking to learn some of belly dance’s most popular shimmies

❃ a long-time dance student frustrated with shimmies that are unreliable, wonky or difficult to achieve

❃ or an experienced dancer looking to expand your shimmy repertoire

this course is going to be help you skyrocket your knowledge, ability and confidence dancing dozens of sensational shimmies!

By the end of this course you will have

✓ A solid understanding of how to make shimmies big, relaxed, delicious, dependable and fun

✓ The clear blueprint for drilling your shimmies to achieve the shimmies you’ve always wanted

✓ Twenty two different shimmies that you can play with and use to create amazing texture and expression in your dance

✓ Four ways to easily workout your shimmies anytime no matter how much time you have

JOIN NOW for a more confident shimmy tomorrow!