Be careful of the YouTube videos...there are a lot of "bedroom belly dancers" on there. Be careful who you decided to learn from, especially on YouTube.
(Meaning, a girl who took 2 lessons, and videotapes herself dancing in her bedroom, saying that she is a belly dancer so that people will leave her comments...)
I found this clip on YouTube of the Shimmy tv show...and I have a question...do they actually INSTRUCT you on how to do these movements??
In this clip they are going through them in a routine, but they aren't instructing anything on proper form or how to properly execute the movement. Also, what they are calling a belly roll in this clip, is actually a camel walk. They aren't doing a belly roll at all...
Hi aphil! I ordered the Shimmy DVDs but they haven't yet arrived, so I can't comment on whether or not they provide instruction. All I know is it's fun trying and the time flies by when I'm doing it.
I'll let you know once I get the videos if they provide instruction. I know I'd never learn some of the moves without it (e.g., what they call in the youtube clips a 3/4 shimmy). I'm definitely interested in learning more. So once I get the DVDs, I'll go from there.
I've had an empty nest for over 2 years now and I'm single, so I've been trying to find something I like to do. I'm not into the bar/club scene, and right now, this really interests me! A real first for me! I just hope it keeps my interest!
How long after you began taking lessons did it take for you to feel like you could actually belly dance, aphil? How often do you go to class?
I'll let you know once I get the videos if they provide instruction. I know I'd never learn some of the moves without it (e.g., what they call in the youtube clips a 3/4 shimmy)....
...How long after you began taking lessons did it take for you to feel like you could actually belly dance, aphil? How often do you go to class?
Well, a 3/4 shimmy is going to be a different move, depending on whether you are doing cabaret styled belly dance, or American Tribal style belly dance. There are going to be discrepancies like that, at times.
As far as how long did it take me before I felt like I could do it...I would honestly say that this is going to be different for EVERYONE. I have been dancing for quite some time, but my instructor actually pulled me out of her beginning class, and asked me to perform with her intermediate class when I had only been dancing for about 12 weeks. I picked up finger cymbals and sword balancing really easily as well. The movements as I learned them never seemed "unnatural"...rather, it seemed like I was meant to be doing them.
From a teaching standpoint, since I instruct now, I can say that there are people who are "naturals" and there are people who have to REALLY work for a long time, and very hard, to do it well...and most people are somewhere inbetween. I can usually tell when I begin a new class session, IN the first session, who has a natural talent for it, and who has two left feet (or hips) and is going to have to struggle and work much harder than everyone else. As I said, most people are somewhere inbetween the two extremes.
So for me personally, I did rather well right from the get go, which is what prompted my instructor to have me perform at such an early time period. After that, I ended up attending classes 3 times per week, including a private lesson, and was in her professional performing company within a year of beginning lessons. Everyone is going to be different...
As far as how often do "I" currently attend classes-currently I teach 3 classes per week at this time, but I am working on aquiring a 4th class after the holidays. I teach 1-2 private lessons per week. I also have my own PERSONAL classes, or personal training, a couple of hours per week-where I hone my own skills-I do drills, choreograph songs, etc.
When they come around, I often attend seminars with master instructors-in fact, I am attending one on November 2nd, in Kentucky. (I am in Indiana.)
As far as performance goes, I average 5-10 performances a month. Tonight I am dancing at a Greek restaurant, where I am a regular performer.
An instructor taught an audience how to belly dance on a talk show and that's how I learned. I do it from time to time but when I do it too much my butt, my hips and my upper thighs get sore. I guess I should do it more often. The key to belly dancing is in the legs and feet. I think a beginner video is good, but like I said I learned from a talk show. I'm sure there are some videos on You Tube you can watch. Belly dancing is fairly easy one you learn how to do it. I thought it was hard because you can't see what the girls are actually moving under their grass skirts.
Well...I wouldn't say that it is EASY. It depends on what you are doing...and, like any art form, there is tons more to it than you would learn from a single session. You can dance for 20 years and still not know or master everything. There is much more to it than hip shimmies and snake arms.
For instance, once I mastered the basic moves, I moved on to more advanced moves. Once I was adept at sword balancing, then I moved on to doing more advanced moves with the sword balanced. My current thing that I am trying to master, is sword balancing while the end of the sword is on fire.
You can keep advancing, just like someone who starts out exercising with 2 pound weights can eventually be bench pressing their husband.
BTW-I wanted to give "props" to my former troupemates. As I mentioned, I used to be in a performing company with other dancers, before I went out on my own as a teacher/soloist. Here is a clip of my former troupemates. If you can, click the thing under the screen, to watch it in high quality, and click the thing to make it full sized on your screen.
Well...I wouldn't say that it is EASY. It depends on what you are doing...and, like any art form, there is tons more to it than you would learn from a single session. You can dance for 20 years and still not know or master everything. There is much more to it than hip shimmies and snake arms.
For instance, once I mastered the basic moves, I moved on to more advanced moves. Once I was adept at sword balancing, then I moved on to doing more advanced moves with the sword balanced. My current thing that I am trying to master, is sword balancing while the end of the sword is on fire.
You can keep advancing, just like someone who starts out exercising with 2 pound weights can eventually be bench pressing their husband.
BTW-I wanted to give "props" to my former troupemates. As I mentioned, I used to be in a performing company with other dancers, before I went out on my own as a teacher/soloist. Here is a clip of my former troupemates. If you can, click the thing under the screen, to watch it in high quality, and click the thing to make it full sized on your screen.
Aphil - Are you in that video? It looks like so much fun!! Do you have any videos of your dances? I'd LOVE to see you in action! That sword balancing thing sounds AWESOME!!
That was a cool video. I can't imagine me ever being so bendy or exposing my belly, but it looks like fun.
There's a place that offers lessons near me. The fall ones have already started, but they'll do new ones in the winter, I think. The idea of going and dancing in front of other people is intimidating, especially being so big.
Aphil - Are you in that video? It looks like so much fun!! Do you have any videos of your dances? I'd LOVE to see you in action! That sword balancing thing sounds AWESOME!!
I am not in that one in particular. I was with that particular performing company for four years, from 2003-2006, and that video was in 2007. I was THERE, though, just not performing with them at the time. I left that particular group when we relocated.
Like I said, I have tons of videos and dvds...I just don't know how to get them onto the computer.
Ufi, I don't think you're that big and you're on your way down. Besides, it's your choice to show your belly or not. You can cover up while taking lessons. And maybe one day you'll feel comfy showing your middle.
I found this clip on YouTube of the Shimmy tv show...and I have a question...do they actually INSTRUCT you on how to do these movements??
Yes. They give you instructions on how to do the movements first and then slowly add on things. I LOVE doing The Shimmy. At the end of the show all the dancers go on and do a freestyle and encourage us to do so as well. I'd LOVE to learn to do this professionally! It makes me feel so sexy!
Ufi, I don't think you're that big and you're on your way down. Besides, it's your choice to show your belly or not. You can cover up while taking lessons. And maybe one day you'll feel comfy showing your middle.
Actually, many styles of professional belly dance costumes do NOT show your middle. There are many folkloric costumes and baladi dresses that don't show the midriff at all. The midriff baring costumes (the fancy bra and belt sets) actually came into play when the dance came to America.
I'll have to take a look at Shimmy and see if it's any good or not. I haven't formed an opinion on it yet, having not seen the instruction.
At the end of the show all the dancers go on and do a freestyle and encourage us to do so as well. I'd LOVE to learn to do this professionally! It makes me feel so sexy!
