What is the date and location of GenCon this year? I have been so busy making things and working out, that I haven't checked. You are free to pm me about the con stuff since it is very likely we will get off topic. ;)
My Valentine's day present came yesterday from my husband. He ordered me a SWEET tribal style hip belt. It is made up of a black braided rope type of material, and it has cowry shells woven into the belt all around, and there are silver bells and authentic old silver colored middle eastern coins hanging all along the bottom. It also has small cowry shells and bells hanging from the ties. It is VERY COOL, and pretty heavy for the size. I have some stuff like hip scarves and such withe the fake costume type coins on it-but I wanted something authentic and old looking for my tribal costume. :D For my more "mainstream" bellydance costume, he ordered me a pair of sheer black harem pants, and a black velvet hip scarf with silver coins-the lesser expensive brighter type of coins that are on most hip scarves. It was like Christmas when the mail came. :lol: Although, unless I get a solid color skirt, or a much more toned rear end-I don't think I am going to be wearing the sheer see through pants for anyone but him! :lol:
I am counting the days until my class starts! (4) I am really excited!
I am also really interested in hearing about all of everyone's progress-what moves are their favorites, what they are learning now in class or video-what move if any they are having trouble with, and what cool little trinkets they may be buying! Speak up everyone!
The move I am having trouble with is shimmies. I am getting faster, but it is hard for me to keep a steady rhythm going for a while. They are fun though! I am also having a bit of trouble with belly rolls! (these are only taught in a few videos out there-not in any of the Veena and Neena videos I have) if anyone has any helpful hints or suggestions, I would be glad to hear it-and I would be glad to help out with any moves anyone else has trouble with that I can do more easily.
Amy

Aphil- Gencon is being held in Indiannapolis this year at the same convention centre that the Star Wars Celebration was at.
I think the dates are on the 3rd or 4th week in July but I will have to check on that and get back to you and will PM you on that.

Back to Belly dancing! :lol: The move I have the most trouble with is the "Camel". It has become my nemesis move :mad: I will conquer it someday soon :)

One of my fave moves is in the veil work where you are holding your veil above your head so that it drapes in front of your face and you only see your nose and eyes-very cheeky and come hither ;) Chest cirlces are fun too but a bit tough - I should have abs of steel in a few months :lol:

Aphil, your belt sounds gorgeous! What a great gift from your DH!

What music does everyone listen/practice to? I am always on the look out for new music and would appreciate any sugestions.

One of my favorite artists is Natacha Atlas.

Hello everyone!
I am counting the hours-my class starts tomorrow night! :D
Some of my favorite music to practice to at home...hmmm....well, I have the cd Bellydance Superstars-the one of performance music chosen by bellydance stars like Veena and Neena, Rania, etc. and there is a song I really like called "Drum Solo" on that disc. There are a few others I like on there too.
I also like the cd from the Goddess Workout by Dolphina. The cd is all of the music from the workout. It isn't real exciting, no big tempo changes or riveting drum solos-but smooth, even tribal beats in most of the tracks...really good when you need a steady tempo to practice moves with at home that you are trying to master...I also like the cd that goes with the Fat Chance Belly Dance instruction videos...because of the same thing. You can pick it up at www.fcbd.com.
If you need something "funky" I like Oojami. It is more like bellydance music given to a rave techno deejay.
As far as practicing to "regular music" some songs that I think have great beats for bellydance is No Doubt's "Hellagood" and a lot of stuff by Shakira.
BTW...yeah...the camel. I would have to say that while I am having trouble with shimmies...I like to do them more than the camel. Nemesis move is right! :lol:
Aphil

went to my first class... lots of fun
 

Hello Ladies, thought I'd let everyone know that I just attended my first bellydancing class and it was alot of fun...hard work - yes, but fun.

I was so worried about my weight (211) so I called the instructor and she reassured me that anyone who can move, can do this. When I went to the class, it was true . About 25 women all sizes, shapes, and ages came together. All of us beginners so there was alot of laughs.

I decided to take the class because it was something I've always wanted to do and the local college offered it.

I encourage everyone who is interested in taking a class to just do it!!

rejoicee-
I was exactly 211 pounds just a few months ago in August...do not be self conscious-just learn all you can in your lessons and have a great time with all of your new friends in class. Bellydance is a great exercise-if you continue to take class and practice at home...your weight will start to come off before you know it. I am so glad you have joined us!
Amy-Aphil

Hello everyone!
My first class went very well Tuesday night! We have a large class-about 20-25 ladies-and there were alla ges, shapes, races, and sizes.
Our first class consisted of sort of an orientation of what we will be learning in the 14 week class-she had it laid out very nicely. What I really liked was that instead of just throwing on a cd and teaching us some moves, she is teaching us different aspects of the dance-like in this 14 week beginners class, we will be learning 3 different common Middle Eastern dance rhythms, basic veilwork, and moves that go well with each of the 3 rhythms we are learning. Since I have a lot of videos and use them a lot, I know a lot fof the moves we will be learning-so it is nice to know that I will be learning other things as well.
The first class, and our next-we are learning the "beledi" rhythm and some moves to go with it. She took out a tribal drum and played it for us, and then played a couple of beledi songs while we learned the moves. I thought that this way of teaching will really help you later when trying to choreograph routine of your own, etc. We did some basic warm-ups for bellydancing, and did large hip circles, 3/4 shimmies, and basic Egyptian. Basic Egyptian is actually one of the moves I have a little trouble with-wouldn't you know that would be one of her first to teach! :lol: I love 3/4 shimmies though! We also worked on the basic bellydance posture/stance before we learned the moves, and I was so happy-when she told us all what to do and walked around the class-I didn't get corrected! :D I also found that I was able to hold the basic posture and do 3/4 shimmies and arm warm-ups longer than some of the thinner girls...I will chalk that up to my practicing and weight training. It is good to know that even though I may be heavier, I had more stamina and better posture. :D
We will be starting "bolero" music and veilwork in weeks 3 and 4 of class. Yay!
Aphil

Hey Rejoicee- good for you! Sounds like you had a lot of fun! I have women of different ages and sizes in my class as well. I think that it is one of the great things about belly dancing -anyone can do it :) and I don't feel as self concious as I do at the gym.

Aphil- your class sounds great - I love doing veil work. One time my class ( this one time at belly dance camp...:lol: ) was doing a free form dance with zills and we all ended up in a cirle facing each other- it was amazing how our energies just played off each other! Very empowering!

I have started doing the Neena and Veena tapes again, I had forgotten how good I felt after doing them :)

"this one time at belly dance camp...." :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
That was just what I needed first thing in the morning.
I may have a vendor opportunity dealing with bellydance! A friend of mine does gorgeous tie-dyeing-and wouldn't you know it, on silk fabric...well, she has made some of the most gorgeous silk bellydance veils I have ever seen. She is making one up for me in greens and teals-and I am taking it to class when it is done-and if my teacher approves, she said I am welcome to offer them to sale in my class, and permission to go to her more advanced classes and troupe and offer them as well-and at the haflas we have twice a year. It is sortof a joint project-she is doing the dyeing, and I will be doing the rolled hem around the edges.
My veil I have now is chiffon, and they are nice, but silk veils are the best.They are so light, and they ripple in the air when you move, almost like they defy gravity-and to get tie-dyed ones at a decent price is almost unheard of. Every website I have seen has them at $60 plus...plain silk veils average at $30 plus...but they are SO dreamy...if anyone wants to see pics of mine or any info on them you can pm me...since we are not allowed to get into that here on 3FC. I can't wait to dance with mine...it is SO gorgeous. It has dark forest green at one edge, and a darker teal at the other edge, and a lighter pale blue in the middle...it is so beautiful. YUM.
We start zills in the next 14 week course-I think it is called "continuing bellydance", and then after that is the intermediate course, and then the advanced/performance type course-and then I guess if you are good enough she can have you join the troupe. You can continue to take the advanced course as long as you like if you are not a troupe member, because you do choreography to different songs, and it is not always the same old setup like in the basics course to teach you in the beginning.
I did my basic dance Veena and Neena tape yesterday...and my 4 year old daughter was hiding back behind me doing it as well-I could see her in the reflection of the glass door in the entertainment center. She actually did well with a few of the moves for being 4! I may have to start teaching her some moves in a year or so...and make her a min-veil-like 2 yards or something like that. :)
Well, I best get out of here-I need to have breakfast and get my exercise in!
Amy
ps-mauvais-Jason got his stormtrooper armor kit in this week!

Hello!
Welcome KimmyKat! Since you mentioned videos at the library-I do have a suggestion to newbies doing videos-do NOT rent or buy "Bellydancing for Fun and Fitness" by Janine Rabbitt! I have this video, and have also read a lot of reviews on it. Janine is a very sweet lady who really loves bellydance, but she has bad form-feet too far apart, bad posture-slouching, and her arm movements are VERY stiff-not flowing. If you already know how to bellydance, you can pick out a few good points in this vidoe, such as basic zills playing and veil-but for a beginner I am afraid that someone might copy her movements and posture-which are terrible.
I have lost 3 pounds this past week! :cb:
I have been doing my regular workout schedule-2 days of strength training, 1 day of Pilates, 2 days of yoga, and 2 days of bellydancing-one at home, and one in class-BUT-I have added about 10-15 minutes of "freestyle" bellydance on my non-dance days...I just play some Middle Eastern or drum music for about 3 songs-and just practice movements from class and shimmies, etc. to the music. It is really burning the butter!
As sensual and free as I feel when I dance...this is a fabulous exercise-let's not forget that!
Aphil

Hi!
My second class on Tuesday night went well...we still used to beledi rhythm, practiced some more on our basic Egyptian move, and added in the 3/4 shimmy-in both tribal style and cabaret/egyptian style. We also started working on some basic choo-choos to the side, and camels/basic Arabic...ugh. Mauvais-I can totally understand your "unlove" for the camels...The feet I can get...it is getting the little undulation in there WHILE I am doing the feet. :lol:
This next week we are starting veilwork...with a bolero rhythm. Yippee...I can't wait. I have a great black chiffon veil with silver metallic stripes, and a great silk veil with green/teal tie dye...which do I want to try first?!! I can't decide!
I did the Veena and Neena fitness Basic Moves today for practice-it is the easiest of all my videos...I wanted to take it a bit easy today, as I have MAJOR cramps. :^:
I found another great site for some costumes and accessories...it is www.dahlal.com. They have an awesome selection of hip scarves, zils, swords, etc. and they have some awesome full performance costumes-from more demure dance dresses that cover more, to the fancy beaded bra tops and matching accessories...they even have a section of plus sized costumes. Even if you never plan on performing, it is nice to take a look through them and drool. :lol:
Aphil

Hi!!

I peeked in a while back when this thread was just starting and became very interested in Bellydance videos. Today I was in Target to buy my Miss Meringe cookies and decided to look at videos. I picked up the 'Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Basic Moves' by Veena and Neena. I am looking forward to trying it. I love doing my Walk Away the Pounds tapes but I also want a little variety and I think the tape is just what I need :-)! Thanks for starting this thread. DM

Can't wait to try this myself!
 

Hi all, I just read some of the posts on this forum and decided to go online to one of the websites and order the neena veena basic tape to try. You all make it sound great!

I also did a search and found classes with the community like someone above mentioned that are 8 weeks, under a mile away from me for 20 bucks! The only problem is they start Monday and I'm afraid the class is already full...but I will call MOnday.

I too need some variety. I usually walk outside, and just started the WATP video (2 miles). It'd be nice to do this class on Monday nites tho, and all of you seem to like the videos.

I usually post on Fresh Start but will be checking in here from time to time too.

Thanks for the thread! :wave:

Hello everyone!
Welcome all of the newbies! I am glad that this thread is starting to get such interest! I truly think that the Basic Moves tape by Veena and Neena is the perfect introsuction to bellydance for quite a few reasons...it isn't TOO difficult, it teaches a few basic dance moves, and the rest is exercises that strenghten the muscles used in bellydance, and it teaches isolations/single movements that will help you learn how to control your body movement in ways you are not used to.
Bellydance is a dance of control, and sometimes it may feel akward to move your chest or hips in a way that you do not normally-with the isolated moves in this video, it is getting you used to moving this way-so when you advance in videos, or start a class-you understand the moves more and already are used to the feeling of that type of movement.
My class starts veilwork on Tuesday, and I am really excited about it!
Aphil

Welcome Daisy and Holli :wave:

I have the Neena and Veena videos too, although they are more fitness tapes than dance, I really enjoy the workout.

You said it Aphil! the key word is control :lol: But when you do get that control - darn it feels good:D

Speaking of which we were practicing the "camel" move in my class this week as well as chest undulations and belly rolls - I will have abs of steel by the end of this! I went out on Saturday afternoon to buy a cropped top so I could actually see where my muscles (or where they are supposed to be :rolleyes: ) are supposed to be moving. I usually wear a t-shirt at class but found that I couldn't quite get the moves down and thought that actually being able to see my belly and rib cage might help me figure out the movements better.

You will love the veil work, it feels amazing! It is one of my favorite parts of dancing.

HI!

Did the Basic Moves this morning. I like it, it works several parts of my body. It will take a long time before I am very good at bellydancing but thats OK with me.

Its kind of funny, I was following along with the tape, doing what I could and then they are going to the floor and I thought 'What type of bellydancing do you do on the floor?' but it was already time to doing the stretching at the end, the time went so fast.

I plan on switching between this tape and my 2 mile Walk Away the Pounds tape. DM

Hello everyone!
I made it to the 30 pound loss mark this morning! Wow...30 pounds of me totally gone now!
Mauvaisroux-didn't you say a while back that you had a leopard print hip scarf? I have come across something rather FABULOUS-I think there is a possibility you may be interested in it. pm me and I'll tell you about it. :D
I have the same "unwillingness" as of yet to wear a choli in class, but rather than wear a t-shirt, I wear a dance leotard with some low rise stretchy athletic pants over it. They are kindof like leggings, but lower on the hip and the legs flare a bit. The top is so that my tummy is covered and it holds it in a bit, but tight enough so that the teacher can see my ribcage and I can see myself in the mirror a little better. It helps. Check out any online dance supply place for a basic one, or maybe one of those stretchy type tank tops.
Aphil

Congratulations on the 30 lbs Aphil! :cp: :hat: that is amazing!

:chin: I don't know why I feel so self conscious about wearing a crop top in class, there are women there bigger than me who do. :shrug: I guess it is because I am just used to hiding in my clothes to cover the bits I am not happy with and old habits die hard. But I bought that top and now I am gonna wear it! :)

What is a "choli"?

DaisyMaisy- sometimes in my class we go down on one knee on the floor or kneel on both knees and shimmee our sholders back down to the floor until the back of our heads touch the floor but that's all I have done regarding floor work.

Holli- did you manage to get in to that class?

A choli is a half top, usually form fitting at least around the ribcage (so it won't come up when you move) for bellydance. If you go to some online bellydance shops it will usually describe these half tops as a "choli." There are different styles, some are stretchy like stretch velvet or cotton/lycra that you can pull on over your head, and others like for the popular tribal style costume, have a completely open back-you put your arms through and it ties around your neck and in the back like a string bikini.
We did veilwork in class last night-basic veil moves and then "barrel rolls" with partners and two veils. They are really pretty when executed correctly. We also worked on figure-8 hips, and reviewed moves taught in earlier classes-and did a little bit of choreography with the veil moves and other moves that we had learned earlier.
I came home from class and showed my 4 year old daughter my veil moves-she LOVED it.
My teacher is having me help with making her troupe costumes-she is wanting a wrap closure choli, with 3/4 length sleeves, and a sheer chiffon flounce at the end of the sleeves, and a straight stretch velvet skirt with slits on either side right above the knee-plus a hip scarf-all in jewel tones like wine, navy, forest green, etc.
Oh BTW-another pound down now-31 gone!
Aphil

Hello,

Well, I did not get into the class, but I think I will try for the next one. I did check out the Neena Veena tapes from the Library, (still waiting for the basic I ordered to come in.) I liked the basic one. It's the only one I've had time to watch so far. It is indeed a little awkward. I think I might like trying this first on my own before trying the classes. I'm gonna try to really get into this weekend and am pretty excited about it!

Are those tops yall are talking about like the onces the twins wear in the basic video, the purple close fitting crop tops? I like them and was wondering where you'd purchase them.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Hello everyone!

I just found this thread tonight and wanted to say hi. I've been taking classes for 8 months now and I absolutely love it!!! :dancer: I have moved up to the intermediate class (couldn't move up before the end of last year because of our performance) and it is even better now. Totally exhausting, but great!! I had my class on Tuesday and my abs are still sore. We did heaps of camels and belly rolls because our new dance involves a LOT of them. :lol:

I didn't know that there were videos available for bellydancing I'm going to have to see if there are any around here.

I have already learned a fair bit from you ladies and I would like to learn more about bellydancing and its origins, does anyone know any good websites or books?

Aphil - congratulations on the 31 pounds!!! That is awesome!!!

Thanks,
Jayne

Hi everyone!
Welcome newbies! The tops that Veena and Neena wear vary a bit depending on what video it is-in the fitness for beginners series of tapes they wear cropped athletic tops that you could find in a sporting goods store. In the beginning of the Discover Bellydance series-Basic Dance, Beyond Basic Dance, and Mystic Dance-where they introduce themselves-they are wearing a type of costume type bellydance vest. A "choli" is more of a sleeved half top-either with short, long, or 3/4 length sleeves that is either made of a stretchy material like a lycra blend or stretch velvet that you pullover your head, or of a non stretch material that either ties in the back or wraps. The best way to see what I mean is to visit soem bellydance costume or supply websites and see what they have listed as a choli. :)
As far as origins of the dance-I will tell you a little bit. Bellydance never started in the harems as a seductive dance for some sultan. It started out as a dance of celebration for women-usually at a wedding, engagement, birth of a baby, etc. Men and women traditoinally held their own celebrations for these events in same sex groups-so it was a dance the women did together. Some say it actually started as a dance for an expecting mother. It was supposed to help the women have an easy labor and delivery. In some places it has been considered sacred and men are not allowed to touch a woman dancing.
There are two main separations of bellydance-what is usually called "Cabaret" or the more traditional Middle Eastern style of oriental dance, or what developed in the 1960's called "American Tribal Style" bellydance. Veena and Neena do the traditional style of cabaret, which is usually done with a single performer-or in their case together-and they wear the traditional type of bellydance costumes. The American Tribal style incorporates bellydance moves with some dance moves from other countries and tribes, and while using the basic naval bearing costume, has incorporated costuming elements that are more tribal or earthy in the look. It was started in the SanFransico area in the 60's, but Carolena Nericcio-a student of the original starter of tribal style, made it more popular with her well know troupe "Fat Chance Belly Dance" in the 1980's-they are still very popular today. Tribal style is also more geared towards women dancing in a group together-and not a single performer.
My teacher teaches what is called "Tribal Fusion" which is a blend of both styles. Her troupe performs both traditional and tribal style routines. My teacher learned from an instructor who learned from the original starter of the tribal style in San Francisco.
You have seen the traditional costumes at the end of the Veena and Neena Videos-if you are unfamiliar with tribal style and want to see their costumes, etc. go to www.fcbd.com and take a look at Fat Chance's website.
As far as buying a choli or bellydance accessories-if you want low cost-try Aliah's closet at www.aliahscloset.com, if you want more of a professional type gear, or some really nice zils, or even a unitard with a see through belly portion for practice or class you can shop at www.dahlal.com-and finally, if you want a china silk veil rather than a basic chiffon, you can either send me a personal message or shop online at www.naharisv.com.
If you want more detailed information on the origins of bellydance, you can go to www.shira.net. She has a lot of great information there!
Have a great day everyone!
Aphil

Cool!
 

Hi ladies!

I'm new to this board but wanted to say "HI" and say thanks for the belly-dancing information.

I have considered this form of cardio before.

How cool!!!

:cb:

Hi Aphil

Thanks so much for the info, I'll be checking out those links.

Jayne :D

Sandy
 

WHERE did you get that picture of me to use as your avatar?:lol:

I "dabbeled" at belly dancing but want to do it "full force" so to speak. I have Veena and Neena tapes but really want more instruction on the belly moves. I too am looking for my muscles !:eek:

At one point in time I found a site where this women "described" what to do but now I can't find it again. Aphil, do you happen to know of such a site?

Do you mean that you are wanting instruction on advanced moves for the belly alone? A lot fo bellydance videos do not teach "belly rolls" because of their difficulty, and the fact that a lot of teachers do not do them well enough to instruct them on video. The video that I would recommend for teaching belly rolls is the basic video by Fat Chance Belly Dance. It is a tribal bellydance video-so it is a different type of dance than Veena and Neena, but Carolena teaches and executes belly rolls very well. If you are wanting to dance full force I would suggest that you try to find an instructor-like I said before, try to look for one at www.shira.net.
If you were not referring to belly rolls-could you describe in a little more detail what website you were talking about, or what moves it is that you are wanting to learn? For gaining more toned muscles, I would reccomend that you dance a few days a week with a class and/or videos, and that you add a weight training routine to your workouts 2x a week like I do. If you need any help, just let me know and I can help you out!
Aphil

Yep - belly rolls.

I live in a rural area - nearest town has 300 people and you can trust me on this - NONE of them belly dance!!!!!

From Veena and Neena I liked where they showed how to drop your hip and raise your hip. I would have never believed the move was different until I did it with them on the video. Otherwise I feel the video I have of theirs is more just an exercise video, which is okay but I was interested in actually learning the belly dancing "moves" and dancing the night away so to speak.

Thanks for your help, Aphil.

Aphil,
 

have you ever heard of Suzanna Del Vecchio and what is your opinion?

LLB-I live in a small town as well, so my class is about a 40 minute drive away-to the nearest bigger city. If you are truly interested in finding an instructor-why don't you pm me with your city and state, and I will see what I can do about finding you a class! ;)
Yes, I have heard of Suzanna Del Vecchio-but I have never seen her perform or a video of hers if she has one. If you have the Veena and Neena Basic Moves Fitness for Beginners video-this IS more of an exercise video-if you want an actual dance video that teaches a bit of choreography, try their Discover Bellydance "Basic Dance" video-this may be more what you have in mind. :D Another video that is great for beginners is called "Magical Motion" by Atea. It is a pretty standard basic bellydance instruction video-showing most basic moves-you may like this one as well.
Aphil

Class was great last night...I actually got up in the front row in class, rather than in the back row. I decided to choose wanting to see my teacher move more closely over modesty! ;)
It was great, we had a vendor from Dahlal International come in after with a ton of hip scarves, etc. and I brought veils, so we all had a little shopping excursion afterwards...nothing like combining two of my loves! :lol:
Aphil

http://www.h2net.net/p/dancersuz/videos.html

This is Suzanna Del Vecchio site. I have to admit I like her "look".

I may invest in one of her video's. I will practice with what I have for awhile first.

These videos are "drill" tapes for more advanced dancers. (Practice tapes for pros) these are videos geared more towards dancers, rather than the general public. I would really recommend that you try to find a class before attempting these-it is really important to get the correct posture down and proper execution of more basic moves. It is very easy to bend you knees wrong, or have your back tilted a bit, and with the more advanced moves comes the possibility of injury-we don't want that. (Right now I am picturing someone on their knees on the floor, lying back with their head on the floor and their knees under them for floorwork, and then not being able to get up!)
I would say practice for a while with the easier ones, gain strength, gain flexibility, and carefully watch posture-I don't actually think Veena and Neena have the best posture. They have their rear end tucked a bit, and their chests lifted, but they don't bend their knees enough and their feet need to be a little closer together at times-even the pros can compromise posture, that is something that is very important for best movement and to avoid injury.
On a lighter note, we are getting patterns ordered, and I am getting measurements for the girls in the troupe, for their new costumes I am making. I will definitely get pics up here when they are finished.
Aphil

Thanks, can't wait for the pictures.:)

HI!

I am not getting time to do the basic moves tape as much as I would like to. The floor work is stretching at the end, the time goes so fast when I am doing the tape. I don't think I will ever be able to shimmy as fast as the twins do but I enjoy doing what I can LOL. DM

PS

I don't have any real exercise clothing so I wear an exercise bra and a pair of pull on knit shorts. I am doing this early in the morning and my feeling is if anyone looks in my window that time of day they deserve to see me in an exercise bra LOL. DM

Shimmies take a while to get...but you will be able to do them after a while no problem! The key with a lot of bellydance moves that can be done at different speeds, is that the faster you do it, the smaller the actual movement becomes. When you do shoulder shimmies in slower motion, you do the shoulder "punches" but when you speed it up the movements are smaller-not going as far forward and back, and smoother-you do them more loosely. Hip shimmies are the same way...when you speed them up, you stay loose, and do not bend/straighten you legs so much-smaller movement, and quicker.
Last week in class we did Chiftatelli rhythm...this week in class we are taking all of our basic moves we have learned thus far and putting them together into a small piece. It will be very basic, but it should be fun. I am really enjoying it all so much...most of my female friends are "online" or long distance-communicating through snail mail, email, and telephone-and it feels great to be making some new friends with a similar interest-as well as doing something that makes me feel beautiful and feel better about my body. :)
Mauvais-since you dabble in sewing a little, I found a resource for a great wrap half top-very easy to make, and it can be used for class or performance, it is at www.darkthreads.com and she has a pattern for an easy wrap top...there is no cutting of a paper pattern! The shapes are very simple, and you just use a sewing marking pencil to draw the shapes right on the fabric with a ruler...pinning the pattern the the fabric is the part I dislike most about sewing anyway...it really cuts that step! It can be altered to fit all sizes...a lot of girls in my school use this pattern, and so far it looks great on everyone!
Well, I need to get going...gotta get the dishes finished and hit the sack...
Aphil
ps-Daisy, I feel exactly the same way...Jason gets mad at me for leaving the blinds open a lot when I exercise, or walk through in a robe-I am not nude, but if someone is windowpeeking-they won't be doing it again after seeing me! :lol:

HI!
Thanks for the helpful comments on the shimmies, I'll try to stay lose.
I must really like belly dancing, I was at work for a couple hours today and I had the radio on pretty loud (good thing I was the only one there), well I was standing up reading and realized I was doing small circles with my hips LOL (very glad I was the only one there). DM

Hi everyone!
I was practicing with my zils/finger cymbals this weekend when the kids were around, and my son (who isn't even 2) later started doing motions with his hands that looked like zil playing when he heard some music on television...it was so cute! :lol:
Daisy, I can totally relate to the dancing when inappropriate...I am also guilty of listening to the radio and picking out songs that are "modern" that would be good to bellydance to-so far I think Hellagood by No Doubt would make a great Tribal fusion dance number...it just has that beat, you know.
I have a new favorite cd...it is called Bellydance Breakbeats-the artists name is Oojami. It is a cd of Middle Eastern and various tribal styled music, pumped up with a techno/raver music type remixes-it is awesome, and makes me think of fire eaters and other exotic things...
Aphil

DaisyMaisy-:lol: too funny about the early morning peekers!

I do the same thing with music. I will be sitting with friends in an Indian restaurant waiting for our food to arrive and listening to the music the Indian music over the pa system and I suddenly find my shoulders shimmying in time to the music and think "Hey this would be great to belly dance to!" :lol: My friends think I am nuts :dizzy:

Aphil- I do the same thing with modern music too! I love the song " I can't stand the rain" by Missy Elliot and belly dance to it! That and Prince's "Seven". Some of the Tea Party's music has a middle eastern flavor to it too and I even managed to do some moves to a Nine Inch Nails song :cool: I have a fun cd called Arabic DJ #10 that I dance to a lot - it has dance remixes of middle eastern and club music.

I accidentaly bought some fabric this weekend :rolleyes: I went shopping after class on Saturday with my dance teacher and another student since there was a big sale on at one of the local stores. Sigh....I haven't even started making my veil with the last lot of fabric I bought. But I did get a beautiful shimmery silver gauze fabric with tiny embroidered vines and leaves on it for $3.74/metre which was originally $18.99/metre so I could not pass it up- and it will go with my purple and silver coin belt :) not that I am sitting here trying to justify my purchases or anything :lol: