Quote:
Originally Posted by ToutDeSuite
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.