Level 3.4, 5, 6 Catch-Up!

It has been a busy busy month. I think for the first time since I've started dancing, it has taken a backseat to other things going on in my mind. 18 weeks pregnant, looking for a house to buy, and dozens of other little things taking up my thoughts and energy. Feel free to check out my baby blog for more pregnancy talk!

Level three. In the past 3 weeks, we've learned Chico 4 Corners and the partner pass, the Water Pot, Wet Dog, Reverse Shimmy, and ASWAT Fade and Circle. It has been challenging to say the least! My favourite out of these moves is probably the Water Pot. Least favourite is the ASWAT Circle - not because it isn't beautiful. I just find it so confusing! That one will definitely need some practice.

Reverse Shimmy is a funny one because I can't do it. Period. Haha. I'll keep trying though I promise. Right now I'm trying to do a Reverse Taxeem and add that shimmy-wiggle to it. If anyone has any other tricks for learning it please let me know! Surprisingly it has a very different feel from the normal ATS Shimmy. You'd think turning up-down-up into down-up-down wouldn't look any different, but when my dance teacher first showed us she reminded me of a flittering fairy! It's very light and bouncy, whereas the regular Shimmy seems more earthy and solid - in my opinion at least.

Chico 4 Corners is fun and energetic. When we learned the partner pass and danced in pairs for about 3 songs straight I don't think I've ever smiled so much at dance! It was such fun. You know that fun moment when you're dancing in a group and the leader turns around and surprises you? There's that second of cheeky giddiness and then you smile and circle into the next position. That's what dancing in pairs is like - but it goes on the whole time! It's interesting too how the chemistry changes a bit depending on you dance with.

Well, Level Three is officially halfway over! I can't wait to start again in January and have more people in the class. After having an overview of all the moves it will be great to really develop them and get them into my head, and more importantly, muscle memory. Hopefully my growing belly doesn't make me too clumsy or unstable!

Question - what's your favourite and least favourite move in level three?

Have a great day everyone :)

Rest.

Our world is fast paced. Things to do, people to see, places to go. People boast to each other about how busy they are, how many important things they have to do in a day. Does anyone ever just sit in quiet? I think some people forget what that even sounds like. Between radio, computers, TV, cell-phones, there is a constant bombardment of marketing and entertainment vying for our attention. You have to consider that perhaps this self-perpetuated soundtrack to our lives may not be entirely beneficial.

My life has been overwhelming lately. Having my first baby, having to move - maybe even buy our first home. Level three, though it is a joy, does add to the stress. There's work, friends, family, appointments and obligations. Then of course there a million other things each day that demand our attention. Sometimes, we know we just need some rest.

The thing we need to know, is that it's okay. We don't have to feel guilty. We're allowed to rest.

Maybe you work a stressful job, or you're a busy mother, or you're just going through a hectic time where life seems to be moving so fast that you can't keep up. Whatever it may be, sometimes the most valuable time you spend can be a time in quiet, in rest. This may be a weekend away, an evening to yourself, or even just a few minutes in the shower where you can take a moment to breathe. Obviously how long you take depends on your obligations, but even the shortest break can do wonders for your spirit - and therefore for those around you as well.

Here are some ideas for your mini get-away:

• Turn off the car radio and just drive in silence for a while.
• Go into another room, even the bathroom, and take a few minutes to just breathe.
• Wake up before everyone else in your home and take some time to read, meditate, or write.
• Look at your schedule, at obligations you said yes to when you wanted to say no. Clear some of them out - and don't let yourself feel guilty.
• Tell Daddy he's in charge for a while, lock yourself in the bathroom and enjoy a long steamy bath and glass of wine.
• Stop at a park on your way home, and if you have time, take a walk around.
• If you have the babysitters/time/money book yourself a hotel for a night. Enjoy a full 24 hours alone with your thoughts and whatever you enjoy most.

Though I don't do it as often as I'd like, I'm a huge advocate for meditation. Regardless of your beliefs, it can be a great tool to lead a less stressful life and be a more peaceful person. Here is a link to a website I like that provides guided meditations. Some are short, some are longer, depending on how much time you have and what you'd like to focus on. Click here to go to The Meditation Room.

Enjoy whatever rest you give yourself, and return to your life and the ones you love with a refreshed spirit! :)

Level 3.3 Arabic Hip Twist Flourish and Wrap-Around Turn

  Well let's be honest, yesterday was a rough day. The cliche's of pregnancy stuck me one after another with everything from nausea to exhaustion to crazy mood swings to heartburn. Needless to say, I wanted to go home and sleep after work. (Which, to make matters worse, ended at 7 in the evening). I had no energy to practice any Doubleback on my lunch, and I wondered if I'd be able to do it at all in class. Of course, I still had to go. I'd have to be close to dying before I'd miss a class. Ha!

Everybody is always so happy and positive in class, I felt a bit better immediately. We went into warm-up and I messed up a simple step-touch excercise. Uh oh... I really hoped that wasn't a sign of things to come. Puja was calming as always, and then we began dancing. The great thing about it is you can't think anymore. You just have to dance. Before I knew it my teacher had cued the Doubleback. My feet started going right away and though my arms were a sloppy for a few beats they remembered by the time she changed the move again. That's pretty much how it was the rest of the night, maybe a little sloppy, but my feet and hips moved before I even knew what was happening! Way better than I thought it would be. Egyptian Full Turn has been going well, and Reshamka is fun. Fading is still very intimidating for me but I'm sure it'll get better as we practice more.

New move number one - Arabic Hip Twist Flourish. This one is very straightforward! Cue with a gaze on 1, complete the hip twist to 4, then do a spin for 4 counts with arms raised. Needs a bit of practice to be smoother, but just like the Egyptian half-turn it has a very clear cue and very simply addition to a move I already know. (Much appreciated after the Doubleback brain-splosion of last week!)

The second new move is one I think I'm falling in love with. A slow move called the Wrap-Around Turn. In my opinion it is a very plain, understated, even misleading name for such a beautiful move. Regardless, this slow turn is Flamenco influenced and very elegant. It has 'feelings' - which is a new concept my dance teacher is introducing as a popular one in Level 3.

This gorgeous painting of a Flamenco dancer is by Fabian Perez.  I love how he conveys the strength in her arms - the same tension we should have in 'Part 2' of the Wrap-Around Turn.

The Wrap-Around Turn begins with the feeling of 'gathering'. The left arm sits behind the back as the right arm slides in front, dramatically pulling the audience in towards yourself. The second feeling is 'tension'. The move turns around and weight sinks coyly into the right hip. Hands do a reverse floreo to the sides and then rise - with said 'tension'. The head is turned slightly to the left, giving the audience a mysterious bit of profile to admire. Then lastly, the feeling is 'release' as the dancer completes a Corkscrew Turn spin all the way back to the front. The Wrap-Around Turn is mysterious, dramatic and magnetic. Beautiful. I can't wait to improve at this one and perform it with confidence!

* By the way, my dance teacher was recently in Oregon for training from Carolena and she purchased the book 'Tribal Talk'. She's been meaning to get it for a long time and now that she has it she wondered why she waited so long! Fat Chance Belly Dance used to have a newsletter and 'Tribal Talk' is full of the best (and still relevant) articles. Here is a link if you want to take a peek: Tribal Talk

Your Only Impulse Should Be to Dance!

   A few weeks ago I found an interesting video on Ted Talks. Benjamin Zander is a conductor, speaker, and leading interpreter of Beethoven and Mahler. In this talk he speaks about the love of his life, classical music. He explains how a student of piano progresses from novice to intermediate, and how it comes through in the music.

   The video is just over 20 minutes long, so if you don't have time, the part i'm referring to is 1:00 until about 3:30 - if you can, the entire Ted Talk is worth the watch.

You can watch it from YouTube in the player above, or click >Here< to go to the original Ted Talk page.

   Zander notes how the learning of a skill progresses. The novice puts an impulse, an emphasis or concentration if you will, on every key. They have to think about each note as a separate entity. As their skill increases, they don't have to think so much about each note - their fingers know where to go and the emphasis is on fewer notes. Finally they become so proficient that they place even emphasis on an entire phrase of notes - one impulse for an entire stretch of music. This is where the magic happens! The notes are smooth, beautifully running into one another with no hesitation.

   This idea of impulses can be applied to dance as well. A beginner concentrates on each facet of each move, and you can see it in their bodies - the concentration as they move between each motion. There's nothing wrong of course, this is just the start and I'm sure we all looked a little jerky and robotic in the very beginning. However, when you look at a professional dancer - Carolena Nericcio, Rachel Brice, etc - you will see no impulse, no jerky hesitant movements. Their motions run gracefully together in a stream of dance.

   You can see this easily when you watch videos of Fat Chance Belly Dance, and other extremely skilled troupes as well. Why do they seem so graceful? So in sync and smooth?  Other troupes may do the exact same movements, but you cannot deny the certain 'je ne sais quoi' that FCBD possesses. Well, now you do know what - they have so few impulses. Their skill has grown so great that they are playing their instrument with only one impulse.

   Let me give you another example. The Reverse Turn in ATS. It is a slow move, and there are 5 basic motions within the move. 1 - Floreos above the head. 2 - The right hand moves down and both hands floreo. Gaze cues the turn. 3 - Both hands do a floreo as the body turns. 4 - Hands floreo to each side of the body. 5 - Right hand moves up as hands floreo once more.

   When I learned this move, I did each part as if it was a separate move. I was doing the move, yes, but robotically. Now that I've improved, most of the move has smoothed out. I'd honestly guess I have maybe 2 or 3 impulses on the move now - the first floreos flow easily together, the turn I still have to focus on, and then the last two floreos flow together. My dance teacher, on the other hand, has one impulse on the entire move. Each motion flows into the next without the need for concentration. We do the same move, but because her practice and skill has so minimized her impulses, she looks a hundred times more graceful than I.

   Here is a video of Carolena dancing slow. Notice how she moves without any pause or hesitation. She is dancing on one impulse, as we should all aspire to. There is a Reverse Turn at 0:40. Enjoy the video :)

 

This Belly Dancer Has Big Belly News!!!

Hey everyone! So it's finally time to share my little secret...

I'm having a baby!

So my belly dancing is going to turn into big baby belly dancing!! :) The little one is due on March 27, which makes me just over 3 months along. My man and I are very excited. This is our first child and the first grandchild on both sides as well! :)

I hope this may shed some light on my lack of posts and tutorials over the month of August - I was exhausted! Literally aside from work, sleep, eating and dance class I was a lump on the couch. I was lucky and didn't have any 'morning sickness' persay but all day nausea was just about as bad!! Luckily that is gone now and I'm feeling much better.

Now obviously this is a dance blog, so I'm only going to be talking about my pregnancy as it impacts my dancing. However if you are interested in following my progress, you're welcome to follow or check up on my pregnancy blog - Baby Adventures. I'll put a link at the top of the sidebar as well.

Thank-you for all your support. If you have any dancing-through-pregnancy advice I'm all ears - or questions too, maybe I'll be able to answer them eventually! Have a wonderful day!

Love,

Chella & Baby

Tutorial: Hair Flower

Flowers are beautiful to wear in your hair for dance, and for everyday as well. You can buy them in stores, but I find they're either really cheap (and really scruffy looking) or beautiful - and really pricey. Here is an easy way to make them yourself! Even better, it gives you a very sturdy hair flower, so it won't fall off after the first wear! ;)

You will need:

• Flowers
• Fabric
• Large bobby pins
• Glue gun and glue
• Scissors
• Sparkles and white glue (optional)

Step One:

Cut fabric to be a backing. The flowers I used had three main petals, so a triangle shape worked well. Depending on the shape of your flower you can use a square pattern instead. The brown piece of fabric (you can see the white reverse of it) is stronger, so it'll be the main backing. The pink will overlap in the back, so it has to have enough to fold over.

Here are some patterns to give you an idea - the red line shows you where to cut to be able to fold the fabric over the bobby pin.



Step Two:

As above, you will fix the backing onto the bobby pin. In picture one the pink is slid into place. In picture two you can see I've used the hot glue gun to keep it sturdy. In picture 3 I've glued the brown to the bobby pin and pink fabric. In picture 4 and 5 you can see I spread glue on the top and folded over the pink. Picture 6 shows the final base - secure and tidy looking.

Step Three:

Glue the flower on! You can wear it already, but I wanted to add a little extra sparkle to my flowers.

I used plain white glue and 'Crystal Snow' sparkles, both from Michaels. Put a line of glue wherever you want the flower to glisten. I just did the edges and very middle of each flower. Sprinkle the sparklies over your flower and shake the excess off. (Make sure to do this over paper so you can collect the extra and use them for the next flower!) Then just let them dry - and voila!

Below you can see how the flower looks before and after the glue dries. I love the extra shimmer!

Hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! If you have any requests let me know! :)



Level 3.2 Arabic 1-2-3 and Double Back

Yesterday leading up to dance was not fun. Long long day at work, on the late shift, and I ended up staying even later as I was still dealing with a client! (I work at a travel agency). Anyways by the time I got to class I was tired, hungry, and in a bit of a foul mood! Luckily warm-up and puja helped calm me a bit, at least enough to focus on the tasks at hand.

Arabic 1-2-3 is fairly straightforward. Cue an arabic, bring arms to the sides and take two steps forward, then level down with three chest drops.  My brain fully comprehends this. My body however needs to learn to do the chest drops purposely and sharply. In ATS I have been used to chest lifts - and really the drop should come naturally after that - but this will definetly take some slow-mo practice! I'm excited to learn to isolate my chest better though. It always amazes me in tribal fusion how they can isolate their muscles so well and then layer the different isolations.

Then came the Double Back. My dance teacher was very kind and built up the move slowly, feet first. Then hips, and the two came together more easily than I expected. Once she brought in the arms, my brain was getting overwhelmed. Then she let us know that this is the other move where we perform military pattern on the zills! I love military pattern, any more intricate zill pattern gets me all excited - but all the components together seemed like insanity!

As long as I could watch my teacher I was fine. I've realised I'm an extremely visual learner and if I just watch her, I can almost imagine that I am her and her motions become my motions - I think this takes away from the logical thinking that I'm so bad at and lets my body learn more naturally. I knew though, that as soon as the pace quickened or we had to start on our own, things were going to get very tricky. We all attempted it in the group, and even though my mind was saying "heeeell no" I did give it a go. I got it maybe a couple times during the entire song haha. 

This one is going to take A LOT of practice. Of course, like any of the really difficult ATS moves - it is beautiful. I can't wait for the moment it finally 'clicks'!

I do have good news too though! After practicing, Reshamka and the Egyptian Full-Turn came a lot easier in class this week. Can't wait to feel the same way about this weeks moves! :)