Belly Dance Forums

1st Hafla question (and jitters!)

Taslin — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:06:50 GMT

So i will be attending my first ever hafla. Even after all the workshops ive attended work prevented me from attending the performances/shows/parties for those events, so i have alot of questions.

I messaged my instructor of course but i figured if im this stressed that a thread could help other newbies get the 411.

So do you gals and guys wear your costumes to and during the hafla? Do you change once in them? what is more common? Do you wear cover ups to the venue and then after opt to change to street clothes?

Im performing. Id obviously wear street clothes otherwise-oh wait this hafla has an open dance floor at some point?

So what do y'all do as far as clothing/changing for haflas.

I dont have a cover-up but i am going to scour a thrift store right now for an appropriate cover.

thanks in advance for any feedback

Greetings from a Newbie

UnusualOleander — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:47:37 GMT

Hello everybody! My name is MJ!

I'm a new member on this site, looking forward to chatting with and learning from you talented belly dancers! :D

I've only just started belly dancing, but have been dancing since I was 2 years old (ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, and various types of ballroom). I'm very passionate about dance, and most other art forms as well. It is a dream of mine to perform this graceful, sensual type of dance. I'd be very grateful for advice or suggestions any of you have to offer!

I'm real excited that I joined this forum! Can't wait to hear back from y'all!

-MJ

Bellydance Superstars in London

Crow — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:41:44 GMT

Hi again,

Hayaam is the London organiser of the Bellydance Superstars' Club Bellydance. There will be dancers from the London area (including my beaultiful wife :) ) in the first half of the show, and members of the Bellydance Superstars in the second half.

For more information, please go to her page - www.hayaam.com

I'll be once again helping out, this time in the merchandising stand!

Hope to see you there!

Soon.....! EEEEKKK!!!!

Indigo Shimmer — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:30:46 GMT

Well, my beginner class has been practicing a routine to perform for the public
since October. We now have all the steps together for the whole song and we're just working on polishing and tightening up the performance. Date for our first performance is June 15th and I'm starting to get nervous. My hubby will be there, some people and clients from where I work will be there and my parents are taking the train from Vermont to Pa. to attend along with other family members. AND I will be baring my much more than washboard belly. Right. NO PRESSURE!!!!!:shok: I actually think I'd be less nervous performing in front of a bunch of other belly dancers than my own family and friends! I KNOW how you guys react to newbies! My family also doesn't know that ideal belly dancer body frame is ANYTHING from tall to short, thin to----"woman of substance" like me. And I'm in front right next to the teacher!!!! Yeah, NO PRESSURE AT ALL!!!!!

What was I thinking????? Its too late to run, right?

Indigo S.

favorite baladis

Ahava_Melantha — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:13:15 GMT

right now I am hooked on baladi and so i thought it wud be cool if we could all post some our favorite baladi performances here.

now I just have to learn how to post youtube videos, :lol:

New professional costume Love Story for sale

Sekhmet — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:09:38 GMT

Cup (B or C)
Skirt:105 cm
Stretched: max 110 cm
under bust: max 80 cm
price 400 USD
Postage at the expense of the buyer
Delivery of 10-15 days

I'm back again!

maylynn — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:19:44 GMT

Hi everyone!

I'm back on the forums after another long hiatus. The first hiatus was when I moved from Canada to the UK. Now after 6 years in London I've moved to Sydney, Australia 6 months ago and am loving it.

Now that I've settled in I'm going to start revving up my dance life again and am looking forward to it. Today I just changed my domain name and am starting a website revamp - first steps!

I had a fantastic time dancing and teaching professionally in London (more on that later!) but am loving the Sydney lifestyle and am keen to meet dancers in this area. I remember some of you were on the forum before - if you'd like to meet up, drop me a note!

Looking forward to being a part of the BDF community again!

x
Maylynn

sheer blue knit

Ahava_Melantha — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:54:30 GMT

i have some sheer blue knit, navy blue fabric. like around 3 or 4 yards and am wondering - what bd kind of thing can I make from it? I am thinking something SHNAZZY-ish for dance class. since I don't perfrom and my one chance @ performing was blown away, I want something nice to practise in.

ideas ladies?

Is Ballet Helpful

Duvet — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:40:46 GMT

I often see professional bellydancers who I know, or guess from their performance, have ballet training. Does it help in the 'business', or can it get in the way of doing more earthy folkloric dances?

Sometimes I feel a dance looks too elitist or unattainable because of the formal dance trained background. I suspect that this is my own lack of confidence, rather than an objective view. I know ballet influenced the Reda Troupe and the cabaret style, and that ballet, tap and jazz are often pursuits of the young, who then grow up to participate in other dance forms. So is ballet seen as necessary for some people, and for that reason seen as an unfortunate lack in those who don't have that training?

TribalFest Requests? (online video classes, who would you like to see teaching)

zaridancer — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:44:39 GMT

Hello, all ! (I thought I had an account on this site already but I couldn't get in, so I made a new one. )

Kajira is having RAQStv.com film every TribalFest workshop where the instructor is willing to let it happen. The purpose of this is to distribute it online on the website On-Demand Streaming Video | RAQStv - Online Belly Dance Classes

Is there any instructor at TribalFest 2012 whom you'd like to access online?

(Students who participate in the classes that are filmed will receive a gift certificate in the amount that they paid for the workshop that they can use on the website to purchase other tribal fest workshops for a discounted price. So, they will basically be refunded their fees. Plus, there will be a part of the classroom that is a blind spot, where people who don't want to be on film won't be seen.)

So, if there's a particular workshop you are interested in viewing, let us know at social@raqstv.com Make your request now, and we'll see if we can satisfy.

P.S. - I had a hard time figuring out which forum this should go in. So if it is in the worng place, pls feel free to move it.

Essentially, what Im conveying is that I would like the feedback of potential students who are into tribal or fusion styles to know who they are most interested in, because I'm not sure who to focus in on, with just one of me and then 55 different teachers.

Since the invite to TribalFest just landed in my lap, I would like to make the most of it. .. For each hour of video you see up on RAQStv, it takes about 5-6 hours of admin, technical and setup work on our side, let alone the expenses involved. That figure also does not even count the time it takes to shoot and edit the video in the first place...it is a very labor intensive project, so I've gotta work smart.

Left Brain Right Brain thinking ?

khanjar — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:54:21 GMT

Left Brain /Right Brain Lateralisation was for many years a guide to help people understand how they could perhaps better themselves in what they wanted to do.

So what are you left brain or right brain thinker ?

Which way is the dancer revolving

But for a more precise measurement ;

Right Brain vs Left Brain Creativity Test at The Art Institute of Vancouver

I have done this test quite often over the years and I hover between 40/60 and 50/50 left/right hemisphere lateralisation. Currently I am 47 /53 left /right and so the dancer above I can shift it's direction from clockwise to anti clockwise easily. This has been a problem in the past with trying to discern directions things are rotating and me a mechanic as well!

Left Brain Right Brain
47% 53%

You are more right-brained than left-brained ( more like hair brained). The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. In addition to being known as right-brained, you are also known as a creative thinker who uses feeling and intuition to gather information. You retain this information through the use of images and patterns. You are able to visualize the "whole" picture first, and then work backwards to put the pieces together to create the "whole" picture. Your thought process can appear quite illogical and meandering. The problem-solving techniques that you use involve free association, which is often very innovative and creative. The routes taken to arrive at your conclusions are completely opposite to what a left-brained person would be accustomed. You probably find it easy to express yourself using art, dance, or music. Some occupations usually held by a right-brained person are forest ranger, athlete, beautician, actor/actress, craftsman, and artist.

So now I have delved back into a book I got when I was at art college, in the hope it might shift my thought again to a more creative approach for the purpose of dancing. The book; Drawing on the right side of the brain by Betty Edwards

World Belly Dance Day / Shimmy Mob 2012

Anala — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:12:38 GMT

Hello, all!

After YEARS of wanting to participate in World Belly Dance Day, but never coming up with an idea in time, some wonderful women in my hometown organized a Shimmy Mob yesterday. I was out with a chronic hamstring injury, which (on the plus side) allowed me to put together a mini-documentary film about it. We raised a nice little sum for a very good cause.

Did anyone else participate in WBDD?

Regards,

Anala

I want to dance like Rita!

Darshiva — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:13:47 GMT

Do you HAVE to pick a style?

hikari_no_yami — Sun, 13 May 2012 02:47:54 GMT

Lately, I've been feeling a bit conflicted about styles and I begin to wonder if one has to pick a style and stay grounded in it. :think: I adore tribal fusion but I like cabaret as well. How does one know what to choose? Since I'm still very much a beginner and it will most likely be a while before I perform, should I even be asking this question? Insight would be greatly appreciated :)

Princess Farhana's makeup tutorial video

atisheh — Sun, 13 May 2012 02:39:58 GMT

Ladies, I've just put up a review of Princess Farhana's new DVD on stage makeup up on my blog:

atisheh: dance and fitness views and reviews: Review of Bombshell: Dramatic Make up for the Stage, Photos & Glamourous Occasions

I figured this would be just the right folder for it...

Atisheh

Competitions, competitions, competitions

teela — Sun, 13 May 2012 02:08:45 GMT

Was checking things out and found a website for the Ultimate Bellydancer competition at Ultimate Bellydancer this is an online competition that seems like its modeled after some of the other shows we see. Any comments?

When are you ready to teach?

Duvet — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:59:33 GMT

I�d like to ask anyone who teaches dance at what point did you decide that you could teach it? Was it a gradual urge, something you fell into, or the sole reason for learning the dance? There are no universal or formally recognised �Bellydance Diplomas in Teaching�, so how did you come to the conclusion that you had progressed far enough to competently share your knowledge and experience with others? (I�m not questioning anyone�s ability, just how did you get to the point of thinking �Hey, I can/want to teach this�.)

I�ve been asked to teach on a number of occasions over the last few years, and I�ve always brushed it aside as something I couldn�t or shouldn�t do. But I�ve been wondering what made me say no, while others might have said yes.

Why teach?

Duvet — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:01:42 GMT

I have met teachers whose main aim in teaching bellydance is to help women with their self-esteem, or because they enjoy the music and the fantasies they create and want to share that experience with others. Some see it as a healthy and fun lifestyle pursuit, some as a form of spiritual awareness, or some as a way of getting attention whilst getting paid. Others might have a combination of some, all or none of these. My oldest teacher told me that she took it up solely to make money in a (then) new market.:)
I also know dance teachers who have given up, due to a feeling that is was just time to move on to other things, either because they�d grown jaded with the community, needed to make better money, or had health reasons. It is really sad to part company with a teacher who has given so much to her students :(, but those who no longer teach are the ones to whom I owe by grounding in posture and emotional connection in the dance, for which I'm always gratefull.

So to the teachers here, why do you teach? What are you trying to pass on as a teacher, and what makes you carry on?

Peacock Evil Eye?

Duvet — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:22:39 GMT

Are peacock feathers okay as gifts? I've a nagging notion (I think a remembered comment from an elderly long dead relative) that they represent bad luck or death. Where I work has free-range peacocks, and I sometimes get their tail feathers. I want to give some to dancers I know, but they might be sensitive to superstitious beliefs. If it were me, I�d be grateful for the freebie, but are there any negative superstitions attached to these feathers?

Emergency! Leaking gel pads

indrayu — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:51:22 GMT

Just tried on a new necklace that was going to be a perfect match for a costume bra, then horror! creeping oily slick over both cups.

It was intended to be worn in 36 hours' time, so there won't be enough time for making anything. Buying or borrowing is also not possible. This one is the only one I have that would work with the costume theme for the event. I also happen to like it, and it is part of a coordinated set.

The fabric is washable; the bra is based on a bra that was new at the time (2 years ago) from a brand with a good reputation, it is fully lined and soaking in a bucket with laundry detergent right now. The beading seems to be coping.

Does anyone know if the bra can be saved? Will I have to glue some sequins on to a plain lingerie bra??

Read before posting! How to post videos here and other information

Cheart — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:10:22 GMT

Greetings! Here are some general rules and guidelines for the video sections.

1. Posting a DVD rip is a rule violation. Posting public video clips (youtube, google etc.) is great! (See question answered by Salome below)

2. Salome Productions does not host any of the clips on this forum. They all stream from youtube, google and other video sharing websites.

3. All videos not of a bellydance performance are to be put in the Non-Dance video subsection. You can find this section listed on the top in the video thread.

4. There was a youtube user that had uploaded Salome's video clips about a year ago, without her knowledge or permission. This does happen from time to time. If you find a video clip of yourself posted on this forum and you are displeased, please contact Youtube or the youtube user who uploaded the clip.

How to insert a video clip

The following only work for youtube clips. Video clips from any other location cannot be inserted. If you want to share your video you can 1) upload it on youtube and post it here, or 2) just link the HTML address to the site streaming the video.

1. Open the youtube page that has the video you want to insert in the post.

2. In the address bar at the top of your browser you will see a url that looks exactly like this Belly dancer Salome - YouTube

After the = sign there will be a series of letters and numbers, see the example below in red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xdJz57mkxU

3. Only copy the series of letters and numbers after the = sign, for example 1xdJz57mkxU

4. Now, back at the Belly dance forum. Above the text field where you type your posts you will notice several small icons. One of them says "You Tube".

Click the youtube icon and you will see [ YOUTUBE ] [ /YOUTUBE ] show in your post window. Your cursor will automatically appear in between the two sets of youtube brackets, [your cursor will be here] now paste the series of letters and numbers you copied earlier. You can do this by clicking Edit - Paste in your browser or hit ctrl + v. Will show up as this: [youtube ]1xdJz57mkxU[ /youtube ]. In order for it to work your cursor must be in between the brackets, only paste the series of letters and numbers and paste by choosing Edit and paste from your browser window or ctrl + v. Note that both youtube brackets and the code between them should be on one line.

The end result will look like this:

Note: If the video owner has selected it, some videos will not be able to be embedded on forums. For videos in which this occurs you will just have to put the url link.

If you still have problems, pm a mod in the youtube section for assistance.
________________________________________

Question from user about DVD riping:

why Posting a DVD rip is a rule violation ???
IF you buy the DVD , then it is yours.
you can do whatever you want with it ,destroy it OR distribute it .
it is like buying a car !!!

Answer from Salome:

Hi Newton1400,

I have lived in other countries and I know first hand that in a lot of places around the world sharing copy righted material is a way of life. VCD's and copied CD's are in kiosk's on every corner. There is a very relaxed attitude and people don't think twice about it.

The US is not one of those areas in the world... People have been made very aware about violating copyrighted material. I think that line has always been clear in the US, but it was made really prevalent by the whole Napster court case (remember that!?).

I'm from the culture of hyper awareness on copyright, I own the forum and I think artists should get their cut. I know when my DVD's go out, I'll have worked really hard and put my hard earned money into and would be really bummed to see it ripped and shared for free... Free clips is what Youtube is for. So, all put together, yes I deleted the Orit rip. And I need to insist that you don't post any more rips on this forum.

Read before posting! How to post videos here and other information

Cheart — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:10:22 GMT

Saalouni el Nas and Baeed Annak

HubicRuzz — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:10:52 GMT

New clip from this years Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival.

2 songs Saalouni el Nas and Baeed Annak.

Dancer comes out for the second song

Costume analysis

Suzanne Azhaar — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:57:11 GMT

A friend of mine was told "Bella costumes move better on stage". They are beautiful costumes, but movement is created through design. Open to suggestions, what have I missed?...:think:

Hello from the US!

Daewen2011 — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:53:18 GMT

Hi everyone! I am fairly new to bellydance, but have quickly formed a love for it! I began taking classes in January, and I am also in a university student bellydance group. I'm a bit unusual in style as I really like to dance to heavy metal!! I hope to post some videos soon and get some feedback on how I'm doing so far!

Beginner choreographies on Youtube?

chirel — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:22:34 GMT

Can anyone recommend beginner choreographies on Youtube to me. I feel like I might be ready to try and learn a choreography, so it would be a plus if the choreo is broken down into steps, but I suppose that I'd be able to learn an easy one even from a performance video.

I prefer videos with no spins or fast turns because i have a weak knee. If there's only a few turns, though, I might be able to change that part.

Pilates Reformer for Home use

zahra — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:15:35 GMT

Hi Dancers!

Does anyone have a reasonably priced Pilates Reformer at home?

Many of the Reformers I have looked at are very costly, and also
do not fold up easily.

Please share your experiences with us.

Any ideas?

Thanks:D

when to move on

Ahava_Melantha — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:55:12 GMT

I am just curious when do you know to move on to a different dvd? just curious.

I have been working on my baladi set. and I am just curious because, when will you ever truly be done mastering baladi, or done mastering saidi, or whatever?

especially when its a folk/improv dance?

how does one ever know?

does somebody knows this song:

moon-light — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:32:36 GMT

Hello, im looking for music. i saw a video on youtube, but I didnt understand the name of the song. Its on 3.10 min. on the "raq arabia dvd" by Mohamed Shahin. Can somebody help me to find this music, especially the name of this song??
Thank you very much :) moon-light

Last minute costume trunk show....in your town?

princessfarhana — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:30:41 GMT

Hi ladies,

This is sort of spur of the moment, but my Egyptian partner, Yaz Taleb, is driving across country this week in a van FULL of Egyptian costumes, hip scarves, fringe, BD accessories, my own costume line, etc.

He is going through some major USA cities-- Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cincinati, Indianapolis & St. Louis .

He wants to make pit stops for trunk shows at studios or even private houses!

If you are interested in having him stop by your place and can gather up a group of dancers & students, please email him: yaztaleb (AT) gmail.com or give him a buzz at (479) 685 7647