Thread: when to move on

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?

When you are totally bored with it, or feel you are in a rut, put it away. Then come back to it some months later (even a year). You'll be surprised how much you have forgotten. And as you will probably have moved on in your dance you'll look at it in a new light and learn new things.

I'm always surprised what I've forgotten when I go back over DVDs I thought I'd finished with.

thanx although there are some dvds that I do want to go over but not as in depth as others probably. like my ballet for belly dancers. i can't do it all at once so . . . .

Originally Posted by Ahava_Melantha

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?

When you have seen it from (say) three different prespectives and can recognize different types of music within the genre and the appropriate way to respond to it. (Along with knowing appropriate costume choices)

Over 21 years I have spent over 600 hours in class learning just a selection of Egyptian folk (from people who have studied the real thing first hand) - and frankly I don't feel I have "mastered" any of the ten or so styles I studied. I know some of my teachers (who started from a base of being able to dance) started their own serious study full time for two years before performing. Then they spent decades more expanding their knowledge.

You really cannot master a style with a limit of 3 hours input - no matter how well put together the DVD or how many times you watch it and practice. So, I doubt if you have mastered beledi yet. Get some input from a different teacher - or two. Or switch styles for a few months - then come back with new material from another source.

that was sort of my point. because there are many types of dance I would love to study and when do I know I can move on to learn other things BECAUSE who has really mastered baladi?

When you want to move on, you're ready. You can always go back & revisit the same topic later, it's not against the rules to do so. Which, I think, is the point everyone has been trying to make here.

okay sorry, apparently I didn't get it lol. I do now thanx.

Originally Posted by Ahava_Melantha

that was sort of my point. because there are many types of dance I would love to study and when do I know I can move on to learn other things BECAUSE who has really mastered baladi?

My point is you cannot get any style - especially something as complex as beledi - from a single source. From your thread on Bhuz, I now realize you have only studied the beledi taqsim - which is only a small aspect of beledi dance.

In some ways, sticking to a single DVD set is a big mistake. It will shutdown what you understand of the style when you are most receptive. If anything, I'd say do the DVD a few times. Pull out any technique you need to practice - and move on. Ideally to another take of beledi - but not necessarily.

Then when you have more experience - in a year or so - revisit it.