Salome
Administrator
by Princess Farhana - Belly dance and Improvisation
New article on improvisation
- Thread starter Salome
- Start date
adiemus
New member
It's my favourite approach to dance, although I find myself wanting to incorporate other styles too much if I'm not careful, which often stops me from being as improvisational as I would like. Especially when my teacher is watching!
This is a great article, and confirms to me the things that I've thought myself - and the same sort of concepts that Ranya Renee discusses in her Beledi DVD. Especially the act of not constantly changing from movement to movement, and of the value of repetition, and of having practiced various forms and combinations until they flow.
Thanks so much for putting this article up, it's great.
This is a great article, and confirms to me the things that I've thought myself - and the same sort of concepts that Ranya Renee discusses in her Beledi DVD. Especially the act of not constantly changing from movement to movement, and of the value of repetition, and of having practiced various forms and combinations until they flow.
Thanks so much for putting this article up, it's great.
I really enjoyed reading this article, thank you to Princess Farhana. :clap:
I really want to develop some improvisation skills. I do listen to Arabic music a lot. Hopefully by doing that and following some other aspects of the advice given in this article and other pieces I have read I will be able to improv. one day.
I really want to develop some improvisation skills. I do listen to Arabic music a lot. Hopefully by doing that and following some other aspects of the advice given in this article and other pieces I have read I will be able to improv. one day.
Creaky Old Dancer
New member
I too enjoyed Princess Farhana's article. To me it was always the music that drew me into bellydancing. Sometimes when I'm really got the dance going I feel like a puppet witht he music the puppet master. I would rather do improv than choreography. Choreography when I can remember it always seemed locked into the room that it was learned in. It is good for learning what to do with new combos ect and practice but would rather follow the puppet master. Creaks
Nath
New member
Interesting this should be posted when it was. The day before the original post, in our class our teacher was trying to encourage us to improvise during a choreography she was teaching us. All the newer students balked at the idea. Even I found I cringed when she said "when we get to this part, everyone just improvise something". She was very encouraging and gave examples of things everyone could do, even the most base beginners, but it was evident most of us had the "cringe factor". I passed the link to this article on last week and our teacher passed it on to the entire class. At this week's lessons, she spent some time talking through it with us and soliciting feedback. Overall, most of the class, while still uncomfortable with the idea they need to "think of something", now felt better about the whole idea. Amazing how understanding can overcome discomfort. Thanks for sharing this. :clap:
Farasha Hanem
New member
Thank you for the link, Salome, I saved it in my favorites to read later (it's after 2 in the morning right now). Improv is something I have a lot of trouble with it, so I hope I can read this article soon. Thanks again! *hugs*
MissVega
New member
THank you Salome for posting that article. It was excellent and refreshing that improv is still appreciated. I'm completely an improv dancer, on the argument that how I interpret a song depends on the energy in the room, my mood, and just how I am bonding with that song on that particular day. I've never choreographed a performance for myself, and just like the article said I use what I call a skeleton. I'm fortunate to have videos of many of my performances so I can see myself dance the same song several times in different settings, and I noticed that certain parts I always seem to dance the same while others are always different, the parts that always seem the same are what I call a skeleton.
I sometimes feel like improv is almost forgotten at times. For me I jus love music and I love to dance and I love not having a plan for it. Just getting up and getting lost in what the music is making me feel that day and what the crowd is reacting to make it so much more exciting and enjoyable for me.
Although I have never actually had to perform a choreography, I wonder how I would manage lol. I suspect I would forget half way through
As someone new to teaching dance and extremely new to choreographing I've found it difficult. I also feel that in always choreographing for students I don't actually teach them to dance, I just teach them moves. I've found for myself that one of my best learning tools has been trial and error and just stepping out and trying something and when it works I feel great and when it doesn't, I least learned something
One of my classes (for more dancehall than belly dance but the principle applies) I set it up like a "battle" two teams of 4 girls and within each team two groups of two. I assigned each group of 2, a 30 second piece of music within the song to come up with something as a team LOL and yep most of the class really balked at this. BUt I stood my ground and am convinced it will be good for them
I sometimes feel like improv is almost forgotten at times. For me I jus love music and I love to dance and I love not having a plan for it. Just getting up and getting lost in what the music is making me feel that day and what the crowd is reacting to make it so much more exciting and enjoyable for me.
Although I have never actually had to perform a choreography, I wonder how I would manage lol. I suspect I would forget half way through
As someone new to teaching dance and extremely new to choreographing I've found it difficult. I also feel that in always choreographing for students I don't actually teach them to dance, I just teach them moves. I've found for myself that one of my best learning tools has been trial and error and just stepping out and trying something and when it works I feel great and when it doesn't, I least learned something
One of my classes (for more dancehall than belly dance but the principle applies) I set it up like a "battle" two teams of 4 girls and within each team two groups of two. I assigned each group of 2, a 30 second piece of music within the song to come up with something as a team LOL and yep most of the class really balked at this. BUt I stood my ground and am convinced it will be good for them