Animallover
New member
This is random but I never know the right place to ask my questions. Is there anything I can to do be ahead when I start my actual classes? It starts on the 9th of Feb and I'm pretty unco, so I want to be as ahead as possible
Is There Anything I Can Do before Starting Classes
- Thread starter Animallover
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Daimona
Moderator
There are several videos on youtube.com and ehow.com with basic instructions you can take a look at both before you enter the class and after the class have started. Here are some random examples from ehow:
Belly Dancing Basics: Video Series | eHow Videos
Belly Dance for Beginners: Video Series | eHow Videos
Upper Body Belly Dancing Moves: Video Series | eHow Videos
Belly Dancing Moves: Video Series | eHow Videos
Belly Dance Chest Movements: Video Series | eHow Videos
Belly Dance Foundation Drills: Video Series | eHow Videos
There are more bd videos than these as well, but some of them are really, really bad.
On ehow, I prefer the videos by Karen Sun Ray Colletti.
PS! General questions on learning bd can be asked in the forum Instructors and students.
Kashmir
New member
Can you walk with the alternative arm to leg? ie step right, left arm comes forward? If so, you are not that unco 
If not, practice.
The other thing you can do is be aware of your posture - sitting, standing, walking.
But wait until the class starts. There is really a lot of bad info out there. Best to ask your teacher for guidence - to sort out the rubbish and also to be in the same style as is being taught.
If not, practice.The other thing you can do is be aware of your posture - sitting, standing, walking.
But wait until the class starts. There is really a lot of bad info out there. Best to ask your teacher for guidence - to sort out the rubbish and also to be in the same style as is being taught.
Creaky Old Dancer
New member
Is there anything I can do before starting classes
Try listening to some of the music a couple of cds I could recommend would be Arabic Groove by Putumanyo World Music and any of the Rough Guide Bellydance Cafe both have a nice mix of music from different areas. While listening you can just see where your body takes you not really dancing just sort of bopping around the livingroom style. Creaks
Try listening to some of the music a couple of cds I could recommend would be Arabic Groove by Putumanyo World Music and any of the Rough Guide Bellydance Cafe both have a nice mix of music from different areas. While listening you can just see where your body takes you not really dancing just sort of bopping around the livingroom style. Creaks
adiemus
New member
As a relative newbie to raqs I can understand why some teachers suggest avoiding YouTube - so many really bad examples of dancing, so many poorly labelled clips and of course the production values are poor because it's limited bandwidth... However, I do supplement my learning with YouTube, especially if I'm looking to see what I personally like and what I personally don't like.
There are also so many clips of the classic 'names' that it's worth looking even if only to find Fifi and Mona and others, especially in NZ where it's almost impossible to find DVD's for sale (you have to go via the internet - and it's quite an investment especially if you're not sure of the style you'll learn).
One way to cut down the territory in YouTube is to go through the clips here on OD, and then find who uploaded the recording and then subscribe.
Another thing to do before you start classes is to listen to middle eastern music to get used to the sounds and start to 'feel' the rhythms and see what movements they evoke.
There are also so many clips of the classic 'names' that it's worth looking even if only to find Fifi and Mona and others, especially in NZ where it's almost impossible to find DVD's for sale (you have to go via the internet - and it's quite an investment especially if you're not sure of the style you'll learn).
One way to cut down the territory in YouTube is to go through the clips here on OD, and then find who uploaded the recording and then subscribe.
Another thing to do before you start classes is to listen to middle eastern music to get used to the sounds and start to 'feel' the rhythms and see what movements they evoke.
Kharmine
New member
Start doing some gentle stretches regularly, several times a day. No bouncing or straining, just getting your muscles warmed up.
Twisting from side to side, pushing against a wall with one leg at a time extended behind you with foot flat on the floor, side stretches, forward stretches, shoulder rolls, that kinda thing. Nice and easy, but frequent.
Make sure you're drinking several glasses of water a day and getting a good night's sleep whenever possible. All this will help you feel nice and loose when you really get dancing.
Twisting from side to side, pushing against a wall with one leg at a time extended behind you with foot flat on the floor, side stretches, forward stretches, shoulder rolls, that kinda thing. Nice and easy, but frequent.
Make sure you're drinking several glasses of water a day and getting a good night's sleep whenever possible. All this will help you feel nice and loose when you really get dancing.
lizaj
New member
A new student needs to know what to look for. S/he needs names not just not just looking dredging through all the dross on Youtube.
I'd say look for good dancers in performance..well known like current favourites Randa,Camelia and older favouites Fifi Abdou, Soheir Zaki,Mona el Said then the "Golden Age" of Samia Gamal,Naima Akef and Tahia Cariocha.
American dancers such as Saidie,Jillina and Ava Fleming and tribal dancers Fat Chance and Gypsy Caravan and Fusion artistes such as Rachel Brice.
I am sure other members here can recommend Turkish and Lebanese dancers and better tuition clips.
Youtube is a very useful aid but for some just starting without guidance how do they know where to start. I hope all teachers give advice in some width and detail not just "Go and Look ate Youtube"
I'd say look for good dancers in performance..well known like current favourites Randa,Camelia and older favouites Fifi Abdou, Soheir Zaki,Mona el Said then the "Golden Age" of Samia Gamal,Naima Akef and Tahia Cariocha.
American dancers such as Saidie,Jillina and Ava Fleming and tribal dancers Fat Chance and Gypsy Caravan and Fusion artistes such as Rachel Brice.
I am sure other members here can recommend Turkish and Lebanese dancers and better tuition clips.
Youtube is a very useful aid but for some just starting without guidance how do they know where to start. I hope all teachers give advice in some width and detail not just "Go and Look ate Youtube"
Farasha Hanem
New member
Okay, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I can't help but wonder: why do you want to "be ahead in the class"? :think: Are you a competitive person? Nothing wrong with that, as long as it's healthy competition. Or are you worried about embarrassing yourself in class? If so, don't worry, everyone else in your class will be a newbie, too.
Foreknowledge of a subject is great, but as has already been pointed out, there's an awful lot of sludge out there, not just on YouTube, but in other sources as well, online and off. I began in 2001 with a couple of Neena and Veena instructional VHS tapes, and collected an array of DVD's and books, as well as googling the internet for source material. Thank goodness I found Shira's site, All About Belly Dancing! Learn to Belly Dance! Shira's Bellydance Site and this forum. Both sites help me tremendously in sorting out the facts from the drivel. For instance, almost all the books I own on bellydance give a pseudo-history of the dance that is not supported by fact (in fact, Shira recently did a review of one of the books I have).
By the time I started classes in 2007, I had a pretty good background knowledge on bellydance, had a good collection of music, and could pull off the basic moves. However, just knowing how to do the moves is not enough. Even though I could already layer a couple of moves together at a time, and knew a few combinations, I still could not put together a cohesive, improvisational dance, and I knew it (that's why I was there to take classes in the first place). I guess what I'm trying to say is, unless you're already proficient at bellydance, you're not going to be able to walk in and know everything all at once---if you did, why bother with classes? So relax, enjoy, and don't worry about your first class; I don't think your teacher's gonna give you a pop quiz at the end. :lol:
Foreknowledge of a subject is great, but as has already been pointed out, there's an awful lot of sludge out there, not just on YouTube, but in other sources as well, online and off. I began in 2001 with a couple of Neena and Veena instructional VHS tapes, and collected an array of DVD's and books, as well as googling the internet for source material. Thank goodness I found Shira's site, All About Belly Dancing! Learn to Belly Dance! Shira's Bellydance Site and this forum. Both sites help me tremendously in sorting out the facts from the drivel. For instance, almost all the books I own on bellydance give a pseudo-history of the dance that is not supported by fact (in fact, Shira recently did a review of one of the books I have).
By the time I started classes in 2007, I had a pretty good background knowledge on bellydance, had a good collection of music, and could pull off the basic moves. However, just knowing how to do the moves is not enough. Even though I could already layer a couple of moves together at a time, and knew a few combinations, I still could not put together a cohesive, improvisational dance, and I knew it (that's why I was there to take classes in the first place). I guess what I'm trying to say is, unless you're already proficient at bellydance, you're not going to be able to walk in and know everything all at once---if you did, why bother with classes?
So relax, enjoy, and don't worry about your first class; I don't think your teacher's gonna give you a pop quiz at the end. :lol:
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prince ali baba
Active member
Shimmy On FitTV
I don't know if you get Fitness TV,but I do. They have a belly dance workout show on there called Shimmy. I've never taken a belly dance class in my life,but I've mimicked some moves I saw from youtube videos. Whenever I get a chance, I practice by watching Shimmy on Fit TV. Shimmy is a real workout and can be a little tough to follow,but I would suggest it if you get FitTV. Also watching youtube videos can help as well.
I don't know if you get Fitness TV,but I do. They have a belly dance workout show on there called Shimmy. I've never taken a belly dance class in my life,but I've mimicked some moves I saw from youtube videos. Whenever I get a chance, I practice by watching Shimmy on Fit TV. Shimmy is a real workout and can be a little tough to follow,but I would suggest it if you get FitTV. Also watching youtube videos can help as well.
prince ali baba
Active member
Youtube Videos
You might want to try practicing with some Shimmy TV Clips on Youtube. Those seem to help me as well. Also maybe try practicing with any belly dance performance videos you can find on youtube. I sometimes do that. Or you can always do a youtube search on belly dance instruction videos and see what you can find. Youtube should have some belly dance instructional videos up which might help.
You might want to try practicing with some Shimmy TV Clips on Youtube. Those seem to help me as well. Also maybe try practicing with any belly dance performance videos you can find on youtube. I sometimes do that. Or you can always do a youtube search on belly dance instruction videos and see what you can find. Youtube should have some belly dance instructional videos up which might help.
lizaj
New member
But lots of what you see on Youtube is total rubbish so it's important to direct new student directly to what IS valid and worthy. I am sure that makes sense, doesn't it?
prince ali baba
Active member
I have to disagree
I'm sorry,but I have to disagree. There maybe somethings on youtube that is total rubbish,but I wouldn't call a lot of it total rubbish. The Shimmy clips aren't rubbish. Also most of the male belly dance videos I've seen on youtube aren't rubbish. Jamil I think is a good example of a male dancer who has performance videos on youtube that aren't rubbish. However I'm a man,so that probably doesn't help this girl out to be using examples of male dancers,so go with Shimmy TV. There's quite a few clips up of it on youtube if you don't get FitTV.
lizaj
New member
Yes we disagree there IS a lot of rubbish there is also good stuff and useful and if you have a student you would tell them to look at the good stuff surely.
Again I disagree with you, there is every value in a female student looking at a male student who is a good dancer..the moves may look different but if the technique is good and the personality attractive he will be valuable and enjoyable.
If you take your arguent to its' conclusion, why should we ever study with a male teacher...I would be a poorer dancer and person without the tuition I have had from Khaled Mahmoud and the pleasure of watching him.
This dance is not physically or technically performed any differently with male and female. And some the finest teachers of this dance are men.
Afrit
New member
On a good day I'd say more than half of what is tagged as belly dance is rubbish. When I'm feeling grumpy I'd say 90%. A new student cannot often distinguish - look at all the newbies who think Shakira is a belly dancer for a start!
There are lots of physically dangerous dancing out there - poor posture, exaggerated moves, harsh jarring "dance". A person who doesn't know what they are doing could seriously injure themselves.
I've never seen ShimmyTV - but if it is exciting enough for TV I suspect it is too extreme for most beginners - who don't have an understanding of safe warmups, the basic movement vocab or body awareness.
And the good dancers are often too subtle for a raw beginner to see - let alone copy.
If you are starting without a teacher you need something that starts at the very beginning - with a good warmup, and lots of repetition of the simple moves. For this you need a good 3 hour video.