My 2013 Challenge... Care to Join Me? :)

[Jaada al Johara]

Hi All-

So I have been looking to institute more structure in my home practice to make sure I am reaching my various goals and honing what I think should be my core skills as a dancer. (As opposed to practicing at random and treading water) I thought this might be of interest some of of the other die hard learners out there.

I went on a DVD shopping spree for Christmas (I <3 Cheeky Girls) covering a lot of different topics (turns, zills, turkish styling etc). To ensure I actually watch them, I plan to dedicate each month of 2013 to a particular area of dance that I am looking to develop further. For the first quarter of the year I plan to work with these themes (at least 3 times a week each month):

Jan - Zills and Drills (Killer Ziller + Drills Drills Drills)

Feb - Turns and Combinations (Turn It Up! with Summer Sahar + Captivating BD Choreo with Amar Gamal)

Mar - Arms and Floorwork (All About Arms and Flawless Floorwork with Ruby)

I thought I'd share this with the forum to see if anyone else is looking for a little moral support. We can post our progress on this thread. The above list is just what I want to work on. You may want to do 3 months of drum solo or 2 months of backbends (ouch!)... (I'm sure there will be some repeats and updates to my focus areas as the year goes on.) The hope is simply to create consistency to give birth to progress.

I gave myself 2 topics a month because I have untreated ADHD and need variety, but, with the wide array of dvds out there, I'm sure others can come up with even more inventive approaches!

We can post progress on this thread and any particularly useful tips observations.




(P.S. I hope I am posting in the correct section. Please feel free to move if not!)

[Shanazel]

I'm just gonna sit back and watch with awe, if you don't mind.

As a teacher, though, I do feel compelled to suggest that you rotate through the program by devoting a day a week to each now-monthly program to avoid physical/mental burn out. For example:Mondays with Sahar, Wednesdays with Ruby, Fridays with Killer. Two months of back bends... ouch, indeed!

This is a fine place to post. I, the Mod, have spoken.

[Jaada al Johara]

I'm just gonna sit back and watch with awe, if you don't mind.

As a teacher, though, I do feel compelled to suggest that you rotate through the program by devoting a day a week to each now-monthly program to avoid physical/mental burn out. For example:Mondays with Sahar, Wednesdays with Ruby, Fridays with Killer. Two months of back bends... ouch, indeed!

This is a fine place to post. I, the Mod, have spoken.

Thanks Shanazel. You're probably right about the mental burn out from too much concentration on one thing. I have a few other styles that I 'have to' practice for teaching / troupe work aside from this and hoped that would provide enough variety to keep me from losing my marbles.

Will keep you posted on how things go... and if some changes are desperately needed to keep me motivated!

[Farasha Hanem]

Well, as I've said in the New Year's resolutions thread for this year, I don't ever make resolutions, but that's not to say I don't have goals. I find it extremely difficult to set up any kind of routine because of my job. I constantly have to fight (not physically, or even with yelling, but hopefully you get my drift) for a semi-consistent schedule with my AMs, and I don't have even the time to do all the things I need to do at home, let alone a consistent practice routine. But here are my short-term goals (in no particular order):

1. Buying a bigger doumbek and learning to play
2. Buying a mizmar and learning to play
3. Buying a riqq and learning how to play
4. Become a better ziller
(Yeah, I have a lot of music goals, I love playing instruments )
5. Perform my first real solo
6. Learn how to improv better (WITHOUT Shakira music, and with REAL ME music!!! )
(I'm venting, again... >.>;;; )
7. Continue to review my basics and improve on them (ongoing thing)

I'll break it down as I go along.

If it's all right, I'll post my progress here as it happens. With my hateful work schedule, I need all the encouragement I can get.

[teela]

I plan to continue with my improv, work on zilling and work on my technique. I just want to continue improving my dance.

[Munniko]

I think I will do this with you and I will do DVDs on a weekly rotation or kind of just have a selection and have to chose one each session.

My goal is to at least practice three times a week not including classes...it it a little hectic working two jobs, but if I can just squeeze 30 minutes a day I will be fine. Also to spice it up a bit I'm gonna throw in yoga DVDs to help me stay loose.

Right now I'm going to aim for my arms using the Aziza DVD and I'll update as I go ^_^

[Bast]

Well, as I've said in the New Year's resolutions thread for this year, I don't ever make resolutions, but that's not to say I don't have goals. I find it extremely difficult to set up any kind of routine because of my job. I constantly have to fight (not physically, or even with yelling, but hopefully you get my drift) for a semi-consistent schedule with my AMs, and I don't have even the time to do all the things I need to do at home, let alone a consistent practice routine. But here are my short-term goals (in no particular order):

1. Buying a bigger doumbek and learning to play
2. Buying a mizmar and learning to play
3. Buying a riqq and learning how to play
4. Become a better ziller
(Yeah, I have a lot of music goals, I love playing instruments )
5. Perform my first real solo
6. Learn how to improv better (WITHOUT Shakira music, and with REAL ME music!!! )
(I'm venting, again... >.>;;; )
7. Continue to review my basics and improve on them (ongoing thing)

I'll break it down as I go along.

If it's all right, I'll post my progress here as it happens. With my hateful work schedule, I need all the encouragement I can get.

You're learning doumbek? I just got one for Christmas and although I love it, it is much harder than I expected. I especially have trouble with the Ka sound and finger rolls.

These clips are really helpful though:


Good luck with all of your goals this year, and yes, do post progress!
My doumbek goal is to get through all of free tutorials on youtube then hire a teacher. My dance goals are to work on sustaining and layering shimmies, sharpening technique and properly stretching out after any dancing.

[Farasha Hanem]

Thank you, Bast, and I wish you the same with your goals!

I bought a doumbek and an instructional CD from eBay, but my doumbek turned out to be a baby! One of my former teachers did make it sound amazing, though, but I still want a bigger one. Thank you for posting the YouTube clip, I'll make sure to add it to my playlist! ^^

Wishing everyone the best!

[Jaada al Johara]

Well, as I've said in the New Year's resolutions thread for this year, I don't ever make resolutions, but that's not to say I don't have goals. I find it extremely difficult to set up any kind of routine because of my job. I constantly have to fight (not physically, or even with yelling, but hopefully you get my drift) for a semi-consistent schedule with my AMs, and I don't have even the time to do all the things I need to do at home, let alone a consistent practice routine. But here are my short-term goals (in no particular order):

1. Buying a bigger doumbek and learning to play
2. Buying a mizmar and learning to play
3. Buying a riqq and learning how to play
4. Become a better ziller
(Yeah, I have a lot of music goals, I love playing instruments )
5. Perform my first real solo
6. Learn how to improv better (WITHOUT Shakira music, and with REAL ME music!!! )
(I'm venting, again... >.>;;; )
7. Continue to review my basics and improve on them (ongoing thing)

I'll break it down as I go along.

If it's all right, I'll post my progress here as it happens. With my hateful work schedule, I need all the encouragement I can get.

Wow that's a lot of goals! Very admirable... I look forward to reading about your progress with them all Doumbek is on my wish list of things to learn but maybe I'll come to you for tips in the second half of 2013

[Munniko]

Totally jealous of all your music oriented goals Farasha! You mean you doumbek is too small for even hobbit people?

Just a random almost one week since I posted my goals and I did pretty good because I've been a little under the weather so I only did two practices, but combined it into super 1.5 hour yoga/drills slowly working my way through three DVDs at the moment including the Aziza arms one.....random side note, but does Aziza always make that face when she performs?

Also just got back from a two hour Turbokick workshop and I feel the burn.