drumming with dancing

[sparklyraven]

In my class we have 2 teachers, and at the end we have a 'rhythm section' where we split off and the dancers have their choice of drumming or zils. Does anyone else do this and if you do what do you do? It goes well and We have fun, and its the last 1/2 hour of a 2 hour class, but I get the sense it could be a little bit better. Here's how we run the show: I get a particular rhythm going with the drummers, and the zil folks follow along and work with whatever we're doing. They also practice doing moves with zils too. Since I have enough drum knowledge to be dangerous, I worry that my teaching technique might be not so great yet. I'm open to any advice you got to offer here. I worry about my students getting bored, but I don't want to overload either. I have 2 drumming dvds I watch a bit, and yes they are helpful. But if someone else does this, I 'd love to hear about it, and if someone wants to do it, start up and we can be support for each other.

 

[belly_dancer]

how many students do you have??? how many end up drumming?? do you have to drum with them??? who leads the zil section of you are drumming???
I do not think the students will get bored!
they should know how lucky they are!!!!!...
if I introduce something rather new (to me) when I am teaching, I let my students know that this is just ANOTHER facet of the HUGE jewel of mid east dance... & if it is something they are PARTICULARLY interested in, I ENCOURAGE THEM to research it... I am REALLY happy to be a catalyst for peoples learning....

 

[da Sage]

This is a cool idea!

Many of the local teachers teach zils in every class, and some have brought drums to demonstrate rhythms, but no one has actually taught drumming in the standard dance class (as far as I know).

How many drums do you have (in class), and is there stiff competition for them?

 

[sparklyraven]

Well, we have 2 teachers, and 1 of us teaches the zils, and the other 1 teaches the drumming. My husband and a friend of ours show up generally and they hold the rhythms while I take students aside and show them stuff so I don't have to stop the rhythm for everyone. We usually have 4-7 drummers in a given class. A few have their own drums but I have some loaners we use in class. If there aren't enough to go around we clap rhythms out and switch the drums around so everyone can use them. the other teacher who does zils does the same thing if there aren't enough zils to go around (we don't make them buy them as a class requirement, but they are encouraged to do so, and we have a few sets they can try out). We currently have around 15 students. Some switch back and forth and we totally allow that because they are getting rhythms either way. Sometimes there is stiff competition, and sometimes not, but we always share, and those who bring their own drums are also generous about sharing. We did it last fall too. Since we only allot the last half hour for this, we generally focuse on 1 rhythm at a time. We spent this past 2 weeks on Maqsoom and filling it in. Not real exciting yet. I think its better , seeing as this isn't a drumming class totally, to learn a few rhythms really well, rather than stuffing a bunch of them they might remember. Its a 12 week class, so there are lots of rhythms we can get to. but we're not attatched to a particular plan on it. We just get through what we get through. I think it helps to have a longer class too.
ok i'm done rambling.

 

[Maria_Aya]

Wowwwwwwwww such a great idea !!!

(and now I just have to learn drums lol)

Maria Aya :clap:

 

[PhysicsFairy]

My teacher teaches dancing, while her husband is a musician. So every now and then, he will come to our class and play drums, mizmar and otehr insturments and we get to dance to live music.

One day a week they run a joint class purposely with live drumming and if I can ever attend (ususally working, grr) I like to try the frame drum as well as dancing to the music.

It's loads of fun and one of the reasons why I chose to start oriental dance, as I love the music and rhythms of the Middle East.