Separating arms and hands!

[DancingArabian]

Hi all,

I am currently teacherless (again!) and have run into a little problem. I have been expanding my movement vocabulary and have been trying new combinations of arms/body/hips. I find that some things I can combine and do just well, and some things I either get stuck on, or a part of my tries to do a different movement.

My most recent example is where I am trying to create a choreography to a song. I don't know the correct name for the hand motion, but my hands are starting raised, moving downwards and kind of undulating. While my hands are doing that, my hips should be doing Mayas, except for some reason they want to do reverse-mayas. Even when going very very slowly, I kind of get stuck and can't seem to get it.

So are there any tips that I could try to get this combination, and to perhaps separate my arms/chest/hips a little better? Maybe some little drills that I can do everyday? It's really weird because some combinations of things feel really natural and I can even change them up (for example when I figure 8, I can pretty much do anything I want with my chest or arms).

Thank you all!

 

[Jane]

What style do you dance again? That might help people here formulate a better answer for you

 

[Darshiva]

I'd personally start listening to your body. Yes, it's a good idea to challenge and expand, but sometimes you have to listen to what your body is doing and go with the flow.

 

[Aniseteph]

It sounds like you don't have the mayas on automatic yet, so that as soon as your brain is focusing on the arms, the hips take advantage by reverting to something more familiar to them. Naughty hips.:naghty:

I would start by practicing the mayas while doing something a little less challenging with the arms. Use music that has a steady pace at which you are comfortable drilling just the mayas. Next add simple arm position changes, nothing fancy- this is less about the arms than training the hips to behave when your brain isn't watching. Start with changing arms every 8 counts, then once the hips are coping with that try changing every 4, 2 and 1. Once the hips are coping with those simple arm changes without reverting, try adding in your hand undulations.

 

[cat eyes]

You can true to do first mayas and then after maybe a 30 second or minute, or any time you like, when you fill that your body is use to the move and you doing it automaticalli without focussing on the hips try to add arms.

 

[DancingArabian]

Thank you, I will try the suggestions.

I have no idea what style I fall under anymore. I start using a label and as soon as I find a new teacher, they tell me that I'm not doing "whatever" I'm actually doing "something else". So...I just bellydance.

 

[Kashmir]

I have no idea what style I fall under anymore. I start using a label and as soon as I find a new teacher, they tell me that I'm not doing "whatever" I'm actually doing "something else". So...I just bellydance.

OT - but I think you need to address this. No problem doing generic belly dance by choice. But it should be an informed choice - not just whatever is left at the bottom of the barrel. I suspect if you are moving around a lot you may not be getting enough of one style to bed it in and actually work out what is a genre and what is a specific teacher's style. Actually, no, what you want is a range of teachers all doing the same style (but taught by different people) so you can get a feel for what is and what is not.

 

[DancingArabian]

OT - but I think you need to address this. No problem doing generic belly dance by choice. But it should be an informed choice - not just whatever is left at the bottom of the barrel. I suspect if you are moving around a lot you may not be getting enough of one style to bed it in and actually work out what is a genre and what is a specific teacher's style. Actually, no, what you want is a range of teachers all doing the same style (but taught by different people) so you can get a feel for what is and what is not.

Near impossible to do it. I started out dancing in a different state several years ago. The teacher there said we were dancing "Modern Egyptian". I liked her classes a lot as she incorporated a lot of yoga and pilates into our warmups and cooldowns. I moved to another state and eventually found a teacher there. She said I had learned "Egyptian" and not "Modern Egyptian" and that we would start with "Egyptian" since I already had experience there. Eventually we moved on to "Raqs Sharqi" and then "Turkish". The college I was/am going to has a belly dance club, with 2 levels of classes and the instructor there says we were learning "Egyptian Cabaret" in the Level 1 and "Fusion" in the Level 2. Teacher#1 said "Egyptian Cabaret" doesn't exist and that it was actually "American Cabaret" and that the "Fusion" was not anything since the dance steps were not including steps from another dance and the music was not Arabic. Teacher #1 has stopped teaching classes about 5 months ago and my only option for classes has been the college group. I did find another local instructor but since the college group has only a year left before the leaders graduate, I was going to stick with them and then try to take classes with the other local instructor afterwards.

All other teachers I can find are at least a 45 minute drive each way, which is not doable in terms of both time and money as gas isn't cheap. A range of live teachers isn't really an option to have, and the definitions of the styles are murky in some cases. I could rattle off the names of dancers I like, but I couldn't really explain a lot of the nuances in the different styles.

I hope that helps explain where I'm coming from a bit more

 

[Jane]

Good grief! So what style do you want to dance? It might be time to approach your training a bit differently to get your needs met.

 

[Darshiva]

I agree with Jane, so I'm going to give you the same advice I gave another lady on livejournal. Stop spending money on the local classes and save your money for private lessons with highly recommended teachers (or ones you just plain want to study with) every once in a while. Back it up with studying from dvds and look into finding a mentor who will analyse your progress in weekly or monthly video submissions.

Or find a teacher who has online classes in the style you want to focus on for now.

Either way, stop wasting your money on classes that aren't advancing you in your dance UNLESS you are gaining some other benefit from it.

 

[Kashmir]

The teacher there said we were dancing "Modern Egyptian". I liked her classes a lot as she incorporated a lot of yoga and pilates into our warmups and cooldowns. I moved to another state and eventually found a teacher there. She said I had learned "Egyptian" and not "Modern Egyptian" and that we would start with "Egyptian" since I already had experience there. Eventually we moved on to "Raqs Sharqi" and then "Turkish". The college I was/am going to has a belly dance club, with 2 levels of classes and the instructor there says we were learning "Egyptian Cabaret" in the Level 1 and "Fusion" in the Level 2. Teacher#1 said "Egyptian Cabaret" doesn't exist and that it was actually "American Cabaret" and that the "Fusion" was not anything since the dance steps were not including steps from another dance and the music was not Arabic. Teacher #1 has stopped teaching classes about 5 months ago and my only option for classes has been the college group. I did find another local instructor but since the college group has only a year left before the leaders graduate, I was going to stick with them and then try to take classes with the other local instructor afterwards.

Okay if you are looking for social contact - this seems fine. If you want to learn to belly dance it won't happen - in any style. Reading between the lines I think you have suffered a series of 6-week wonders.

FYI "Raqs Sharqi" is an umbrella term for ALL professional "belly dance" - it includes Egyptian, Classical Egyptian, Modern Egyptian, - and most Lebanese and Turkish styles. I think you could even slot AmCab into there!

She said I had learned "Egyptian" and not "Modern Egyptian" and that we would start with "Egyptian" since I already had experience there. Eventually we moved on to "Raqs Sharqi" and then "Turkish".

Over how many years was this? Because you certainly won't learn much in a term!!

If you enjoy yoga or Pilates I suggest you sign up for a separate class - unless your belly dance classes are at least two hours long.

I also agree if you are serious about learning something save up and attend a decent length workshop with an experienced and recognized teacher (minimum 8 hours with a single teacher). That should give you many months of work to go on with. Then add in the occasional private class.

And 45 minutes? I had to fly to Australia for most of my training in the styles I chose!

 

[Darshiva]

And 45 minutes? I had to fly to Australia for most of my training in the styles I chose!

Well that beats my 4 hours on the bus!

 

[allinorah]

I have a bit of sympathy of the lack of transportation and/or long wait times, I chose my first instructor mostly because of her location of 2 minutes walking distance, but when she stopped teaching, and the nearest classes were at least 30-45 minutes by car. I did not have a car so by bus it was more like 2 hours one way. I simply did not have the time in my schedule to do that being a full time college student plus working 20 hours a week. So, I watched a lot of videos. Basically, it was about prioritizing my life. As much as I loved to dance, at that time it was more important to get college done and over with. We did (do) have a club on campus, but I didn't know much about them. They did not seem to advertise as much as they do now (which I think is fabulous).

To the OP: right now, you might really want to prioritize. Is the dance worth the 45 minute travel? Or is buying a dvd with a favorite dancer more economical/practical? There are loads of threads on this forum dedicated to determining styles/videos/dancers/history/culture etc that I think can hold you over until you have the funds/time to start going to weekly classes. Also, I know there are many dancers who have posted videos of themselves asking for critique. Or maybe Skyping some private lessons might be useful as well.

 

[Darshiva]

There are definitely ways around the tyrrany of distance when it comes to dance classes. I like to think I'm one of them.

 

[allinorah]

Darshiva, oh definitely!! You and Kashmir definitely, and I think anyone down under or out in the American Midwest have added difficulties. For me, 45 minutes is a bit long, but I would still do it... but I'm in a different position than I was 5-6 years ago.

Where there is a will, there is a way!

 

[Darshiva]

I was actually trying to subtly hint that I teach skype classes.

 

[allinorah]

I couldn't remember if it was you or not, so I didn't want to mention names (in case you didn't)!