Which is your weak part in bellydance?

[megra]

I have made a resolution this year to really work on layering things over my shimmies, and belly rolls....both of which I would like to be stronger at!

[Moon]

My biggest weakness to date... High Heel Shoes! I'm dreading seeing the video of my last performance. I rolled an ankle on the way onto the floor and spent the entire dance just trying to keep my balance on a wobbly ankle - it was a shocker! They are good shoes too, so I can't even pass the blame onto them

Then dance on flat shoes or on bare feet! In my opinion it looks way better and it's better for your ankles, knees, back, etc.

[Yasmine Bint Al Nubia]

Dancing in heels is a different story. it's odd though I can wear heels to the club and dance all night but feel wobbly in them during Oriental dance. Go figure.
Yasmine

[Mouse]

Then dance on flat shoes or on bare feet! In my opinion it looks way better and it's better for your ankles, knees, back, etc.

Good idea, but not always an option when your dancing in a troupe though. I think practice, practice and more practice will have to be my salvation

Yasmine I'm the same! I think maybe because it changes my centre of gravity and I have a hard time adjusting to compensate.

[Nani]

I didn't realize how many dancers have trouble with improvisation. I started out in a club with a DJ so I almost never knew the music, so I learned early on. There's safety in knowing which move comes next. But what if you have your music all prepared for your set and the guy popping in your CD decides he wants to play *his* music without telling you? The show must go on!

The biggest problem with improvisation is getting in a rut. Sometimes you just find yourself doing the same moves over and over. Being primarily an improv dancer myself, here are a few tips for those who want them:

1) Turn on your CD player. An iPod or iTunes program is better, because you have playlists with more storage space than a regular CD. Turn it on and listen to the music, specifically what kind of beat "sounds like" certain moves. e.g. A "tak-a-tak-a-tak" might sound like a shoulder shimmy. It's best to improv (at least at first) to music that you know (it will always look better). Drum solos are helpful. Practice "feeling" the music.

2) Watch other dancers perform. Especially in a "showcase" kind of setting, where you can see multiple dancers. Watch their moves and mentally note what kind of moves they do to certain sounds. Go home and try it out.

3) Go to haflas. This one is probably the best way to do it. That way, you can see how other dancers interpret sounds and combine that with movement while actually dancing yourself. If they play some music you don't know, then even better.

This isn't to say that you can't come up with a few combinations to have under your sequinned belt for certain songs. It's good to have that, too. But just in case you have that jackass manager that decides that instead of your finale, he's going to play some 17-minute song to squeeze a half-hour set out of you and get more bang for his buck (can you tell I've experienced this?), the audience will be none the wiser.

Good luck

[Moon]

This isn't to say that you can't come up with a few combinations to have under your sequinned belt for certain songs. It's good to have that, too. But just in case you have that jackass manager that decides that instead of your finale, he's going to play some 17-minute song to squeeze a half-hour set out of you and get more bang for his buck (can you tell I've experienced this?), the audience will be none the wiser.

that would be so awful!!!

Thank you for the tips! I have improvisation problems and often find myself doing the same move over and over again

[Tayri]

solo performance & improvisation - heck! put me with my girls and i stand out as one of the better dancers and always receive compliments after the show...

but on my own, i forget how to play zills, get tangled up in my veil, forget how to bellydance, and seem to remember only travelling steps (hip forward, hip back) and my arms - oh sad sad arms....

i danced my second restaurant solo show last night (the last one was about 2 years ago and i was only marginally better yesterday). i feel so discouraged today!!! i danced the same show with my teacher 2 weeks ago and was a star.

why why why why why?

[da Sage]

i danced my second restaurant solo show last night (the last one was about 2 years ago and i was only marginally better yesterday). i feel so discouraged today!!! i danced the same show with my teacher 2 weeks ago and was a star.

why why why why why?

Oh no! It probably wasn't as bad as you think though, especially in a layman diner's eyes. And even you admit that it was better than your last restaurant show...maybe you'll improve with each performance in the venue?

Have you tried just choreographing the heck out of a solo show, rehearsing it into your brain , and then just giving yourself permission to switch it around a bit once you're on the restaurant stage? One spot-on solid show might be the boost you need to release your usual fabulous improv/dance skills.

[charity]

I find shimmying hard (its challenging when you have nothing to shimmy );

me too, nothing to shake.

when i practice a hard move or am working on isolations, i tend to suck my bottom lip in but fiercely so, it looks ridiculous. plus i forget to blink unless in rapid succession so i can go another 2 minutes without blinking.

if i concentrate on not doing that, i chew on the inside of my cheek. and if i dont have that ugly tick going on, then my hands curl up into something freakish, perhaps a claw.

so though i may progress with this dance, i do not see myself performing- EVER.

[Ariella]

This is an easy one for me:

CLAW HANDS! They creep up mid-undulation and ATTACK!