How do you practise?

M

Meziena

New member
What is your routine daily, weekly, monthly etc.. to keep in good oriental dance shape? Is it well planned or do you just do whatever you feel like?

Daily I do 5 min drills of hip slides, 3/4 shimmy, & glute shimmy (because you can never perfect these & they seem to help with other moves). And a few other drills of whatever I feel like that day, fig 8s, chest circles, hip drops... Then I'll attempt the choo choo shimmy which is getting there. If I have time I do some improvisation.
 
Mya

Mya

New member
i include a 20 minute stretch at the beginning of each practise session including balance training. The more i stretch the bigger my movements grow gradually. Then i drill similarly to you - but i spend most of my drilling on moves that i have problems with or the ones that i don't like and then i freestyle while i do things around the house :lol:
 
C

charity

New member
i dont set aside specific days, i just do what i can when i can.

i run through all of these at least once a week

chest and hip slides and circles,
undulations,
1 hip circles and 1 hip 8's,
hip drops with kick and lifts,
hip twists,
3/4 shimmy drill,
rocker shimmy drill,
straight leg shimmy
hip bumps
hip downs
side hip hits
upper and lower body crescents

sometimes i run through walking steps about once every 2wk just because i dont do improv and dont want to forget them
2 point turn
3 step turn
arabasque
half circles
grapevine
scissorstep
rhumba step
reverse rhumba
head slides
shoulder rolls
arm drills

i think that covers it. oh i do try the glute squeeze shimmy. i can hardly manage it.
 
Yasmine Bint Al Nubia

Yasmine Bint Al Nubia

Moderator
Hi Ladies and Gents, not only do I practice BD moves I also practice listening to the music. I pop in a CD and just listen to the phrases and insrumentation. If the music touches a an motional chord then I play it over and over. I beat out the rhythm with my feet/hands/ fists whatever....

Since I exercise daily my warm-up includes head-to-toe drill of the following movements:
Head slides and circles
Shoulder rolls,thrusts, shrugs and shimmies(and I actually let my bosom shake furiously because the girls want to have fun too:D)
Ribcage slides vertical and horizontal circles, upper body undulation and reverse, ribcage eights, lifts and drops
Torso circles and leans
Snake arms, snake hand hands and wrist circles
Hips(oh my!)circles, half circles, lifts/drops, twists, pelvic tucks and drops,lower body camel, omis,slides, all figure 8's.
Then I'm ready to either lift weights, Yoga/Pilates and cardio. Shimmy drills often occur right before I cool down.
Then Ladies and Gents there are days when i feel like lazing around and that's ok too!!!
Yasmine
Practicing the basic moves in this manner
 
K

KuteNurse

New member
Basic stretching for about 10-15 minutes, making sure my hips, neck, arm muscles etc are well stretched to begin. Then I move to basics, hip circle, chest circle, chest slides, some arm exercises, figure eight, basic shimmy, hip bumps, hip ups, hip downs. I try starting isolations from top to bottom: neck slides, chest slides, chest circles, chest lift, stomach in and out, hip slides and bumps, then shimmy. I have the basics to doing the camel so I try that out. If I still have time, I turn on delilah and practice some of her moves. Oh...I do this about 3 times a week. Inbetween, I like long walks and bike rides to keep in shape along with aerobics, which I am not taking right now...Just too busy. I want to take more yoga, but I don't have the time this summer, so it will have to wait until fall comes.
 
T

TiaSerena

Member
Hello everyone,

I try to get into a routine of just putting on music and going with whatever I feel. I am working a lot on improvasation at the moment and trying to just feel the music. I usually put on a cd... start stretching with some hip slides, forward & back figure eights, up & down figure eights, shoulder rolls, snake arms, and shimmies. Then, I kinda just go into dancing and let the moments happen to the music. It helps to listen to the music a lot so you get familiar with it. I always hear a song and think that would be perfect for this combination or something. I recently have been attending quite a few workshops so I am practicing what I learn there so I don't forget... task of this week... walking and the finger cymbals at the same time. lol.

I will say one thing I alway tend to practice is undulations and 3/4 shimmy.

One things I learned at a workshop this weekend is to carry your belly dance posture and flowing arms with you everywhere you go. Extend you snakes arms toward the item you are going to pick up in the aisle of the grovery store. Also, hold your torso posture up and look out to the world with confidence. It makes a difference carrying these things around with you throughout the day.

Tia-Serena
 
S

sparklyraven

New member
I try to do a teensy bit everyday but quite bluntly, sometimes I just can't. but on my supreme lazy days I at least do hip circles, undulations and some armplay. maybe some rib circles just to keep the muscle memory/joints from creaking:) then sometimes I am really good about putting on the music, and practicing whatever for a nice length of time. I also have a bad habit of practicing a move while doing dishes,grocery shopping (uh, no I didn't check to see if anyone was looking......:cool:) cooking, etc....


TiaSerena, I like what you said about the little everday ditty you picked up at the workshop you took. I love when I can apply bellydancing stuff to everyday life. It makes practicing more accessible when you can just make it part of your life.
 
T

TiaSerena

Member
sparklyraven said:
I try to do a teensy bit everyday but quite bluntly, sometimes I just can't. but on my supreme lazy days I at least do hip circles, undulations and some armplay. maybe some rib circles just to keep the muscle memory/joints from creaking:) then sometimes I am really good about putting on the music, and practicing whatever for a nice length of time. I also have a bad habit of practicing a move while doing dishes,grocery shopping (uh, no I didn't check to see if anyone was looking......:cool:) cooking, etc....


TiaSerena, I like what you said about the little everday ditty you picked up at the workshop you took. I love when I can apply bellydancing stuff to everyday life. It makes practicing more accessible when you can just make it part of your life.
Click to expand...

Hey Sparklyraven,

I completely agree. And don't worry... you aren't alone in practicing while you are cooking... I am guilty of that as well! heehee. I also do the shimmies while brushing my teeth.... don't ask me why, but the mood always strikes me. Sometimes like you I just don't have the time or the energy to do a lot, but every little bit helps.

Tia
 
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