Which is your weak part in bellydance?

[Yshka]

That is true Moon, more bending of the knees gives you a bit more space to move you r hips when doing a figure 8.

My problem right now is shimmies. I have enough to shimmy so to speak so its easy to fake one, but I've been killing myself over the right technique of producing a proper 3/4/hipshimmy. I've been wanting to get it right for ages and have been practising my b*tt off, but I still seem to loose control over the hipmovements, can't get the 3/4 thing to work.
My Egyptian shimmies are coming along nicely though.
As for props right now my only enemy is veil: I can produce an "ok" looking veil piece and I can get the veil to flow nicely when I want it to, but don't start with me on double veil

I'm more of a zills/cane type of person.

 

[Aniseteph]

I been trying to practice upward figure 8 too. My teacher told us to draw a BIG number 8 on a large piece of cardboard and stand it up in front of you and get your hips to follow the 8. It sounds easy but I know it isn't. I can't keep my feet down flat.
Kathy

We've learnt it differently! We started vertical 8's and Mayas with the heel coming off the ground, which makes it easy to learn to lift your hip up and in. But I've heard of teachers saying this is WRONG! I think the argument is that you could end up relying on your leg to push the hip up, rather than abdominal/torso muscles (don't know the anatomical names). You can't do a nice 8 just pushing with your legs (well, I can't). To get a nice smooth 8 you have to use the aforementioned muscles to pull the hip up and in (not forgetting to tuck in the tailbone ). Once the movement is coming from the hips you can take it up on the balls of your feet or down flat.

Anyway if you are being told flat feet do it that way! I think Moon and Yshka are right, you need really soft knees to have the "space" to let the hip go up the outside of the 8. If you start with straightish legs, think about it; the hip can't go up without taking the heel up too, unless you have elastic legs...

You'll get there soon

 

[DancerAU]

You make it sound easy. I'll see how I go

 

[gisela]

A while ago I saw, for the first time, a video of me dancing. I didn't look towards the audience nearly as much as I thought I had, and my fingers sometimes bent into "THE CLAW"!!! Arrrgh!! Frustrating to see. My wrists are not very flexible so when I get a nice bend on them, my fingers bend a little too, especially at performances when I'm nervous and there's a lot to think about. Also, I discovered to Hafla this sunday, that my feet apparently turn into jelly when I perform solo. Very bad for keeping the balance

 

[gwinity]

I've changed my mind again as to what I'm weakest on: Now I'm convinced it's my arms. Being "well endowed" and having a desk job, I'm terribly stiff in my shoulders and upper back, which makes for less-than-elegant arms (when I remember to keep them in the right positon).

Any tips? I deliberately choose the heavier veils in class so as to become stronger/better in my shoulders and upper back, but it's not working yet.....!

 

[Miss_Winnii]

Turns! I once had bellydance lessons and we did turns, when i came home a feld really sick and a trowed up:s, i always do look at one point on the wall

 

[Rya]

one of my weaknesses is my back. its not that flexible so i have trouble doing back bends. i cant lean back that far. i need to work on that. also my balance aint great oh well practice practice practice!!!!

 

[Fire Lily]

Weak spots

I think for me it depends on the speed of the move.
If i know what i'm doing, then I dont have too much trouble but when we're doing follow the teacher and she's doing a fast unfamilier move, I struggle.

Props are okay for me. But i'm still learning. Just started the cane actually

Fire Lily

 

[Mouse]

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

 

[Fire Lily]

Apart from ballet pointe shoes and flats, i've never danced in shoes so i dont have that issue. Don't think I could if i tried

Fire Lily

 

[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 :tongue: 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 :tongue: 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]

Improv

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.

:shok: 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 rotest:

 

[Tayri]

my weakness is...

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!