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Belly Dance Articles
Nada is very busy teaching and performing yet she still trys to find the time to write articles and improve the quality of the belly dance discussions online.
As we all know a Zaffa is the wedding procession of the bride and the groom where dancers and musicians lead them to the event hall, then later leading them to their home.
This video is an excellent example of a very well organized Egyptian Zaffa. As you see the musicians and the dancers have managed to create a beautiful space where everyone can see the bride and the musicians can play without people bumping into them.
Creating this beautiful space is key to a good Zaffa.
At about 1:05 the dancers come into the space. A traditional Egyptian wedding Zaffa usually uses props such as the Shamedan (Candle Hat) and Zills here. As you watch the dancers you will see that they are dancing beautifully and also very interactive, not only with each other but most importantly with the audience. They managed to make their dance 'full facing mirror'.
The subject of Zaffa is very rich and broad. And it is absolutely essential for all professional belly dancers to know.
Lose Hips and
Pelvis Tips
First published June 2009
Randa Kamel
Fifi Abdou
Samia Gamal
Taheya Carioca
Naima Akef
It is said that about 100 years ago Belly Dance got the name Belly Dance in the New York Worlds fair. The story goes that to get people to the Egyptian Pavilion they advertised the dancing of Egypt as Belly Dancing.
However in Egypt this type of dance is called Raks Baladi (Country Dance) or Raks Sharee (Eastern Dance).
To me, if we were to come up with a name that actually describes what the dancers really do when they belly dance we should call it the Hip and Bum dance!
I am not completely joking. When you watch the 5 movies, which I selected to illustrate this point, you will begin to understand what I mean by this.
But before watching the videos, lets look at two belly dance movements that are normally thought of as belly moves and discover what part of the body actually produces that movement.
You see, the Omi is not created with the belly. It is created through dropping your hip down and releasing your pelvis then raising the same hip up and the pelvis is tucked in. In this process you ornament this move by releasing then tucking in the belly.
Undulations are made by relaxing and shifting your pelvis forward while the weight lies (mostly) in the front of your feet. As you then pull back the pelvis your weight should transfer to the heels. This move is also ornamented by the tummy being released when the pelvis is released and tucked in when pelvis is pulled back.
As you see the belly is an ornamentation in these 2 moves, while the hips, pelvis and bum, actually produce the move.
There are differences in the movements of the belly and the movements of the pelvis. Next time you do any belly dance move pay attention to how your pelvis is positioned and how mobile it is for you. The more mobile it is the more relaxed your dance is.
Now that doesn't mean erasing accented hip movements. Absolutely not. These moves are very important and adds the spice to your dance.
Now that you know this, it can revolutionize your dance, because engaging your pelvis and relaxing it while dancing will soften your dance while making it natural and effortless.
Watch the 5 videos from old to new and look for the ways the pelvis moves and the ways the belly moves.
Arms in Belly Dancing are very expressive.
Here are two videos that will help you to understand what I mean. Lets start with the beautiful video of Randa Kamel. As I have probably written before it is best to watch both videos before reading and then following along with me here.
So Randa Kamel's arms are definitely unique and modern in their style. The amazing thing about her is that she uses her arms to their full capacity. What I mean by this, and what I have always said, is that arms are tailored to the dancer. We teach you the basics and you have to tailor the moves to fit your body and not your body to fit the moves. Are your arms long, full, slim, etc? This will affect the way your incorporate the technical movements that you have been taught.
Take a close look at Randa's video and see that she has broken the rules. If you see her raising her arms over her head you will notice that the distance between her shoulders and her ears is less than what is usually recommended (good examples are at 0:01 and 0:50). However, her artistic use of her arms and her breaking of the rules is what creates her style.
Now take a look at the second video of the phenomenal and legendary Suheir Zaki and notice how her arms are completely different from Randa's. Suheir's arm use is classical. Upon looking at her video you will first see how her arm movements are soft. Later on (starting at 1:12) Suheir has her arms over her head. I bet you can easily see the differences between both dancers in this position.
Although their arm styles are not the same, the technique is one.
Both Dancers are using the fundamentals of arms in belly dance:
Shoulder position - rolled back and down
Elbows - slightly facing back, without the point of the elbow towards the floor
Lifting and moving the arms through the Wrist
Energy extended through the entire arm - they are not dead fish, as they say.
Yet, they will, at the right times, break these rules to fit their artistic ideas and style.
In Egyptian belly dance, arms were never an ornamentation. They complete the sentence. Like I say in my classes, arms talk. If you treat your arms like a Christmas decoration around your body they won't have any meaning. But if they help your body tell the story they will synchronize to the music.
Here is what you should do to improve and master your arms in Belly Dance.
First: Learn the fundamental technical aspects of using your arms and posture. At this point the arms will look very mechanical. Don't be worried.
Second: Once the fundamentals have been perfected, then its your time to start looking into breaking the rules. Stand in front of a full mirror. Move your hands and arms through the most basic belly dance positions. Watch closely the spaces and angles. Then start to tweak and change your arms a little at a time to achieve the best looks, while developing your style.
Be careful! You must think that your arms are telling a story while practising. If you are thinking a story, your arms will show it!
In fact your whole body language will express the moods and character in the story.
Enjoy dancing and enjoy these great videos. I really did.
