Middle Eastern Bellydance...fun, classes, fitness, performances!
class information
| This is a great
class for women of all ages. Anybody can do bellydance. Many find the movements feel
natural to a woman's body -- hips are an asset in this dance!
If you're new to bellydancing, check out the class description below. There are many theories about the origins of what we now call bellydance, which
is sometimes called Oriental Danse, and is known as Raks Sharqi in the Middle East. Some
claim that it is an ancient women's birthing dance, that mimicks the contractions of
labor. Whatever its origins, Middle Eastern dance celebrates the natural curves and
strengths of the female body. It is beautifully expressive, feminine, emotive, and
sensual. This is a woman's perfect, low-impact aerobic workout! |
In the words of one of Tammie's long-time students: "Tammie is a real treasure to the bellydance community in this area. She has learned from some of the best and is a true artist. Her teaching style is friendly, encouraging, gentle and fun." |
Where: room 302 HUB building To sign up for classes |
Welcome to Middle Eastern Dance! |
Read on if you'd like to know more about what to expect in the classes. |
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| Intro. Level Class: This class is for people who are new to bellydance. Here you'll learn the foundations of bellydance that will be used in the many dance styles explored later. Hips are actually the focus of a lot of the movements in this dance form, and in this class you'll learn the basics of hip movements: the Basic Egyptian, hip-work singles, the 3/4 shimmy, the Egyptian shimmy, figure 8's, myahs, etc. You also learn the camel, snake arms, undulations, and isolations of the head, arms, torso and hands. And you'll be putting all of this together and learning a choreographed dance, which you can choose to perform with your class at an end of semester Haffla (which is a Middle Eastern dance party - food, music, lots of fun!) or one of the local workshop shows. Tammie is also introducing a basic introduction to costuming in this class this semester. She'll show you how you can throw together some lovely, simple costuming pieces with just the basics of sewing skills, she'll show you some of the costumes she's made herself and tell you how she did it. Wearing beautiful veils and scarves is part of the fun of bellydancing! |
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| tools of the trade and other
fun stuff: Zills, veil and hip-scarf all
come to mind as tools of the trade. Don't forget a notebook. Once you're home and wanting
to practice, your notes will reveal what you learned in class. Your notebook could become
your most important dance tool. There are many fine videos filled with technique and
choreography. Video can be great as a teaching tool, but when you are learning to do Belly
Dance, no video can substitute for a good teacher. Check out www.shira.net for some places to buy hip-scarves, veils,
music and videos. |
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| what to wear: proper dance attire is an important component when you're learning to Belly
Dance. Correct body alignment is fundamental in this dance form. If you are hiding your
beautiful body under loose clothing you're impairing the eye of your teacher. So what is
proper attire? Leotards, unitards, bike shorts and a sports bra are some suggestions. You
don't have to bare a midriff. It's far better to wear soft, form-fitting blue jeans than
to wear sweat pants as the placement of your knees is extremely important. A t-shirt is
fine as long as it clings to your waist area. Just wear something that allows the teacher
to monitor your movements. A hip-scarf or any inexpensive shawl or scarf that can be tied
around your hips is also standard bellydance wear. A lot of the exciting motion of this
dance form comes from the hips and accenting them with a scarf is traditional. You can use
any scarf you already have, you can make a simple hip-scarf yourself, or you can buy them
from numerous bellydance vendors.
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Are you interested in booking a bellydancer
or troop for your next party or event? |
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Pearls of the Valley website: www.valleypearls.com. Run by Amsah Noor, Megan MacBride, this site includes bios of all Pearls dancers, Pearls photo galleries, as well as a great local dance events calendar. The Art Of Middle Eastern Dance (by Shira) is a cornucopia of belly dance information. Here you can find dance advice and how-to's, costuming tips, Middle Eastern music, articles on the history and culture behind this dance, and great links to many other interesting and informative sites. |
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