Renee's Magical Belly Dancing
www.bellydancing.com.au
PROFESSIONAL BELLY DANCER and INTERNATIONAL TEACHER
"Bringing this ancient art to modern life"
Copyright 1996-2009
VOLUME 9
"WONDERFUL HIPS"
Please observe copyright as this is my way of earning a living. Do not copy the DVDs. If you need more copies for your friends, e-mail me to arrange payment and delivery. All the DVDs are reasonably prices. Specials and Discount for multiple volumes purchased are available.
DVD Instructions and TIPS.
LINK TO THIS PAGE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
SEGMENT 1
01.36 Warming up. Relax your mind, forget the cares of the world. Hear and Feel the Music.
- descend through your knees with shoulder rolls.
- interlock fingers & stretch - pulling shoulders back
- interlock & stretch to the ceiling
- with soft knees, lean to the side.
- pull elbow back opening the armpit area
- bring shoulder forward by gently pushing the arm
SEGMENT 2
04.02 HEAD Movements - Getting Flexible and Isolating
- With chin on chest, gently arc your head - (from shoulder to shoulder.)
Keep it slow & relaxed
- Gently circle, looking up to the ceiling only
(Do not lean to look backwards).
TIPS - These gentle head movements will help you to become flexible & will help you to realize that you can also dance with your head, when appropriate.
The eyes (look) & the chin (lifts or lowers) are the three focal points used to guide your dancing head.
For example - "Look over shoulder" or "lift or lower " your chin".
SEGMENT 3
Isolating RIB ROTATION & HIP ROTATION - Getting flexible
04.36 Blue - Crunch up your shoulders, to feel the tension.
- Then relax shoulders. Learn to "feel" your relaxed shoulders. (rib rotations or head movements are always accomplished with relaxed shoulders.)
04.44 Orange - Rotate hips
- Relax shoulders & rotate ribs only, anchoring hands on thighs.
- Think of your ribs doing the dancing. Remember to breathe steadily.
TIPS - only rotate with your ribs not your shoulders. This means that your concentration is only directed to your ribs, while relaxing shoulders. No movement comes from the shoulders. Teach your body to isolate and feel this movement.
Do not get this movement confused with shoulder shimmies or shoulder accenting.
It is also not a breast movement, although your breast will move because they
are attached to your rib area.
To further warming up - Use other simple belly dance movements - pelvic tilts, pelvic circle, side hips, figure 8, rib lifts, rib slides and snake arms. Always start with gentle movements before proceeding to the more complex movements like shimmies and undulations.
SEGMENT 4
06.42 Improving your POSTURE. Becoming more elegant and versatile.<br>
- Improving your posture by adding a rib lift.
- "Learn" to relax into this posture.
Posture improves as you continue the journey of learning the art of belly dance.
Feet / toes angled comfortably at 11 & 1 o'clock - with a comfortable distance or hip width apart
Keep knees angled the same as toes.
Keep knees soft (do not tighten knees)
Pull tummy in slightly. Tuck the bottom under which tilts the pelvis forward and up
Now learn to relax your back side/ cheeks by tightening them, then relax. The relaxing is what you want to achieve. Teach your muscles to relax.
Also learn to relax the whole hip area.
Keep weight centred between your knees. Find your centre of gravity which is between your knees raising up to your navel.
You must learn to "feel" or "remember" this centre of gravity. Once you have mastered this "feel" all the dancing becomes easier and effortless.
Take your waistline out of your hips with a rib lift and relaxed shoulders.
Now learn how to relax and "feel" comfortable in this position & "feel" your centre of gravity.
You are now elevated with a rib lift and centred.
Teach your mind and body to remember this formation automatically.
Do not lean forward or back.
Later you can vary this posture as required.
SEGMENT 5
07.04 HIP DROPS with Neat Feet - in 2, 4 & 8 counts.
Becoming fluent when changing hips. Learn to "hear" the the rhythm. Getting ready to Free dance and Improvises.
- Lift one heel and drop hip to the beat with New Posture. Keep weight centred.
- keep the heel raised while dropping the hip
- simultaneously lift and lower heels as you change, creating a smoother and flowing change over.
TIPS - Practice often with your new improved relaxed rib lift dancing posture
Also learn to work through the hip area only.
Create near feet and good balance by observing the 11 am and 1 pm rule.
Keep your heel stationary as you drop. Do not lift & lower the heel with each drop.
To Change hip - simultaneously lift one heel as you lower the other, on the count of one.
Keep your weight centred between your knees, do not lean over the stationary hip.
Learn to dance with your hips & not through your knees. Think of the knees as only holding you up,
Do not fling or twist the heels outward as you hip drop. This will avoid pigeon toes.
Do not be tempted to twist your knees outwards. Instead keep the knees at the same angle as the toes (11 & 1 o'clock)
Make sure that both knees are kept soft with new improved rib lift posture.
Hip Drops can be made small, medium or large depending on the music
SEGMENT 6
(Yellow skirt) - following on from Volume 7
11.40 - Dancing with shoulders - Learn to "hear" the music for better flowing shimmies also getting ready for free style/ improvisation.
TIPS for the artistic dancer -
You can also engage your concentration to one dancing shoulder only, while the other shoulder automatically follows.
Make the shoulder movements smaller the faster you go. Control the wobble of your breast with movement through your shoulders, not the rib cage.
The bigger the breast, the smaller the shoulder movements.
Learn to "feel" your breasts dance at a comfortable and dignifies wobble in rhythm.
Keep the breast movements small & neat, this will feel and look elegant. Do not let them wobble out of control, this will feel and look undignified & tacky.
You need to experiment in front of a mirror to see the difference between out of control breast wobbles and dignified elegant breast movements.
13.03 - Dancing with one shoulder -
- Anchor one hand on temple (or head) and dance with one shoulder only (hear the music)
- add a hip twist to the shoulder technique.
For elegant & dignified shoulder shimmies have a relaxed rib lift posture.
One moment you can have chin down & the next you can turn your head & look over/towards one shoulder.
Remember never lean forward, instead descend through your knees to give the impression that you are coming forward
SEGMENT 7
14.13 - HIP ARCS - following on from flexible hip lifts alternating(Volume 7)
- Lift one heel & one hip then roll forward
-Lift & roll backwards
- Forming an arc (a U shape, up side down)
(Left Side View)
- Keep both knees soft. Do not twist heel out but work through the hip.
- Dance through the pelvic circle and figure eight.
- Dance as you walk off with attitude and flare.
TIPS - Keep heel raised (as in hip drops) as the hip arcs (or rolls) forward, up and (rolls) backward.
Avoid heel touching the floor when you roll. Instead work through the hip and leave heel raised.
Make sure that you do not throw your knees inwards & outwards as you try to accomplish the arcs.
Remember let your hips do the dancing & knees are there to hold you up.
Keep your weight centred(centered)and do not lean over the stationary foot. Also feel your new rib lift elegant posture
Keep your feet and toes angled at 11 & 1 o'clock. Your hip is creating the arc not your knees.
PERSEVERE and learn to work through your hips.
This will pay off later as you learn related techniques, layering or combinations. Also your hips will gain more flexibility and mobility.
This method will give you an elegant and neat dance movement that can be easily varied as required.
Remember - one hip usually works a little better than the other. This is normal. In time this will even out. However one hip will always feel easier, this is normal too.
SEGMENT 8
18.08 - STEPS & TURNS - Gold Costume - Hear the music.
Using one step for each beat - arms frame, or express the melody.
- walk the eight - walking
- ¾ - (stepping 3 out of 4 beats)
- Walk with hip rotation
- Travel with hip twist
- Cross over to change
- Walk back and forth
- Unders (Sway) into outside eights
- Centre(Center) Steps/ Arabic
- into Grapevine - cross foot in front and same foot cross behind
- Lower undulations with leading foot travelling
(CROSS OVERS, Slow Motion) - Lift knee and hip to cross over with pointed toes.
- Pivot on ball of foot.
TIPS
Hear and Feel the Music
When walking, try to "dance the walk". Don't just plod along as if your walking down the street.
Walk with your weight towards your ball & toes, (not towards your heels).
Revel, delight and enjoy this music as you step and turn. Practice your smiles.
Keep the movement flowing by listening to the music, to learn the changes in the rhythm.
You can even invent your own.
SEGMENT 9
OVER & UNDER FIGURE EIGHT - figure eights on a vertical level - MAYA and SWAY.
22.35 - Over 8 - Maya .................. This technique is named after an Egyptian Dancer.
- Lift heel & hip
- roll hip out, over and down towards your ankles - forming one vertical loop
- keeping weight centred with soft knees
24.18 - Under 8 - Sway - .....- Under eights are the opposite to Overs/ Maya ..............This technique looks like a sway of the hips.
- lift heel, drop hip, roll out and up (towards your arm pit)
TIPS - Try to keep the knees soft. Do not lock your knees, work through the hips.
It will take a while for these movements to become familiar and comfortable.
Once mastered these two techniques will set your hips free.
It took me a while to master these two techniques. Because of my arthritic condition, my hips joint felt as if they where going to "pop out". However I knew that I did not have this "pop out" affliction and realized that it was my arthritis complaining. It was a little painful only. So I practiced slowly, short intervals but often, until I felt that I yielded my arthritic hips to accept this movement. It took me a long while to become relaxed and familiar with these 2 techniques. So do not become too impatient.
I had an ex ballet student once, who's hip joints literally "popped out" at odd times. She gave up ballet because of this condition and thought that belly dance may be easier.
SEGMENT 10
26.49 Descending ¾ HIP DROPS, as if going down stairs.
- Drop 3 out of 4 beats
¾ hip drops - ¾ hip points - ¾ descends - ¾ steps - all have one thing in common
You dance to 3 beats And rest on the 4 th beat.
Count 1 - 2 - 3 - "and". The "and" becomes the silent 4th count.
Executed in single time, double time, and fast time becomes the 3/4 shimmies which leads into the Egyptian Walk.
Alternate ¾ hip drops with side hips - double time.
Hip Points move horizontal like the points on a compass.
Hip Descending as going down stairs from neutral position
When in Back View - Only be in full back view for 2 / 4 beats.
Then start to look towards shoulder to show a part of your face.
Use a slight rib rotation to turn your head towards the dancing hip.
I see many good dancers just stand like lame duck when dancing with their backs to the audience. Yes it is a tradition that belly dancers do this manoeuvre.
But to show that you understand what it is to be more artistic is to understand that you can do things better (and more interesting), by turning your head towards the hip.
TIPS - Try the hips first with soft elegant neutral arms. Do not let your arms flap about.
Then later add the arm techniques.
SEGMENT 11
29.49 - CO-ORDINATION - Blue costume.
Listen to the music as you co ordinate arm techniques with hips, steps and turns.
Learn to develop ARTFUL and FLOWING arms & hands.
Remember, hips basically follow the beat while arms/ hands follow the melody to express the music or emotions.
Arms are usually always slower than hips.
As hips get faster, the arms are still moving slow. Otherwise you will end up with spaghetti arms.
Sequence of techniques . Also learning short cuts in writing down choreography.
- outside 8
- crossing up with side hips
- crossing down
- double time & crossing up (Xp)
- side hips step forward & around
- Crossing down (Xd) and stepping around
- Xp side hips - double time Xp & Xd
- Xd with hand twirl & around
- twirling one hand down & around (double to single time)
- accenting the beat
- side hips with heel raised - around & change to go the other way with Egyptian arms
- outside 8 with hand twirl & around
- Marking time into flowing parallel arms
- Xp and one arm down
- Palms up and palms down
- Around with hand twirls
- Double time, marking time
- Xd into parallel
- Xd - twirl
- Xp and Xd
- Double time around
- Opening out the lotus, into parallel, into Egyptian (L)
TIPS - To create flowing arm movements, to know when to keep arms still, yet beautifully structured, you need to "hear and feel the music".
Marking time = using up beats (or counts) slowly by opening and closing the full lotus.
Full lotus ( ) = arms move slowly out to the side, starting from hip area to above the head. Then reversing the movements from above head to hip area.
Sometimes the hands or fingers touch above the head (Spanish crown or varied steeples etc.) & sometimes the hands or fingers touch near the hip area, in front or behind.
SEGMENT 12 - Co ordination continued.
36.55 - CENTRE STEPS (or Arabic Steps) with "WELCOMING ARMS"
- greeting or welcoming the audience to your dance. (Blue costume).
- Using presenting arms with a wrist curl to create greeting or welcoming arms
- In your imagination,think of greeting an actual person with a smile
Techniques and Short Cuts
Centre (Center) Step (CS) or Arabic Steps (AS) into welcoming arms
Side hips - CS/AS - welcoming arms
Side hips - CS - knee lift
CS - O (pelvic Circle) - CS - travel
CS - travel
O - CS
Side hips - CS - marking time from a hip frame
Travel
Side hips - CS
Side hips can also be shorthanded like -- (e.g. O CS --)
Welcoming Arms - (using Presenting arms from veil work, volume 6) Hand and arm movement start around hip area presenting outwards, with the thought of greeting a friend or audience.
Hip Frame - the hands are framing the hips.
SEGMENT 13
39.25 - COMBINATIONS -- 1st Part - Extra practice
- Hip Lift Walk - Raise heel, lift hip towards arm pit and release, alternating.
-Points - hip circle or one hip loop -figure eight - ¾ hip drops
- Arcs - lifts and drops
Arms
- Neutral - temple buff - temple hold - wrist curls - hand twirls
- Head movements (chin and eyes)
While executing these combinations, keep a soft knee, with new rib lift posture.
40.56 - COMBINATIONS - 2nd part - Extra practice.
Alternating with new techniques and old. Head movement, neat feet and neat fingers.
- ¾ drops descending with neutral arms & wrist curl for accenting phrases.
- ARCS. For neatness & elegance pinch thumb & index fingers with other fingers gently cupped.
- 4 drops descending, hip lift then ¾ drops descending
- ARC'S stationary
- Arc's stepping around (do not fling heel outward as you step around)
- back view - change - ¾ drops - chin up & look over shoulder with one hand head frame
(it is not a temple buff, but a hold behind the ear.)
- hip twist around (do not fling heel outwards) push down on ball of foot & let hip do the twisting,
not the knees or heels (learn to isolate the hip).
- twist stationary (4 beats) than continue around
- change - hip points - arcs
- double arcs (2 at front & 2 at back )
- arcs
- hip drops descending with hand on hip for 4 beats.
- lift & drop then twist around
change head frame into ¾ drops (4 beats or 4 counts) then twist around
TIPS
Hip Arcs - keep feet & knees neat & work through hip - do not twist knee inwards or fling heel in or outwards. Learn to work through your hip area, this will take time & discipline. Do not become sloppy with these movements. Once you have achieved the discipline of dancing through your hips the art of elegant belly dancing will be your reward. If you do not master this you will always look somehow unpolished.
Head Frame. When placing fingers on head, make sure elbows are facing outwards & fingers are nicely placed somewhere behind or in front of the ear.
SEGMENT 14
43.18 - COMBINTATIONS - 3rd part -
BELLY LATIN (yellow and green skirt) - Music, From Cairo to Sao Paulo.
A most enchanting piece of music to get your artistic juices flowing.
Again learn to listen to the music. Get the flow and emotional expression happening to old familiar techniques, learned from the beginner's series, with the help from 9
- ¾ steps - Crossing over - Shimmy walk - Egyptian walk - Hip rotation walk - Hip lift walk - Layering hip lift and Hip rotation walk - Tilt and undulations - Traveling.
Arms and hands
Flowing arms - temple buff - twin arms (from low to high) - steeple - body proud - unfolding - Spanish crown - shoulder rolls with snake arms - lotus - head buff - crossing up into steeple - palms up - palms down - wrist curl - neutral - open steeple - presenting or greeting - Spanish crown into V steeple - hand twirl - crescent - asping - head frame - Temple variation.
Temple variations - Any hand movement starting from the temple area, left hand left temple, or left hand right temple e.g. place left fingers on right temple then lower towards shoulder (elbows out) with right arm at shoulder height or from temple curl down around face or temple to steeple.
(discover your own variations)
TIPS.
Practice new relaxed posture. Also learn to relax bottom and hip area. Your bottom should start to wobble like jelly.
Realize that sometimes your rib lift is more elevated and other moments the ribs are more relaxed.
Head movements going through chin and eyes. Get arms to flow and feet to dance.
Do not worry if you get the techniques wrong. Simply IMPROVISE and continue. Just let it happen and have fun.
SEGMENT 15
47.12 - Renee's Solo.
This dance combines all the new techniques with many old movements.
Easy to follow.
53.30 - Duet - A delightful completed dance, featuring two of my students, third year level, highlighting new and old techniques learned from volumes 1 to 9.
This dance is comprised of semi choreography. Some planned improvisation. Co ordinate arms and hands with hip techniques, steps and turns.
The Dance Briefs -
Technique Briefs - making everything flowing by listening to the music. No counting.
Choreography Brief - Do some parts with choreography. And other parts improvise.
Improvisation Brief - some parts will be mapped, planned and then improvised as you want. Also experiment each time we practice. Using one technique at a time, including arms. Then as they improved - if possible, do improvisation opposite to each other. One in front view other back view. Do what you like best from your experiments. Dance in the moment use your initiative. Work at your own pace.
Arm/ hands Brief - use arm technique within a system. Arms are up, arms are down, arms are waist high. One arm up and other down.
Use arms / hands to express what you feel.
Posture Brief - using new and old posture variation.
Head Brief - Using head movement learned, to acknowledge each other and smile/ react. Also becoming aware of own dancing space and each other's space automatically by using eye, chin, head movements.
Shimmy Brief - each shimmy had to be different, choreographed yet free to interpret if required.
Rhythm Brief - Shimmies fast and interesting, but next change (choreographed, 3/4, CS) soft and demure. One technique at a time, varied, (8, O, Maya, Sway) as they hear and feel the music, only coming together in choreography at a particular piece of music phrasing briefly. Most important, listen to the music. Get to know the varied phrasings and simply dance to the rhythm. No counting no plodding through techniques.
Mistake Brief - you are allowed mistakes. Continue with mistake until you catch up. Do not show mistake on face, however you can smile.
Smile Brief - do not plaster one smile all the way through. Vary smile by using big open smile, smaller smile, grin or not smile. Always smile or acknowledge/ react when facing each other. Relief smile when back is turned, this becomes a relaxing moment to compose your face muscles. As you turn to face front you are refreshed.
This dance took many months to understand and is still improving. However once you master these scenarios, you are set free to improvise and be in command of your own free dancing. These two students are my top dancers and we have been together for over 8 years, and still going.
TIPS - Pick one dancer to follow only, as each will present a variation. Following both is too confusing. My suggestion - follow the simpler brunet version first.
The blond dancer will demonstrate a more complex version.
Please note, there are more wonderful arm/ hand techniques in with choreographed, improvisation dances " Feel the Passion" DVD for beyond beginners, intermediate to advanced level dances.
NEW - Another suitable DVD is called "So you think you can belly dance" Posted on my web site next, so keep your eyes open for this new series on Part Dancing with your friends.
SEGMENT 15
Renee's Magical WORKSHOP -
Extra practice with Maya and Sway. Also alternating and combining other hip technique, to varied music and tempos.
59.24 -Orange costume - Maya and Sway and normal figure eights.
1.04.39 - Blue costume - More complex Maya practice with varied arms/ hands and Rib Slide
Alternating Maya to slow and faster tempos.
Extending Maya on one hip only.
Listening to the rhythm to achieve variety.
1.09.21 - Red Harem Pants costume
Hip lift travel, Sway descending, Sway travel, including pelvic circles, side hips and other familiar techniques.
1.14.28 - Orange costume
More complex Maya practice. Hear and Feel the Music.
**** See if you can spot the Hip Slide which is created from a
confidently mastered Maya.
The Hip Slide is explained in volume 10.
~~~oooOooo~~~
contact Renee by Email or phone (02) 4325 4593
Renee's Magical Belly Dancing, Gosford, NSW 2250. Australia
Happy learning the wonderful art of Belly Dance
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