At last … here are a few highlights from my performance at Rakkasah East 2018. The Rakkasah festivals, held on both the West and East coasts of the United States, are some of the first large Middle Eastern Dance festivals that folks were able to go to. These large...
Entertaining audiences with Middle Eastern Dance done to live music in a nightclub setting is the “gold standard” of performance context in this dance form. It is the way Belly Dance was performed in the clubs of the 60’s up through the 90’s …...
One of the most most intimidating aspects for some students studying Middle Eastern Dance (or Belly Dance) is learning to play the zills, or finger cymbals. Although no one can forcibly make a person learn the skill, and different styles of Middle Eastern Dance vary...
… that ”Belly” Dance isn’t really about the belly at all? If you were to name this dance after the body part that is its main emphasis, it would be called “hip dance.” Among the very serious practitioners, as well, there has been a movement to dispense with the...
It’s no secret that Middle Eastern Dance is a beginner-friendly dance form, and that is one of the many reasons why it enjoys such popularity, as both a performing art as well as a form of low-impact exercise. Western dance forms like ballet, modern, or jazz can be...
Class Tip #2 … Where Is Your Weight? Remembering sequences of steps and combinations is one of the most challenging aspects of dance for many students. Mastering individual steps and movements is one thing, but stringing a series of them together, particularly...
