#practice ideas

First of all, definitely don’t be shy about starting a class — if you’re in a beginning belly dance class, the teacher expects that she’ll be showing you all the basics! You might look a little silly, we all did at first. Personally, I could not do snake arms to save my life, and it took about six months in front of the mirror before they stopped be comedic. 

But, if you’re still really anxious about it, here’s some sites that might help!

-I always, always, always recommend Rachel Brice’s Datura Online. It’s a paid service, but you can subscribe per month or per video, whatever works for you. There’s a ton of classes for any experience level, plus they offer a wide range of dance styles. If you don’t know where to begin, try the Start It Up playlist.

-Tiazza Rose’s video blog is an awesome free resource for basic stuff, especially if you’re interested in Egyptian or Lebanese belly dance. She doesn’t go into a lot of depth, but it’s a fun starting point. 

-If you’re interested in ATS or ITS, I really enjoy Wild Card Belly Dance’s youtube channel. The movement vocab is specific to their ITS format, but the instruction is really easy to follow and will give you a good overview of how improv belly dance movements and cues work.

-If you’re looked for a tutorial or drill for a specific movement, try doing a Youtube search and see what you come up with. Examples: “How to do Arabic shimmy” “How to do sidewinder” “How to do snake arms”. There’s a good bit of trial and error here, but you can usually find something helpful.

You can also find new or used bellydance dvds at a discount through Amazon or Ebay. I love "Serpentine Bellydance" by Rachel Brice, “Tribal Fusion Fundamentals” from the Bellydance Superstars, and "Fluid Technique" by Zoe Jakes.

New drill challenge!

Drill Challenges via Zoe Jakes! (If you're not following her on Facebook, do it yesterday.)

-4/4 sharp hips with alternating smooooooth shoulder rolls -- right shoulder forward, left shoulder forward, Left shoulder back, right shoulder back. 

-Corkscrews! Clockwise: Omi, chest circle, head circle.Then counter clockwise: Head circle, chest circle, omi.

-While trying to keep your hips even 4/4 shimmy: Walk forward and back, side to side (dont do a 3/4 shimmy!). And try a turn!