Do you do other styles of dancing? - Page 6

Tabitha · 01-31-2008, 07:10 PM

(Maybe this should be on it's own thread, but I'll piggy back on this one)

I have been taking ballet for 2 years now for a cross-training in MED, and found out there was so much more to just *movement* that I love and might never have discovered with just belly dance.

Anyhow, my ballet instructor invited me to take this class called "Dance for all bodies and abilities" and I just want to gush about it.

It's a class that has all sorts of people in it, from special needs people with mental and physical disabilities, to some REALLY good modern/ballet/creative movement dancers. We do a lot of partnering with people who have a different ability than your own, with exercises that might include mirroring, flocking, etc... Or sometimes the instructor will have a guest come in and read a text, and let people just dance to it, or like yesterday one of the special needs students played the piano while we just danced and another student got to yell "stop" and "go" and we would all freeze. It sounds weird, I know, but the room is charged with such a positive energy, and these people are so wonderful. Sometimes we do just meditative exercises and I have felt so good I wanted to cry.

And to think, I might not have discovered how much I enjoyed movement if it wasn't for taking my first bd class...

Sorry if that was kind of off-topic, but I just wanted to share!

Bellymummy · 02-01-2008, 08:37 AM

Dear A'isha,

Thank you for yor nice words... Just a question, what does "Rep" mean?

Aisha Azar · 02-01-2008, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellymummy

Dear A'isha,

Thank you for yor nice words... Just a question, what does "Rep" mean?

Dear Paula,
You will notice little green squares under people's names and photos to the left of their posts. Whenever someone really thinks that what you are saying is really important, or very wonderful in some way, they might go to the little white scales next to the green dot at the very bottom of the area that has your name and photo, and give you some points for your contribution to the forum.
Regards,
A'isha

Mihrimah Ghaziya · 02-01-2008, 03:11 PM

I take classes in modern dance ballet and physical theater. Each of them is special and enriches my oriental technique.
Ballet gives me muscular power and precise foot technique
Modern has wonderful large fluid movements
Physical theater has the freedom to try and express...

I love all three!

Bellymummy · 02-01-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A'isha Azar

Dear Paula,
You will notice little green squares under people's names and photos to the left of their posts. Whenever someone really thinks that what you are saying is really important, or very wonderful in some way, they might go to the little white scales next to the green dot at the very bottom of the area that has your name and photo, and give you some points for your contribution to the forum.
Regards,
A'isha

Dear A'isha, thanks for the explanation and for giving me the Rep! I have a lot to learn about the forum... Thanks again and happy dancing!

Regards,

Paula

Jane · 02-01-2008, 08:50 PM

You might be interested in Nia Nia Technique - Fitness, Health and Wellness, Personal Growth Training For everyBody "Nia combines a diverse blend of Eastern and Western movements, concepts and philosophies from the worlds of the healing arts (love), martial arts (mindfulness), and dance (technique). " It looks interesting anyhow. I'm thinking about trying it.

I've performed, taught, taken classes in, or tried

to do:
American Oriental Belly Dance
Raks Sharki- and derivations
Oryantal Tansi
American Tribal (very briefly)
Persian (very briefly)
Indian (very briefly)
Adult ballet (hated it)
Contact Improvisation
Dabke, Israeli, Hasapiko & other ME social dances
American social dances
Salsa
Irish Step
Irish Ceili
Irish Set
Early English Country Dance (love it)
Basse Dance (love it)
Italian Renaissance Dance (love it)
and "the chicken dance!" just kidding!

Today I'm off to try West African Mande.

Andrea Deagon · 02-01-2008, 11:15 PM

I started belly dance after several years of doing ballet quite intensively. I had started ballet late (for ballet) but loved the discipline and had a great teacher. But at some point, I realized I had come to the end of it, for me. The kinds of expression it allowed were not enough.

I started belly dance for just something fun to do and was hooked almost from the moment I opened The Compleat Belly Dancer. It was the mid-1970's and there was no one in my area really expert in the dance, so it was a matter of learning waht I could third or fourth hand and then putting it together t omy satisfaction ,with a small amount of input from various people from the culture. The physical discipline of ballet made me ready for the American-stlye dance that was common then. I've also done a little modern and a little African.

Wen I saw this post my first thought was, "Of course -- Egyptian and Turkish!"

because those seem so different to me and so different from what I came up with. I have learned a lot from teachers like Shareen el Safy (in Egyptian) and from watching videos (sometimes frame by frame) of Egyptian dancers, and likewise I have spent hours going frame by frame through some videos of Turkish dancers to try to interpret their technique. Shakira of Columbus, OH turned my on to movement systems like Alexander and Feldenkreis, and that has helped a lot in interpreting where movement is coming from and the quality of the movement.

Joy in dance,

Andrea

Aisha Azar · 02-01-2008, 11:54 PM

Dear Andrea,
I really like Shakira of Ohio a LOT!! She and I taught together once and it was a great experience. I would do it again any time. She said that the concepts I developed on my own for teaching dance are very much like one of those two methodologies, but I can not remember which one...???
Regards,
A'isha

Farasha Hanem · 02-02-2008, 12:39 AM

[quote=miriam;40161]Yay slinks! I was afraid to post because I don't do anything else either!

[quote]

I have no prior dance background; I can't even hokey-pokey on skates without falling on my patoose!

Ranya · 02-02-2008, 01:22 PM

Why did I have the impression I posted on this thread...it seems I didn't, or did I but am just too blind to find my post. Lol whatever...if I repeat myself please excuse me!
I did take ballet classes aged 4-9 but I never got out of the preparatory class (meaning, I never did pointe). Now that I look back at this it was more like "classical dance" in general than really ballet and it was supposed to prepare the students for many different dance styles such as jazz, hiphop, ballet etc. I very briefly tried ballroom, but although I enjoy to watch this dance and dance it (if I have a good partner) I somehow didn't like the class. I began with oriental dance at 17, it's 4 years now, maybe a little more. I still do jazz classes but is only recreational and I do not intend to take it any further, but I admit that it did and does help me with BD, because it improves my body control.
(I REALLY have the impression I already wrote this...hmmm...or maybe wanted to post this, dunno...excuse me, this is just ONE BIG DEJA VU, lol)
I really really really would love to learn classical persian dance (iranian and central asian), but there is NO teacher around. In general, it is very hard to find one in France, not speaking at all about Slovakia (forget that).
I would like to try more stuff but I live in a small town and the possibilities are somewhat limited.
But of course, oriental dance is my true love!!!!!!!!!

01-31-2008, 07:10 PM	#51 (permalink)
Tabitha Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alameda, CA Posts: 33	(Maybe this should be on it's own thread, but I'll piggy back on this one) I have been taking ballet for 2 years now for a cross-training in MED, and found out there was so much more to just movement that I love and might never have discovered with just belly dance. Anyhow, my ballet instructor invited me to take this class called "Dance for all bodies and abilities" and I just want to gush about it. It's a class that has all sorts of people in it, from special needs people with mental and physical disabilities, to some REALLY good modern/ballet/creative movement dancers. We do a lot of partnering with people who have a different ability than your own, with exercises that might include mirroring, flocking, etc... Or sometimes the instructor will have a guest come in and read a text, and let people just dance to it, or like yesterday one of the special needs students played the piano while we just danced and another student got to yell "stop" and "go" and we would all freeze. It sounds weird, I know, but the room is charged with such a positive energy, and these people are so wonderful. Sometimes we do just meditative exercises and I have felt so good I wanted to cry. And to think, I might not have discovered how much I enjoyed movement if it wasn't for taking my first bd class... Sorry if that was kind of off-topic, but I just wanted to share! __________________ ~Tabitha~

02-01-2008, 08:37 AM	#52 (permalink)
Bellymummy Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spain Posts: 14	thanks... Dear A'isha, Thank you for yor nice words... Just a question, what does "Rep" mean?

02-01-2008, 11:15 PM	#57 (permalink)
Andrea Deagon Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 123	I started belly dance after several years of doing ballet quite intensively. I had started ballet late (for ballet) but loved the discipline and had a great teacher. But at some point, I realized I had come to the end of it, for me. The kinds of expression it allowed were not enough. I started belly dance for just something fun to do and was hooked almost from the moment I opened The Compleat Belly Dancer. It was the mid-1970's and there was no one in my area really expert in the dance, so it was a matter of learning waht I could third or fourth hand and then putting it together t omy satisfaction ,with a small amount of input from various people from the culture. The physical discipline of ballet made me ready for the American-stlye dance that was common then. I've also done a little modern and a little African. Wen I saw this post my first thought was, "Of course -- Egyptian and Turkish!" because those seem so different to me and so different from what I came up with. I have learned a lot from teachers like Shareen el Safy (in Egyptian) and from watching videos (sometimes frame by frame) of Egyptian dancers, and likewise I have spent hours going frame by frame through some videos of Turkish dancers to try to interpret their technique. Shakira of Columbus, OH turned my on to movement systems like Alexander and Feldenkreis, and that has helped a lot in interpreting where movement is coming from and the quality of the movement. Joy in dance, Andrea __________________ "I am not contradictory, I am dispersed." (Roland Barthes)

02-01-2008, 11:54 PM	#58 (permalink)
Aisha Azar V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 4,516	Dance etc Dear Andrea, I really like Shakira of Ohio a LOT!! She and I taught together once and it was a great experience. I would do it again any time. She said that the concepts I developed on my own for teaching dance are very much like one of those two methodologies, but I can not remember which one...??? Regards, A'isha

02-02-2008, 12:39 AM	#59 (permalink)
Farasha Hanem Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In the heartland of the USA Posts: 615	confession to make [quote=miriam;40161]Yay slinks! I was afraid to post because I don't do anything else either! [quote] I have no prior dance background; I can't even hokey-pokey on skates without falling on my patoose!

02-01-2008, 03:11 PM	#54 (permalink)
Mihrimah Ghaziya Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Regensburg (Germany) Posts: 40	I take classes in modern dance ballet and physical theater. Each of them is special and enriches my oriental technique. Ballet gives me muscular power and precise foot technique Modern has wonderful large fluid movements Physical theater has the freedom to try and express... I love all three!

02-01-2008, 08:50 PM	#56 (permalink)
Jane Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In the mountains Posts: 443	You might be interested in Nia Nia Technique - Fitness, Health and Wellness, Personal Growth Training For everyBody "Nia combines a diverse blend of Eastern and Western movements, concepts and philosophies from the worlds of the healing arts (love), martial arts (mindfulness), and dance (technique). " It looks interesting anyhow. I'm thinking about trying it. I've performed, taught, taken classes in, or tried to do: American Oriental Belly Dance Raks Sharki- and derivations Oryantal Tansi American Tribal (very briefly) Persian (very briefly) Indian (very briefly) Adult ballet (hated it) Contact Improvisation Dabke, Israeli, Hasapiko & other ME social dances American social dances Salsa Irish Step Irish Ceili Irish Set Early English Country Dance (love it) Basse Dance (love it) Italian Renaissance Dance (love it) and "the chicken dance!" just kidding! Today I'm off to try West African Mande.

02-02-2008, 01:22 PM	#60 (permalink)
Ranya Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cairo, EGYPT Posts: 535	Why did I have the impression I posted on this thread...it seems I didn't, or did I but am just too blind to find my post. Lol whatever...if I repeat myself please excuse me! I did take ballet classes aged 4-9 but I never got out of the preparatory class (meaning, I never did pointe). Now that I look back at this it was more like "classical dance" in general than really ballet and it was supposed to prepare the students for many different dance styles such as jazz, hiphop, ballet etc. I very briefly tried ballroom, but although I enjoy to watch this dance and dance it (if I have a good partner) I somehow didn't like the class. I began with oriental dance at 17, it's 4 years now, maybe a little more. I still do jazz classes but is only recreational and I do not intend to take it any further, but I admit that it did and does help me with BD, because it improves my body control. (I REALLY have the impression I already wrote this...hmmm...or maybe wanted to post this, dunno...excuse me, this is just ONE BIG DEJA VU, lol) I really really really would love to learn classical persian dance (iranian and central asian), but there is NO teacher around. In general, it is very hard to find one in France, not speaking at all about Slovakia (forget that). I would like to try more stuff but I live in a small town and the possibilities are somewhat limited. But of course, oriental dance is my true love!!!!!!!!!