Find out why Suhaila walked off the nightclub stage at 28, how we can show respect for the cultural origins of belly dance, and how her mother Jamila Salimpour danced her cooking.
Want to feel beautiful and juicy in your body? Listen to this. Let's reveal what belly dancers can learn from burlesque culture and find ways to take exquisite of ourselves.
Find out what makes Egyptian dancers look authentic and what makes Western dancers look a little fake, what makes dancers sexy, and why belly dancers in the Middle East are still stigmatized.
Johanna relives the breast cancer diagnosis that birthed her first dance studio and expanded her commitment to community. She shares her secret to layering a shimmy and undulation, and also urges us to meditate by focusing on 1 thing at a time.
Find out why chatting in the dressing room is a good habit to quit, get yourself a gold or silver bra and belt, and discover what’s so confusing about Foq Elna Khel.
Find out which belly dance skirt to wear and which one to skip, incorporate skirt moves into your floor work, and learn this secret of storing your big 10 and 25 yard skirts. Try counting a 9/8 rhythm 4 different ways and enjoy 3 different versions of the Turkish song Rampi Rampi.
Wake up saying "I love my life", learn a fancy new veil move, detox with a parsley lemon drink, go thrift store shopping for your next costume piece, and find out why I want you to be happy and healthy and dance your whole life.
Belly dancing to live music for an audience is the ultimate belly dance experience. It is nothing like dancing to recorded music, and when you can dance confidently and respectfully with a live band your understanding of belly dance will rise to another level. It is surprising how many dancers study American Tribal Style, Tribal Fusion, classical Egyptian belly dance, folkloric and American Cabaret Style and then sit down when it is time to improvise to live music. Dancing to live musicians is my favorite part of belly dancing! Years ago I started learning percussion in order to deepen my understanding of the music and also
Portland's Ruby Beh is a hair tossing, veil throwing belly dance powerhouse. Learn some of her unique veil moves as well as tips for choreographing and learning drum rhythms for belly dance.
Colleena Shakti's friends Raki and Sunita Sapera show us how to dance like the Rajasthani Kalbelia dancers in the opening scene of Latcho Drom. Rehearse like your audience is always there with you and if you see something you like in another dance, make it your own.