NEW! Coloring page of Kiyaana. Enjoy! I was a Girl Scout for 12 years and am thrilled to help girls learn about Middle Eastern dance. Whether your troop is working on a Dance badge, want to learn some moves for Thinking Day, or want bellydance to be part of a fun night together, I can…
I shared this on Amazon.com: “Ballet For Belly Dancers is another high quality video production from Cheeky Girls. I was really excited to hear that this DVD was coming out because whenever I take a belly dance workshop and the instructor uses ballet terms, I feel a little lost. I had looked into ballet-specific DVDs,…
A few summers ago I couldn’t move my left arm without excruciating pain. (I prefer waiting it out, trying home remedies, homeopathic methods, etc. to going to a medical doctor.) My self-diagnosis was tendonitis in my elbow and, along with a trip to the local health store, I ordered the book Pain Free: A Revolutionary…
Music that “moves” you is absolutely essential for bellydance, perhaps even more so than other dance forms. Oriental (belly) dancers seek to become the music. If an observer were wearing earplugs, the music would should still be seen through the movements. When I perform in restaurants, guests often ask me about the music I use. …
When I perform at private parties such as birthdays and wedding showers, I like to bring my own sound system. Recently I purchased the Harman Kardon Go + Play High-Performance Portable Loudspeaker System with Dock for iPod (Newest Model) for such occasions and tried it out a couple weeks ago. Success! I already knew from…
I’ve found a way to combine my love for teaching, dance, and fitness into one area – SharQui™! I have both SharQui™ and AFAA (group fitness) certifications and love providing bellydance workouts to the Fredericksburg area. SharQui™ uses bellydance movements to deliver a low-impact fitness routine. It is a great introduction to bellydance, but can also…
If you go to a bellydance workshop, you will find women and men in various workout clothing such as yoga pants, tank tops, t-shirts, etc. What makes it obvious that they are learning bellydance is that almost all of them will be wearing some sort of hipscarf. Yes, it can make dancing more fun, but…
Ask five bellydancers what they wear on their feet for practice and performance and you will get five different answers. Barefoot, ballet slippers, jazz shoes, lyrical sandals, hermes sandals, ballroom heels, and the list goes on! Part of the decision is based on personal preference and part on what is recommended by dance instructors. What…
Looking for some last-minute holiday gift ideas for your belly dancing girlfriend, wife, or friend? Kiyaana to the rescue! (Men can do this dance, too, but my suggestions are geared more towards the ladies.) Easy to order in advance:Sparkly, Noiseless Hip Scarf – How many hipscarves does a bellydancer need? One more! Search for “square…
While a bellydance instructional DVD will never replace a real, live teacher in front of you in a class or private lesson, these DVDs do have their place. Your teacher may not specialize in certain props and/or techniques or you may want something to supplement and complement what you are already learning. But where do…