| Let me say up front that I think it would be very, very | | | | teacher stands in front of a classroom full of students, |
| difficult to learn belly dancing from video or web unless | | | | she allows time after teaching a new move for |
| you have prior experience with another dance form. I | | | | everyone to practice it, and goes around to correct |
| believe you need a teacher who can look at what you | | | | those who need it. |
| are doing and correct your mistakes. How else will you | | | | How to Learn New Moves Let's assume that you |
| know whether you are doing the move correctly? But | | | | have warmed up, and let's assume that you have |
| I also know that sometimes it's just not possible to find | | | | reviewed what you already know, following the |
| a local teacher: * Many of the belly dancing classes | | | | techniques I recommended in the article mentioned |
| taught through local community programs require that | | | | above. Now you're ready to start learning new |
| the students be age 16 or older due to requirements in | | | | material. |
| their liability insurance, so younger teens may have | | | | When I teach classes, I normally teach only 4 or 5 new |
| trouble finding a class for their age group. | | | | moves per hour. There's a limit to how much new |
| * Some rural communities don't have any belly dancing | | | | material your brain can absorb in one session, and it's |
| teachers at all. | | | | good to take things slowly enough to really learn each |
| So with that in mind, I'll tell you what I can about learning | | | | item before you move on to the next. Your muscles, |
| from video, web sites, and books. But I still urge you to | | | | too, need time to learn new ways of moving. |
| try finding a local teacher, because with a teacher you'll | | | | Don't rush your way through learning new material. |
| learn to dance a lot faster and have someone to help | | | | Take time to learn all the details. For each individual |
| you correct your mistakes. | | | | move that the video teaches, take about 5 minutes (or |
| If you absolutely can not find a local teacher, the | | | | more, if you need it) to practice that move. Rewind |
| second-best way to learn belly dancing is through | | | | your tape 4 or 5 times, and each time pay attention to |
| studying with video. When you use a video, you can | | | | see whether you can pick up new information that you |
| see how the move looks on someone else, and try | | | | missed when you listened to it before. |
| copying it in a mirror to see if you can make it look the | | | | When you rewind the tape to listen to an explanation |
| same way. | | | | again, here's what to look for: * Each time, listen |
| How to Work with Video If you want to try learning | | | | carefully to the explanation and watch what the |
| belly dance from video, I recommend that you work | | | | instructor is doing. If there are multiple people |
| with three or more videos: 1. One that teaches basic | | | | demonstrating the different moves, study each of |
| moves. | | | | them in turn - something about the way one person is |
| 2. One that teaches continuing education skills. | | | | moving might help you spot something that you didn't |
| 3. One that contains performances by professional | | | | happen to see on the instructor. |
| dancers. | | | | * Pay attention to where she places her weight. |
| Don't feel you need to run out and buy all three videos | | | | * Watch her posture, and think about her skeletal |
| at once. Start with the basic moves video. Once | | | | alignment. Are the hips facing straight forward, or is the |
| you've spent time working with it, you'll know whether | | | | pelvis angled? Does the rib cage face the same |
| you like belly dancing enough to try additional ones. | | | | direction the hips are facing, or is it angled? * Listen to |
| If you want to learn belly dancing as rapidly as possible, | | | | her words. She might tell you something that isn't |
| you need to structure your practice session effectively | | | | obvious from what you see. |
| to ensure the most value from the time you spend | | | | * Look for details that she does not describe with |
| doing it. This means you need a warm-up, a review of | | | | words, such as where she places her arms. |
| what you already know, some time working on new | | | | * Do the move along with the video as it is taught. |
| material, and a cool-down. For details on how to do all | | | | * After you have rewound the tape about 4-5 times |
| of this, please see my article, How to Structure a Belly | | | | to review how the move was explained, pause the |
| Dance Study/Practice Session at Home. | | | | video, put suitable music on your stereo, and repeat it |
| Videos Don't Mimic Real-Life Classroom Instruction It | | | | over and over for the length of one 3-minute song. |
| may be tempting to just pop the video into your VCR | | | | Make a written list of all the new moves you learned |
| or DVD player and run it straight through from | | | | during your session with the video. Over the next day |
| beginning to end, doing each move as it is taught, | | | | or two, even if you don't have time to dance, pick up |
| moving on to the next move when the teacher on the | | | | the list, look at it, and try to remember what each |
| video does. But I don't think that's the best way to | | | | move was like. The next time you work with the video, |
| really learn the material that it's teaching because the | | | | this list will remind you of which moves to practice |
| structure of the information on belly dance videos is | | | | during your review. |
| quite different from the structure of a classroom | | | | Practice the New Moves When you've finished using |
| situation. | | | | the video to master the new moves that you studiend |
| When a teacher makes an instructional video, she first | | | | in this session, turn off the television, and put your |
| has to look at her budget and decide what length of | | | | practice music on your stereo system. Start doing |
| video she can afford to produce. Let's say she | | | | some free-form dancing to the music, using all the |
| decides to make a one-hour video. She then faces the | | | | moves you know, and make an effort to incorporate |
| challenge of packing as much useful information into | | | | the new ones you just learned. |
| one hour as she can. So for each move that she | | | | Just focus on the music, and let your body interpret |
| teaches, she might show it from a couple of different | | | | what you hear. But make it a point to incorporate the |
| angles and offer a couple of different ways of | | | | new moves into what you are doing. Try to do each |
| explaining how to do it, but then she rapidly moves on | | | | new move at least 3 times. If the song ends before |
| to teach the next move. In contrast, when the same | | | | you fit them all in, restart it from the beginning. |