Directions in Dance

Many dancers, musicians and performing artists have tried their hand at digitally editing performance footage at some time, perhaps from live gigs or  for promotional clips . I've been editing for many years, and have several sound engineers in the family who digitally master music. We've found these waveforms to be quite revealing, highlighting nuances that are sometimes difficult to pick up by listening alone. To observe audio as digital waveforms is always fascinating, as they show the 'structural form' of sound. In recent years, whilst editing dance performance clips, some interesting patterns and differences between live music and pre-recorded waveforms have emerged, that have spiked my curiosity. The main difference is the syncopation of sound with visual performance footage that to live music, compared to choreographed work to pre-recorded cd tracks. In 1998, when I filmed and edited "Bellydance Live" in Cairo, with an Egyptian band, where we d...

' Soma' is derived from the Greek word   σ ῶ μα ,  meaning 'the Living Body’ Somatics is a field of body-mind inquiry that allows the body's innate intelligence to guide movement for a deeper, more conscious awareness and experience of the moving body. At its core, Somatics is mindful movement. Sensory terms that are used in Somatics, to identify various areas of heightened awareness are: Interoception   - awareness of sensations within the body; Exteroception   - sensitivity to stimuli outside of the body; Proprioception   - awareness of the body’s position   and movement in space; Graviception   - how the body connects with, or senses, gravity. In Somatic practices, ‘embodiment’ is a term often used, and with it comes a sense of richness and fulfilment. Somatics is more about the ‘noticing’ than the judging of movement – as this is when patterns of resistance and flow can be identified. From this authentic space the truth of the b...

“Adult praise, focused attention that communicates approval and positive regard … is an abundantly available natural resource that is (all too often) greatly underutilised.”  Walker, Ramsey, & Gresham Dance has the potential to support every learner in a variety of ways, including people dealing with several common mental challenges that affect many nowadays, including Autism, ADHD or depression. Unless asked, participants may be reluctant to share this information with the instructor, so it is often left unspoken. In any dance class, the teacher may have participants living with these circumstances, so it is important to be aware of, and understand more about these conditions. Teachers can benefit from having some awareness of Autism and by teaching with compassion. Knowing that a participant has Autism is helpful for the teacher, so together, student and teacher can build their relationship with this insight. For teachers, it is respectful to maintain the...

Hi everyone, I’d like to talk about ‘creating a product or resource’ as an integral part of your dance teaching or event production. Many dancers who teach, or have an interest in a specific topic, are quite capable of creating a resource that can be of benefit to others. Even starting with a small audience, your product can become a useful addition to your dance enterprise, whether you run a weekly class or if dance related work is something you do full time, as a career. The creation of products and resources can also generate extra income, whilst enhancing your own collection of resources. It may be useful to re-frame how you see a product fitting into your artistic creations, and view it as: 1. An extension of your research and knowledge; 2. A way to clarify and propagate your vision; 3. A means of facilitating the educational process; 4. An educational resource or tool that provides opportunity for a more intensive learning experience. A ‘product’ or ‘resource’ needn’t b...

Trio of dancers with Milayah Laff - photo courtesy Mahmoud Reda There has recently been much controversy about 'cultural appropriation', both in our dance circles and in popular broadcast media.   As bellydancers, we will be affected by this issue at some point in our dance-lives; both individually and collectively. Bellydance is largely an appropriated, and often homogenized art form, utilizing bits and pieces from various cultural dances, many of which cross over in terms of historical transfer, innate movement quality, cultural motif and design. So how and where do we need to create boundaries that distinguish ethical use of another culture’s traditions, verses non-ethical treatment of cultural arts, or even worse… how do we deal with total ignorance of the matter? How can we become more discerning as artists, performers and teachers, and establish common ethical ground to better handle the way we understand cultural transference, and are more discerning with the ...

I've been chatting with many dance friends lately, particularly teachers,  who feel like they've lost their "bellydance mojo". They feel that the initial spark, their drive or the energy has fizzled around bellydance somehow. Some are saying it feels like burnout... others are saying they yearn for a fresh direction, but are unsure of the path their dance-life should take. Often, the urge is to find something new, hoping it will ignite or renew passion, or shift the focus... and since there are so many possibilities, even that decision seems overwhelming. Are you at the crossroads of change? Who are you now, as a more mature being -  mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually ? How does each area affect your dance and what needs to change to synchronise with your most recent level of maturity and self? As you've matured, your dance needs will have probably changed. If you're feeling the shift, listen.  This is an ideal t...

Hi dancers!  I've started a blog... the aim is to share insights into areas that are not often discussed, where we make decisions that affect our artistic directions. I'll post a new article each month. Events and connections make our local and international dance world go round, right? Bellydance sub-culture has grown phenomenally in the recent decade, with more inter-relationships, live and online, than ever before. But how do we discern which associations are the right ones for us and our fellow artists? Collaboration, cross-promotion and sponsorship are three very different relationships that exist in the co-operative dance world. They can be beneficial and uplifting for everyone involved, including the wider community, or conversely, they can become energetically draining and create disharmony. Artistic relationships need to be initiated with clarity and approached with integrity for ideas to flourish within successful associations; either as a short-term projects or lo...