May Classes:

No classes:
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010


NEW DRUM SOLO VIDEO FOR MY PHOENIX COLLEGE, BELLY DANCE SHOPPE & HOME STUDENTSsize=1>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0znTlT8h8Y


You Tube video of my Veil, Arm & Drum Solo choreograpiessize=1> FOR MY GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BELLY DANCE SHOPPE & HOME STUDENTS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNgQsMLHV5M


ARM MOVEMENT CHOREOGRAPHY (on the You Tube clip above)

Music is from the CD Ashraf Zakaria Presents Sahra Saeeda
“Nye Solo” Track # 7 (Helena Vlahos Arm Movement choreography)
1. (:o-:07) 1-Swan Arms (arm come up from sides of body in a sweeping motion), into 3-Taj Mahal (hands go in and out shaping a pineapple)
2. (:07-:12) Hands Waive down the body, come in at eye level and come down the body again
3. (:12-:22) Snake Arms (6 = RLRLRL) into Snake Arms Front into
4. (:22-:27) Square (arms come in like a Jeanie pose and rotate around and up and down within the chest area)
5. (:27-:33)Snake Arms going across chest from R to L (turning body slightly R to L as arms)
6. (:33-:40) Caress, arms come up around head alternately (2 slow+4 fast+4 fast, meaning R hand around head slowly, L hand around head slowly, R,L,R,L fast +R,L,R,L fast)
7. (:40-:46) Head-Breast-Hips Caress (Bring hands behind head as if you are smoothing your hair but don’t touch , bring hands front over shoulders to chest, bring hands over breasts as if you are shaping them but don’t touch them, bring hands down to waist and behind hips)
8. (:46-:50) 2-Around the World (hip circles) Arms come out from the Hip Caress into and open position on each side of body
9. (:51-:54) 2-Rib Cage Circles
10. (:54-:57) Arms come up above head
11. (:57-1:04) Arm & Face Caress (face diagonal R and bring L arm down the R arm then the R cheek in a hand/finger waive, bring L arm up. Repeat on other side.
12. (1:04-1:07) Hand Waive down the body in front and center
13. (1:07-1:14) 4-Serpent Arms (2 facing front, last 2 with turns)
14. (1:14-1:17) Arms come down and up to finish in a strong pose

THIS IS A LIST OF THE ARM MOVEMENTS BUT NOT TIMES LIKE THE OBOVE ONE

Ashraf Zakaria Presents Sahra Saeeda
“Nye Solo” Track # 7 (Helena Vlahos Arm Movement choreography)
List of Movements
1. 1-Swan Arms
2. 3-Taj Mahal
3. Hand Waive (down body)
4. Hands meet at eye level & come down body
5. 6-Snake Arms (R,L,R,L,R,L)
6. Snake Arms Front
7. Square Snake Arms
8. Snake Arms Across (R to L)
9. Caress
10. Head-Breast-Hips Caress
11. 2Around the World (Hip Circles)
12. 2Rib Cage Circles
13. Arms come up above head
14. 2-Arm & Face Caress (1 diagonal R with L hand caressing 1 diagonal L with R hand caressing)
15. Hand Waive down body & join hands down at hip level
16. 4-Serpent Arms l 2 standing facing front & 2- while turning)
17. . Stop & Pose bringing arms down and up


If you have any questions call or e-mail me.

Helena (602) 274-9188

Below is a helpful e-mail from my student Sabrina. For anyone who is having a hard time doing a Shake & Walk (what I call a Shimmy/Shake walk),please read.

Hey Helena,

I thought I would write to let you know that I FINALLY figured out how
to shimmy. I've looked up everything on the internet that I possibly
could and tried to use what you told me but I still got so confused as
to how to move my hips when doing a shimmy and a shake. Iv'e been
agonizing over this for weeks now since I couldn't figure it out.

Anyway, I thought I would tell you because whenever I've ever had to
teach anyone something, it's always nice to know how it "clicked" for
them.

When I tried to do a regular shimmy, I kept trying to do a
mini-egyptian shimmy... meaning, my focus was on the pumping of my
knees which caused them to extend out further than they should. It
also made my muscles more stuff and I wasn't shaking the flubber on my
butt and thighs as I was supposed to. I remember what you said about
digging my heels into the ground, so then I tried to move like I would
if I was playing double-dutch jump rope (moving my hips side to side
more instead of front and back), I noticed that my knees were not only
where they were supposed to be, but that I was shimmying properly in
being mostly powered by my knees, feeling the flab on the back of my
legs move.

And when I couldn't figure out how to do a shake, when I sit low as if
I'm sitting on an invisible chair and move my hips back and forth, and
slowly stand upright, I use just my hip muscles and not my knees...
which was my problem in trying to figure out how to just move my hips.

Now I just need to practice!!! :c) I'm so excited I finally got it.
I've done hours of practicing a day just trying to figure it out.
Hopefully this might help some others if they're trying to figure out
how to move their hips but can't :c) Thanks for your instruction, you
were dead-on in saying that the basic shimmy is like grinding in your
heel in the ground... it just took a while for my body to obey!

Thanks again!!

Sabrina



Beginner Belly Dance Movements

1) Hip Slide (Push Hips – R & L)
2) Rib Cage Slide (Push Rib Cage – R & L)
3) Chest Lift
4) Chest Drop
5) Rib Cage Circle
6) Hip Bump R & L
7) Double Hip Bump R & L
8) Around The World (Hip Circle)
9) Bounce Around The World
10) Figure Eight Out
11) Figure Eight In
12) Three Step
13) 3 Point Turn
14) Cross Over Turns
15) Undulations (Camels)
16) Swan Arms
17) Snake Arms
18) Serpent Arms
19) Fan Hands (Lotus)
20) Head Slide R & L
21) Head Circle
22) Shimmy - Both Legs
23) Shimmy - R Leg
24) Shimmy - L Leg
25) Egyptian Shimmy
26) Shake
27) Belly Roll
28) Belly Flutter

If you would like a breakdown on any of the moves, please let me know and I will post them.


ADVANCED

Belly Dance Steps (Great to Chifteteli)


1. Swing Around the World
2. Walk Around the World
3. Around the World Combo 1: A/W (R to L) Turn Backwards (L foot crosses R foot & turn R) W/Arms Crossed at Shoulders, Turn (complete turn to face front again while continuing A/W) into Basic Arms (Snake Arms) Repeat starting A/W from L to R
4. Around the World Combo 2: A/W (R to L) Twist L hip in & down (bring L heel up), 3 Hip Up-Down (until L hip is back in place, leave L heel up) Twist L hip in, Figure 8 Out (L hip - R hip, R hip only does ¼ of the 8), A/W with lift (to lift come up on the balls of your feet) on the front half of A/
5. Maya, Kick Back, Camel (R hip L hip, jump onto R foot & kick back W/L foot, camel out) Repeat starting W/L hip etc.
6. Two Maya, Kick Back, Sway, Camel out
7. Khedy’s Sway (Down, Down, Up-Up-Up)
8. U-turns
9. Big & Small Maya’s
10. Camel’s In & Out (Upper Body, Lower Body, Full Body)
11. Hand & Arm Movements
A. Fan
B. Swan
C. Swan into Taj Mahal
D. Snake
E. Serpent
F. Sorceress
G. Weave (One Hand at a Time/ Flamenco Style W/ Hands Together at Wrists)
H. Wrist Circles (In & Out)
I. Egyptian Basic/ Cross Hands at Wrists Bellow Chin, Open Hands Shoulder Width & Bring Down to the Hips
J. Sun & Moon
K. Caress (Hair/Breast/Hips)
L. Head & Face Caress (Looks Like Hands & Arms are Doing a Figure 8)
M. Hip Circle Arms
N. Swing Arms in a Circle (Up/Down)
O. Swing Arms in a Circle (Above Head, Keeping Arms Up)
P. Arms & Hands Pushing Out & Swooping In (as in Swing Around the World)
9. Rib Cage Circles, Locks & Pops
10. Flamenco Kick (kick skirt back & around front W/Basic Arms)
11. Side Figure 8 W/arm going opposite direction (arm is doing figure 8)
12. Layering Movements W/Shimmies
A. Figure 8 In & Out
B. Around the World
C. Ami Ami
D. Sway
E. Maya
F. Camel In & Out/ Full Body, Lower or Upper Body
G. Rib Cage Circles
H. Rib Cage Pops & Locks
I. Hip Pops & Locks
13) Figure 8 – Out Combo: Start W/L Hip, R Hip, Lift L Hip (ball of L foot comes up) and do 3 L Hip Drops. Repeat starting W/ R Hip
14) Figure 8 Out Combo 2: Start W/R Hip, L Hip, R Hip & Pivot on R foot towards R (turn half way to face back or all the way to face front again) continuing with the Figure 8 (so that R hip is pushed way out while pivoting) Repeat starting W/L Hip



Other Steps & Combos to Belady or Other Medium/Fast Beats

1) Sohair Zaki Hip Drops: (A) Classic; Down – Down. (B)Angle; Down but dropping at an angle back
2) Hip Bump Combo with Turn: Side Hip Bumps W/foot stepping side and coming back in place (start W/R hip) R hip, L hip, R hip, R foot crosses over L foot, Turn to L until you are facing front again (bring L heel up leaving toe down so that your L hip is lifted), 2 Horse Shoe W/L hip (R arm up L arm down framing L hip), Hip Bump Pivot (turning R) until you are facing front again. Repeat starting W/L hip
3) Turns (spins), jump sideways into ½ Around the World to back (arms cross at chest and go down the body, Ami Ami, (arms go slowly up), hands come up above head with Head Slide.


BREAKING DOWN SOME MOVEMENTS

Around the World Combo 1: A/W (R, front, L, back, R), Twist L hip in & down (bring L heel up so that you are on the ball of the foot), 3 Hip Up-Down (until L hip is back in place, leave L heel up), Twist L hip in, Figure 8 Out (L hip - R hip, R hip only does ¼ of the 8), A/W with lift on the front half of A/W (to lift come up on the balls of your feet starting the circle from the R, front, L, back, R), Sway (R hip in L hip in R hip in). Repeat starting from L hip (L, front, R, back, L).


Sun & Moon
(Or Noon, Midnight Arm & Hand Movement)

The arm movement I call Sun & Moon or Noon, Midnight goes like this:

The right hand is the sun and the left hand is the moon.

Place the right hand by your right eye, palm facing you. Place your left hand by your left hip, hand pointing up, palm facing out. Since your right hand (sun) is up, it is noon. Now bring your right hand down and your left hand up (leave them in the same position, right palm facing you, left facing out) hands meet or cross each other in passing, like an eclipse, until the left hand is by the left eye, and the right hand by your right hip. Flip your wrists at the same time, left palm facing you and right palm facing out (you can flip your wrists very smoothly or you can give them a sharp flip). Since your left hand is the moon, it is now midnight.

It is difficult to explain in writing what needs to be shown, but I hope it made you remember the arm and hand movement.

Helena Vlahos