Back to TribalBellyDance.net - Narah

 

Music - Videos -  Books -  Costuming - Bellydance Practice

 

Click here to see the list of music we use in class and where to get it:

Videos

Instructional-

Narah and Jala's new instructional DVD (Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Technical Foundation Volume 1) due out this month!  Click on the thumbnail for a bigger picture of the cover photo and check the market place for availability!

For the more experienced dancer, get Suhaila Salimpour's Fitness Fusion Series

Documentaries

Latcho Drom - get it at Fat Chance Bellydance

Romany Trail Music into Africa - get it at Fat Chance Bellydance

Dances of North Africa - get it at Fat Chance Bellydance

Rare Glimpses - Features Fatima filmed by Thomas Edison, a Guedra documentary, Bedouin family dancing, Nadia Gamal and more.  Got it from a website someone sent to a list long ago and is long lost to me.  Try Google!

Cycles Circles - Indian Kathak documentary.  The website I found it at no longer sells it..  Try Google or your local library. 

Urban Ghawazee - Documentary on American Tribal Style Bellydance.  Are you calling yourself Tribal Style?  Know your roots.

Books

Snake Hips by Anne Thomas Soffee- Hilarious!!!  and about Belly Dance!  Pick up a copy at the Earth Movement Studio.

Please see the bibliographies for my research papers.

Inspiration- anything by Sark.  www.campsark.com

Costuming

I made up a whole page on this one.  Go there.

  1. Bellydance Practice (click to decompress the list)

    1. There is no little white pill.  You must practice to improve your dancing. 

    2. There is no blanket formula.  There is no set number of classes to take or times to watch a video or number of workshops to participate in or amount of time time that's passed since you've been dancing before you get the hang of it.  A good dancer never stops learning; continue to learn from others no matter what.

    3. Participate in a regular fitness program (yes, even outside of bellydance).  The better condition your body is in, the better you dance.  Include both cardiovascular and strength training.

    4. Eat a healthy diet.  You are a dancer and must respect your vehicle of expression.  It is a worthwhile investment.  You'll dance much longer in the short and long term if you fuel your body in a healthy manner.

    5. Never stop drilling the basics.  This means choosing a move or two or 3 or whatever and doing it over and over and over and over again.  Smooth out all the rough spots.  It is better to be isolated, and have clean slow movements than to be fast and try to cover up any sloppiness.

    6. Use a mirror and/or a video camera for analysis for your at home practice.  Keep your eyes and mind open.

    7. Practice body awareness exercises.  Knowing where your body is and how it feels helps you to move it where you want it to go.

    8. Drilling technique, improvising, and practicing a choreography are all separate types of practice that require different types of focus.  Don't skip any of them (unless you have no reason to practice a choreography.)

    9. If during your practice or otherwise you find yourself getting caught up in negative or judgmental thoughts about yourself (your body, your technique, your commitment, etc.), observe the thought and then let it go.  Bring your attention back to the task at hand (practice).  Your body believes every word you say, and if you criticize and doubt, it won't cooperate.

    10. Patience gives you the power to practice.  Practice gives you the power that leads to perfection.  (a great Yogi said this ...)

    11. Everyone should have yoga in their lives for physical, emotional, spiritual and mental health.  It is a complete practice that so complements bellydance that no dancer should be without it. 

    12. Shira has provided excellent information on how to structure a home practice at http://www.shira.net/study.htm (You should look through the rest of her site too- a great resource!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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