Belly dance is a fascinating art form that started in the Middle East, but today it is practiced all across the globe by people of all shapes, sizes and ages.
Through belly dance you can train muscles that no other activity can reach, strengthen your core, develop flexibility and achieve graceful and fluid body coordination. Moreover, belly dance will give you benefits beyond just physical ones, such as a boost in self-confidence, reconnecting your mind with your body and practicing self-love and self-care.
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Belly dance is a fascinating art form that started in the Middle East, but today it is practiced all across the globe by people of all shapes, sizes and ages.
Through belly dance you can train muscles that no other activity can reach, strengthen your core, develop flexibility and achieve graceful and fluid body coordination. Moreover, belly dance will give you benefits beyond just physical ones, such as a boost in self-confidence, reconnecting your mind with your body and practicing self-love and self-care.
Belly dance is a fascinating art form that started in the Middle East, but today it is practiced all across the globe by people of all shapes, sizes and ages.
Through belly dance you can train muscles that no other activity can reach, strengthen your core, develop flexibility and achieve graceful and fluid body coordination. Moreover, belly dance will give you benefits beyond just physical ones, such as a boost in self-confidence, reconnecting your mind with your body and practicing self-love and self-care.
My name is Iana Komarnytska. I came to my first belly dance class 16 years ago, and I had no idea it would change my life so much. Today I’m a full-time award winning professional dancer and choreographer, and I have been teaching and performing belly dance in many countries around the world.
I created this course with one thought in my mind: to create the resource I wish I had when I was starting my belly dance journey. The result is a complete belly dance guide for beginners, with over 100 video tutorials teaching you step-by-step all basic movements (shimmies, belly rolls, circles, undulations and more), in more than 14 hours of dance practice, lectures, drills and combinations.
This course is ideal for those who never had any experience in belly dance, or even dance in general, as well as for those who may have already began their belly dance journey and want to take their skills to the next level with solid foundations.
I designed this course in a simple manner that you can adapt to your needs, whether you have only 15 mins or several hours to practice. Each section combines a related group of movements with a detailed explanation of each one, and a summary dance combination to practice new skills. You will also get an overview of the most important rhythms, folklore styles, principles of dancing with veil, and dozens of dance combinations for polishing your technique.
Our final sections consist of dance practice to four different types of belly dance songs, and learning a complete belly dance routine to an exciting drum solo music. In addition, you will find several bonus sections with lectures about topics related to belly dance such as costumes, props, music, and the cultural environment of this dance, as well as resources to continue your belly dance learning.
By the end of the course you will be able not only to perform all major belly dance moves such as hip drops, undulations, figure 8, and maya, but also layer them on top of different shimmies, perform to specific rhythms, and even to incorporate some props into your dance.
All you need to begin is to be interested in exploring the beauty of dance, transforming your body and spirit with a fun physical activity, and learning to appreciate and love yourself.
What are you waiting for? Jump in and start belly dancing today.
What's inside
Learning objectives
- 17 hours of step-by-step instructions, dance practice, and everything you want to know about belly dance.
- Basic belly dance rhythms, fundamentals of dancing with a veil, related folklore styles, and other things that are essential to know right from the beginning.
- Various belly dance movements: shimmies, belly rolls, hips movements, undulations, chest isolations, and many others!
- Knowledge to understand music, costume fashion, essential parts of a belly dance show, and cultural environment of this dance.
- Skills to put all learnt movements into dance combinations, and simply enjoy dancing to the music.
- Full belly dance routine (drum solo choreography).
- 17 hours of step-by-step instructions, dance practice, and everything you want to know about belly dance.
- Basic belly dance rhythms, fundamentals of dancing with a veil, related folklore styles, and other things that are essential to know right from the beginning.
- Various belly dance movements: shimmies, belly rolls, hips movements, undulations, chest isolations, and many others!
- Knowledge to understand music, costume fashion, essential parts of a belly dance show, and cultural environment of this dance.
- Skills to put all learnt movements into dance combinations, and simply enjoy dancing to the music.
- Full belly dance routine (drum solo choreography).
Syllabus
In this section you will know all you need to start your belly dance journey and take the most out of this course. You will learn what belly dance is and its basic terminology.
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Syllabus
This is an introduction to your journey into the fascinating world of bellydance.
Learn more about your instructor Iana Komarnytska, an internationally award-winning belly dancer and choreographer.
Don't forget that we are all different! Please consult with your doctor prior to starting this course.
In this lecture you will learn the basic posture and arm positions to start your belly dance practice. This foundation will allow you to advance quickly in your learning and help you avoid common mistakes.
A quick and simple warm up routine to use at the start of your belly dance practice.
Don’t forget to finish every practice with a gentle stretch and cool down!
Let’s start with simple hip circle and see what are the nuances of proper performance of this movement.
Twist your circle and transform it onto horizontal figure 8. Fun and easy explanation of two types of horizontal figures 8.
Always wanted to learn that «Shakira move»? Here it is! Bring your figure 8 to a vertical lane. This moves highly engages the muscles, so get ready to discover new things in your body anatomy!
Simple combination that includes basic movements that you’ve learnt in previous three videos.
A variation of previous combination that helps to practice different directions of basic figures 8.
This video is a bonus material for this course, and is also available on my YouTube channel.
The best way to learn move is right away in the most common position that you will dance it later. In this video we will review our diagonal positions, as well as learn how we can easily and quickly switch from one leg to another.
Learning to move hips in a vertical lane.
Based on the skills learnt from previous section, let’s see how we can visually isolate our hip twist to only one side.
Once you learnt basic hip drop, you are ready for the belly dance party! Let’s combine this move with vertical figure 8, and see how we can switch from fluid to sharp movements.
Taking it to another level! We will combine our previous combination with one of the combinations from Section "Fluid Hip Movements". Dance trains not only our body, but our memory too!
How to move your chest from side to side without moving your entire body.
We will learn to move our chest front and back without too much of shoulder engagement, and then transform it onto a horizontal chest circle.
Moving chest vertically can be not only a fun accent during your dance, but also lead to a vertical chest circle. We will explore both movements in this video.
Another variation of vertical chest circle but now combining up-down and from-back movements. Effectively helps to develop flexibility in spine.
Chest accents up don’t need to be simple and boring. Let’s take them onto diagonal directions.
The same way we were able to do figure 8 with our hips, we can also do it with our chest!
A simple training combo that will help you to develop sharp and big chest movements while controlling your shoulders and rest of your body.
First let’s review two basic circles that we have learnt in previous sections.
In this video we will learn how we can walk while are hips are moving in a horizontal circle.
Let’s swing our hips while turning around.
Transforming basic hip circle into a bigger movement.
Ultimate body circle based on the big hip circle that we have learn in the previous video.
I call this circle a 3D circle. Let’s see how we can add up-down directions to our basic horizontal hip circle.
Mixing all sorts of fluid movements together with different hip circles.
In this video I will break down in details the basic undulation, and walk you through each step on how to achieve a nice body wave without involving your head and chest.
Almost every movement can be done in opposite direction, so let’s reverse our basic undulation!
A short combo that includes both types of undulation, ommy and vertical chest circle.
Tips on how to practice shimmies the best way.
You already know the basic principle of this shimmy, but it’s time to speed it up!
One of the most traditional shimmies in the Egyptian belly dance style. The trick is in your knees!
This one is very similar to Egyptian shimmy, but use more of tension and muscle engagement. Even despite you may find this one much easier than Egyptian shimmy, do not skip practicing the previous one. Egyptian shimmy is an important move that you must know. On anther hand in Turkish belly dance style Vibration Shimmy is more common.
Let’s have some fun, and bounce a bit!
Transforming basic up-down hip movement into shimmy.
Let’s take our shimmy on a walk!
Anything cardinally different? Whatever you ask! African shimmy will engage your muscles in a completely different way than any of previous shimmies.
Did we forget about our upper body? No way!
How we can gracefully change our arms from one position to another. All answers in this video.
Were are ever enchanted by those snake-like arm movements? It’s time to learn it yourself!
Let’s have some fun, and add an atmosphere into our arm movements. «Window» is my own terminology how I describe one of my most favourite arm movements inspired by the Golden Era bellydance.
It’s important to pay attention to all details. Every arm movement finishes by the tips of your fingers, so lets see what’s going on specifically with our hands.
Are are going to take one of the combinations that we’ve learnt in previous sections and add arm movements to it.
What do you need to know before we start.
Includes new pas de bourree step, with hip drop and camel walk.
Includes new Egyptian step with shimmy, crossed step forward and back with hip accents, and figure 8.
Includes some folkloric elements like Saidi and Ghawazee steps.
Includes travelling twists, as well as shoulder shimmy with intricate foot pattern.
Includes new Arabesque step, with crossed and camel steps.
What you need to know before we start.
In this video we will try to find and engage our upper and lower belly muscles separate from each other.
Let’s try to combine the work of two muscle groups but in opposite directions.
Fun times! Transforming simple belly moves into a belly roll.
A short combo that would help you to train your belly muscles, as well as show how you can incorporate belly roll into other basic belly dance movements.
How to engage your diaphragm.
Let’s flutter it! :)
How to use your diaphragm with different belly dance movements.
How to make shoulder shimmy be more interesting.
Challenge yourself.
What we can combine with vibration shimmy.
Check your body coordination.
About the style, costume, music, and a short combination in Saidi style.
About the style, costume, music, and a short combination in Khaleeji style.
About the style, costume, music, and a short combination in Baladi style.
About the rhythm, and combo to practice.
Take it easy first.
In this video you will learn the principles of the basic single turn.
Let’s travel with turns: from the basics to actual performance.
How to make multiple turns on spot.
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Reviews summary
Comprehensive beginner belly dance guide
Includes cultural and musical context.
Includes drills and combinations.
Covers wide range of moves and topics.
Teacher is skilled and knowledgeable.
Clear path for new belly dancers.
Activities
Review Basic Anatomy and Muscle Groups
Show steps
Strengthen your understanding of the muscles used in belly dancing. Knowing the specific muscle groups will help you isolate movements and improve technique.
Show steps
-
Identify the primary muscle groups used in belly dance.
-
Review anatomical diagrams of these muscle groups.
-
Practice engaging these muscles in isolation.
Review 'The Art of Middle Eastern Dance' by Suraya Hilal
Show steps
Gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical context of belly dance. This book provides valuable insights into the origins and evolution of the dance form.
View
Melania
on Amazon
Show steps
-
Read the book, focusing on the history and cultural context of belly dance.
-
Take notes on key concepts and historical events.
-
Reflect on how this knowledge enhances your understanding of the dance.
Practice Shimmy Variations
Show steps
Improve your shimmy technique through focused practice. Consistent drills will help you develop speed, control, and stamina.
Show steps
-
Choose 2-3 shimmy variations to focus on.
-
Practice each variation for 15 minutes, focusing on proper form.
-
Record yourself and analyze your technique.
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Review 'Belly Dance: A Guide to Middle Eastern Dance, Its Music, Its Culture and Costume' by T. Balogh
Show steps
Expand your knowledge of belly dance music, costumes, and cultural elements. This book provides a detailed overview of these important aspects of the dance form.
View
Melania
on Amazon
Show steps
-
Read the book, focusing on the music, costume, and cultural elements of belly dance.
-
Take notes on key concepts and historical events.
-
Reflect on how this knowledge enhances your understanding of the dance.
Create a Short Dance Video
Show steps
Solidify your learning by creating a short dance video showcasing your skills. This will help you identify areas for improvement and build confidence.
Show steps
-
Choose a song and choreograph a short routine.
-
Practice the routine until you feel comfortable.
-
Record yourself dancing and review the video.
-
Share your video with others for feedback.
Explore Advanced Veil Techniques
Show steps
Enhance your veil work by exploring advanced techniques. This will add a new dimension to your dance and improve your overall performance.
Show steps
-
Find online tutorials on advanced veil techniques.
-
Practice the techniques, focusing on smooth transitions and graceful movements.
-
Incorporate the new techniques into your dance routines.
Review Basic Anatomy and Muscle Groups
Show steps
Strengthen your understanding of the muscles used in belly dancing. Knowing the specific muscle groups will help you isolate movements and improve technique.
Show steps
- Identify the primary muscle groups used in belly dance.
- Review anatomical diagrams of these muscle groups.
- Practice engaging these muscles in isolation.
Review 'The Art of Middle Eastern Dance' by Suraya Hilal
Show steps
Gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical context of belly dance. This book provides valuable insights into the origins and evolution of the dance form.
View
Melania
on Amazon
Show steps
- Read the book, focusing on the history and cultural context of belly dance.
- Take notes on key concepts and historical events.
- Reflect on how this knowledge enhances your understanding of the dance.
Practice Shimmy Variations
Show steps
Improve your shimmy technique through focused practice. Consistent drills will help you develop speed, control, and stamina.
Show steps
- Choose 2-3 shimmy variations to focus on.
- Practice each variation for 15 minutes, focusing on proper form.
- Record yourself and analyze your technique.
Review 'Belly Dance: A Guide to Middle Eastern Dance, Its Music, Its Culture and Costume' by T. Balogh
Show steps
Expand your knowledge of belly dance music, costumes, and cultural elements. This book provides a detailed overview of these important aspects of the dance form.
View
Melania
on Amazon
Show steps
- Read the book, focusing on the music, costume, and cultural elements of belly dance.
- Take notes on key concepts and historical events.
- Reflect on how this knowledge enhances your understanding of the dance.
Create a Short Dance Video
Show steps
Solidify your learning by creating a short dance video showcasing your skills. This will help you identify areas for improvement and build confidence.
Show steps
- Choose a song and choreograph a short routine.
- Practice the routine until you feel comfortable.
- Record yourself dancing and review the video.
- Share your video with others for feedback.
Explore Advanced Veil Techniques
Show steps
Enhance your veil work by exploring advanced techniques. This will add a new dimension to your dance and improve your overall performance.
Show steps
- Find online tutorials on advanced veil techniques.
- Practice the techniques, focusing on smooth transitions and graceful movements.
- Incorporate the new techniques into your dance routines.
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