Author: Jen

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A Guide to Musical Instruments in Middle Eastern Belly Dance Music

What instruments are commonly used in belly dance music? There are lots of them! In this post, I give common Middle Eastern examples of each of the three types of instruments (winds, strings, and percussion). Plus a sample video clip so you can hear what it sounds like and see how it's played. I hope this will help you better hear the instruments as you dance. And that you can use this to deepen your belly dance music interpretation.

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How to Apply Laban’s Planes of Movement to Improve Belly Dance Movement Isolation

What do Laban's planes of movement have to do with belly dance? Let's start with the general (Cartesian co-ordinates) and then make it more specific to the human body (anatomical planes). And then apply it to dance (Laban's planes of movement). By applying these concepts to your belly dance practice, you can improve your movement isolation, a key feature of belly dance.

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How to Use a Ritual to Anchor Your Dance Practice

How do you make time for your personal dance practice? Do you have a daily or weekly creative routine that enables you to practice regularly? One of the most powerful ways to build a practice is through ritual: a “ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order” (Oxford English Dictionary). …

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Belly Dance Teacher Training: Review of the ‘Safe Delivery of Belly Dance Classes’ Course

Have you ever thought about belly dance teacher training? In this review, I share my experience of the 'Safe Delivery of Belly Dance Classes course which helped me take my first steps towards teaching belly dance. I hope that by sharing my experience, it might inspire you to consider your first steps into dance teaching!

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