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Why Is Dance Underrepresented in European and North American Arts and Scholarship?
It feels like people perceive dance as a ‘lesser’ art. This is despite dance being an essential aspect of human culture. In this blog post, you will learn about the history of dance in European culture. And how this history has informed the modern European and North American view of dance as a ‘lesser’ art,… Continue reading
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The Origins of Belly Dance: A Review of ‘Egyptian Belly Dance in Transition’ by Heather Ward
In this post I review Egyptian Belly Dance in Transition: The Raqs Sharqi Revolution, 1890-1930 by Heather Ward. I recommend it to any belly dance enthusiast who is interested in learning about the roots of belly dance. This post will give you an overview of how belly dance came to be ‘belly dance’. I hope… Continue reading
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Belly Dance Training: Review of the ‘Understanding Music’ Course
I’m writing another instalment of my review series. This time I focus on the ‘Understanding Music’ course. I hope that by sharing my experience, you will be inspired to learn more about the fascinating world of belly dance music! Continue reading
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Who Is Umm Kulthum and Why Is She Important for Belly Dance?
Have you heard of Umm Kulthum (Oum Kalthoum) before? She was a very famous Egyptian singer active between the 1920s to 1970s. She is remembered for her extraordinary voice and unique musical style. But what does she have to do with belly dance? You’ll find out in this article. Spoiler: lots of the most well… Continue reading
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A Guide to Belly Dance Movement Categories
In this blog post I classify common belly dance moves based on which shape you draw with your body. These are lifts and drops, slides, shimmies, twists, circles, figure 8’s and undulations. Knowing how you use various bits of your body to produce belly dance moves will help you recall and reproduce the moves you… Continue reading
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How to Build Your Dance Skills to Become a Better Dancer
How do you become a more skilful dancer? Practice! But not just any practice, rather, deliberate practice appropriate for your skill level. In this blog, I’ll explore practice strategies you can use to increase your dance expertise beyond your current skill level. Continue reading
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A Guide to Belly Dance Styles
Are there different belly dance styles? I thought it was all ‘belly dance’! In this post, you will learn about the different styles of belly dance and how they relate to each other. I hope this will help you as a student inform which styles of belly dance you would like to learn. Continue reading
Belly dance enthusiast in Belfast, Northern Ireland