Tag: music

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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 known belly dance tunes were originally sung by Umm Kulthum!

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How to Practice Dance: A Review of ‘Effortless Mastery’ by Kenny Werner

Effortless Mastery is a book written by Kenny Werner, an American jazz pianist and educator. It's about overcoming dysfunctional fear-based practising and playing to achieve effortless mastery. So what can a book about music teach us about dance? In this blog post, you will learn practical strategies from Warner's book to build your personal dance practice. You can apply this to start your journey towards 'effortless mastery' in dance.

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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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