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A Brief Introduction to Iranian Dance

A Brief Introduction to Iranian Dance

Guest post by Laurel Victoria Gray (republished with permission) The very antiquity and richness of Persian culture renders the term “Persian dance” both vague and inadequate; it can be applied to a variety of regions, ethnicities and historical periods, making a strict definition difficult. “Persian dance” can range from sophisticated reconstructions of refined court dances to energetic folk dances. The movement vocabulary, costuming, music, demeanor, and context of these dances also varies widely. A brief […]

A Lesson from Twyla on Creating Dance and Keeping Secrets

A Lesson from Twyla on Creating Dance and Keeping Secrets

New projects have opened up new ways of thinking about “bellydance” for me – and I am thoroughly enjoying exploring them. Here’s an example… I am currently (re)reading Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit​ – if you haven’t yet, I highly recommend it! In it, she discusses the importance of having a “spine” for your work – and the perils of sharing it openly. ​​As I understand it, she sees the “spine” as the guiding idea in a dance’s creation, a sort of compass […]

The Digital Belly Dancer – Spring Cleaning for Belly Dancers – Week 5

The Digital Belly Dancer – Spring Cleaning for Belly Dancers – Week 5

Welcome to our final week of Spring Cleaning for Belly Dancers – if you’ve been working all through these 4 weeks – congratulations! If you’ve just found this – no worries, you can find weeks one through four here on the blog.  Week 1    Week 2   Week 3   Week 4 This week we’re tidying up the digital part of our dance world – which has grown quite a bit in the past […]

Spring Cleaning for Belly Dancers Week 4 – Catching up on Repairs & Washing

Spring Cleaning for Belly Dancers Week 4 – Catching up on Repairs & Washing

We are back with Week 4 of our Spring Cleaning for Belly Dancers! If you’ve been working along with us, you are seeing some real progress by now – congratulations! Missed the other weeks? You can catch up on week 1, week 2 and week 3 here. All the fixing and washing! In the first three weeks, we assessed the situation for our costumes, props and accessories. You may have made some repairs and done […]

Belly Dance Veils, Props & Zills – Belly Dance Spring Cleaning – Week 3

Belly Dance Veils, Props & Zills – Belly Dance Spring Cleaning – Week 3

Welcome back to Spring Cleaning for Belly Dancers! We’re into week 3 with our veils, zills and props. This is the week we’ll be dealing with any swords, wings, palm flames and other bellydance “toys”! Let’s look at this week’s tasks: Gather and inspect your veils Get all your veils together and go over them one by one. Spread it out on a clean surface like a bed. Check it for any holes, snags or […]