It’s time to check out the Arabic Top 10 charts again! This month Nancy Ajram is back on the charts with “Ma Tegi Hena” or “Come Over Here”. Even if you don’t recognize her name, I can almost guarantee you’ve heard some of Nancy Ajram’s other big hits, including Akasmak Ah, Lawn Eioynak and Ah Wa Noss! “Ma Tegi Hena” is the #1 song this week. This one has a nice relaxed but fun tempo […]
In a recent Daily Bellydance Quickie, I demonstrated two stretches for the Iliotibial band, more commonly known as the IT band. Today let’s learn a little more about what this important structure does and how we can keep it healthy and pain-free. What is the IT band? The IT band is a fibrous strap that runs from the hip down the outside of the thigh, across the knee, attaching to the tibia. The tendons of […]
Very few books on belly dance catch my attention enough to actually read them. Even fewer find a way to be relevant to both the beginner and the seasoned performer. After being a fan and follower of Princess Farhana’s blog for years, I knew “The Belly Dance Handbook” would make it onto my reading list. This lady is one of the hardest working and most diverse performers in the biz, and she’s got a wealth […]
I got a very interesting question from a DBQ subscriber recently. She asked how to turn the combos she’s learned into a choreography without it looking like just a bunch of combos. Well, that’s a complicated one – and there are many ways to use combos as stepping stones to build a choreography. For many first time choreographers this may be feel more approachable. It’s not the ideal way to generate choreography in my opinion, but […]
For several months now, I have run a monthly feature of a danceable pick from the Arabic Top 10 chart on the Daily Bellydance Quickies. Often I am able to get a translation, or at least a rough paraphrasing of the lyrics, for these new songs from native Arabic speakers. It is very important to have at least a basic understanding of a song’s mood and general idea if you plan to perform to it […]