As serious dancers, we should always be looking to grow, expand and improve on our skills. Sometimes this means taking on new physical challenges in strength, balance, flexibility and maybe even endurance.  The key to success in training for these kinds of belly dance achievements is to define a clear path of how to get there. In situations like this, some thought to the specificity of your approach will make your efforts more effective and less […]

Stretching has become a bit controversial in bellydance classes. Should you stretch before class or after? Yes. You read that right – it depends on which kind of stretching you’re talking about. Let’s clear up some confusion about how and when to stretch for the best dance performance and flexibility gains. Dynamic Stretching Dynamic stretching takes you through a joint’s  normal range of motion with control. The range can start out small and gradually increase […]

This is the newest installment of  “Raks Me A Question” – an occasional series where I answer dancers’ questions about anything and everything to do with this Sparkly Life – from practice techniques to troupe politics. Think of it as a dancers’ Q & A meets Dear Abby! Got a question you’d like to ask? Email me and tell me all about it. Kelly asks: “How can I keep practicing when I’m injured?” Most dancers, at […]