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 […]
I think just about every person knows someone who has had a knee injury, if they haven’t had one themselves. Knee problems are very common; this is not surprising considering the complexity of the joint, its possible range of motion and the load it bears. Approximately 3-5 times one’s body weight in force goes through the knees during normal walking. This is much greater, of course, in running or jumping. But our bodies are pretty […]