bellydance Archives - Mahin's Bellydance Quickies

8 Ideas for Creating Bellydance Drills

Posted on August 27, 2020August 11, 2020 by Mahin Sciacca

Bellydance combos and choreographies are like recipies. You combine the ingredients in different ways, use different cooking techniques and add your personal flair, and voila! You have a delicious dish. But just like in cooking, the most delicious dishes always start with top quality ingredients. That’s how I view the role of drills in bellydance. When we up the quality of our individual movements, we elevate the overall quality of our performances. Look at ballet […]

How Not To Take a Performance Compliment

Posted on December 19, 2019December 19, 2019 by Mahin Sciacca

I’ll bet you recognize this kind of post-performance bellydance conversation… It’s after a show and one belly dancer compliments another’s performance. The dancer on the receiving end says thank you – maybe. Then goes on to explain that she’s coming down with a cold and felt really off, or…. fill in with whatever sub-optimal performance condition you can think of. Maybe you’ve heard this before. Maybe you were the one saying it. If so, please […]

The Bellydance Drill Could Be a Short Combo

Posted on June 23, 2019June 30, 2019 by Mahin Sciacca

Let’s do some drilling today! This one has a foot pattern and lots of different hip directions and textures going on! We’ll start out with the feet and then add one piece at a time. Once we’re done, you might decide it’s a short combo!

Arabic Pop Combo for Beginners

Posted on June 16, 2019June 15, 2019 by Mahin Sciacca

This week’s combo uses lots of beginner level bellydance movements with a nice sense of musicality! If you are learning (or teaching) this combo, you can choose to add the arms with the travelling and opening section, or just focus on the feet and hips at first. If you are a instructor, be sure to check out my upcoming lecture + movement class! Practical Anatomy & Body Mechanics for Bellydance – packed with lots of […]

My Interview on Alicia Free’s “A Little Lighter” Podcast!

Posted on June 5, 2019June 2, 2019 by Mahin Sciacca

This year’s East Coast tour took through Ithaca, NY again. I was there teaching and performing with Taksim Ithaca last year, and was super-excited to be able to return to this wonderfully artsy community of dancers and musicians for more! While I was there, I got to be a guest on Alicia Free’s fantastic podcast, “A Little Lighter”. If you haven’t listened to this podcast yet, check it out! It is a delightful mix of […]