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Bellydance Instructions

Lessons and Special Topics

A complete lesson starts with a warm-up/preparation. It needs to get the breath and blood flowing. Spend considerable time on refining basic movements while you warm up.

Then move from these isolations, into layering the basics into combinations/choreography or 'free-style' approaches.

If time permits, you can move into a special topic such as healing dances, props, or musicality.

Finally, close your session with a cool down and stretching out time. You'll feel great, and your body will be recovered so that you are ready to dance again soon.

Click here for more details on setting up your space for "Dancing at Home"

The Fundamentals - Common to All Bellydance

All bellydance instructions share certain fundamentals, no matter what you study.

Whether you are developing a certain style of belly dance (Orientale, Cabaret, Gypsy or Tribal), exploring special topics such as healing trance, musicality (rhythms), or gathering skill at props (sword, cane, candle or veil), you need to understand and embody the basic shapes in isolation and combination.

This page will link you to many "Lessons" that you can use and adapt for your personal use (check the bottom). For starters, click on this image to see an explanation of the sacred (basic) shapes of bellydance.

How to Really Learn Bellydance

The best way to develop your dance is to realize that there is a dance in everything. All life is, in fact, a dance and you can dance everyday and everywhere you are. Bellydance is a lifestyle. It is learned by living and being (at home, in nature and during performance).

For inspiration while you develop your "Dancing Lifestyle", click here.

More Recommendations for Lessons

With today's technology, it's simple to collect some DVD's and a few books as tools to build your own lessons. Gradually, you will have yourself a reference library.

A bellydance instructor is highly recommended. A teacher is a mentor and guide. Through your instructor, you can connect to a whole community of dancing friends who will support and encourage you as you progress.

And here's one last recommendation: Have a mirror for your home 'class' so you can see how your body is doing during lessons. If you decorate it with Christmas lights and fabric, it feels very welcoming.

Click here to see what Bellydance-for-Life is offering in Regina

Styles of Teaching

Instructors come with a wide range of diverse backgrounds and reasons for teaching. They can be found in your neighborhood, towns and cities, in books, on television and the latest mainstream DVD's. With all the possibilities available today, it is worthwhile to evaluate what you want to learn, and the way you learn so that you can find the approach that suits you the best.

Questions to Ask?

These questions will help you get to know a potential instructor, and help you make an informed decision:

1. Why do you Bellydance?
2. Why do you teach it?
3. What is the main focus of the lesson(s)?

See topics and ideas for study at "The Art of Bellydance" page.

Book Learning

Books offer much on the historical perspective of bellydance. Instructional books offer many glossy photos. However, you will need to be very dedicated if you want to learn only "by-the-book". My personal favorites are: "Serpent on the Nile - Wendy Buonaventura" (for history and costume inspiration), "A Woman's Book of Power - Karen Andes" (for motivation and empowerment).

Learning from DVD's

DVD's have come a long way. Bellydance artists are getting creative with set design and approach. They are now going beyond the 'basics', to cover a wide range of styles and specialty lessons.

Although they lack the personal attention and intimacy that someone local can offer, they are always available (anytime of day or night), they're relatively inexpensive, and if you are dedicated to practicing them , you can master the contents at your own pace.

For the basics, check out "Absolute Basics - Delilah", "Beginners Bellydance - Neena and Veena" and "Goddess Workout - Dolphina".

For more complex combinations, find videos by "Hadia - a truly inspired choreographer/dancer", "Delilah - the whole series", and "Mesmera". Also search for any DVD produced by IAMED (International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance). They are very prolific.

Special Topics

Follow the images to link up with on-line lessons.
New ones will be added periodically, so stay posted.
Enjoy!

Click on this image to have an introduction to healing trance dance.

hands, drum, roots and rhythm, musicality

Click on these hands to see a lesson in Roots and Rhythm.

Click on the gypsy, if you are interested in developing your Performance Art.

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