Instead of dancing, I found myself watching a python on Discovery trying to swallow a man. Now why would I want to spend myself looking at something so utterly gross!
I soon figured out what it was. I often find, when I’m halfway through a DVD, or when it gets into difficult territory, that I need a little bit of distance from it. Or some time off. Maybe my head needs to wrap around it or something; I don’t know. But whatever the reason, I find I’m looking for exercuses to not work on what I’ve started.
But just as abruptly, I found I snapped back into it and took up where I’d left off and doing better at it than when I’d stopped. So yes, Flow 1 moves are looking much better and I now know what Neon means about how working with drum combinaitons will help understand the whole dance better. I always knew how you’re supposed to mark drum accents with your own accent moves, but this understanding sharpened while working with these combinations. I also learnt a zillion other little things — too many to list. For example, I figured how you have to keep your feet real close when you’re in a diagonal doing a camel and quickly changing orientation. The closeness of the feel makes moving from one prettily pointed foot to the other look much more delicate. I liked that!
I still go throgh a review (music only) of the beginner’s flow and work on how to go from one set of moves to the next lot without looking like I’m hurriedly catching up. But I’m also now working with the intermeidate flow. Each of the combinations here focuses on some biggish learning, so these are really taking some time. Combining slow and sharp moves in just a few counts — that’s a skill one has to get right. As learners one may fall into the pattern of letting slow moves sort of flow beyond their allowed time and space. But when you have a sharp lock planning right after a slow move, you have to be careful about exactly how and where you stop the slow move to get into the sharp one. And also how you make the sharp move flow into another slow one.
So, in general, there’s a lot of finessing to be done with these combos and so they’re going to take a while. There’s a lot more arm movement and althought that looks easy enough on screen, I find it adds new challenges when the combinations are short. Again, it’s easier to be floating around with pretty hand moves, but not so easy to make your arms look pretty if you’ve got 8 counts to get them somewhere and back
I did several rounds of Bellydance Rhythms today and then used Luscious as an “antidote”. I think my next Rhythm Report should be after I get through all of Flow 2 once.
Sometimes I amuse myself by thinking up possible variations WDNY could do on the flow format: taqsims, tribal fusion flows, flows targeted at specific types of moves such as shimmies and undulations, the list goes on. Today it snowed in Vancouver, so I’ve been lazing about; I hope, though, to do Luscious again in the evening.
Well Sajia, you should totally share them with Neon! Considering you’re such a creative person, you’ll probably come up with great ideas.
Really
? I do feel kind of shy to approach her, and my first thought would be that she would have thought of such variations already.
It’s not just that flows are more fun to do, but also you’re combining the context of a combo with the repetitions of a drill. Although a straight-forward drill has advantages for beginners who might find a flow too fast-paced.
Aw no… Neon is the warmest and most approachable person possible. There are always those tribe things anyway.
Tribe things? You mean tribe.net?
Yes, Neon’s Tribe. Things because I just don’t manage to keep track of them.
Well, I wrote to Neon, and she wrote back! Here’s what she said:
“HI Sajia, thank you so much for your message and kind words! It’s so great to know that you like the flow format – I am a big believer in it: I feel that it allows us to relax into the music and learn (or drill) moves in context of combinations, which is very important. Plus, for me, personally, it is also important to feel entertained and inspired when I am practicing dance – enjoying the artistic aspect of it, which is easier to do with a flow (which is a “creative” drill) rather than with a regular drill.
We’ll have 2 DVDs with 45 min. flows coming out in early 2009:
First one is for beginners, so it may be too simple for you, – it’s
“Bellydance – Beautiful Technique from Step One” with Autumn Ward – it’s 2 hours of technique instruction + a 45 min. flow which includes warmup, arms patterns, 7 segments of dance moves and a practice choreography at the end — all in the follow-along format with gorgeous music (music-only version is available too, as usual).
The second one will come out in spring – it is similar to Luscious (three of us, the same dancers as in Luscious), but the dance vocabulary and combinations are totally different, no real overlap, and we’ve added footwork to make it more dynamic. It’s, again, 45 min, very evocative music.”
There you go! Told ya. Yes, we’re all waiting for the Autumn Ward video, beginner or otherwise. She has some magic about her, that Autumn Ward.
Luscious 2 should be fun too. It won’t be named that though. I’m looking forward to that too. Time for a new Eagerly Awaited List, I think!
I find that I still get a lot out of beginner DVDs. With each instructor there is always something new to be learned.Each instructor and each new DVD from WDNY has another little bit that helps unlock something that I may have been stuck on. If that makes any sense?
Sure it makes sense. I’ve learned each aspect of the basics from someone else. It’s tough to find that one video that gives it all, with nuances, in the right tone, etc. Asharah’s almost done that — if the combinations were maybe more exciting and pretty. But tribal is tribal, I guess.
When I look back, I can almost remember which movement I’ve really really learned from whom! I know I learned the seemingly impossible maya from Kajira Djoumahna. And the arabesque from Sadie. Snake arms from Ariellah. And the arabic hip walk from no one yet…