Yallah Raqs

Sabia from the Asmara Initiative joins me to talk about the amazing work they're doing there as well as their upcoming event this weekend. In addition, we dive into how Sabia brings back workshops to her dance practice and how people at different levels can use different techniques to process the information they're learning. We have a challenge to go along with today's podcast which you can check out on our Instagram, or on the shownotes page. You'll be entered to win a workshop from this weekend's event, Where you'll see a familiar face in the lineup with Chudney Raks! Joined by Brandy Asmara, Omoladun, and Constance WinnYaa! Shownotes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/60

Lisa joins me today to talk about how you can keep the momentum from the #21daysofbellydance going. Or how you can even just get started in your practice. It is so important for us, as dancers, to practice. And yet we find ourselves resisting it or getting stuck and not being able to fully dive in. Then the guilt spiral starts. Let's break the cycle and look at this from a scientific perspective. With her background in Cognitive Behavioral Science Lisa marries the dance world with science to get you practicing the way that you want to.

Today I have with me Nefertiti who, along with Soumaya, Amar Garcia, Tammy Jonson, Khuzama, Cynthia, Hanane El , have agreed to put the Bellydancer’s Call to Action into this year’s bundle. This event was organized in the summer of 2020 and is a must listen for all dancers who are working to unpack their privilege. It was a chance for Black and Brown dancers to share their lived experiences and knowledge around racism in our dance community. Nefertiti goes into why now was the time to put this panel together, and what those of us with privilege can begin to do, right now, to be better.

Katie joins me today to talk about something that we all interact with every day. Social Media. Love it or hate it, it's something that you can use to propel your business forward, and that as a student, you can utilize to push your practice and learn more from dancers all over the world. But only if you can use it effectively. Today Katie and I chat about marketing yourself and your business and how social media is such a huge part of that. We touch on the super successful #socialshimmy challenge along with breaking the "norms" on social media. It's jam packed with useful information, so have a listen!

Today Sadie joins us to talk about quite a few important topics in our dance practice. Flipping our Negativity bias, and mentors being just two of them. We dive into how she decides what to teach, and how we can use something being difficult as a light and not as fuel for self-hate. You can do so much with this mindset shift! Shownotes: https://thebellydancebundle.com/57

Today we have with us Sahra Kent, also known as Sahra Saeeda. She's the brilliant mind behind Journey Through Egypt and I am so excited to bring her on to talk about research. Whether you know it or not, you are doing research ALL THE TIME. Any time you learn something, seek out a new teacher, go down a Youtube rabbit hole, or read a book or article? All research. And sometimes that research can be a bit...contradictory. Today Sahra walks us through her Table's metaphor a little bit as a way to start processing all the different puzzle pieces that you've come across along your dance journey. Because we gather a LOT of information and sorting it can only make it easier for us to learn!

Do you know that Tarab has multiple meanings? There can be a LOT of confusion around this term, and we're here to clear it up a bit. Shahrzad joins me today to talk about Tarab. What it means, and what difficulties dancers face when trying to dance to this particular style of movement. And, of course, some things that you can work on in your home practice! Show Notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/54

On this episode, we’ll be diving into ARMS with Katayoun. And no matter where you are In your dance journey. I know your arms are giving you grief. As a beginner's arms feel so awkward, and by the time you get to working on them it's a whole other skill you have to learn, which can be frustrating. Today we talk about why students have a hard time with arms, how Katayoun practices her arms every day, and she even gives us what is now my favorite piece of advice about armwork. But you'll have to listen to find out what it is! Show notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/53

Today Mahin joins us to talk about how shimmies should be just as unique as your fingerprint. We each have our best, most comfortable shimmy that is absolutely unique to us. The trouble sometimes is in finding it! Mahin brings such a great anatomical light to her classes. Anatomy, technique, and style mixed together is my absolute favorite. So join us as we chat shimmies and go into some pretty amazing metaphors for our bodies in dance.

Melissa Gamal joins me today to talk personal stylings and The Golden Era. We chat about not only Golden Era dancers, but on the importance of looking at a dance within the context of the time, the culture, and what was going on at the time. Then we get into the personal stylings and how personality comes through in your dance. It's so important to be authentic, but authenticity can be hard to find so Melissa gives us some AMAZING tips on finding your stylization and what feels right for you as you proceed on your dance journey Show Notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/51

Today I'm joined by Ebony Qualls as we chat about her style of fusion and how she integrates fitness into her classes. We also dive into topics around giving yourself more grace, the eternal student, and making the most of your time when you're looking to get a lot of things done in limited time frames. But it's not all about getting things done, mindfulness jumps into the conversation as well. So much to cover in such a small episode. Shownotes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/50

April joins me today as we dive into practice. And we dive deep into a couple of amazing areas here. April shares her story about a hard-won mindset shift that has made all the difference to her relationship to dance, along with some ideas around goal setting and scheduling that will get those of you who like to plan things very excited. If you struggle with fitting in your practice or ever feel like you're not good enough, I think that there's a lot here you can take away that can start to shift the way you look at yourself and your practice. Show notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/49

Today I'm joined by Aaliyah Jenny and we're talking about what you can do to make watching your videos suck less. AJ is doing a whole talk on being your best coach and getting over the "I can't watch myself on video" syndrome and this talk just scratches the surface. We talk about how perfectionism is a lie and how we can emulate some famous cartoon characters to change our mindset as we dive into a video critique. It's a great conversation for anyone who struggles with this. So. Everyone basically. Come join us and learn a couple of strategies to make your life a bit easier. Shownotes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/48

Chudney joins us today to speak to the value of bringing it back to the basics and how she loves to break it down for dancers. Utilizing the basics in new and interesting ways can revolutionize your dance, and as you'll hear, sometimes it only takes one comment from a teacher to set you down a path. Chudney is an amazing dancer, and one that I've admired for quite some time so I'm so excited to have her on the podcast today and joining us for this year's bundle. Show notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/47

If you had to describe your style in two words? What would they be? Two of the ones that Florance focuses on are Grace & Beauty, and once you hear her explain them you can SEE it in her dancing. It's amazing. Today Florance joins me to chat about grace and beauty, yes. But we also get into some seriously excellent discussion about finding your style and how to use video to grow your dance. My mind melts down at least twice. There are meteoric mindset shifts here if you choose to accept them. Show notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/46

Beverli joins us today to chat about her methodologies in dance and how she's used them over the years to rehab and strengthen her legs. Her newest class, Dancing on a Drum: Drills & Leg Rehab uses these ideas of building trust in your feet and lower body to bring awareness to your body and inner muscle work so that you can dance from a place of strength. Show notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/45

Today Ranya joins us to talk about something you do every day. 24 hours a day in fact. Breathing. Well, of COURSE I breathe when I dance, you might think but upon slightly stronger inspection I bet you can remember a time or a million where you stopped breathing while you were practicing, or concentrating, or watching a video of yourself perform. Breathing is such an intrensic part of life that we often just forget about it, but as you'll hear today from Ranya, breathwork can drastically affect your dance and working it in can create magic. Ranya's course Breathwork for Bellydance is part of the 2020 bundle, and it's going to be, well, breathtaking. Show notes at: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/44

Oreet, the creator of SharQui joins me today as we chat about fitness classes, breaking down moves, and about her Yemeni roots and how she's begun to teach some of those dances after years of pushing away her heritage. She literally walks me through breaking a move down into pieces today. This skill is so crucial for teachers, but I honestly think that students, ESPECIALLY those of us studying online, also need this skill. Knowing this should help you be able to scale things to your level, no matter where you're at in your journey. This year in the bundle Oreet is being SUPER generous with her contribution and everything from music to ebooks to virtual classes is included in her portion of the bundle. Show notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/43-2

Amanda joins me today to chat about Egyptian Shaabi, a popular social dance style that has become very popular in the Oriental dance community. She chats about what Shaabi is, touches on its origins, and how we can differentiate it from other styles within the bellydance world. We get into how FEELING a move in your body can teach you so much about the move itself and how it differs from other styles. As a dance movement therapist, Amanda brings a really interesting perspective to the table and this conversation around how to process movement is one that I find completely fascinating. Join us today to learn more about Shaabi! www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/42-2

Sabriye is a world famous dancer who grew up surrounded by dance and has traveled all over the world to dance and teach. She’s one of the few authorized instructors of Suhaila Salimpours Format and has a dance school in Sweden. With Sabriye it’s always a mix of dance and knowledge, and that is my absolute favorite, because I truly feel that one without the other is missing a core component! Sabriye’s class in the bundle is no different. With elements of both lecture and dance, her class on Beledi Solo Progressions is sure to have our bodies, and our brains working!

Today we chat with Victoria Teel, who is such a goldmine of information on practicing. She’s really taken the step back to consider not only what works for her, but how she can encourage others to find what works for them. Her addition to the bundle this year are two classes designed to make your practice simpler and easier to get into. Practice Makes Perfect & Bellydance Drills Workout Program We talk about different struggles she sees when people are working to get into their practice and some easy solutions that you can put into practice today.

Practice doesn’t ALWAYS mean putting your butt on the dancefloor. Sometimes the thing that will help your dance the most. The thing that your practice time is best served with is study. And that’s part of what this year’s lecture bundle is about. All of these other elements that there are to this dance outside of the dance itself. Today’s guest, Dawn Devine, will be giving a lecture as part of the lecture bundle this year called Mad about Maud: Salomania and the Birth of Bedlah. If you’re unfamiliar with the story of Salome, here’s the relevant part to set the scene. Salome supposedly lived in the first century of the common era and was the stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, the ruler appointed by Rome to a region in Palestine. In biblical literature she is remembered for her dance at the birthday celebration of her stepfather, who had John the Baptist beheaded at her request. She’s inspired a lot of art, literature and music over the centuries including a play by Oscar Wilde's simply called Salome in 1891. She has become a face of the archetypal femme fatal through the retellings of stories featuring her. Now with that information, let’s dive into what Salomania was and how Maud Allen played a part not only in that, but in the creation and inspiration for some the costuming you see even today.

Today we have the host of the Advance Your Bellydance Podcast, Žana, here with us on Yallah Raqs! Today’s conversation is SO important, and has been mirroring what we’ve been talking about lately on Instagram. I don’t even want to ruin it for you, I want you to hear it as it comes up! We start of chatting about the details of our dance, and how we move in our everyday as these are so important and can have such an influence on your dance, but the conversation veers off when Žana brings up a topic that I’m so super passionate about I couldn’t resist pursing that line of the conversation. If you’re familiar with me and the podcast, it’ll come as no surprise. Join us as we chat delicate details and more in today’s episode!

Sahira joins me today to talk about adding emotion to your dance. Any dance. Including Drum Solos! Just like her course in this year's bundle. Learning to add emotion to our dance can feel both entirely natural and entirely strange, all at the same time. Many of us aren't taught this skill till much later in our journies, which often makes it hard to go back and see how that emotion affects every. single. part of our dance. Sahira gives a bit of her background in theater here to inform what she's telling you, and we get into some great ways (including today's challenge) that can get you adding emotion into your dance and working on this skill with a bit more confidence Show notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/37

Today Aubre Hill joins me to talk about performance in the new age. How do we utilize our video recordings to portray our dance art? Obviously, video performances are completely different, both in impact and energy from in-person performances. But how can we use those differences to expand our artform? Especially in this age of digital haflas and the pandemic, but even past that just into the realm of Instagram and other social media platforms? Video is here to stay with the bellydance world, so lets start figuring out how to use and leverage it as best we can!

Alia Thabit is such an emotive and expressive dancer, I can't get enough of her. She reaches into you and really brings the soul back to the dance.⁠ ⁠ Today we talk about one of the cornerstones of middle-eastern music, the Taqsim. She shares how dancing to a taqsim takes us beyond the technique and the remembered steps and the percussive beat and puts us in tune with the music in a way that's so important to our dance practice.⁠ ⁠ We're here to bring joy with our dance, and that starts with us finding the joy ourselves.⁠ ⁠ This talk is so full of amazing takeaways around improvisation, emotion, feeling the music and more, and if you want an UNdrill to go with it, make sure to check out today's Instagram challenge, linked on the shownotes page: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/35

If you've done some study of the Golden Era then you're familiar with some of the stars from the era. Soheir Zaki and Taheyya Karioka to name a few! But did you ever study Nabaweya Mustafa? Today Shining joins us to talk about Nabaweya and why Shining was drawn to create a course that broke down the unique style she brought to the golden era of Egyptian cinema. We also get into some really great talk about being yourself. It's an excellent episode and I can't wait for you to jump in! Show notes at: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/34

In our new world, with people apart, but dancing together how do we recapture some of that community feeling that is so intrinsic to why so many of us dance? Aziza shares how she does this within her community with us today! In addition, we dive deep on how Aziza sets up her own practice tracking in a way that we can use as a base to start our own experimentation! Show notes: www.TheBellydanceBundle.com/33

As dancers we need to make sure we're taking care of our bodies so they can show up for us when we need them. And we ask a lot of them! Today I'm joined by Siobhan Camille, an exercise scientist and conditioning coach turned bellydancer to talk about her research on bellydance injuries and what we can do to strengthen our bodies!

The pandemic has really thrown the bellydance world for a loop. It's upended the way we did things and has forced all of us to accept the internet and online teaching at a rate that would have been unprecedented before. As part of the Bundle this year Sara Shrapnell from The Bellydance Business Academy will be giving a talk on how you can prep yourself to head back to the studio so today we talk about the state of the dance world, and what our "new norma" might look like.

Rosa has been well known for her work on pausing, waiting, savouring, while she dances, and with her contribution to this year's bundle she's taken it to a whole new level. Join us as we discuss Delicious Pauses Drum Solo & how you can being to slow down in your own dance.

We're back for 2020!! Ever find yourself distracted during practice or being critical of your dance or practice? Let's work on changing these patterns so we can come back to our dance with joy and happiness that we deserve!

I want you to keep practicing this dance, at home, on your own time, because I feel that that is where the magic happens. But to do so, you need to find the tools that are going to support you in that practice. Today I talk about what a tool actually is in your bellydance practice, and how you can find the ones that are going to work for you going forward. Then we'll combine the lessons from all of our days to show you how you now have all you need to move forward in your dance practice effectively. You can totally do this, because you're amazing! I can't wait to see how your practice evolves!

Today I asked if you ever felt like an impostor. So, by that I mean. You wonder who on earth you are to be dancing on this stage, in this restaurant, at this hafla, even in the class that’s a level up from your normal one. Feelings of doubt and shame around your dance, like you don’t know enough, aren’t good enough, or hell aren’t the right size/shape/color/age for this. Well, you don't have to feel this way, and today we'll talk about how to make getting rid of this syndrome a part of your practice!

So before we jump in. Disclaimer. I hate the word motivation. I straight up think it’s garbage. And that may not be a popular opinion, but it’s one I have none the less. I can’t think of a single thing that I’m motivated to do every single day. Except maybe reading. But even after a couple of days of my favorite novels, I need a bit of a break. If you are waiting for motivation to get you out on the dance floor that just comes from nowhere? You may be waiting a LONG time. Today I'm going to share how you can find Motivation and Accountability that works for YOU so that you can keep your practice going strong.

Experimenting is key to figuring out how you can get yourself onto the dance floor in a consistent manner. Knowing yourself and what makes you tick makes it SO MUCH EASIER to make your practice stick, but you've got to figure out what that is first. So today, I come to you to talk about where to get started when you're trying to experiment on yourself and with your practice. How do you know when to get started, and how often should you check in on your experiments? How do tweak and change your practice routine so that it fits better with your life? Listen today to find out!

You’ve learned a couple of different ways to set Goals, you’ve heard how the dance has changed as our contributors have entered it ad different times, you’ve learned about the history of zills, musicality, style, authenticity, music, I mean what HAVEN’T we covered? A lot. Here’s the thing, there is SO much to know in this dance, and most of it isn’t cut and dried. There are nuances, variations, multiple explanations and pathways and options. So today I wanted to talk to you about overwhelm and how it’s all too prevalent in our dance, and what YOU can do about it. Because make no mistake, this feeling holds a lot of people back. And you might be one of them without ever even noticing.

Today, we’re talking a LOT about goals. One of the hardest things to define in our dance, since our dance is so hard to measure progress in. But don’t worry, because Sadie has got you covered. We’ll talk about what it takes to have your dance show up for you, why improv is a necessary part of your dance, why using video to practice is KEY, and of course, how to set goals and measure your progress. This is another interview that is just PACKED with goodies and I can’t wait for you to dive in.

Do you think that stage presence requires an actual stage? What about a performance space at all? I have a feeling that today is going to open your eyes. Today’s guest Ranya is contributing a live talk on Stage Presence to this year’s bundle, so today we’re doing a deep dive in a couple of aspects of stage presence. What it is, how often you REALLY use it, and a couple of exercisese to help you practice. Whether you’re on the stage or not. It can feel like a tricky thing to practice, one of those ineffable aspects of our dance, but Ranya has some amazing tips that you can put into practice right after you finish listening!

Do you ever find yourself on a negative hamster wheel of self-talk? Why aren’t I better at this? Is my dancing good enough? I’m so lazy, I must not care enough? Sound familiar? We ALL go through this, and we all have to find our own way to deal with it. Self-doubt is a killer of dreams, and well, we’re not standing for it anymore. Terri is here with me today to talk about Self-Doubt, and Self-confidence and to share some ideas on how you can train your brain to be less doubtful and more confident. How all of us can become bad ass bellydancers. Her course in the bundle is going to be an amazing talk on this very subject, bringing to light how everyone deals with this. New dancer to advanced, hobbist to professional, hell, on this podcast we BOTH end up doing it to ourselves.

Musicality and style are two of the biggest things in our dance. You hear about them ALL. THE. TIME The context varies, but the terms stay the same. Perhaps you’re learning more about musicality and expressing it through improv, or you’ve heard mention of style, but have no idea what your style even is. Neither is an easy thing to master, but they can be so much fun. And today Amanda Rose joins us to talk about them. You can hear that she is passionate about the subject today, and I can’t wait to get into it. She discusses with us the importance of musicality, and why that’s where the freedom lies. How advice to “have your own style” is way too vague, and a way to go about developing your own, and her personal method of Mapping songs so that you can take into account all the wonderful musical choices that were made, so that you can make informed dance choices as you move through the song. This interview is PACKED with goodies!

If you’ve been listening to our episodes, you’ve heard mention a couple of times of a “routine” as some of our contributors talk about their origin stories in bellydance. Now, you may or may not be familiar with that phrase as this isn’t something that’s done nearly as often anymore. Our guest Heather Wayman from The Bellydance Geek joins us today to de-mystefy the routine and You’ll learn the routines place in our dance history as well as the ways we can adapt that to our dance practices today.

Today’s guest Myra will be joining in the bundle as a contributor, but she was actually involved last year too, as our donation partner! We’re going for round two this year and donating at least 8 dollars from every sale of the bundle to SEEDS, a wonderful program that Myra’s going to tell you more about that supports young women through dance. In addition to our talks on SEEDS we also do a little bit of deep dive on hip circles. How there are WAY more than you think, and how you can start to work to create your own signature circle.

If you’re a teacher, then you’re familiar with lesson plans, in theory, if not in practice. And as a student of bellydance? You may not have ever given it a second thought. But there’s a lot of value to be gained from planning out your practice. Namely, you know what you’re doing when you get to the dance floor. Combine that with a goal and you have all the makings of success. Sara Shrapnell joins me today to talk about lesson plans and how you can apply them both as a teacher, and as a student to your dancing. But in addition to that, we also go off on a side note about performance and practice that you’re not going to want to miss.

I learned SO much about improv from this interview, and I can’t wait for you to dive in. It’s given me a whole new view of not only improv’s place in this dance, but also HOW MANY things in our lives are improvised. Sometimes you just have to put things in that context to make something way less scary. Today's guest Alia has spent her whole career in this dance improvising, and she has so much knowledge to share. You’ll learn why improv is embedded into the hear of this dance, why you should be more curious than anything else, and how leaving behind your expectations is the best thing you can do. Though I’d argue that that last one is often great advice in both dance and life in general.

Do you ever feel like you have to run your personal practice like a dance class? I’ve had people express this concern to me in the past, but in different ways. Mostly focused in the areas of the amount of time that you practice, and the content of their personal practice. Today, I ask my guest Aziza how she structures her practice time, and some tips and tricks to make your practice your own and break away from the idea of treating your practice time like another class that you’re guilting yourself into taking. We also talk about rewarding yourself, both in WHAT you’re practicing and for how much you practice in addition to what she would include in every practice.

Sahra Kent is the powerhouse behind Journey Through Egypt and today she joins us to get nerdy about the Sa’id. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a region of Egypt, and where the dance you’ve heard of, Sa’idi, hails from. Sa’idi means of the Sa’id. Don’t worry though, by the end of this podcast, you’ll know a lot more about this region! We talk about the dances of the Sa'id, not only how they're portrayed in the hometowns and cities, but also how these dances are taken and portrayed to the rest of the world. It's a fascinating talk that any dancer can use to help understand the nuances of dance as it migrates from one place to another.

Are you in love with the Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema? I think that most dancers are at some point in their journeys. Seeing these videos can inform a lot about our dance history, and provide a really interesting look into the time period that they were made. Adriane has taken the time to break down some of these videos to bring to you the technique and the styles shown by the famous dancers of this age and turned them into a course. So today she joins us to talk about some of the things that define the style of the Golden Age, and ways that you can break down these moves and incorporate them into your dance practice.

Morocco joins us today to explain the differences in Raqs Sharqi and Raqs Shaabi, she shares with us how she learned this dance in the age before the internet, and of course, a way that you can emulate that experience to get to the core of this dance.

As bellydancers we have a LOT in common, and one of those things? A love for the costumes. Whether those be the sparkly kind, the fluffy kind, the elaborate kind, fake flowers, or rhinestones, we all fall in love with the costuming of our styles and of this dance. Today’s guest Mao Murakami of TheSparklyBelly.com, has taken that love a bit further and has established an entire site that’s dedicated to helping dancers dream up and create their own costumes. Even if you have no idea how to sew. So today, Mao joins us to talk about how to incorporate that kind of maintenance, and creativity into your personal dance practice so that you’re not pulling an all nighter before the next hafla moving a hook.