Ziva Emtiyaz International Dance Artist
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Keep It Clean! - Dancing for Excellence

2/19/2015

3 Comments

 
Like any good dance fan, I’ve spent endless hours watching dance videos on YouTube, drooling over choreography and inspired by everything from tutting to ballet to bellydance.  With the conveniences of the Internet, thousands of dance videos are readily available with just the click of a mouse.  With the large amount of high-level quality dancers performing today and the easy accessibility of dance videos, the dance world can be competitive in winning over its viewers and keeping their attention. Some videos keep us glued to the screen while others loose our attention after just a few seconds.   Of course dance videos don’t do their actual live performances justice, but even when seen in person, some choreographies just shine above the rest.

So what’s the secret to keeping an audience captivated?  There are a variety of factors that can make a choreography entertaining and watch worthy, but there is one factor that is essential to making a dance excellent.  Keeping it clean!  There’s a big difference between watching a dance that’s performed sloppily and watching a dance that’s well prepared, thought out and executed. 

Teaching weekly at Bella Ballroom dance studio in Costa Mesa has given me the opportunity to write dance blogs and explore dance topics as such in depth.  This week I explored tips and tricks for cleaning choreography that can be used for any style of dance performance.  Take a look…

Creating Clean Dance Chreography

Choreographies that stand out have undoubtedly been well thought out and practiced prior to their debuts.  Often times a choreography’s success doesn't’ depend on it being technically impressive as much as it depends on being executed cleanly.  While knowing how to perform a dance with strength and clarity takes experience, I can offer some helpful hints to consider when preparing to nail your next dance....   READ MORE FOR ALL THE TIPS

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The Rockettes Rock

12/27/2014

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I must have been living under a rock!  When I was requested to write a Holiday blog about the Rockettes for Bella Ballroom Dance Studio in Orange County, I had no real idea what this iconic dance company was.  After some research I quickly discovered that the Rockettes make up an impressive precision dance company dating back to the 1920s and are very much alive and high kicking today.  Performing in bigger productions and working with the Sahlala Dancers has given me a huge appreciation for the work and talent that goes into creating a uniform look in a dance group.  As a soloing bellydancer, we have the liberty to show off our individual strengths and can express ourselves freely and independently.  As a troupe dancer, we are only as strong as our compadres, and the shows strength relies on the unity of the group.  It can be a truly beautiful thing!   Read on as I share what I discovered about one of the world’s beloved and top precision dance companies.
The Rockettes Rise to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Glamour, patriotism, precision, commercialism, entertainment, and joy; these are just a few of the words that can be used to describe The Rockettes.  Created in the 1920’s, this dance company has persevered well into present day and generated an American legacy... READ MORE.
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A Foxy Start in California - Foxtrot 101

12/23/2014

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As an entertainer, I often feel like a one-woman show.   Continually venturing and expanding my knowledge of dance and the performance arts has shaped my life.  It’s fascinating to take a moment to look at the lives of the artists who played foundational roles in what we understand as dance today.  Surprisingly one of the dances currently embraced by the world started with a man whose beginnings were rooted very close to home.  From Southern California to San Francisco, vaudeville actor Henry Fox got his start before heading to New York to influence what would become embraced as Foxtrot.  Read on…

Fox's Start in Southern California

     While social dance is very popular in Southern California, most may not know that Foxtrot beginning’s stemmed out of Pomona, California.  Wait, what?  The Foxtrot is from Los Angeles?!  Well, not quite; but the dance’s... READ MORE.
 
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Get Asked to Dance

12/19/2014

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When I moved to Orange County to pursue growing as a bellydance performer and International Dance artist, one of the things I was most excited to explore was Southern California’s dance world at large.  When my bellydance gigs take me into LA County, I take advantage of being dolled up and out and about at club prime time and head out dancing after my bellydance shows.  I’ve enjoyed checking out the salsa dance scene from Malibu to Newport Beach.

              As a new face in the Los Angeles and Orange County dance scenes, established social dancers do not know me.  Being an unknown dancer can make it harder for a follow to get asked to dance in a developed dance community.  Personally, I like to leave it up to the leads to invite me to dance instead of the other way around.  Call me old fashioned, but really I’m just shy, and to some extent I haven’t needed to do the asking.   Just like dancing, there is some technique involved in getting invited to dance.  Read on as I share a five fantastic strategies to get and keep you on that social dance floor!

1. Have a Good Waiting Strategy

The key to getting asked to dance is to create the least path of resistance for inquirers.  Place yourself close to the dance floor, preferably in a higher traffic area where potential dance partners will be walking by.  Standing up and grooving to the music while waiting will make you appear more approachable and like you want to dance. Make eye contact and smile with other dancers.  Avoid sitting down, burying your head in a smart phone, or... FULL ARTICLE
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Landing Fulfilling Dance Shows in Orange County and Dancing Outside the Box

11/16/2014

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All About That Risk... No Trouble!
#doyoubooboo

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By now you’ve undoubtedly heard Megan Trailor’s hit song “All About That Bass.”  (I’d guess you’ve even gotten it stuck in your head a few times.)  In the chance you haven’t been exposed to it, the catchy song pumps lyrics boasting messages of self-acceptance regardless of a bigger body size and tells ladies to embrace what cho’ mama gave ya.  While not an expected music choice for me to perform to as an International dance artist, this pop song gave me an opportunity to do something different, yet strangely familiar.

Bella Ballroom Dance in Orange County recently had its anniversary party for which I was anticipated to perform.  This would be the first time any current or prospecting dance students would see me perform since I started teaching at the Newport Beach dance studio in April.  It would also be the first dance performance my colleagues would see from me.  I made an executive decision, took a performance risk and decided to dance as… *gasp!*… myself!  Let me explain.

Any classical or international dancer understands that to be considered excellent there are certain dance standards to adhere to.  Cultural contexts and musicality formats must be respected to represent an ethnic dance appropriately and correctly.  While there may be some room for expression, a plié will always be a plié.   Regardless of the style, if a dancer is going to stay 100% true to a formatted or traditional dance, they will experience some limitations.

When I decided to “perform as myself” for the anniversary party, I chose to just move:  freely and without adherence to any genre of dance.  I left the stage persona behind and pumped up a hidden faucet of my personality.  It was a risk.  When people know you as a bellydancer, they expect to see you bellydance and they get excited to see all the bells and whistles that Raqs Sharqui has to offer.  There was a good chance my performance’s absence of bellydance would disappoint them.  Additionally, I was performing for a crowd of ballroom dancers.  A ballroom dancer’s foundational values rely on patterns, technique and formatting.  It was a risk to break barriers and do something completely unconventional for this dance-trained crowd.  Beyond this, my biggest risk of all was exposing my own personal vulnerability.  You are your art and your art is you.  As singer Erykah Badu expressed and popularized, “Keep in mind that I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit!”

So I went for it.  I All About My Bass’ed it for an unsuspecting audience.  I worked the room and moved my body in a way that felt good and true to me.  In retrospect I can say that I became a personification of the song’s message to whole-heartedly embody and be proud of who you are. 

The result?  While a performer never really knows how an audience actually perceives them, I can say that I felt personally gratified for being true to myself and sharing this juicier side of me.   I graciously received warm compliments and by the end of the night I was hired by one of the guests to do the same performance at their upcoming wedding in Huntington Beach!  Sometimes you just got to “do you” and prosper.  I celebrated self-acceptance and the results landed me another dance show in Orange County!

 Dancing at the wedding in Huntington Beach was equally fun and fulfilling.  I got to be a surprise for the guests.  Unfortunately and ironically, the MC announced me as performing “Middle Eastern Dance.”  I cringed backstage wearing a black feather boa and pinstriped fedora hat preparing to dance to American Pop music.  There was nothing Middle Eastern about the show and I feared for any unknowing associations that would be made by viewers after the performance.  Sometimes when you dance outside the box, people just don’t know where to put you.   (Which in turn describes my biggest marketing challenge!  How can I promote a multifaceted dance performance and teaching service that’s not categorized?  Comment your thoughts below!)
 I hope this has inspired you to share a little bit more of your genuine self with the world.  Take the risk, be vulnerable and get in a little trouble.  Whether it’s through dance or another mode of expression, find your bass and shine.
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Ziva Emtiyaz dances for Huntington Beach Wedding November 8th, 2014.  Photos by Joel Jimenez.
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Plan, Practice, and Prosper - Learn to Improve Your Dance

11/16/2014

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Sometimes I don't know how I do it.  While dedicating a life to dance is rewarding, it undoubtedly has its challenges.  Last week the variety and amount of dance performances I had to prepare for was borderline crazy.  I was rehearsing multiple Bellydance, Russian, and Latin numbers with Sahlala International Dance Company to be debuted at Los Angeles shows throughout the weekend.  I had a special request to work as a soloist for a wedding in Huntington Beach for which I had to tailor choreography to fit new props and costume selection.  AND… the Rhythm and Movement Asian tour with Souhail Kaspar was fast approaching.  The work we do is tough and I was preparing hard-hitting choreography and material to be presented in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan!  In this moment I’m flying to Asia reflecting,  “How in the world did I manage all this?” and also thinking that I should be listening to Souhail's “Rhythm Revolution” CD right now and rehearsing in my seat!

I highly recommend all dancers or anyone looking to improve their craft read on as I share what I’ve learned along the way about staying committed to practice.


Plan, Practice, and Prosper
Improve Your Dance
By Ziva Emtiyaz

It’s always a little amusing to me when students come in for their next lesson and they give me that look like they have a confessional.  You know the look; similar to a puppy’s gaze after they’ve gotten into the trash.   They don’t even need to say it… I already know.  They didn’t practice... FULL ARTICLE HERE
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Ziva Emtiyaz for Commitment to Training! Photo: www.brunoohara.com
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Everyday I'm Shufflin' - Expanding on EDM Dance

11/1/2014

2 Comments

 

Sometimes you don’t know what life is preparing you for, or even that you are being prepared.  I never thought my experiences at music festivals and clubs would provide me with valuable insight on a dance scene that I would play a role in as a teacher.  I’ve recently come to love working with Electronic House Music dancers.  These kids are passionate and hungry for all the details within the EDM dance world.  Also bringing an eagerness to learn have been single gentlemen looking to just survive the club scene with some movement basics.  They are equally fun to show a little know-how on rave and party dancing.

The EDM world is a huge and growing one.  I recently shared some EDM dance resources and details for our Orange County dancers at Bella Ballroom in Newport Beach.  Helpful info and awesome EDM dance links ahead:


Everyday I’m Shufflin’
By Ziva Emityaz

When stepping into Bella Ballroom, you may expect to hear John Legend’s “All of Me” as couples practice their first dance for an upcoming wedding.  You might also suspect to find dancers smoothing out their waltz technique, or firing up their salsa patterns.  What you might be surprised to find in Bella Ballroom are dancers getting down to Electronic Dance Music (EDM)... READ MORE.
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Kiz-om-what?! - Emerging Dance in Southern California and Abroad

10/12/2014

1 Comment

 
It’s a great big world out there.   While I’d like to think I have a strong foundation of dance knowledge, there are new dance forms developing and older forms evolving that I don't even know exist.  Getting familiar with the Orange County and Los Angeles County Dance scene, I’ve seen the word “Kizomba” pop up on fliers promoting Salsa and Bachata events.  Kiz-om-what?! Read on to find out what I discovered about this emerging dance:
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Kiz-om-what?!
By Ziva Emityaz

Intimate, sensual, romantic.  These are a few of the words that come to mind when watching two dancers engage in Kizomba.  Kiz-om-what??  Kizomba!  Kizomba is both a music and dance style.  The dance developed in Angloa, Africa in the 1980’s, but is said to have evolved from dance styles that are much older.  Semba, the predecessor of Samba, and Zouk from the French Caribbean Islands, have influenced Kizomba music.  It’s sound is emerging as a... FULL ARTICLE HERE
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The 411 on Social Dance Etiquette

10/4/2014

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Social dancing in Orange and Los Angeles Counties has given me some amazing dance memories.  It’s also given me some dance moments I wish I could forget.  In any social setting there are unspoken rules that help us “play well with others.”  Good etiquette applies to the social dance world although it sometimes feels like the unspoken rules of the dance floor need to be spoken.  In fact, after a particularly uncomfortable dance night I fantasized about printing out a blog I wrote for Bella Ballroom Dance on Social Dance Etiquette and handing it out to dancers in need.  While I wouldn’t actually do that, I share the 411 here on successfully getting your social dance on…
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Social Dance Etiquette 101
By Ziva Emtiyaz

            In any social setting we have to be considerate of others.  Those in the social dance scene should know that the dance floor has it’s own set of rules and considerations.  Being respectful and aware will make people enjoy accepting a dance with you instead of avoiding you, fearing a potentially unpleasant experience.  Read on to get your dose of social dance etiquette 101... FULL ARTICLE HERE
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Suelto! - Solo in Salsa Dance

9/24/2014

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Living and dancing in Orange and Los Angeles counties has given me awesome opportunity to cater to one of my favorite evening activities… Salsa dancing!  The Los Angeles Salsa dance scene differs from the Orange County Salsa dance scene, but one thing they both offer is a variety of dance partners.  As a follow, I find that salseros will often disconnect from their partner for a brief moment to engage in dancing “suelto”, or dancing an improvised solo.  As a dance instructor and lifelong dance student, this inspired me to write a blog for Newport Beach’s Bella Ballroom Dance studio sharing tips and tricks on how to solo in salsa.  Get the details on how to stay connected, “do you”, cheat and more!

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Suelto! – Soloing in Salsa
By Ziva Emtiyaz

We all know salsa as a form of social dance involving two participants who engage in a spontaneous call and response of movement.  Usually their hands or a closed frame position will connect them, creating a conversation of push and pull.  So what happens when the dancing duo separates?  READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE...
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    Ziva Emtiyaz is an award winning International Dance Artist excited to share her knowledge and life experiences about the big world of dance!

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  • Ziva Emtiyaz
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