Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m a big sucker for dance surprises!  I’m fortunate to have played a variety of roles in flash mobs and other unexpected performances.  As a spectator, flash mobs have brought me to tears.  There’s something about the love behind the unexpected gift of dance breaking up an otherwise normal day that gets to me.  As a participator, I’ve experienced the adrenalin rush of a flash mob.  It’s different than any other type of dance performance.  Again, there is something special about the beauty of dance erupting in an unexpected environment affecting strangers instantly in a positive way.   As a flash mob organizer, I have a good understanding of all the planning that goes into coordinating choreography for a group of people, keeping it a secret, and scouting out all the finer details like location, time, and music projection.

My recent move to Southern California brought me the opportunity to teach at Bella Ballroom studio where I help create and choreograph dance surprises for students every week!  This summer I enjoyed teaching dance with the intention of surprise for several Orange County weddings.  I gained a lot from the experience and researched some more fun ideas surrounding wedding dance surprises including elaborate proposals, fundraising flash mobs, and more… Read on!

Most of us may remember a time long, long, ago, when MTV actually played music videos, and young adults we’re inspired to imitate the choreographies danced by their favorite pop stars.  I’m willing to bet that some of these music videos and choreographies made a lasting impression in your mind.  Go ahead.   Think back.  What dance scenes impressed you so much that will you remember them forever?  How about Michael Jackson’s untimely “Thriller”?  Maybe it was Janet Jackson’s “If” that left you dancing in your living room? And then there’s Beyonce.  Just about everything Queen B has touched has given viewers “Sweet Dreams” of “Irreplaceable” attitude and impressionable footwork, undulations, and body pumps.

So, what makes a choreography foreverful?  What is the secret sauce to creating a dance that will leave an eternal mark on the mind of its viewers?  Let’s discover 4 professional secrets that top choreographers consider when transforming moves into masterpieces.

1.    Popping Personality 

Choreographers often start by determining the character of the piece.   They take what is unique about the song and express it throughout the dance.  The theme, emotion, and unique story of the piece must be creatively told through movement.  Choreographers consider who their audience is going to be and what it will take to keep them interested.

2.    Delicious Dynamics

Contrast is one of the most important elements of a foreverful choreography.  Choreographers work with different dance elements including varying textures, levels, speeds, tension, transitions, sequences, shapes, timing, spacing, formations, focuses, directions and more!

3.    Master Musicality

 A developed awareness of musicality separates the professionals from the rest.   It is well known that audiences share a primal enjoyment of seeing a connection between music and movement.   Top choreographers express all the intricacies of music including rhythm, melody, lyrics, accents, breaks, crescendos and other musical details.

4.    Go Big or Go Home!

The most groundbreaking choreographies are those that take risks, think outside of the box, and ultimately revolutionize dance.  Creative choreographers have the ability to avoid boring clichés and go where no other choreographer has gone before!

The Urban Dictionary describes this month’s Hipspiration “Va Va Voom,” not only as the sound of a car engine, but the following:

1.  The feeling you get when you're filled with inspiration or full of excitement and energy

2.  To be interesting, exciting, or sexually appealing

3.  A phrase or expression used when a particularly attractive person is seen

As Arabic Dancers, I ask myself, what makes us go “Va Va Voom”?  What excites us and upon sight makes us shout, “Ooh la la!”? After reflection, I’m overwhelmed with a plethora of answers.  While I believe there are several inspiring, energizing, sensual, and interesting elements of the dance, let us pause in April to reflect on the Arabic Dance costume.

The “bedlah” is used to describe the sequined bra and belt set that we traditionally see on classic cabaret performers and dancers today.  In Arabic, “bedlah” means suit or outfit.

Before the bedlah, dancers were accustomed to performing in their everyday dress.  Classic dancers such as Suhair Zaki preferred the figure-hugging baladi dress, which covered the body from shoulders to toes.  What’s fascinating is that the cabaret costume featuring the decorated bra, skirt with side slits, and belt developed from the influence of the Western world in the 1920s.  Hollywood’s film industry was booming and developed costumes projecting an Oriental fantasy drawing inspiration from the female allure that was associated with the vamp.  Dancers in Egypt we’re not even allowed to show their bellybuttons as the Western world’s costume depicted. Arab dancers adopted the costume, but covered their mid-drift by adding a long strip of material running vertically between the center of the bra and the skirt.

From this birth of the bedlah, the cabaret costume has evolved. Through the years we have seen a variety of costume fads, from Negwa Fouad’s long fringe in 1978 to Dina’s short skirts in the 1980s.  Today we see prints, asymmetrical cups, clear straps, feathers and more trending fashions.  Cairo’s dancers now also wear stylish and classy dresses similar to the party clothing of Arab people, only with more sequins and beads.  Ironically, this mimics the pre-bedlah dresses that Arabic dancers were wearing before the cabaret costume developed!

When deciding what costume to wear, there are many things to consider.  Does it match the piece of music?  Does it fit right? Will it stay on and endure heavy shimmying, pops, locks and rolls?  Is it appropriate for the venue?  Does it accentuate the dance or inhibit it? The list goes on. Perhaps one of the most important questions to ask yourself ladies is, “Does this costume make me feel Va-va-voom?”  Rock something that suits you, and that makes you feel completely gorgeous daaaa’ling.  Don’t worry about looking like anyone else or fitting someone else’s ideal.  Life is just too short not to feel absolutely stunning.


Recommended reading:

“Costume Porn… The latest trends in Egyptian Belly Dance Wear”

http://princessraqs.blogspot.com/2011/08/costume-pornthe-latest-trends-in.html

Works Sited

Buonaventura, W. (2010). Serpent of the Nile. Northampton, MA: Interlink. 

Dictionary: Va va voom. (2012, November 28). Retrieved March 27, 2013, from 
     http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=va%20va%20voom 

Varga Dinicu, M. C. (2011). You asked Aunt Rocky: Answers and Advice about Raqs 
     Sharqi and Raqs Shaabi. Virfinia Beach, VI: RDI. 

Badiaa Masabni, a true wonder woman of her day, was a dancer, singer, actress, and entrepreneur.  This quadruple threat was born in 1892 to a Lebanese father and a Syrian mother in Beirut, and was a pioneer in Arabic Dance’s evolution as a performance art.  

In 1926, Badiaa opened up Egypt’s first music hall in Cairo.  The nightclub was called “Opera Casino” and offered a variety of entertainment to attract both European and Middle Eastern audiences.   Baidiaa also offered a 6 o’clock show for only women that was packed every night.  Badiaa hired artists from Egypt, but also from Sudan and Europe.  Her choreographers came from out of the country and her stage shows had a strong foreign influence.  It was this fusion of multiculturalism that gave today’s Raqs al Sharqui (Dance of the East) its’ glamorous stage-show start.  It was on Badiaa’s stage that stars such as Samia Gamal, Tahiya Karioka, and Naima Akef were born. 

In addition to taking Arabic Dance to the stage, Badiaa Masabni influenced the style of the dance as a performance art.  Originally performers would stand in one spot, and the upper body and arms did not play a particular role in the movement.  Badiaa incorporated the Western idea of traveling around the entire stage and exploring the use of space. She encouraged dancers not only to hold their arms out to the sides, but also to use serpentine, flowing patterns of arm movement.  Badiaa introduced the use of the veil and taught choreography to traditionally improvisational dancers. 

Badiaa also had a strong understanding of Middle Eastern music.  She loved to play finger cymbals and would sit with the band to play for the dancers in her nightclub.  This led to the now common ritual of hiring a musician dedicated to playing just zils as part of the ensemble.  Badiaa also hired classically trained musicians to join the traditional line-up of riqq (tambourine), zurna (winded instrument), and tabla (Egyptian drum) players.   The taqsim (improvisational solo) could be explored and more intricate rhythms we’re introduced to the dancers at her club.

Badiaa Masabni passed away in 1970.  She was a true feminine character with the strength of Superman and the allure of a beautiful woman.  Her innovative and artistic eye was well paired with her business-smart intuition.  Badiaa’s influence brought Arabic Dance to the stage and her impact on the style of Raqs al Sharqui is seen today worldwide. Badiaa Masabni will forever remain a pioneer in this performance art that will be embraced for years to come.

Ziva Emtiyaz loves being inspired by the Wonder Women of the world.  Explore your inner and outer strength on the dance floor with Ziva in Arabic Dance II, Shimmy Pop, and Shimmy Pop Toning at Hipline.  Reach out to Ziva at ziva@myhipline.com and www.zivadancer.com .

Works Sited

Badia Masabni. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2013, from 
     http://www.belly-dance.org/badia-masabni.html 

Buonaventura, W. (2010). Serpent of the Nile. Northampton, MA: Interlink. 

Richards, T. (Ed.). (2000). The Belly Dance Book. Concord, CA: Backbeat.

They say the heart is fickle.  If you really love someone, you will feel it in your gut.  In the West, we often think of the heart as the body’s center of romance.  In several Middle Eastern countries, it is the liver that is believed to be passion’s organ.  The Roman physician Galen developed the notion that the heart and the liver are sources of love over 1,000 years ago.   One of the first great Arab-Muslim scientists, Al Razi, perpetuated Galen’s theory about the liver, and it spread across the Middle East into Egypt.

The Arabic word for liver is pronounced “kabed”.  It is frequently used in Egyptian poetry and song lyrics to express love.  The classic song “Eina Ellayali” shares a good example of how the liver embodies emotion.  Translated into English, the lyrics say, “An eye’s glance sent a spear to my liver and created pain.” 

Often you will see a performing Egyptian dancer gesture her hands as if she were holding onto her liver. She is expressing that she feels the song or the lyrics from this organ of passion.  It’s just as if an American dancer were to hold onto her heart.

In this month of love, why not dance from your liver ladies?  Share your deepest passions on the dance floor and feel it from you gut.  Tap in, and be moved.  What is your “kabed” telling you today?

Ziva holds Arabic Dance in her liver and can’t wait to share her passion for the art form with you!  Join her on the dance floor in Shimmy Pop, Shimmy Pop Toning, and Arabic Dance II.  You can find out more about Ziva and Arabic Dance at www.zivadancer.com 

Resources:  http://suite101.com/article/valentines-could-easily-have-been-livers-instead-of-hearts-a330899

2013 is here!  With the New Year comes new beginnings and good intentioned resolutions.  While I feel that resolutions can be cliché and unsuccessful, I do believe in well-structured goals.  I also believe in seeking new ways to become a stronger dancer.  Below I share how you can be a SMART DANCER in 2013 and eternally.

You may have already heard of the term “SMART goal”.  A SMART goal is meant to help you conquer objectives successfully.  As you construct your dance goals, make sure they are specific, measurable, action-based, realistic and timely.


Specific:  A specific goal has a much better chance of being accomplished than a general goal.  Your goal should be well defined with clear actions that will be taken.  Write down the details of how and when you will accomplish each specific behavior. Also identify any requirements or constraints.

Measurable:  A good goal should be measurable.  This can be challenging for dance goals due to the artistic nature of dance.  Consider crafting your goals so that they answer the questions, “How much?”,  “How many?”, and “How will I know that it is accomplished?”

Action-based:  Your goals should be things that you will actually do. For example, a general goal such as “Become a better dancer” is an outcome, not an action.  A specific action-based goal would be, “Attend Arabic Dance class at Hipline 3 times a week and review new moves 5 evenings a week after work.”  

Realistic:  Your goal must be possible to achieve.  Consider your time and the resources available to you.  Make sure that your goal is attainable and that you are willing to work towards it.

Time-constrained:  Goals must have a deadline.  With no set time frame, there is no sense of urgency.  Time bound goals will help you stay on track and give you a solid time reference.

Using the SMART goal guideline, let us delve deeper into the elements of becoming a stronger DANCER:

Drilling:  Strong technique is the backbone to a dancer’s movement.  Where will you train and how will you make the time to practice?  Consider specific movement goals.  “I want to be able to layer a ¾ shimmy with a chest circle.  I want to maintain a consistent shimmy five minutes.”

Artistic:  How can you further your art and tap into your creative side? What do you want to say with your dance?  What is your message?  How can you express yourself on a deeper level? Go to spaces where you feel most comfortable and that don’t have any distractions.  Allow yourself reflective and imaginative time.

New: Keep things fresh and stay inspired.  Pay close attention to what stimulates you.  What mediums can you use to see the latest performances and learn upcoming techniques?  Take workshops from Master instructors whenever possible.  Use YouTube to see dancers from all over the globe.

Culture:  Research the traditions and background behind Arabic Dance.  Understand “herstory” and get to know the classic Raqs al Shaqui stars.  Grasp the foundations of Middle Eastern musicality and implement them into your dance.  Arabic Dance is a rich art form representing a variety of Middle Eastern cultures.  It is our duty to be aware of and respect the dance’s cultural background.  Create a list of trustworthy resources and use them.  Plan to visit your local library, travel abroad, take workshops, and ask your instructor meaningful questions.

Exposure:  Plan to perform!  Getting ready for a performance is one of the best ways to better your dance.  A show will give you a deadline and an audience.  We all know that the best way to become a better performer is to perform.  Challenge yourself to incorporate different dynamics and elements of dance into your show.  Stay tuned as Hipline’s Arabic Dance Program will offer several performance opportunities in 2013. 

Reason:  At the end of the day, we dance because it fulfills us in some way.  Remember why you dance and let that inspire your goals and future dance aspirations.  Write down your reasons for dancing and tuck them away.  Pull them out when you need a friendly reminder.

Once you have your goals, write them down and refer to them often.  Put them somewhere you can see them and consider sharing your quest with a friend.  Good luck ladies, and happy goal conquering!  

Ziva Emtiyaz

Hipline Arabic Dance Program Director

ziva@myhipline.com

Ziva is a goal driven, die-hard dance advocate.  She loves teaching Shimmy Pop, Shimmy Pop Toning, and Arabic Dance weekly at Hipline.  To learn more about Ziva visit www.zivadancer.com .

 

SMART goals:

ACSM'S Resources for the Personal Trainer (3rd ed.). (2010). Baltimore, MD: 
     Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 

Konichiwa!  I’m writing from the depths of Japan as I tour with Lebanese Master Percussionist Souhail Kaspar.  We are currently halfway though a full itinerary of teaching and performing in 5 Japanese cities.  While I know that the remaining 12 days of our tour will bring plenty of experiences and adventure, I’d like to share what I’ve learned so far as a traveling dance artist.

1.  Nice Luggage is Worth the Investment!

I’m only halfway through our trip and I’ve taken six planes, four trains, and plenty of taxis.  Durable, lightweight, east-to-transport, luggage is a must have!  Don’t over pack your suitcase as you’ll want to be able to transfer it easily and may want to bring home a few souvenirs.

2.  The Language of Human Movement.

When you travel to countries with a language barrier, knowing native words like “hello”, “thank you” and, in my case, “vegetarian” are vital.  Beyond words, facial expressions and hand gestures will communicate a lot.

I realize that when I teach dance workshops in Japan, my playful words like “juicy” and “big mamma hips” may be lost in translation.  Instead of worrying about students understanding the literal meaning of my diction, I dance out my words and use an expressive tone of voice.

One of my most comforting and magical experiences traveling in Japan has been witnessing the universal language of dance.  The same shimmy that is recognized in Berkeley is recognized in Tokyo and Cairo and possibly worldwide.  The fact that I have the opportunity as an American dancer to share my love for Middle Eastern dance with an Asian country shows the widespread passion and strength lying behind Raqs al Sharqui.  Music and movement can truly unite cultures.

3.  Be Prepared for Anything

The art of improvisation is a must have tool in dance and in life.  Any teacher knows that his or her lesson plan may need to be instantly altered to adapt to the level of the current student.  For this tour, I prepared 5 choreographies and a variety of theory exercises knowing that each city would have it’s own requests and needs.

I believe that a dance artist should consistently work on all elements of her craft.   She should practice and study her art even when there may be no specific upcoming project.  This will only help with easing into an on-the-spot situation and nailing a surprise opportunity.

4.  Rest Up Buttercup!

Sleep when you can! It’s a great idea to rest up even before your trip.   A dancer depends on her physical and mental energy so it’s important that she gets adequate down time.  Often a busy tour schedule will permit limited windows for resting.  Take advantage of them.  You’re email or whatever is keeping you up late at night will be there in the morning.  Get those Zzzz’s when you can!  Also, taking multi-vitamins and eating nutritious meals along the way will keep you healthy and strong.

5. Give it Your All

This may go without saying, but it’s good to remember that one opportunity often leads to another.  You never know who will be watching.

I was invited by Souhail Kaspar to do this tour because 4 years ago I gave it my all as a workshop student in one of his Rhythm and Movement classes.  Since that workshop, I’ve taken every opportunity possible to learn from Souhail’s mastery as a teacher, entertainer, world traveler, and percussionist.  I’m so grateful for each moment that I’ve been presented with to grow.  Treat each opportunity as a gift; you never know when you’ll be presented with another one.