Belly Dance Tips, Tricks and More

This page contains helpful tips, tricks, FAQ's on belly dancing, costuming, styles, glossary of terms and more.  Hopefully you will find this information helpful and informative. If you have any tips you would like to add, please email me. I will continually add new items when I run across them.   

Belly Dance Tips & tricks
Belly Dance FAQ's
Belly Dance Glossary 
Putting it all Together - by Yasmina

Belly Dance Tips

Costuming tips

• Costume Goddess - tips on various costuming topics from adding accessories to wearing eye glasses on stage
• Costume/Makeup Tips - from Zahira's page
• Costume Tips - by Schalia & Saleema
• Tips and tricks for costuming - from Madame X page
• What do you wear with a crocheted beledi dress? - by Hasani
• Your First Belly Dance Costume - by Atea

Dance tips

• Alphabet soup for dancers - by Fayme Harper
• Ask Shamira - Shamira answers various questions on dancing
• Belly Dance on the Edge: dancing to live music - by Denis Kavemeier
• Cardinal Rules of Bellydancing - by Anne Thomas Soffee
• Dance flyers - The flyers are targeted at those with no familiarity with Middle Eastern dance and aim to put people at their ease by explaining a little about what the dance is and the tipping policy
• A Few Tips for Improv Dancing - by Schalia
• Go Belly Dance -  tips on various topics and makeup
• Helena Vlahos - tips on dancing to fast and slow music
• Mozuna - dance tips
• Putting it all Together - by Yasmina
• Saqra - tips on various topics
• Shira - belly dance advise, tips and how to's 
• Training Tips - by Alyne
• Tribal Dancer's Checklist - from Annabella's site

Male belly dance tips 

• Stefan - Information about masculine style Belly Dance
• Zorba - mindsets and perspective that may be unique to, or at least more common to the prospective male Belly Dancer

Prop tips

• Meleea's - fan care tips 
• Sword Tips & Tricks - from Ms. KittieSparkle

Belly Dance FAQ's

• Alyra's Advice - from The Hip Circle
• Ask Aunt Iris - from Belly Dance New York
• Atea's FAQs - from Atea's Magical Motion website
• Aziza Sa'id's - various topics
• Belly Dance Home Page - edited by Stefan
• Bellydancing by Thia - various topics
• Desert Dancers - various topics
• FAQ on Belly Dance Classes - by Sherezzah Bint al-Waha
• FAQs - by Awalim
• FAQs Page - from Near East Dance Page
• Frequently Asked Questions - by Sadiia
• Frequently Asked Questions - by Siovana
• Hints, Tips & Articles - from Australian Bellydance website
• Middle Eastern Dance Resource Guide - various topics
• Zorba -this is written by, and for an American heterosexual male who is interested in, or intrigued by the concept of male Belly Dance
  

Music FAQ's

• Khafif - Middle Eastern dance rhythms FAQ's

Belly Dance Glossary 

• A Glossary of Belly Dance Terms - by Shira
• Glossary of Arabic Terms - by Anne Thomas Soffee
• Glossary of Terms for Middle Eastern Belly Dance Costumes - by Davina
• Middle Eastern Glossary of Terms and Belly Dance Movements - by Khaalida

Putting it all Together: tips and articles - by Yasmina
I teach a lot of workshops in and around the State of Arizona and one thing I see are dancers having a difficult time “putting it all together” in their performance.  I teach a workshop on just this topic and would like to share with you some of my tips and articles I have found on the Internet.  

My workshop is for all dance levels not just the beginners.  I can’t tell you how many times I see professional dancers bend over to pick up their veils when they have finished their show and leave the audience with that last impression of their backside, dare I say butt!   

Intermediate level dancers dancing the same speed, fast, no matter what the tempo of the music is; they are like the Energizer Bunny J  

No matter what level of dancer we are we need to go back to our basics.  Continue to learn and improve in our dance.   

No matter what style of belly dancer you are a cabaret or tribal dancer I hope these articles and tips will help you in your performances.  

Have fun dancing…Yasmina  

Articles:

Packing your Performance Bag – by Michelle  

Performance Break Down – by Michelle  

Surviving Stage Fright – by Jasmin Jahal  

Training your Ears: how to listen to music – by Karol Henderson  

What is Phrasing? – by A’isha Azar  

Your First Performance – by Shira  

Tips:  

1. Relax and have a good time!  Remember this is fun.

2. Be stretched and warmed up before dancing.  This will save you from injury and it’s amazing how much better you dance when your body is prepared.

3. Be mentally ready…no negative thoughts.  Give yourself a pep talk if need be.  Take a minute or two alone before going on stage.

4. We all get nervous so use that energy and put it into your dance.

5. Don’t hurry or speed through your dance…slow down.  Half time the music with your moves this gives your dance more interest.

6. Use your areas of dance: up, down, side, front and back.  Don’t forget your level changes and emotions.  Don’t be a vertical dancer.

7. Look up, look out at your audience, give eye contact once in a while and every once in a while you can look down, just don’t make it a habit ;-)  If you can’t give eye contact, look over the heads of your audience.  This gives the illusion that you are looking at someone but you won’t loose your focus while performing.

8. Posture, posture, posture…need I say more!  Remember to keep your rib cage lifted, shoulders down and relaxed, stay balanced, abs engaged, pelvic tucked and soft knees.

9. Know your music.  Your dance does not have to be choreographed but you should still know your music.  There is nothing worse than not knowing when your music is going to end!

10. If you make a mistake while dancing don’t show it in your face, expression or body, keep going the audience has no idea you made a mistake only you do.

11. Have an entrance and exit planned.  Remember when your dance is finished you are still on.  As long as the audience sees you, you are still performing.

12. What ever you do don’t bend over and show your backside to the audience to pick up your veil, props or whatever may be on the stage from your performance.  The audience will remember the last thing they see!

13. Make sure you bow after your performance and thank the audience, the band if you’re dancing to live music, sound person if they are on stage, etc.  You’ve worked hard on your performance enjoy the benefits of the audiences praise.

14. Be prepared when you go to dance. Why add extra stress to yourself if you don’t need to.  Make sure your costume is mended, clean, ironed if need be, have a veil, your zills, safety pins, music and a backup, etc. 

15. Create a check list so you have everything with you, nothing worse than forgetting part of your costume or music.

16. If you use burned CDs make sure you have the original with some players will not play copies.  Make sure your name is on music to help out the sound person.

17. Challenge yourself to stay out of dancer’s rut.  Try new dance styles & music or even a prop.

18. Take lessons from as many instructors as you can.   This will help you create your own dance style and not be a carbon copy of your instructor. Videos/DVDs are great teaching tools but they can not replace an instructor.

19.  Be professional!  Treat people and fellow dancers as you would like to be treated.  If you come in costume to the event wear a cover-up. 

  20.  I can’t say it enough, Have Fun!!!!!!!!!!  You will enjoy yourself
         and the audience will enjoy your performance and remember 
         you. 

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