I know, I know… you felt like you were just hitting stride and now session is done. There’s now a big, long, lonely break from classes and September seems so very, very far away. The weather is gorgeous– I know you’ll soon be sipping a cold drink or digging in your garden (like me) and…
I don’t know what level I am and don’t want to start over. / I feel like I’m not making progress.
These 2 concerns are very intertwined. Those of you who may have taken classes with me as recently as 2011 need to know that there’s been a big change in the way my classes are structured, as well as how I teach them. I used to offer a typical, Western-style, levelled class schedule — e.g….
Styles & stars of “bellydance” video clips
You can find a one-stop video clip library of the best of Egyptian dance at Sahra Saeeda Kent’s YouTube channel. A one-stop guide to get a clear and accurate picture of what this dance form should look like. Get a very clear idea of what Nicola does and doesn’t teach or perform. Understand Egyptian dance,…
About Restaurant Dancing
Ah, the restaurant gig. Fun, unpredictable, often ill-paying, it’s regular, bread-and-butter work, yet is often also tiring and tedious. It tends to be the last bastion of bad dancing. On occasion, it is the secret stomping (shimmying?) grounds of diamonds-in-the-rough. I know I cut my performance teeth and learned the hardest way possible the year…
About Formal Stage Shows
In no particular order… These types of shows often: feature local and visiting dancers and a headliner or star, who closes the show; or, feature a variety of dancing amongst which is bellydancing place the better dancers later in each half of the show, and latest in the second half, with some exceptions; or, may…
About Saiidi Dance & Music
This is intended as a supplement to Intermediate classes and Saidi workshops held between 2005 and the present. The Said (also spelled Saiid ) is a region of Egypt, located along the Nile banks from Cairo south to about Aswan. (South of the Said is a region known as Nubia.) The people of the Said…
Q ~ Why do I need to learn finger cymbals right away?
Not every teacher chooses to teach zills in beginner levels, but I recently became convinced by this approach by Cassandra. The zills are a beautiful, underrated instrument, and being able to accompany yourself or other dancers is really wonderful. They don’t have to be onerous–after all, they are members of the bell family. …
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