Las Vegas Renaissance Faire 2014!!

We're seriously excited about Ren Faire next week, in part because we're looking forward to sharing some exciting new music and choreography with our audiences! Here's our schedule on the Shifting Sands Belly Dance stage:

Friday, October 9th, 3 PM -- "Mediterranean Delights"
Friday, October 9th, 5:30 PM -- dancing with Tribe Al-Wadi
Friday, October 9th, 8 PM -- "Spanish Nights"
Saturday, October 10th, 4 PM -- "Arabic Dreams"
Saturday, October 10th, 5:30 PM -- dancing with Tribe Al-Wadi
Sunday, October 11th, 3 PM -- "Mediterranean Delights"

We look forward to seeing you at Ren!! :)

Opa! Greek Week at Atria Seville!

We had the opportunity to celebrate the dance and music of Greece this past Sunday with our dear friends at Atria Seville. As always, we had a stellar evening! We <3 you, Atria Seville!! :)

 

 

PirateFest Performance Update!!

Yes, our performance schedule has changed again, but it's good news...PirateFest invades Lorenzi Park tomorrow! -- and Desert Gypsies is ready to take the Main Stage at 4:45 PM. If you can't make it that early, we'll be performing again on the Second Stage at 6 PM. Assuming the wind isn't too fierce, the second show will be entirely different, so if you catch our first show, we hope you'll stop by to rak with us again. See you then!

PirateFest 2013

Veil It Up for Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is just a week away! Would you like to dazzle your sultan with a few sultry veil moves? Here's a brief primer on veil basics, and a few easy-but-effective veil moves. Even if you've never danced with a veil before, you can pick up these moves in just a week!

First, you'll need a veil. Veils can range in size, shape, and material. The moves we'll be discussing are best with either a chiffon or silk veil that's roughly 36" wide x 48" long. (The exact size that's right for you will depend on your height, but to get started, these measurements work for most women. If you have any questions about what's right for you, leave me a message.)

Once you've got your veil at hand, here's how to do the Basic Hold: Pinch the top edge (the long edge) with your first finger and thumb, with the veil in front of your body. Leave about as much space on each side past your hands. For most veil movements, the veil should be draped a little between your hands, as though your veil is giving you a little smile.

Got it? Great! You're ready to start dancing with your veil! Let's take a look at three basic movements, and some ways to vary each one:

Poses: This is the easiest of veil movements, but it packs a powerful visual punch. All you do is bring your hands together over your head! With the veil behind you, it creates a sensual background for any movement. If you drape the veil in front (as in the picture above), it creates a mysterious curtain. To vary this movement, make a V-shape with your arms, instead of bringing your hands together. This variation is particularly effective with moving or traveling steps, as the veil will float up and out as you move or travel.

Turban Veil: I've heard this movement referred to by many names, but I call it this because essentially, you're wrapping your hands around your head, as if you were putting on a turban. To do the Turban Veil, begin with the Basic Hold. Bring your right hand around in front, then up and over your left ear. As your right hand passes behind your head, follow your right hand with your left hand, passing your left hand behind your head and over your right ear. Once you've got the hang of it going from right-to-left, be sure to experiment with reversing direction (bringing your veil from your left hand over your head, past your right ear, then bringing your right hand behind your head and past your left ear).

Here's a picture of me bringing my left hand behind my head, to my right ear:

The Turban Veil incredibly simple, but effective, and you can vary it up in a number of ways. Try alternating directions; experiment with hesitating just a moment before switching directions (this creates a little whirlpool shape in the veil); or add in a level change by going up on tiptoe, then bending your knees. Try experimenting with a Turban Veil in each direction, then pausing in a Pose.

Turban Arm Veil: Once you've got the Turban Veil down, you're ready for the Turban Arm Veil. Begin with the Basic Hold, then bring your right hand and arm over your left hand (it helps to bring your left hand and arm forward a little), then place your right hand on the back of your left shoulder. When you're comfortable with doing the Turban Arm Veil to the left, experiment with going to the right (bringing your left hand and arm over your right hand, bringing your right hand and arm forward, and placing your left hand on the back of your right shoulder).

Obviously, you can do the Turban Arm Veil from right-to-left and repeat this movement, creating a sense of a bullfighter's cape. Or, you can intersperse Poses, Turban Veils, and Turban Arm Veils.

My favorite thing to do with Turban Arm Veil, though, is to work the extended arm. If your right hand is on your shoulder, your left arm will be extended...and you can use that left hand to create figure 8s, swooshes, or simply turn in place with your arm extended. (If you turn in the direction of your extended arm, the veil floats in front of your body. If you turn in the opposite direction, the veil floats behind you. Experiment with both directions!) Here's a picture of me turning in the direction of my extended arm, using the Turban Arm Veil:

Now that you have these three basics in your veil dance vocabulary, it's time to have some fun dancing! Put on your favorite Valentine's Day music and get to dancing! :) If you have any questions or concerns, post below and let me know. Happy dancing!

Let's Make Some Noise!

Did you know that Middle Eastern dancers love it when their audience makes noise? Of course, we appreciate a little applause at the end of the show. But we also love it when audiences get clap along, move to the music, or (as we talked about last week) zagharoot during the dancer's performance.

Western audience members can find it challenging to clap along to the music, though, as Arabic rhythms are often entirely unlike typical Western rhythms. Today we'd like to share with you a few tips to help you have fun making some noise, no matter what Arabic rhythm you might hear!

In most Western music, the accent (the time when you'd normally clap your hands along with the music) is on the second note, like this:

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Most Arabic music, though, is accented on the first note, not the second. And, to make things more complicated, many Arabic rhythms, while technically 4/4 rhythms, track across 8 counts, instead of 4. For example, in the baladi, there's an accent on the first 1, the second 1, and the second 2, like this:

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 1 - 2 - 3 - 4  1 - 2 - 3 - 4 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

You may be wondering how in the world you'll follow along and make some noise as you enjoy the show, but not to worry -- you even have options! You can clap along on that first count. It's okay if you miss some of the accents. Or, if it's easier for you, clap on each count, instead of hitting just the accents. (You'll often hear dancers on the sidelines doing this for their fellow dancers.) If you can catch the accents, then feel free to follow along with your clapping. Have fun and enjoy the music and dance!

What's That Noise You're Making...?

In many Middle Eastern songs, and in practically any Middle Eastern dance performance, you'll hear a distinctive "Lilililililiiiiii!" sound, like this:

That sound you hear is called a zagharoot, (in the plural, zaghareet). It's a sound of delight and joy, so it's not uncommon to hear musicians or dancers zaghareeting during or after a performance.

It's not hard to learn how to zagharoot. And, unlike Western dance performances, in which audiences are often expected to sit quietly and observe, Arabic dancers love to hear a little appreciation from their audience as they're performing! Here's how to show your Middle Eastern dancer just how much you're enjoying his or her dancing:

1. Put your hand in front of your mouth, just above your upper lip, with your palm facing up just a bit. (Your hand should be roughly at a 45-degree angle.)
2. Touch your tongue to your upper gum, just above your teeth.
3. Say, "Li-li-li-li-liiiii," as quickly as you can.

That's all there is to it! Don't worry if you can't zagharoot quickly at first. With a little practice, you'll master it. And in fact, the speed of a zagharoot varies from region to region. In some countries (like Egypt), the zagharoot is fast, but in other countries (like Saudi Arabia and Sudan) it's much slower. Your Middle Eastern dancer will appreciate you, no matter how quickly or slowly you zaghareet!