We have come to be danced
not the pretty dance
not the pretty pretty, pick me, pick me dance
but the claw our way back into the belly
of the sacred, sensual animal dance
the unhinged, unplugged, cat is out of its box dance
the holding the precious moment in the palms
of our hands and feet dance

We have come to be danced
not the jiffy booby, shake your booty for him dance
but the wring the sadness from our skin dance
the blow the chip off our shoulder dance
the slap the apology from our posture dance

We have come to be danced
not the monkey see, monkey do dance
one, two dance like you
one two three, dance like me dance
but the grave robber, tomb stalker
tearing stabs and scars open dance
the rub the rhythm raw against our souls dance

We have come to be danced
not the nice invisible, self conscious shuffle
but the matted hair flying, voodoo mama
shaman shakin’ ancient bones dance
the strip us from our casings, return our wings
sharpen our claws and tongues dance
the shed dead cells and slip into
the luminous skin of love dance

We have come to be danced
not the hold our breath and wallow in the shallow end of the floor dance
but the meeting of the trinity: the body, breath & beat dance
the shout hallelujah from the top of our thighs dance
the mother may I?
yes you may take 10 giant leaps dance
the Olly Olly Oxen Free Free Free dance
the everyone can come to our heaven dance

We have come to be danced
where the kingdom’s collide
in the cathedral of flesh
to burn back into the light
to unravel, to play, to fly, to pray
to root in skin sanctuary
we have come to be danced
WE HAVE COME

~Jewel Mhathieson, poet

Trance dance, Aywah Dance Co
www.youtube.com/watch

No other video tutorial will give you as much as these pearls of wisdom by Nadira Jamal. Her free insights are priceless.

Selective Listening, 5 minutes:
www.youtube.com/watch

Repetition, 20 minutes:
ia700200.us.archive.org/7/item...de1.m4v

Long Term Repetition, 20 minutes:
ia600408.us.archive.org/9/item...de2.m4v

Timing Patterns, 20 minutes:
ia600408.us.archive.org/13/ite...de3.m4v

Traveling Patterns Quickie, 7 1/2 minutes:
www.youtube.com/watch

~Nadira Jamal Blogspot: taktaba.blogspot.com/

I HIGHLY RECOMEND BUYING HER 2 VIDEOS:
www.nadirajamal.com/improvtoolkit.html

Some dancers are just very strong in their art, grounded in self awareness & passionate about learning. I recommend these videos & dancers, varying in style. Until Ms. Betz makes a video, these are my faves.

From A to Zoe: Great breakdown of moves and intention. 4 DVD set from a wonderful dancer.
Style: fusion
www.youtube.com/watch
Get from www.cheekygirlsproductions.com/st...php

Turkish Rom Dance with Elizabeth Strong: A very playful style of dance, infused with humor and earthy joy. Strong is a fabulous dancer. She went to the source for the dances.
Style: Turkish Rom
www.youtube.com/watch
Buy direct from her at www.strongdancer.com/home.html

MAY

TRIBALFEST! (((Best fest ever!!!))) *Yearly-ongoing
www.blacksheepbellydance.com/tf1...html

JUNE
Cultural Nights series
Hopefully this is a yearly event!
Join Helene and Anar Dana for a potluck and look at films, photos, costumes, listen to music, discuss history, ethnography and politics of one of the regions from the Project. If you can, bring something for the potluck that fits the evening's theme. $10 for Project Members, $15 for General Public
For more information about the Cultural Nights ymlp.com/zWekeh


JULY
2nd weekend every year
Oregon Country Fair! Venita OR
Gypsy Caravan tent all day. Or the other wonderful things that go on at this incredible event.
www.oregoncountryfair.org/

Middle East Music and Dance Camp -Mendocino Woodlands
July, yearly
www.middleeastcamp.com/Middle...no.html

In the early days of Bay area Bellydance, vintage silk, silver, cool ethnic coins & mirrored ornaments were cheap and easy to come by. Dancers would creatively & lovingly combine these beautiful things into wearable works of art. These costumes were not only an expression of the dancers taste, but gave a completely sensual experience to her and her audience as she danced. Sound, texture, weight, and movement were the embodiment of sensuality, every step revealing the dancers ability to weave gravity's call into a tapestry of delight.

It is a dance in which earth and gravity are resisted then embraced in intricate patterns. The dancer makes it artful and personal. She is the trickster conduit between earth and sky. Tassels, fringe, coin, and fabric cleverly tease the ground as the dancer moves through her shimmies and undulations. These embellishments should be chosen with pleasure in mind.

Creating a costume that is as sensual to wear as it is to look at is an expression of your pleasure. When finding ornaments it is important to remember that natural materials are better. They look, wear and sound much nicer then synthetic, tin and plastic dance clothes. These things are cheap and sparkly but do not give a pleasurable experience to the wearer. If you are not ready to take the plunge of creating an original, then combining authentic 'pieces' is a way to get your feet wet.

The beginning place:
Start with a good heavy hip belt. Your hips are your center of gravity and it feels indescribably good to have the weight of heavy coin here. Tassels are beautiful and swishy but do not give the same sensory feedback as gravity.

Here are some things to know:
Fake shiny foil coins should be avoided.
Real Egyptian coin is easy to come by and makes a pretty sound.
Some metal buttons (and even washers) are quite authentic/ethnic looking and have a great sound too.
You can make your own belt for less then buying one. Good metal coin belts are hard to find.

I have combed the web for years trying to find a real coin belt and found these amazing inexpensive treasures
www.missbellydance.com/Bellyd...136.htm
you might need 2, it seems they only go so far wth the coinage...

For more inspiration on making your own pinterest.com/nouveauchim...e-costuming/

Moondance offers fringe style hip wraps. Please choose a triangle, with good fringe NO coins:
www.moondancebellydance.com/cata....aspx

Class Rags:
No special gear, just a snug stretch top, & stretch pants. Bring your hip wrap.
OR:
You can get fancy & customize your dance wear here:
L Rose Designs, Dance tops, skirts & pants
I recommend the long line choli, the stretch choli, or the L Rose top (most cover) with a no sleeve, T sleeve, or half sleeve. Cotton Lycra is best (it breathes).
Tops: www.lrosedesigns.com/product...ops.html
Sleeves: www.lrosedesigns.com/product...ons.html
Fabrics: www.lrosedesigns.com/fabric.html

More fun dance wear:
www.scarletslounge.com/
www.bellydancedigs.com/pants--sets.html

ZILLS
If you want to play well you must love your instrument. I recommend Saroyan zills. They are the best out there, and have a wide range of tones that ring true, clear and lovely. These are sound files for each zill. It is best if you go to a festival that Saroyan venders at and play each one.
desertveils.com.au/Zills.htm

The Dums & Teks of Belly Dance
All finger cymbal rhythms for belly dance can be broken-down into combinations of doubles or triplets. The easiest to begin with are beats that you can clap sequences of 4 twice to. That is called a 4/4 rhythm. You can practice zills to any music with this rhythm. The main down beat in these rhythms is called a ‘Dum‘, and high beats a ‘Tek’ Always listen for the down beat ‘Dum’ and start with your dominant hand, (right?):

One.......Two......Three.......Four.......
One and two and three and four and (or pause)
Dum Tek Dum Tek Dum Tek Dum (tek or pause)

One and Two and Three and Four and
1.....2.....1......2.....1......2.....1......2
R.....L.....R.....L.....R......L.....R.....L

Doubles
1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2
R-L R-L R-L R-L
Try (((1-2 1-2 1-2 1- pause)))

Triplets
1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3
R-L-R R-L-R R-L-R R-L-R

Quads
1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4
R-L-R-L R-L-R-L R-L-R-L R-L-R-L

*There are also runs to practice for good muscle memory That work themselves into rhythms. 5’s, 6’s & 7’s. Advanced: fast 4‘s (quads)! All these can be incorporated into basic rhythms at anytime the music calls for it and the dancer wishes.

BALADI, is a very common 4/4 rhythm for belly dance. It is the easiest to recognize, learn and practice to. Here are some variations to play with. Very soon you will be mixing and improvising.

BALADI 3-1-3-1-3
1-2-3 1 1-2-3 1 1-2-3
R-L-R R R-L-R R R-L-R

3-5-5
1-2-3 1-2-3-4-5 1-2-3-4-5
R-L-R R-L-R-L-R R-L-R-L-R

3-5-1-3
1-2-3 1-2-3-4-5 1 1-2-3
R-L-R R-L-R-L-R R R-L-R

3-3-7
1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3-4-5-6-7
R-L-R R-L-R R-L-R-L-R-L-R

3-7-3
1-2-3 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 1-2-3
R-L-R R-L-R-L-R-L-R R-L-R

With Quads (harder)
4-4-7
1234 1234 1-2-3-4-5-6-7
RLRL RLRL R-L-R-L-R-L-R

4-7-4
1234 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 1234
RLRL R-L-R-L-R-L-R RLRL

4-5-1-4
1234 1-2-3-4-5 1 1234
RLRL R-L-R-L-R R RLRL

Ouch!
Next…
More Rhythms
Here are some other very common rhythms for belly dance. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but a good starting point. It is good form to play the right rhythm to your song. Playing triplets is easiest, but won’t work for everything. Knowing your ’Dums & Teks’ is essential for good dancing and good zilling (especially at the same time). If you get lost, stop and find the ‘Dum’. Or drop the zills and just dance!

CHIFTITELLI 1-3-1-3-1-3-3-3
1 1-2-3 1 1-2-3 1 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3
R R-L-R R R-L-R R R-L-R R-L-R R-L-R

MAULFOUF 1-2-2
1 1-2 1-2
(Variations in tone/zill position make this more interesting)

KARSHILIMA 1-3-3-2-1-1-1
1 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2 1 1 1 (1 1 1 can be tap, tap R)
R R-L-R R-L-R R-L R R R

Beyond Dum & Tek, Variations in ring tone

Bell ~A normal strike. It sounds like the ting of a bell
Clap ~Fingers against zills for a flat sound
Tick ~Hands curled. Thumb zill striking the edge of the finger cymbal
Ring ~Strike & shake 1 hand
Double Ring ~Strike & shake 1 hand within the other.

All that said; I am not a musician, do not know how to read music and am totally bilaterally challenged. If you want to be truly awesome at this I recommend you do learn more about middle eastern music and rhythm. It will help your dancing. Below are some great resources for becoming astounding.

There is nothing more hypnotic then seeing a good dancer who can really play!

ZILL STUDY
Mary Ellen Donald
Mary Ellen is an astonishing middle eastern percussionist. She is blind and has been teaching drum & zills in the East Bay for over 40 years. Her series of four CD‘s are a huge asset to both dance and zill. The two beginner-level ones are played slowly and simply, so beginners can hear and play along..
Her 'Middle Eastern Rhythms' is a Series Of CD‘s for practice
(510) 654-DRUM
www.maryellendonald.com

Uncle Mafufo ~ Zills and Drums: Thrilling, Chilling Zilling CD
He provides clear information about how the rhythms relate to Middle Eastern music as well as the beauty of the rhythms themselves. He put some of his knowledge about playing Doumbek, Frame Drums and Finger Cymbals (Zills) on DVDs and CDs.
www.awmiv.com/WebStore/Un...-Zilling.htm

Brothers Of The Baladi
Basic Middle Eastern Rhythms
Volume 1. Featuring Michael Beach, the percussionist for Brothers Of The Baladi. Rhythms included are maqsoum, chiftetelli, masmoudi kabir, karsilama, and more.
www.baladi.com


DVD’s on Amazon
Killer Ziller: Belly Dance Finger Cymbals Starring Michelle Joyce (2008)

Finger Cymbals for Belly Dance - Tobias Roberson with Rachel Brice & Mardi Love (2006)

Zill Drills, Susu Pampanin -For advanced level skill building