- CHAPTER I: HISTORY OF BELLY DANCE
- CHAPTER II: BENEFITS: Know the positive effects you get from practicing this type of dance
- CHAPTER III: A TRIP TO THE CENTER OF YOUR BODY: Discover this wonderful dance
- CHAPTER IV: MOVE WITH THE UNIVERSE: Warming-up Sarabi® style, how to prepare for belly dancing
- CHAPTER V: BELLY DANCE MOVEMENTS AND STEPS
- CHAPTER VI: FOLKLORE STYLES: Through the Sarabi® method
- CHAPTER VII: WARDROBE: Make your own dance wardrobe
- CHAPTER VIII: MUSIC AND MUSIC INSTRUMENTS: Learn to listen
- CHAPTER IX: BELLY DANCE TODAY: Trends
CHAPTER I: HISTORY OF BELLY DANCE
Let´s dance
Well hidden in the archives of the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York lies a short film produced by Thomas Edison at the end of the 19th century (dated around July 1896) called “Fatima's cochee-cochee dance”. The title and the complete film, as well as the existence of a censored version, show the prejudices and the oppressions of the time. In the movie a young Arabic woman dances in a way that is extraordinarily similar to how we dance nowadays. I had the opportunity to see this movie and I was astonished in front of the possibility of naming each movement I was seeing. To me, this means that belly dance, in its present form, exists for more than 110 years. What was going on years before this? Well, perhaps all of us would say that it was more or less the same dance. But how much do we have to go back in time before losing the certainty that we can still talk about the same dance? There are written documents describing dances performed more than 500 years ago that seem to show the same steps we do today, so we can make an effort to put together these clues and try to visualise the way things were done then. And before that? The arches, the infinite-shape movements and the spirals drown with the torso and the extremities – basic moves in belly dancing, are suggested by the human figures found on ceramic remains, temples and statues (some of them being miniatures) that date back more than 6000 years. Most of them were found in the Middle East, the place that is both the cradle of civilization and the homeland of belly dance.
CHAPTER II: BENEFITS OF BELLY DANCE
[...] It is hard to point the exact moment when the physical starts and when the emotional or the mental ends. Many of my students say that belly dance helps them deal with physical discomforts, such as back aches. With other students, the change can be noticed in their eyes, in their attitude, in their emotions or external happenings that take place shortly after starting a new course. Just like in the saying of the occultist Aleister Crowley: “What is up, just like what is down”. The material and the intangible reflect one another.
The rhythmical and waving movements increase the sensuality. The flexibility of the body influences the flexibility of the mind, thus the mind can later deal with problems more effectively. The body awareness brings a higher awareness of the emotions and the state of mind and the very joy of the dance is translated into the every day life, harvesting happiness. Belly dance can not cure everything nor change anyone in a short period of time, but it can be a source of improvement and positive evolution. The best way to reach these goals is by taking them not as an objective but as steps of a long journey: the path that takes you to yourself. [...]
CHAPTER III: A TRIP TO THE CENTER OF YOUR BODY: Discover this wonderful dance
Many people asked me how I created this method. Writing the book helped me find a better answer. My main reason to give a structure to what I was learning from other teachers was my own “necessity” to group isolated steps into related “families”. More than twenty years ago I started to notice that all the pieces were part of something bigger. Sometimes I felt frustrated due to the lack of method when teaching this dance compared to what happens with other types of dances with a more formal structure, such as ballroom dancing.
Quite often, during more than 25 years of experience I have with belly dance, I felt the lack of structure that could be followed with more clarity, a manner of analyzing the moves, the steps, the body isolation in order to remember them later and share everything with more effectiveness. And all this, of course, should be done without losing the creative element of dancing the music which is the essence of dancing. I never thought that it will be me who would try to do this. Almost unintentionally the opportunity appeared in front of my eyes and the Sarabi method is presented in this book in a simplified version. Warning: due to the type of information, this chapter is complex. In order to understand it well it could require a 2nd reading after you practiced several times the exercises presented in it. If you do that, you may notice that your comprehension of the method increases considerably. In the same time try not to think about everything you do when you dance, because if you think about an activity as being unwieldy, soon you will feel bored and you will no longer do it. And if you don’t do it, you will not go forward. For this reason, the most important principle of the Sarabi method is to have fun and enjoy what you do. [...]
CHAPTER IV: MOVE WITH THE UNIVERSE: Warming-up Sarabi ® style, how to prepare for belly dancing
Warming up: Sarabi method
The following pages describe the warming-up part of all the classes done at our school. Think of it as being like a choreography - a movement should naturally flow towards the next one. This warming up routine can be an adequate preparation before doing almost any exercise. Nevertheless it is especially created to learn and to practice belly dance.
How to start belly dancing
Belly dance moves are located mostly in the upper body and basically you do not need a lot of space to practice. This is another advantage of the belly dance. Anyway, it is important to find a room or a place in your house where you feel relaxed and free from interruptions. Some 3 sqm (aprox. 30 sq feet) are enough. Use comfortable feminine clothes, for example a long skirt, baggy fantasy pants, a top that uncovers your belly button… It is much better to practice bare foot, if the temperature of the surrounding environment allows you to. If you feel like it, indulge yourself with an incense stick or light up a candle to create a pleasant atmosphere. Use soft and gently music that help you relax and get in contact with your inner self.
Start by being conscious of your physical status: be aware of it and get to know “how you really feel”. Do you note muscular tension? Try to loosen it by simply focusing your attention on that part of the body. Be aware of how you are breathing; breathe deeply because this is one of the keys for personal growth. Think about your psyche and emotional self, too, and ask: “How do I feel today?” “How do I want to feel?” When you finish the practical session, take a look over everything you have done and notice all the changes. You will find out for yourself what the divine gift of the belly dance is.
CHAPTER V: MOVES AND STEPS IN BELLY DANCE: Across the Sarabi® method
In this chapter you will find typical steps and moves of belly dancing
| Eight-shape movements: horizontal or vertical Eight-shape movements of the hips Eight-shape movements of the head Chest lateral moves Chest Diamond and circular shapes Undulation / Chest camel moves Shoulder twist Shoulder vertical circles Lateral head movements Arm poses Wrist circles Serpent moves Serpent arms Reverse camel moves Body waves Navel waves |
Hips in ¨V¨ |
CHAPTER VI: FOLKLORE STYLES: Oriental treasures
This chapter offers an overview of some of the most well-known folklore styles of dance. Due to their richness and variety it is impossible to tackle all of them (only in Egypt there are many different styles, brought into limelight mostly due to the work of Mahmoud Reda and his company). But I chose some of them to make you taste the different flavours of the Oriental folklore and maybe you will decide to become a dance explorer. It would not be viable to get to know all of them. Each one has a particular flavour, a “spirit”, something intangible that is a reflection of the customs and climate of each country.
From my point of view, one of the best compliments I received was in Egypt (that is where I concentrated my studies; of course), when local people told me that I was dancing without “foreign accent”. But it is impossible to explain what exactly this “accent” is. I was once in Andalucía (Southern Spain) to act during a flamenco contest and a Japanese was selected as the winner. There are many similar examples out there… it seems that the passion, patience, some talent and a good dose of discipline can erase a lot of this “foreign accent”. [...]
CHAPTER VII: WARDROBE: Make your own dancing wardrobe
One thing is for sure: belly dancers like to adorn themselves with all the tinsels and trinkets. a must of the game and of the whole world of dance. Even more, I dare to say that it is the reason for which many women fall in love with this art since it fulfils entirely their desire of going back to being girls who enjoyed playing with their mother’s clothes, high heel shoes, lipstick and make-up or evening gowns…
Luckily, I learnt to sew at an early age; the truth is I liked it a lot and it also brought me a sense of self-affirmation, of being able to do things and it gave me also a feeling of independence. When I discovered belly dancing I was already making clothes with a lot of self confidence, (having made already all the possible mistakes such as cutting the sleeves of a velvet dress in a different direction from the other pieces or sewing the invisible zip on the other side,… and so on!) I admit that for many people making a belly dance costume may look like an impossible challenge. It is not true. With some basic tailoring notions, a few tips and a little bit of patience, it may be quite a pleasant activity, that can enrich your vision and experience when it comes to belly dancing.
CHAPTER VIII: MUSIC AND MUSIC INSTRUMENTS: Learn to listen
In order to dance any kind of dance it is necessary to train your ear in order to recognize its particularities. In belly dancing, this training includes basically the rhythm, the melody and the dynamics of different music pieces. If you get to recognize these elements and feel them as being a part of you, dancing can become a way of expressing your feelings, emotions, your sensuality and personality. Otherwise it would only be a series of poses and mechanical moves.
The following exercise will help you develop your musical sensibility in the same time you assimilate the basic elements of the dance.
1. Play a piece of music you like a lot, because you are going to listen to it many times. As a matter of fact, you should never dance with music you don’t like. If you do it, it will be more difficult to connect with your soul and you may soon stop practicing altogether. Lay yourself on the ground and try to relax your body as much as you can. Listen to that piece of music several times until you feel it “resonate” in your years. Don’t try to analyze the music, but try to feel it with your entire body. Leave your emotions flow, ask yourself if the notes and the compasses make you feel happy, sad or nostalgic… [...]
CHAPTER IX: BELLY DANCE TODAY: Trends
Belly dancing has experienced a huge boom in the Western world starting several years ago. Dance academies and courses multiply in all the cities accross the world; classes are organized in a countless number of places, from gyms to clubs and community centers. Going in the same direction like dancing, Arabic music grows interesting by itself more and more every day and little by little shops specialized in belly dance costumes and accessories appear. At a professional level, this boom consolidated international circuits with performances of dancers that come from all over the world: Egypt, Turkey and Morocco, Brazil, Japan or Australia. Due to the popularity of this dance new “divas” appear regularly and can be found on the cover of the magazines or specialized publications.
For those that have a first encounter with the belly dance, this situation may not be natural. Nevertheless those of us that have been in this trade for many year know it is only a part of the cycle that happened in the past and hopefully it will repeat in the future [...]