You Are Not Nostradamus
If you are dancing to an unfamiliar song, or to a live drum solo improvisation, don’t try to predict what’s coming up. Just stay tuned to hear it and process through your body as fast as possible. 💁♀️In fact, it’s even ok to be a tiny “delayed” after the music. 👉I remember when I was participating in one of Arabesque Company’s production in Canada, director Yasmina Ramzy gave me feedback that I was too much “perfect” with my timing of movements. She mentioned that even though all pieces were choreographed, the idea is to create an illusion of improvisation, so how could a dancer move her body before the music queues her to do so? And if this applies to choreography, what to tell about an actual improvisation?! 🙈Hear it first, then reflect.
Also, save this note for your future toolkit. 🔥There are two moves that miraculously work with almost any music: turns and shimmy. 😁If at any moment of your improvisation you feel completely lost, or panicking, use either of these moves, whichever feel more right to a particular moment in the music, as your emergency tool in order to refocus, get back in a moment, and keep going with your improvisation once you are ready. In 90% of cases it will work. 💃💃💃
Do you have your own special tricks on how to make improvisation run nice and smooth? Share! 🔥
____________
Song: Bam Bam
Location: Yasmina’s B&B for belly dancers in Cairo/Egypt
LEARN BELLY DANCE ONLINE WITH IANA
The Iana Dance Club was created to help you navigate your dance life. Whether you are a dance enthusiast or dream about a professional career, you will find a training program to help you achieve your goals and nurture your dance soul.
LISTEN TO THE BELLY DANCE LIFE PODCAST:
About Iana
Iana Komarnytska is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, and passionate content creator helping dancers navigate their dance lives.
She is a graduate from the professional dance program at York University (Canada), host of the Belly Dance Life podcast, creator of the Iana Dance Club, author of numerous articles, and winner of Star Bellydancer Canada 2014 among other international competitions.
Along with belly dance, Iana performs and teaches Persian Classical and Turkish Romani dancing. She is the first choreographer to start using Triple Isis wings, and since 2012 this is one of her style signatures.
I see it over and over again that dancers who barely had any experience want to crowd their improvisation with hundreds of movements that at the end of the day, don’t even fit the music.