Notes for Caravna Workshop

Dear Caravan Dancers,

I look forward to meeting each and everyone of you! I love to answer questions and help dancers in anyway I can. I have included lots of notes here on line. Many more than I could in print form.

Part I of the dance notes contains specific dances and lesson plans.

Part II is more general and may or may not be touched upon in class. As I look at all the different classes I'm teaching in the next 40-50 days I see that there are still basic revue elements that I wish to provide you with that helps make sure everyone has the same understanding of basic alignment. A dancer may have been dancing very naturally for years without a full understanding of why and how. I know all levels will be in my classes. I know some areas may be more advanced than others but I really won't know until I arrive. I hope my description, diagrams and analysis of the rudiments is insightful to all dancers and instructors. So these notes are included as notes to the entire Caravan Alumi just as they are for all my classes in Seattle.

Part I Dance Notes

Some of the Caravan locations have special dances with simple choreographys. Notes are provided on this page to these specific exersises and dances.

Power Belly

Circle Balady

Lotus Pool (will be put up soon)

10/8 veil dance to Lamma Bada

Rhythm Dance

Cheftetelli Scat

"My Hip is a Circle"; Please go to www.learn-to-belly-dance.com (articles section)

Circle Balady: A Birthing and Reclaiming Dance

Begin by holding hands in a circle;

Move to the right with the right hip leading BS LS * 16 counts

Move to the left with the left hip leading BS LS * 16 counts

Move forward starting on right alternate

X2 TENSION STEP 16 counts

Move backward starting on right alternating

X2 TENSION STEP 16 counts

Looking over shoulder

DIP/SIDE SIDE UNDULATION moving to the right 16 counts

DIP/SIDE SIDE UNDULATION moving to the left 16 counts

Stomp foot on 16th count

GRAPE VINE left over right to the right 16 counts

swing right leg over with a FLARE on transition to left

foot comes down on count 1

GRAPE VINE right over left to the left 16 counts

last count left leg lifts and is suspended

Let go of hands and place on hips

Cross left leg over right stepping on count 1

into X2 BIG HIP CIRCLES with a heel bounce 16 counts

Clasp hands again, bend over,

WALK forward with a SHOULDER SHIMMY

gradually straightening up raising arms over head 16 counts

last 8 counts may be done in place

(depends on size of circle)

Bend over with SHOULDER SHIMMY

WALK backward diagonally to the right 16 counts

REPEAT WALK AND SHIMMY IN 16 counts

OUT 16 counts

START OVER with sequence

For large groups arrange the dancers so there is a circle within a circle.

When the dancers move inward with the shoulder shimmy and raise their arms a soloist is deposited in the center of the circle. The soloist dances until the entire sequence is repeated; when the dancers come toward her again with the SHOULDER SHIMMY she is reclaimed back into the group and a new soloist is born in the center.

*BS LS stands for "Big Stroke/Little Stroke" which is the name of the hip movement pattern. It denotes a swiveling pattern of one hip moving parallel to the floor with the accent on the backward motion. These notes are meant to accompany live detailed demonstration.

Power Belly Dance

Note: Chefti Speak" is my nick name for one phrase of cheftitelli = 8 counts.)
Dum ta tec ta, ta tec ta, Dum Dum Tec (teca)

• R Side walking undulation - 16 Counts (2 phrase of chefti speak)
• L Side walking undulation - 8 Counts (1 phrase of chefti speak)

• Turn in, to left
• (on Doom) Walking undulation slowly raising hands center and up (1 phrase of chefti speak)
Turn out, left
(on doom) hands up palms out 4 counts
(0n 2nd doom) hands on belly of the women next to you on both sides (4 counts)

• Hands up palms out, walking forward undulation ending with feet together (1 phrase of chefti speak)

• Body locking undulation; with knees bent and head still; start center, drop down to tail 1, up to center 2, up to sternum 3, down to center 4, down to tail 5, up to center 6, up to sternum 7. Hold

• 4 rib cage rotations (1 phrase of chefti speak)

• Tap hips with both hands, shimmy and slowly raise arms as if there were a weight in your hands (palms toward sky). When hands raise above eye brow level turn palms out toward audience (continue raising arms and hands as well as up on balls of feet, knees together, left foot in front of right) and look up at the sky (maybe zagareet).

• Turn head to the right and grab the little finger of the person to your right. Move to right promptly.

Repeat series

LAMA BADA 10/8 VEIL DANCE

Song: “Lamma Bada” from Eye on the World, by Brothers of the Balady

Two circles: 6 inside dancers face out, 6-8-12 dancers outside face in, with 1 dancer in the center.

Intro 4 bars WALK

Mood line 2 bars WAVE VEIL IN & OUT

Melody 5 bars SIDE SIDE SPIN -RIGHT

Melody 5 bars SIDE SIDE SPIN- LEFT

Mood Line 2 bars WAVE VEIL IN & OUT

Improvisation 2 bars WALK FORWARD
2 bars WALK BACKWARD

Odd Melody line 5 bars ALTERNATING SPIN IN PLACE

Melody 5 bars SIDE SIDE SPIN -RIGHT

Melody 5 bars SIDE SIDE SPIN- LEFT

Mood line 4 bars WAVE VEIL OVER HEAD
FRONT & BACK VEIL

END-turn in and DROP VEIL

• Open arms to Music of next sond track on same album.
ARMS OUT HORIZONTAL
ARM WAVES, as cued by center dancer

• 7 VEIL ORGAMY proceeds over center dancer
She dances to Bouzouki Solo

• Next song: Paint it black: VEIL FRENZY, all dance

A Lesson with Delilah

Music from “Rapture Rumi” by Steven Flynn
cut #4: Rhythm Dance, time 7:20

Listen to a sound clip or purchase Rapture Rumi from our Belly Dance Music page.

This particular piece of music is wonderful for practicing easy rhythm changes. The rhythm progression is:
6/8, 8/8, 10/8 back to 6/8 and then to 10/8

An Exercise in Time and Movement

The goal here is to create a simple repertoire of steps that fits with small increments of time 1,2, 1,2, and 1,2,3, 1,2,3, and 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4, then combine them to fit the rhythm pattern and flush out a dance. It’s fun!

Breaking down the counts allows us to be creative in combining steps and timing. Listen carefully and intuitively to the accents.

Workout

Review your repertoire of steps. See a short list below. Many are found on the programs: Delilah’s Belly Dance Workshops Volumes I, II, & III, Absolute Beginning Belly Dance and A Retro Choreography (on video or DVD).
Listen to the music and identify all the rhythms as they change.
As a coordination exercise, try clapping on each of the beats. Then try clapping on the first beat of each phrase (all 1 counts) as you say the count.
Experiment with the different combinations of moves and timing. The movements can be fast or slow. Play with the dynamics (the force of motion) of how they are delivered. Experiment with the speed of the movement. The object of the exercise is to loosen up the way you are thinking of the moves you know.

Example: Construction of a Simple Combination
Step 1: Hip Circle, done clockwise, parallel to the floor
Step 2: Front Half Circle done counter-clockwise.

We will begin with a 6/8 count
Let’s use a clock face as a map (it’s an easy reference tool).
Begin at left (9:00)
1,2,3,4 = move clockwise, 1 complete hip circle (12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00) then add 1,2 = half front circle right — 1 (3:00), then left in the reverse direction — 2 (to 9:00).
1,2,3,4, 1,2 = 1,2,3,4,5,6

Next, try making the first hip circle fit in to 6 beats and add a 2 half circles, one count each, right then left, and you have an 8 count combination.1,2,3,4,5,6, 1,2 = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Feel the difference in the application of time and the speed of your weight changes from side to side. I think of each one as having a different personality.

It’s not easy to learn belly dance from print, is it? It’s much easier to see the movement than to read about it and relate to it. That’s why video is so much more an effective and immediate educational medium for dance. However, puzzling this out is good for your analytical mind.

The specific movements are not important to this exercise. I am not going to write a bunch of combinations here. That’s the challenge I leave to the student. This is an intermediate/advanced exercise, and by this point in a dancer’s growth she should have many movement patterns, combinations and skills ingrained in her body and available for experimenting. Be creative and combine isolations in different areas of the body, as well as steps and hip patterns. Use undulations, hops, stops, vibrations, rolls, glides . . . you name it!

This can lead to hours of dance experimentation. By combining the smaller increments together, you will broaden your repertoire, as well as your ear for rhythm, and overall understanding of the dance.

6/8 section
Spoken in two parts: 1,2,3 -1,2,3 or 1,2,3,4 - 1,2 or 1,2, - 1,2,3,4
Spoken in three parts: 1,2 - 1,2 - 1,2
or 1,2,3,4,5,6

8/8 section
Spoken in two parts: 1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4 or 1,2,3,4,5,6 - 1,2
Spoken in three parts: 1,2,3 - 1,2,3 - 1,2
Spoken in four parts: 1,2 - 1,2 - 1,2 - 1,2
or 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

10/8 section
Spoken in two parts: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 - 1,2
Spoken in three parts: 1,2,3 - 1,2,3 - 1,2,3,4
Spoken in four parts: 1,2,3 - 1,2,3 - 1,2 - 1,2

Building a repertoire of steps

• Figure Eights
• Circles
• Pyramid Steps
• Persian Shuffle or Butterfly Step
•Tension Steps
• Hip Slides
• Hip Shifts, Lifts, Drops
• Rib Cage Isolations
• Shoulder Isolations
• Undulations and Body Locks
• Sustained Shimmies and Vibrations
• Sways and Swivels
• M, N, O
• U or Horse Shoe Step
• Open - Close Shimmy

and many, many more. . . .

Order of the song, Rhythm Dance

6/8 . . . 12 bars
8/8 . . . 40 bars
10/8 . . . 56 bars
6/8 . . . 64 bars
10/8 . . . 16 bars

Hathors Dancing Movement Meditation

I'ts hard to make notes very far in advance because you never know when you will find relief

PART II

MAPPING THE INTERNAL REALMS
Part II

As a lesson, take a pencil and paper and draw these drawings for yourself to help obtain a thorough understanding.

drawing A A. Mapping the Internal Realms of the Body

This is the basic map we use in the exercise workout. Visualize this pattern as an overhead view. The curvy shape represents your hips, buttocks and belly facing forward. The numbers of a clock face are included so you can orient and focus. The red inner circle represents a cross section of the core/pole that runs up and down your body. At the point where the lines intersect is your absolute center. Imagine it coming up from the core of the earth into your body and extending out of the top of your head. Imagine it is a magnetic core that your center of balance is continually drawn back to. When you purposely move your hips away to create an isolation pattern, they will return to that basic alignment eventually.

B. Figure Eight Forward and Backward
drawing B
This is a figure eight pattern drawn with the hips parallel to the floor (PTF). You will find all sorts of patterns like these taught and demonstrated on on Delilah’s Belly Dance Workshop Volume I.

Orient yourself so you know where front and back are. Then note the arrows to the side. They indicate the directional thrust of the drawing for two different exercises.

Exercise 1. The blue line is the forward figure eight. The four tick marks inside the circle represent the diagonal alignment of your hips at the junctions of the farthest twisting position. The torso shape is where you will end up after completing the right side of a forward figure eight. The left side is not colored, however, you are to proceed with your drawing slowly shifting your weight through the center. Imagine you have a pencil in each hip. You are going to draw each loop of the eight with each hip. First work with one hip, then transfer the energy through the inside of your body crossing through the center core into the other hip and draw the other side. Repeat continuously.

Start slow to a cheftitelli rhythm (see music recommendations). Bend your knees and keep your nose, chin and sternum facing center front. Your weight will be on the balls of your feet for a forward eight. You will feel lots of twisting going on in the torso when you articulate this pattern. Note how good it feels and focus on your potential for growing stronger!

Exercise 2. Reverse the direction with your weight more on the heels for a backward eight. Strive to keep your hip down and the drawing parallel to the floor in both these movements.

Note the emotional difference between the forward figure eight and the backward figure eight.

drawing C C. Hip Slide to the Side

In the Absolute Beginning program I give you an exercise of a straight across hip slide to the side. Bend your knees and sit on an imaginary trapeze bar. Slide your buttocks over the bar without lifting at the side. Keep your cheeks on the bar. I use the image of a child's Etch-A-Sketch in that you have two controls you are operating at once. Your hip is going to the side, but you are pushing or drawing it down at the same time to keep it PTF.

Note the core pole line in the drawing. The hips have left that alignment but the sternum, clavicle, chin, feet and knees have not. The only way this can be accomplished is if there is plenty of slack built into the body with the bent knees, the use of the ankles and balls of the feet, and the tuck of the pelvis in basic alignment.

D. The Wedge Exercise

drawing D In this drawing I’ve included a hip belt to signify the hips.
This exercise is meant to teach dancers the difference between a hip slide and a hip rotation.

Bend your knees and keep your core alignment intact.

Begin by rotating your hips up and out toward the rib cage.
Drop the hip down and out.
Slide it back in then do the same on the other side.

Repeat slowly and for additional exercises you can add speed and reverse the direction. All are very important.

The benefit to the dancer is an expanding awareness about the intricate mechanisms of her movements’ range and possibilities and the ability to distinguish between the moves.

E. The Hour Glass Shape

Practice drawing an hour glass shape until you have a good grasp in your mind what it is.

F. Simple Hip Patterns
drawing F

G. Exercise Grid

“ Drawing from the Right Side of Your Navel” exercise series.

Practice drawing these shapes and any other shapes that come to you on a piece of paper.
Then draw a circle with a cross through it with a pen. Use this as a grid. Then with a pencil draw the shapes over your grid and study where the balance point would be in relationship to the figure and your body.
Experiment with the size of the shapes.
Think of the big loop little loop or Paisley drawn with one hip only. See what you come up with.

DELSARTE

DELSARTE WARM-UP

This exercise is to be done in the spirit of Delilah's traditional Ritual Warm up exercise but with the added awareness of Delsarte theory.

· Observe your breath as it passes in and out. Notice how it feels, and how the irresistible urge to draw in and release each new breath builds in your body.

· Squat down and touch the earth with the palms of your hands; breathe into the earth; feel the weight of your body.

· Imagine a cord extending from the base of your spine down into the earth, toward the earth's core.

· Imagine that the earth's fiery energy ignites your cord. This energy now travels up through the earth, up to meet and move into your feet .

· Allow it to move up into ankles calves knees, thighs and buttocks. Use your hands to coax it up. Hold the energy in the physical realm.* Experience it, meditate, visualize, move step and stretch into it.

· Let the energy move up to the middle of your back and fill your hips and pelvis, womb, belly, then up into the solar plexus, spleen, ribs, lungs, heart, breasts, shoulder blades and collar bones. Hold the energy in the emotional realm.* Experience, meditate, visualize, move in it and feel the fluidity of emotions.

· Then let the energy move up through the neck, and extend the arms and branch that energy out the arms, hands and finger tips. Feel the energy move up into the center of your mind, them the right brain, the left brain, the forehead and the third eye, the face, scalp, jaw, palate sinuses, eyes and ears. Hold the energy in the mystic mental realm.* Experience, meditate, visualize, move, express, surrender to a higher power.

· Now let the energy continually pass out of your fingertips, out your eyes, mouth, nose and ears, up and through the ceiling, over the rooftops, over the land, up into the stratosphere. See yourself as a living, breathing interface between the deep earth energy and the sky energy. Open you mouth wide, feel your rib cage lift. Extend. Reach for the moon!

VEIL WORK

Teardrop, right and left: Hold the veil behind you with both hands, left hand behind, but not resting on, the head. Right hand draws the veil through an extended teardrop-shaped motion in front of the body. The point of the teardrop is near the edge of your peripheral vision. Immediately bring the right hand to the back of the head, while the left hand moves left to draw another teardrop shape in front of the body. Motion should be dynamic in character.

Matador: Same as Teardrop, except that veil is held by the tips of the fingers, and the hands stay low; the hands never rise above elbow level. The elbows are kept in, close to the body. Think of the teardrop shape down around the knees. Move fast to avoid stepping on the veil. Combine with a spin. A favorite combination pattern: R L R, spin right L R L, spin left

Front Crossover: Right hand leads, left hand follows. Trace this pattern in the air. The big loop goes all the way around the body, while the small loop is in front of the chest.

Windmill: Begin a spin with the body straight. Arms extend out to the sides and move up and down in opposition. Feet do a paddle turn. Synchronize arms with feet. Listen to the rhythm of your body as you move dynamically up and down with your arms.

Pinwheel or Airplane Spin: Both arms are held out to the side. Think of your arms as a propeller on a prop plane. Incline your body and spot forward. As your arms turn like a propeller, the momentum will be set by the arm that turns in the downward motion first. The momentum is what carries you through the arched-back position effortlessly. This is definitely an advanced movement, and you should be in good physical shape before attempting it. When observing the movement, one notes that the head seems to pivot in place amongst the swirl of fabric, like the center of a pinwheel. Be sure to observe the movement carefully before attempting it.

Side Veil; Crossover: Veil is extended to the left side. Right arm is in front of chest; the right hand is holding the veil over the back of the left shoulder. To cross over to the other side, the left hand begins by drawing a small circle in front of the chest, and then taking its place atop the right shoulder, draping the fabric over the back once again. Simultaneously, the right hand follows this motion drawn by the left until it is all the way to the right, with the veil extended to the right.

Side Veil; Alternating Turn, Front: Hold the veil in front. Begin to turn to the left, and let your arms flow to the right. Reverse direction, starting with your face and torso. Allow your arms to pass in front of your body to the other side in a natural motion. Continue reversing back and forth at will.

Side Veil; Alternating Turn, Back: Same as above, except veil is in back of the body and one hand is held behind the head or the middle of the back.

Inside-Out: Establish a windmill spin in a clockwise direction, using a paddle step. When you're ready to begin your Inside-Out, change your footing to turn your body in a series of counter-clockwise rotations, following a clockwise circular floor pattern. The key is to maintain the steady pace with your arms during the transitions.

Framed Turn: To be done with the teardrop pattern. Combination: teardrop to the right, teardrop to the left, teardrop to the right; then alter the teardrop to the left by exaggerating its shape. Lunging to the right and reaching to the right with the left arm, the right wrist will connect with the left wrist. You should see a window of space created by the veil and your left arm. Thread your right elbow through that space, poke your body through, and turn to the left. To unfurl, spin while slowly unwinding your veil, your hands moving overhead.

One Handed Veil Spin: Turn left; bring your right arm forward, and draw an undulation pattern in the air with your hand. Use your wrist to better articulate the curves of the undulation. The weight of the fabric will define the speed of the spin; not all veils are suitable for this movement.

Suspension, with a Three Step Turn: Arms extend to the left, with the veil wrapping around your body, open side to the left. Lean to the left, lifting your right foot off the ground. Suspend briefly, then change and slowly lean to the right. Beginning on your right foot, do a three step turn to the right while opening the veil. Extend the arms to the right, and lean to the right with the left foot in the air. Suspend briefly; the veil will cling to the left side of the body. To repeat, begin to lean to the left, reversing the above movements. One, two, three, suspend left, right, left, suspend right, left, right, suspend

Veil Runs: With the veil wrapped around your body, reach your arms to the left. With the knees bent, run in a circular floor pattern to the right. You're going to lean into the curve of the circle with your body. The floor pattern will begin to turn into a spiral, and at its center it will transform into a spin.

Veil Turnover: Veil is held behind. Turning to the left, let go of the left side. Bring the right hand across the chest to the left. The left hand will grasp the edge of the veil nearest the right wrist; immediately change your turn to the right. The right hand will go back over to the right side. The left hand will allow the fabric to feed through the hand, between the thumb and index finger. Voila, the veil is in front!

The Comet: Start with the veil outstretched to the right side of your body. Left arm crosses in front of body and left hand rests on top of shoulder; veil falls behind shoulder. Draw right hand forward, down, then back and up, describing a large circle to your right side. Continue forward and draw a smaller, transitional teardrop shape in front of body (this prepares you to reverse the circular motion). After reversing the circle, follow with another transitional teardrop shape in back of body to begin movement all over again. For added drama, bend the torso forward with the forward motion, and bend backward with the backward motion.

Masmoudi steps 1 & 2
Turkish Shuffle
M & N	M N O	M N Tuck
Wagon Wheel
Skootch
Persian Shuffle
Carousel
Pyramid steps 1 & 2
Typewriter
Tunisian Shuffle
Hip Snaps
Safety Pin Snap
Hotcha
Shimmies: Ethnic Shimmy Twisting Shimmy Cabaret Shimmy Vibratory Shimmy Shimmies in a pattern Power Shimmy Rocking Shimmy

Return to thank yous

Delilah's Workshop Notes

for

The Visionary East Coast Caravan Tour

October -November 2003

40 Days and 40 Night

,

Circle Balady: A Birthing and Reclaiming Dance

Power Belly Dance

A Lesson with Delilah