Thread: 20min introduction to bellydance?

Alright, I'm not really an instructor, but I figured I'd post this here anyway since it's about teaching.

I'm two weeks away from finishing school, only graduation exams after that. This means that this week is my last sports class and to make things fun our teacher said that we were going to do dancing - folkloric/ethnic/not-ballroom-or-hip-hop. One classmate will do sirtaki, our teacher (from Poland) will teach us some polka, and I agreed to introduce some bellydance.

Now, how do I go about it to do an introduction in 20min? I've only been dancing for 18 months but I can do moves cleanly enough and explain them well enough to get the basic message, I'm not very worried there. But how do I structure it?

There's some people in the class who dance, two of them do competitions on really high levels (modern and hip hop), plus the hip hop one and her little group of admirers don't like me very much. I'll likely have to give her and the other ones who've done bellydance before something harder to do. I thought maybe undulations, small combinations, some shimmy layering? The latter is for when there's snark like "Oh, I can already do that, it's so easy, can't you do anything harder?" There's also people who have pretty much zero body control and who I know will be struggling with simple hip slides and circles.

What I thought I might do is this: we'll all stand in a big circle, music on (I picked some nice mid-tempo songs with even rhythms, but if anyone has suggestions, I'm all open to suggestions!), maybe I'll hand out a few hip scarves (maybe not, might be too loud?), then I'll start out doing a few sharp movements like hip bumps, drops, chest lifts. I'll explain each and have them do it a little, and I'll ask if people know them already. If some pick it up quickly, I guess I'll tell the others to keep practicing and give the better ones something trickier to do. Then go back to introduce a new concept like circles, eighths or undulations with the same structure.

I just don't know, 20 minutes is very little, and I want people to have fun and not get bored. It'd be nice if I found something to make even the ones work that are likely to try and be annoying.

Have you ever been in such a situation? Any ideas or recommendations? I'd be very grateful!

Love and shimmies,
Kjesta

I think you can do a nice intro in 20 minutes.

Your basic idea is good IMO. Definitely pass out hip scarves!

You might consider doing a 3-5 minute intro dance by yourself at some point if you feel confident so people can see the dance all put together.

I keep forgetting that many people don't really know what the dance looks like all put together so just teaching the components doesn't really give the full picture!

PS don't worry what other people think.

The whole thing about I'm better, my dance form is harder/better than yours - gah! Art isn't a contest!

So - don't even worry about that or what the other girls say - rise above it and just try to express what you love about the dance.

Besides - people think "simple" = "easy."

WRONG!

Thanks for the ideas! I'm not sure if I'm confident (and skilled) enough to do a solo dance, but I'll demonstrate the moves in little combos so that people will know what they look like put together, and I guess I'll dance along and improvise a little as I demonstrate and look if people are doing it right, something like that.

I don't see it as a contest! I'm sorry it sounded like that. It's just that there's people who already have some good body control and will likely feel bored quickly, so I thought I could give them something harder to do.

Alright, I have to get back to my homework - thanks again for the reply!

Don't be surprised if there are basic moves your advanced dancers have trouble with. When I teach students from other dance backgrounds, the moves are unfamiliar and probably use muscles the students don't often use. Sometimes the other dance training is even a hindrance because they already have a set idea of what dance posture looks like-but it is different for all styles!
I would suggest using the arms as the extra challenge. So yes, you can do a shimmy, but can you do it with great arm posture, and no movement in the shoulders? Fast hips, slow arms? Shimmy while turning around yourself in a circle, holding the arms still and not letting your pelvis go? I like to use the arms for challenge because it tends not to look separate the "cans" and "can nots" quite so much. Plus it gives beginners a reasonable goal to aspire to, where as layering a shimmy, undulation, and chest pop looks fantastically impossible. My ultra challenge while wearing a hip scarf it to have students do a shoulder shimmy while keeping the hips still and quiet. Hard to cheat because you can hear it, and generally puts the "this is so easy" thoughts out of people's minds =)
My opinions on some moves-I find that undulations tend to be too tricky for most beginners because the spinal muscles aren't usually strong and flexible enough. Figure 8s are hit or miss, some people really get them quickly, others don't. Chest lifts/drops are always well received, but chest circles are a thousand times more difficult. Everyone loves to shimmy the hips and shoulders! Tummy flutters are popular, and wears everyone out quickly, as do belly pops and pelvic lifts/drops.

My format suggestion-
3-5 minutes-Explain a bit about belly dance while you do a short warmup for one song. This uses moves that are simple to follow but belly dance applicable like wrist circles, slow shimmy, side/side body twist. Warm up is a great time to talk about how long you've been dancing, why you dance, expose myths of the dance, whatever! Telling people what to expect will help them loosen up a bit mentally.
7-12 minutes-Pick out a few moves to explain/demonstrate/practice with the group-about 2 songs length of time. Don't forget to start with good posture explanation, keeping posture is a challenge element for all dancers.
3-4 minutes-End with by putting the moves together to a short song, sort of a follow the leader format. In a big circle you can dance by doing a "bellydance walk" (relaxed, good posture, let hips swing naturally) in a few steps, practicing something like chest lifts, then walk back out, and do another move you learned. My favorite teacher did this in our beginner class, and everyone always loved it. It gives you the fun of dancing, even when you only know 3 moves! Don't be afraid to throw in new moves during this part. At this point in class people are usually excited and willing to try out new stuff. Remember that standing still in good posture and doing and arm movement counts as a move.

In my experience I always have more to teach than even fits an hour, with just a couple of moves. If for some reason you blow through all your moves in way too quickly of a time, bring an extra song and tell them it is free dance time!
Hope this wasn't too much info, but I have had to do a lot of short demonstrations for classes in college, so I love the chance to pass along my knowledge. As much as I paid for college, I would love to share these 20 minute demo ideas as often as possible.

Good luck and have fun, I'm sure it will turn out excellently!
Reyveka

Originally Posted by Kjesta

There's some people in the class who dance, two of them do competitions on really high levels (modern and hip hop), plus the hip hop one and her little group of admirers don't like me very much. I'll likely have to give her and the other ones who've done bellydance before something harder to do. I thought maybe undulations, small combinations, some shimmy layering? The latter is for when there's snark like "Oh, I can already do that, it's so easy, can't you do anything harder?"

I wouldn't go down that road. If these people are unusually good dancers, there is the chance that they might do the difficult material well anyway--perhaps even better than you do (or they might think so even if they didn't), and the last thing we need is more people going around and thinking that they've mastered a high level of belly dancing in 20 minutes. Besides, it's somewhat disingenuous. This dance is not primarily about mastering complex strings of elaborate physical tricks. It's about interpreting the music soulfully using a theatrically improved version of the moves that everyday Middle Easterners do for social dancing.

If some pick it up quickly, I guess I'll tell the others to keep practicing and give the better ones something trickier to do. Then go back to introduce a new concept like circles, eighths or undulations with the same structure.

I don't think it will work to start splitting the group. Just do each move for a short while and go on to the next one. I'd suggest keeping it to a few simple ideas, and then either add a little performance or a short follow-along dance at the end.

It'd be nice if I found something to make even the ones work that are likely to try and be annoying.

When you try to assert yourself against people who are convinced they're better than you, you usually just give them more power, and the odds of winning a bunch of smart alecks over in a circumstance like this are pretty small anyway. Mahmoud Reda himself probably couldn't win over such know-it-alls.

Set the class to the level of most of the students, not too much and not too challenging, and don't waste your time worrying about pleasing the "experts." If you were asked to give a presentation to a roomful of kindergartners and Albert Einstein, would you talk about quantum physics or cartoons? Concentrate on planning an enjoyable experience for the majority, not a challenging experience for the fringe.

Remember that the class will probably NOT get as bored as you think with something as simple as a hip drop, circle, shoulder shimmy. Because they are not actually simple. We just think they are because we forgot.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

This dance is not primarily about mastering complex strings of elaborate physical tricks. It's about interpreting the music soulfully using a theatrically improved version of the moves that everyday Middle Easterners do for social dancing.

Play up the multi-generational "social dance" angle which, as Tourbeau put so well, is the basis for theatrical belly dance, which is the style with which most people are familiar. I think it's really important to completely remove any fantasies that people might harbor about the "sexee belly dancer," so I think you might do really well to let your classmates know that Middle Eastern dance is a very broad term that encompasses many diverse dances, most of them "folk" in nature, from many diverse regions within the ME, Near East, North Africa and the Levant.

Just do each move for a short while and go on to the next one. I'd suggest keeping it to a few simple ideas, and then either add a little performance or a short follow-along dance at the end.

I second this suggestion.

Set the class to the level of most of the students, not too much and not too challenging, and don't waste your time worrying about pleasing the "experts." If you were asked to give a presentation to a roomful of kindergartners and Albert Einstein, would you talk about quantum physics or cartoons? Concentrate on planning an enjoyable experience for the majority, not a challenging experience for the fringe.

So well put!

I've done any number of these types of events, with participants ranging from 4-year-olds at pre-schools to retirees at church functions. The notion that BD is but one small facet of ME dance will be news to 99% of the people you educate, as will be the all-generation, "social dance" aspect.

I like very much your intention to do two or three simple moves, combining them together, demonstrating what it looks like to put them together, then having them do it.

I often start my demos with a short dance that includes the moves I'm planning to teach then, when getting to the teaching part, I try to create a frame of reference for them by reminding them what they saw at the beginning. Some will remember and some will not! And that's okay!

Twenty minutes will go very fast!

Good luck, have fun and report back!

Deborah

Keep it simple period. 20 mins is nothing lol. I teach class every week for an hour and I feel like I turn around to continue an exercise, and its already 7:55! Besides all the other good ideas and advice given, I'd do a dry run of this in your apartment/room etc. Make sure you have no doubts or insecurities about the material, make sure to have some creative ways to explain the movements- "just drop your hip" can be the most confusing instruction for beginners, you need to break down where the weight is (supporting leg etc), where does the movement start and finish- remember beginners = complete breakdown of everything. Again keep it simple and fun and you'll have a great time :)

and remember to breathe. and smile
self confidence will make or break the demo...

Thank you, everyone, for your input!

On second thought I have to agree that trying to "show them" (as in, the girls who're going to try and be disruptive) was a bad idea. I'll still with things that everyone can work on a little and I'll do a few follow-along combos at the end. I'll also mention that it's not about how fancy or complicated moves are - it's about timing them to the music and stuff, and that the ones who have it easier can work on that Hopefully I'll get across with that that it's not just about moves and not just about being "sexay". Maybe I'll mention that the most awesome Egyptian dancers use only a few steps at all times, but they use them perfectly

My dance teacher also gave me a few old hipscarves to pass around, so hopefully about half the people will have one.

Thank you again and wish me luck tomorrow! (I'm double nervous because I'll also have a biology exam... Scared! Dancing will be a walk in the park after that )

I know it's been a while, but the last weeks of school have been really intense! But here I am again.

It all went pretty well! We did a lot of stuff, warm-up with aerobics, rope-skipping and jump style, then we did polka, then sirtaki, then bellydance, then polka again. Whew! A lot of fun.

Anyway, I think I really did underestimate how different bellydance can be from other dance forms - we didn't make it past hip bumps, circles and a very few simple steps. I was asked to do a small solo though, so I improvised something. I'm not sure how good it actually was, but people were impressed

So I just wanted to pop in and thank you all again for your valuable advice! Really helped me a lot.

yeah!!! I've been wondering how your intro went.
Good job

congrats!