Mm Mm Monday - Aida Al Adawi

One of Suhaila Salimpour's proteges, a famous member of Bal Anat, Aida has been an inspiration to thousands of dancers over the years. She continues to teach workshops, and is generous and enthusiastic in sharing her knowledge online as well. She has begun posting some of her personal performance videos on YouTube, and here is one to get your zill fingers wriggling!

Mm Mm Monday - Z-Helene

You want some more ultra-inspiring finger cymbal playing? Prepare to have your mind blown. 1:10 particularly makes me just go Mmmmmmm Mmmmmmmmm! But that is just a warm up for what comes later... watch the whole thing, my friends.

Student Spotlight - Megan Romano

Name: Megan Romano
Age: 32
Profession: Epidemiologist/PhD student (I study the determinants of disease)
Hobbies: Knitting, baking, reading, hiking, swing dancing
How long have you been studying bellydance? About 4 years total - 1 1/2 years of cabaret, about 6 months of Egyptian, and the rest ATS with Shay

When did you first see bellydance? What were your first impressions?
I remember being completely mesmerized by a woman doing bellydance during a talent show in college. At the time I wasn't able to identify it as bellydance specifically, but I was fascinated by the contrast of fluid and percussive movements she used in her performance. I distinctly remember the first time that I saw improv tribal style bellydance. I had been dancing for about a year with the Goddess Dancing in Boston and was participating in their student showcase with the rest of my cabaret class. I had never seen tribal bellydance before, so I watched Tassellations dress rehearsal and was in total awe of how powerful and graceful their movements were and how much fun they seemed to be having dancing together. I must have asked Zia about a million questions afterwards -- "You make it up? Seriously, every time it is different? You use cues to choreograph as you go? Does that really work?" It pretty well blew my mind, and I knew I'd have to try it for myself.

What motivated you to finally take your first bellydance class?
My roommate practically dragged me to my first class, and I've been hooked ever since.

Zill Drill Video

Just in time for Finger Cymbals week! A video from Afsana helping you get your triples up to snuff, as well as an ingenious way to get you to start working with the "1" in your music!

Reminds me of my old walking drills from back in the day. Time to pull those out this week!

MmMm Monday - More Karim Nagi Finger Cymbals

You have seen me post my effusive praises for Karim Nagi on this blog before. And this surely won't be the last time. Watch him make pure magic from simple disks of metal. Yeah, and then he also dances and spins n' stuff on top of it all. Can you feel the waves of fun sweeping off the screen?

Mm Mm Monday -Shabnam and Mandanah

The playfulness in this is ridiculously infectious. Are these women have the BEST time or what? But check out the MAD finger cymbal skills paired with some seriously challenging choreography, and you have a truly entertaining piece to start off your week! (Um, I don't know what all is going on at 2:00 and 3:36, but I sure want to find out!!)

Mm Mm Monday - Karim Nagi

Known more for his amazing dumbek skills (and dancing!), Karim is a spectacular percussionist and musician on many levels, not the least of which includes his ridiculous finger cymbals skills. Not only does he make beautiful music with those simple disks of metal, listen to all the different sounds and effects he is able to coax from them, and how he uses his right and left hand as if they are two different players rather than two arms on the same body. So inspiring!
(PST Pacific Northwest dancers take note! Karim is teaching workshops here in March of 2013, including his zill technique. Don't miss it! Details at http://www.nazaneenbellydance.com/#!events )

Mm Mm Monday - Datura

The music just about makes me swoon into a full faint. The tight finger cymbals are ri. dic.you.lous. The choreography is an homage, but still purely RB. *plotz*

Mm Mm Monday - Improvised Zill Jam with Jamila and Suhaila!

Oh finger cymbals, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

I so adore these simple metal disks, because there is so much musical possibility held in such a simple form factor. The rhythms that move me to dance also move me to play, to sway, to bop, to jam. That instinct is so reflected back at me in this awesome clip from Rakkasah 2005. The grandmama of American bellydance, Jamila, and her iconic daughter Suhaila take the stage to show us how it's done.

Mm Mm Monday - Datura at Tribal Fest

I knew from the moment this piece started, with the costuming, fingers cymbals, and music (not to mention the lineup of dancers I admire) that this was going to be an Mm Mm Monday that had to go up immediately. Datura is made up of the teachers and dancers at Rachel Brice's Datura studio in Portland, OR. Mixing elements of old school tribal, ATS, and what I would consider RB/Indigo style choreography, they bring back to the stage the magic that is tribal bellydance for me. Enjoy!

Mm Mm Monday - Raks el Zagat

Anyone who plays finger cymbals knows how complex and difficult this choreography really is. I am not a huge fan of the staging, but the piece stands as a great example of the power of finger cymbals in unison! The background music will be familiar to my regular students--it's Saidi from Atef Mitkal Kenawy. You can find it linked on my recommended playlist on the Student Resource Center.

Class Newsletter: New session tonight!

TONIGHT!
The next new session of Tribal Bellydance with Sharon Moore begins tonight at 7:30pm.

First it's Level 1 Foundations!
Get your groove on learning the movements which comprise the basis of tribal bellydance. Feel stronger, more flexible, and have FUN! If you haven't registered yet, never fear, there is room! Or register online right now at http://www.mandalatribal.com/classes/register

Then at 8:30pm it's Level 2b - Skills n' Drills!
This session topic is open to *all levels*, but it is recommended that you have taken at least a few sessions of Level 1 and/or are familiar with basic bellydance concepts.

~ This session's Skills n' Drills special topic is Creative Combos with Finger Cymbals!
Inspired by my recent intensive study with Jamila Salimpour - one of the Mothers of American Bellydance as we know it - I will be sharing with you various combinations of movement paired with finger cymbals patterns. We'll start with some deep muscle isolation drills to get our hearts pumping, then each class we will dig into a couple different finger cymbal patterns, a couple movements and variations, and then pair them together into a combination we can dance together. Each week will build in complexity as we increase our confidence with finger cymbals while dancing. Bring your finger cymbals and be ready for a fun, challenging workout.

~ Don't worry if you don't have a lot of finger cymbal experience!
We will be breaking the skills down piece by piece, and each dancer can work at their own comfort level. I definitely recommend this class for dancers of all skill levels and styles to add some new movement and rhythm skills to their repertoire.