* To be sure your bra sides fit right, use the sides that came on your bra for guides (assuming you’re replacing them).

* To get good strap support, start with the current placement, move the back straps in about an inch to keep straps up on your shoulders, then adjust the straps in front with the bra on. Usually the original front placement works well. If you’re using a halter strap, consider adding clear or decorative shoulder straps as well for more support.

* If your bra has a foam lined cup, you’ll get a better fit. Be careful adding the fabric to the bra cups - pull it straight but not tight. Pin on the outside, then pin on the inside.

* Always hook your belt on both sides. If you gain or lose weight, it’s much easier to keep your belt looking balanced, and if you’re curvy through the backside, you’ll have more options for adjusting the fit.

For more information on how to make a bellydance belt and bra set, visit my DVD page.

Please post your stories and insights on dancing for a living (or at least for money).

I just finished filming a brand new mat yoga DVD that will be perfect for dancers. I’ve been teaching yoga nationally at bellydance festivals, and have really gotten to appreciate how valuable yoga can be for dancers’ health.

Almost a year ago I tore my calf tendon and was benched for about four months - unable to walk, dance or even stretch. I got back into yoga rather fanatically after I was back on my feet and really have felt a huge difference. When I first started, I couldn’t sit cross legged and fold forward far at all, and now my hips are open enough that I can fold down and touch my forehead to the floor! Yoga is helping me create a stronger core, greater balance and increased flexibility, plus it gives me a chance to really focus on breath, stretching and relaxing into various poses.

If I could pass a law :), I would make yoga mandatory for dancers. I truly believe that doing yoga regularly will help prevent accidents and injuries like the one I had, and I’d love to see more dancers do at least a simple mat yoga routine. That’s why I made this DVD.

I’ve done this routine the morning before a big performance, and was able to dance much better with just a basic before-dance warmup, and felt fabulous afterwards, not sore and tired. I really recommend yoga for anyone. I don’t care if you use my DVD or one of many other good ones out there, I’d just really love to see dancers take better care of themselves!

You have one body. Treat it as your temple, take care of it, and it will serve you much longer and in much better health.

A couple of weeks ago I was getting ready to start my FIRST Washington State performance - absolute first time I’ve danced up here since we moved the end of May. It was a place kind of out in the boonies that one of my forum friends had invited dancers to, so it was a freebie, but I was just looking forward to dancing.

I went on third, and had just gotten through the intro on my piece and was turning to start the fast part……. ok, something’s weird….. then…… POP! It was the oddest sensation, feeling something in my calf just… let go.

Ok, so in all my gazillion years of dancing, I have NEVER ONCE not finished a performance. Never. I’ve danced with migraines (a lot), with the flu, with sprained ankles (yes, you CAN keep that foot off the floor most of the time!), torn shoulder muscles (which I hurt at my old day job, not dancing) and with glass in my feet.

This was different.

I sat down and the waitress brought me a bag of ice. I could NOT put my heel down, so I ended up gathering my stuff and leaving. I felt so strange. So I’ve been hobbling around my 3-story house for two weeks. I use one of my dance canes to walk with when I go out. My calf has recolored itself in lovely shades of green, dark purple and some other colors I can’t name, from a little below my knee to my ankle. It’s all on the inside back area, and from the front it looks just fine, except for the bruising around the ankle.

What I finally decided (without benefit of doctors) is that I tore a tendon. I actually thought I’d be doing better by two weeks, but I really am not able to stay off of it, and there have been a few occasions when I know something I did hurt it. Otherwise I’ve done as much of the recommended stuff as possible: icing, elevation, compression. It really IS a major injury. Could I have prevented it? I have no clue. All I know is when you lose the use of a leg, even for a short time, it really makes you think.

My conclusion: As soon as I am able, I’m going to really start putting myself into dance conditioning, and start performing again as soon as possible.

For those of you in the Washington area, I’m finally getting my new dance studio open this month, and am doing the studio warming and hafla on 8/24.

I’m going to be teaching a drum solo choreography and then have dancers and mixer afterwards.

If you’re in the area, please email me (link from my site) and I’ll send directions.

Hope to see you there!

Just a quick update on what’s been going on. I have been busy with work and getting ready to move, so I haven’t had much time to blog or even update my site.

My hubby took a job in Vancouver WA so we made the big move from California to Washington about a month ago, and now I’m working on getting my studio going up here. The new studio is bigger and really nice, and I can’t wait to finish getting all the equipment set up and ready to roll. I’m anxious to start doing my next few videos too.

I’m now working in my dance business and graphic design business as well full time instead of being away from it for 9 hours a day then teaching at night. Now I get to work ALL the time! :o)

I’ll be posting some pictures on the site soon. If you’re interested in classes, just email me.

Hope all is well with you!
Jana (Amira)
www.howtobellydance.com

Here are some of the basic movements for drilling. It’s always best to refer to this along with a video class or live class to be sure you understand the movement. These descriptions are optimal movement, and you should pull in some if any move is uncomfortable. It may take time to develop strength, loosen hip joints, etc. as well as getting control of all the muscle groups when you are first getting started.

Always work moves really slow to start, stretching fully into the range of movement, then speed up incrementally as your muscles warm up and joints open. Slow drilling will improve your movements much quicker than doing the moves faster.

Ribcage - Hips are anchored and isolated

Slides
Slide ribcage straight across from left to right, reaching with the fingers.
Ribcage position can be neutral to lifted.

Lifts Pull down between the shoulder blades and lift with the upper abs to pick ribcage straight up. Keep shoulders down and relaxed.

Circle Combines above moves: slide ribcage to right, lift in front, slide to left and release neutral back. Do not round through back, just go to natural relaxed position. Lift as much as possible coming around front to elongate the torso. Round into even circle.

Eights:

Vertical down to up
Drop R side of ribcage, push out to R and bring up, circling back into center, repeating to left. It should look like a laying down 8 moving from down to up. No twisting, no shoulder involvement.

Vertical up to down
Lift R side of ribcage, push out to R and drop (shoulder will follow but don’t push) then repeat to L. This is an 8 moving from up to down. No twisting or shoulder involvement ( other than natural drop).

Horizontal front to back
Twist R side of ribcage forward, push out to R side, pull back (staying pushed out) to back R twist, repeat on L. This creates a flat 8 with no lift.

Horizontal back to front
Twist back R, push ribcage out and move R side forward (staying pushed out)

Hips - Keep heels down on all moves for basic drilling. No upper body.

Single hip shift
Standing in Egyptian posture (see separate entry), straighten one knee slightly (going from more bent to less bent NOT straight), bringing hip joint up and in, then release that knee and straighten the other knee slightly. Shift directly from one hip being up to the other. To get a ‘pop’ in the movement, clench the glut muscle on the side going up, releasing quickly).
Do not twist hips or allow pelvis to drop. Upper body is disassociated.

Pelvic drop
Tighten lower abs, bringing pelvis up and in (tucking) – tighten glut muscles to support movement. Release all muscles and allow pelvis to drop back to neutral. Do NOT arch your lower back – make it more about tucking front (up/in)

Umy (circle)
This circle is very ‘interior’ and does not push out at all. Bring your R hip up and in like the hip shift. Tuck front, roll over to L hip up/in, release to neutral. Hips will move up and in all the way around except for the release.

Taxim
Taxim is a vertical hip 8, from down to up.
Drop R hip, push out to R side, move hip up (while pushing out) and repeat on left. This movement does not tilt or twist at all. Upper body is dissociated.

Maya
Maya is a vertical hip 8 from up to down. No tilt or twist.
Bring R hip up and in toward your center. Push out to R, bend R knee and pull R hip down, and repeat on L side. Keeping knees bent is crucial.

Flat 8 front to back
Twist R hip front, push out while pulling back, repeat on L side. There is very little lift on this movement but doesn’t have to be completely flat.

Flat 8 back to front
Twist hip to R back corner, push out to R side, bring R hip forward while pushing out. Repeat on L.

Arms

Snake arms
Start with R arm, lifting shoulder, elbow (back of elbow), wrist (back of wrist) & back of fingers. Pull R shoulder down, lead down w/back of R elbow, inside of wrist, palm of hand. Repeat on L side. When you can do each side separately, then do L side down while R side is going up and vice versa. Upper body is lifted, neck pulled up.

Posture

Egyptian Posture
Stand with heels together, feet slightly turned out (adjust turnout to your personal comfort level). Knees are bent, tailbone pulled down so lower back is straight and lower abs are tight. Lift the ribcage, pull the shoulders back and down. Extend neck up, arms out and relaxed, smile and breathe.
This will feel very awkward at first but gets to be a natural pose in time. It protects your back and your knees from injury.

Here are some of the basic movements for drilling. It’s always best to refer to this along with a video class or live class to be sure you understand the movement. These descriptions are optimal movement, and you should pull in some if any move is uncomfortable. It may take time to develop strength, loosen hip joints, etc. as well as getting control of all the muscle groups when you are first getting started.

Always work moves really slow to start, stretching fully into the range of movement, then speed up incrementally as your muscles warm up and joints open. Slow drilling will improve your movements much quicker than doing the moves faster.

Ribcage Hips are anchored and isolated

Slides

Slide ribcage straight across from left to right, reaching with the fingers.
Ribcage position can be neutral to lifted.

Lifts

Pull down between the shoulder blades and lift with the upper abs to pick
ribcage straight up. Keep shoulders down and relaxed.

Circle

Combines above moves: slide ribcage to right, lift in front, slide to left and
release neutral back. Do not round through back, just go to natural relaxed
position. Lift as much as possible coming around front to elongate the torso.
Round into even circle.

Eights:

Vertical down
to up

Drop R side of ribcage, push out to R and bring up, circling back into center,
repeating to left. It should look like a laying down 8 moving from down to up. No
twisting, no shoulder involvement.

Vertical up to down

Lift R side of ribcage, push out to R and drop (shoulder will follow but don’t
push) then repeat to L. This is an 8 moving from up to down. No twisting or
shoulder involvement ( other than natural drop).

Horizontal front to back

Twist R side of ribcage forward, push out to R side, pull back (staying pushed
out) to back R twist, repeat on L. This creates a flat 8 with no lift.

Horizontal back to front

Twist back R, push ribcage out and move R side forward (staying pushed out)

Hips Keep heels down on all moves for basic drilling. No upper body.

Single hip shift

Standing in Egyptian posture (see separate entry), straighten one knee slightly
(going from more bent to less bent NOT straight), bringing hip joint up and in,
then release that knee and straighten the other knee slightly. Shift directly
from one hip being up to the other. To get a ‘pop’ in the movement, clench the
glut muscle on the side going up, releasing quickly).
Do not twist hips or allow pelvis to drop. Upper body is disassociated.

Pelvic drop

Tighten lower abs, bringing pelvis up and in (tucking) – tighten glut muscles to
support movement. Release all muscles and allow pelvis to drop back to neutral.
Do NOT arch your lower back – make it more about tucking front (up/in)

Umy (circle)

This circle is very ‘interior’ and does not push out at all. Bring your R hip up and
in like the hip shift. Tuck front, roll over to L hip up/in, release to neutral. Hips
will move up and in all the way around except for the release.

Taxim

Taxim is a vertical hip 8, from down to up.
Drop R hip, push out to R side, move hip up (while pushing out) and repeat on
left. This movement does not tilt or twist at all. Upper body is dissociated.

Maya

Maya is a vertical hip 8 from up to down. No tilt or twist.
Bring R hip up and in toward your center. Push out to R, bend R knee and pull R
hip down, and repeat on L side. Keeping knees bent is crucial.

Flat 8 front to back

Twist R hip front, push out while pulling back, repeat on L side. There is very
little lift on this movement but doesn’t have to be completely flat.

Flat 8 back to front

Twist hip to R back corner, push out to R side, bring R hip forward while pushing
out. Repeat on L.

Arms

Snake arms

Start with R arm, lifting shoulder, elbow (back of elbow), wrist (back of wrist) &
back of fingers. Pull R shoulder down, lead down w/back of R elbow, inside of
wrist, palm of hand. Repeat on L side. When you can do each side separately,
then do L side down while R side is going up and vice versa. Upper body is
lifted, neck pulled up.

Posture

Egyptian Posture

Stand with heels together, feet slightly turned out (adjust turnout to your
personal comfort level). Knees are bent, tailbone pulled down so lower back is
straight and lower abs are tight. Lift the ribcage, pull the shoulders back and
down. Extend neck up, arms out and relaxed, smile and breathe.

This will feel very awkward at first but gets to be a natural pose in time. It
protects your back and your knees from injury.

What moves you will show in your dancing. What you feel in the music is what you will reflect as a dancer. Belly dancing is especially personal, and so is the perfect way to express what you want your audience to feel.

Me, I love a juicy drum solo, a great kanoun taxim, and some fabulous classical Egyptian orchestral pieces are at the top of my list. For a youger crowd, a bit of Pop Arabi – maybe even with Rap segments – adds a bit of spice.

You can also match your music to your costumes to a certain extent. Don’t wear a tight fitting skirt slit to the thigh if your dance has a ton of fan kicks in it unless you’re just dancing for a loved one! Full skirts work best for kicky dances. Think about these kinds of things when deciding what to put together for your performance.

My background in designing and sewing costumes comes from all the way back to when I was a kid. I used to draw costumes of all kinds. Then when I was 11, my mom bought me a used Singer sewing machine. It went forward and back. Period. I still use it today, although I have other machines as well. So, in other words, you do not need anything fancy to make costumes. All you really need is some determination and some imagination. And a little direction helps a lot.

So, back to styles. If you’re tall and thin, you can wear almost anything, so you really don’t need much help. Congratulations! Ok, I’m being ficitious. We’ll talk about tall and thin styles too, because there are styles that suit that body type too.

First, you want to decide what your best body aspect is. If you have nice legs and a long, pretty neck, cool. If you have a good upper ab area but lower abs aren’t so hot, that’s ok. Just decide what you want to emphasize and what you want to draw attention away from.

If you are short, stay away from overly full, fluffy looks. It will make you look shorter and wider. Circle skirts are fine, but singe layer and light weight fabrics are best. I’d also try an accent skirt from hip to mid thigh, fairly tight fitting, to create a fishtail skirt look. It draws the eye up, and lengthens the body look. Also, stay away from overdone belly drapes or dangly bra decorations. I’m not talking about the light, accenty kinds – those are fine. But stay away from heavy, long fringe, bellychain-style belts at the waist, or really heavy top styles. I’ve worn a lot of vests over a dance bra, and if they are just under the bra line, they are fine. But if the vest or bra comes more than an inch below a normal bra line, it shortens the appearance of your body line. Stay with something short to elongate the waistline. And, if you can handle it, wear your skirts as long as possible rather than a couple inches above the ground – that shortens the body line as well.

If you’re heavy through the hips, put most of your decorations on the upper body. Wear belts where the fringe hugs the body rather than being fluffy or overly heavy. Coin belts can be great, but use the larger coins (1 ½ - 2” across) rather than the tiny ones. Accent skirts can be a great way to pull attention away from the hips. A nice, contrasty, simple lined accent skirt, such as a handkerchief style, will pull the eye down.

If you’re heavy through the waist, either use a body stocking (Sugar Petals makes GREAT ones!) or wear a one piece dress, especially if you’re uncomfortable with your waistline. Wear costumes which pull the eye up or down – both is fine. So an elaborate bra, without a lot of drape under the braline, plus either an interesting hem, ruffle, sparkly trim on the skirt will help a lot. Keep the belt slim and not too full.

If you feel you have the heavy upper arm thing going on – even if you’re thin, sometimes that area isn’t too pretty – then try the long, fingerless gloves that go up to the armpit. Make sure they are tight enough to STAY up, though. If they continually fall down while you’re dancing, it’s really distracting (she says, speaking from experience!). Or you can go with light, sheer chiffon sleeves, just gathered at the upper arm and wrist. You can even have them slashed on the top so your arm shows through. People will focus on the sleeves’ movement rather than your flabby arms. I’d stay away from the single strand armbands, the ones that are a few pieces of ribbon or trim and show a lot of upper arm. If your arms aren’t in great shape, you’re going to sag between the layers, and that draws attention.

If you have an especially attractive neck, try wearing chokers or neckbands, or a bra that comes up to the neck. (Like a halter with the top filled in. Sometimes the ‘fill’ is lace or delicately worked fabric).

For the short-waisted, wear a bra that sits like a regular bra, no lower. Avoid heavy or low-hanging fringe. Wear your hip belt as low as possible (without going TOO far) on your hip joints. Also, wear your skirts long, as it lengthens the full body line.

For the tall and slender, work the look with a long, straight skirt, slit up the front of the leg. Wear a clean, uncluttered style of bra and belt. Stay away from the one-piece dress – they take a fairly full figure to carry them off. I also love seeing the look of the tall, slender dancer with the Isis wings – they always look the best doing that, if of course they do it well.

What I really suggest is to go online and look at as many dancers in costumes as possible. If you do a search under “belly dancers” and “belly dance costumes” you will find a lot to look at. Study what looks good, what looks bad, and also look for dancers with similar body styles as you have, and study what they’re wearing and how it looks on them. Decide what looks you like and what you don’t and that will help you a lot.

If you want some help with costumes, email me. I have some home-made patterns and directions that might help if you’re a beginning/intermediate level at sewing. I am working on a coin costume video right now that is filmed but not edited, so watch for that if you’re looking to make one. I geared it to fairly inexperienced sewers but it has great tips for those with more practice too.

There are a million ways to make costuming easier. It takes the trial and error method that experienced seamstresses go through to streamline the process, and if you have an opportunity to work live with someone with experience, do it. But if you don’t, let me know what you are having trouble with, and if I can, I will film a video section for you to help, or help you by email/blog. I can even fax you drawings to help get past a roadblock.

Learning to sew, for those who don’t, takes a lot of patience, and keep in mind that starting with costumes is not the easiest way. Take your time, do things one step at a time. Start with the easiest costume piece and work your way to the most complex. Veils are super easy. Skirts are usually simple too. Harem pants would come next. Then the belt, THEN the bra. Bras are the hardest. I would suggest for your first costume, try to get a bra from Fredericks or Victoria’s Secret that is good to go with just some decoration. Look for the ones that are velvet, metallic lame, or something like that. There are sometimes ones covered with metallic lace. Just be sure it covers enough or that you can easily line it or add to the top if it’s too low cut.

So buy your bra first, then look for fabric that will match or blend for your hip belt. Then pick out your skirt/veil fabric. At that point, get your trim.

Here’s a guideline for fabric:

Veil: 3 yards (this will be long enough even for tall women.) of 45” wide fabric. Spread your arms all the way out straight with about 8 – 10” hanging off each end and cut off excess. Allow ½” on each edge for hemming. I suggest light but drapey fabrics: Chiffon, single weight georgette and some very light silkies. If the fabric is stiff, it won’t work well. It needs to ‘drape’ a bit. Pick up the end of the fabric and see how it falls. If it pools, it will likely work. If it bends or looks stiff, don’t use it.

Harem pants: 2 yards will work well for most people – if you’re especially tall or goddess-size, add ½ yard. Make sure it’s soft enough fabric so that it won’t chaff your thighs, and if it’s metallic, be sure it’s not the kind that will rub off. Don’t go too heavy on the fabric weight, and remember that it needs to be able to breathe too. Cottons work well, and chiffon is always popular but doesn’t breathe all that well even though it’s light. Silkies will always hang nice, but again may not breathe, so just be prepared.

Skirts: If you want a single circle skirt, get about 6 yards. For a double circle, 9 yards. You may want to use the same fabric as your veil or harem pants, or the fabric for your belt/bra. Coordination is great, but going with something that just works well but has a different texture is also nice. Just be aware that heavy fabric can cause problems when you’re dancing, so you might want to start with lighter ones, then experiment with heavier ones later on. Trim for a circle skirt is at least twice the yardage you bought, so 12 – 18 yards. Always get extra for decorating bra/belt, armbands, etc. If you come up short, move the trim up higher on the skirt – it won’t take nearly as much. Always measure your hem before starting to put the trim on if you haven’t done it before.

Straight skirts can be made from a yard to 1 ½ yards. They can be of metallic fabrics, silkies, heavily decorated fabrics… if you want flow in your movement, go with silkies. Don’t use chiffon on straight skirts. If the fabric is too light, your legs will be hanging out a bunch during your dancing. Silkies are drapey enough to stay down but move with you. One of my favorites is the heavily decorated wedding sari. You can buy the 6 yard length, make the skirt with the decorated edge in front (at the slit). Use the rest for a veil or harem pants. Some of those sari fabrics are just stunning.

For your first belt/bra, get a little extra fabric so you’re not stuck if you make a boofoo (yes, that’s a mistake). Get 2 yards for your first one, then a yard will work. For a belt/bra, you can get fairly heavy and very decorated fabrics. Metallics are great. You’ll also need some buckram for lining. Joann Fabrics has it online if you can’t find it in stores. The people working in fabric stores won’t always know what you’re talking about. You’ll need to make two layers for the belt, so get at least 2 yards. I buy it in bulk online so I always have plenty on hand. You’ll also need some kind of soft, thick lining material. I like cotton duck cloth or heavy cottons. I’ve also used suedecloth, which clings well to your skirt, but will make you sweat a bit.

You’ll need some skirt hooks, the flat kind – they are about 5/8” square, and have holes in the metal to sew them on through. You’ll need 4 sets for the bra and 4 sets for the belt. You’ll need elastic for the harem pants, skirt, armbands. You’ll also need matching thread. Always get the best cotton/poly – it’s worth the extra money not to have it tangling and breaking on you.

If you make a circle skirt, you can make sleeves out of the corners of the fabric – there will be enough there. If you use sari fabric, you should have enough left for sleeves too. If you want to make stretch velour sleeves, ½ yard should be enough. However, be aware that fingerless gloves are a little tricky.

Get everything you’ll need before you get started, so you know you have enough and it all matches.

Here’s a great hint:

When you make a costume, keep all the receipts in a costume file. That tells you how much of what fabric you bought – if it doesn’t call out the fabric, make a note. Also note if you found you came up short or had a lot more than you needed. Make an envelope for each costume, and make notes on any problems you had, what you would have done differently, what went well, how you decided on doing any changes. That way, next time, you can cut more corners. Also, if you have something come out especially well, make a pattern of it. That way you can recreate the look without reinventing the wheel. I always make belt patterns and label them. I also include the finished hip measurement if my size changes a lot, which it does.