Belly Dance Daily Drills

I’m taking a break from belly dance, so I won’t be posting for awhile.

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:10:36 -0500

I’m taking a break from belly dance, so I won’t be posting for awhile.

Friday January 8, 2010

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:19:00 -0500

For 10-20 minutes, alternate between a regular hip shimmy and a choo choo shimmy. Try to do the choo choo as long as possible, but if it gets too difficult or starts getting sloppy, go to a hip shimmy for 1 or 2 minutes.

Thursday January 7, 2010

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:53:34 -0500

Same drills as Monday (chest locks, chest slides, hip locks, pelvic locks, chest circles, and omis), but this time break each one up into 4 pieces, so you do 1/4 of the move on each count

Chest locks: go up 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4; then down 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4

Chest Slides: slide right 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4; then left 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4

Hip Locks: right hip up 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4; then left hip up 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4

Pelvic locks: Front 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, then back 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/4

Chest Circles & Omis: chopping these up into 4 pieces makes a square (front, side, back, side)

Wednesday January 5, 2010

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:38:31 -0500

Do the following layered over hip locks, omis, and mayas

30 Chest Locks

30 Chest Circles

30 Shoulder Rolls Back

30 Shoulder Rolls Front

30 Hip Slide

Tuesday January 5, 2010

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:54:23 -0500

Start with your favorite shimmy, then layer on the following:

30 Hip slides right and left

30 Hip slides front and back

30 Hip circles

Horizontal Figure 8s: 30 Front to Back and 30 Back to Front

30 Mayas

30 Taxim

30 Undulations (Up to Down)

30 Reverse Undulations (Down to Up)

Monday January 4, 2010

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:28:06 -0500

Do 100 of each of the following:

Chest Locks

Chest Slides

Hip Locks

Pelvic Locks

Chest Circles

Omis

That’s a lot, so break it up if you have to.

Friday January 1st, 2010

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:59:50 -0500

Do the following with a shoulder shimmy:

20 shoulder rolls

20 arm undulations

30 chest lifts

30 chest drops

30 chest slides

30 chest circles

30 undulations each direction

Thursday December 31, 2009

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:32:26 -0500

30 chest slides with arms in low V

30 chest locks with arms in low V

30 chest slides with arms in 2nd

30 chest locks with arms in 2nd

30 chest slides with arms in high V

30 chest locks with arms in high V

Repeat the entire sequence facing the right diagonal, left foot flat, right foot on the ball; then facing the left diagonal, right foot flat, left foot on the ball.

Wednesday December 30, 2009

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:07:23 -0500

50 pelvic locks front

50 pelvic locks back

30 omis right

30 omis left

Repeat the entire sequence facing right diagonal, left foot flat, right foot in releve; then facing left diagonal, right foot flat, left foot in releve (this makes a one hip circle on the hip facing front when you do omis)

Tuesday December 29, 2009

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:06:45 -0500

100 hip locks

50 hip locks with right foot in releve

50 hip locks with right foot in passe (the right foot is up off the ground by your left ankle)

50 right hip locks up while you are facing the right diagonal; left foot is flat, right foot is on the ball (this is a hip lift on the right hip)

50 right hip locks down, still facing the right diagonal (this is a hip drop)

Repeat the entire sequence on the left

Monday December 28, 2009

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:56:27 -0500

The “theme” for this week is drilling movements while facing the diagonal. Kind of gives them a different feel.

Here are the drills for today; I’m going to try to post a video on youtube of them.

Drill the following for 3 minutes each:

Arm paths facing front

Arms paths while facing the right diagonal

Arm paths while facing the left diagonal

Arm undulations facing front

Arm undulations facing the right diagonal

Arm undulations facing the left diagonal

Arm undulations over omis to the right

Arm undulations over omis to the left

Friday December 25, 2009

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:43:14 -0500

Merry Christmas!

For fun, today (or anytime this weekend if you’re busy) dance a full 5 or 7 part routine.

I once read about a dancer who dances a full routine every day as part of her practice. It’s such a brilliant idea; I’ve been thinking of making that one of my 2010 goals.

For music, I highly recommend the Jalilah albums- they have several full routines & the music is so rich and gorgeous.

Thursday December 24, 2009

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:22:58 -0500

You guessed it- same thing as yesterday, but with 3/4 on the down ;)

Do each of the following for 2-4 minutes each:

3/4 on the down with belly roll down to up

Walking forward and back with 3/4 on the down

Walking forward and back with 3/4 on the down+belly roll down to up

Walking forward and back with 3/4 on the down, belly roll down to up, and arms (out to the side & up overhead, then back out and down)

Same combo [Chest lock up (1) lock down (2) lock up (3) belly roll down (4) Pelvic lock back (5) lock front (6) lock back (7) belly roll up (8)] with the following shimmies: shoulder, hip, Egyptian, and vibration

Wednesday December 23, 2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:11:09 -0500

Do each of the following for 2-4 minutes each:

3/4 on the up with belly roll up to down

Walking forward and back with 3/4 on the up

Walking forward and back with 3/4 on the up+belly roll up to down

Walking forward and back with 3/4 on the up, belly roll up to down, and arms (out to the side & up overhead, then back out and down)

Same combo [Chest lock up (1) lock down (2) lock up (3) belly roll down (4) Pelvic lock back (5) lock front (6) lock back (7) belly roll up (8)] but this time, add a shoulder shimmy during counts 1-4 (the chest part) and a hip shimmy during counts 5-8

Tuesday December 22, 2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:13:53 -0500

Do each of the following for 2-4 minutes each:

Downs with belly roll down to up

Walking forward and back with downs

Walking forward and back with downs+belly roll down to up

Walking forward and back with downs, belly roll down to up, and arms (out to the side & up overhead, then back out and down)

Same combo as yesterday [Chest lock up (1) lock down (2) lock up (3) belly roll down (4) Pelvic lock back (5) lock front (6) lock back (7) belly roll up (8)], but layer over a hip shimmy

Monday December 21, 2009

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:42:56 -0500

Do each of the following for 2-4 minutes each:

Ups with belly roll up to down

Walking forward and back with ups

Walking forward and back with ups+belly roll up to down

Walking forward and back with ups, belly roll up to down, and arms (out to the side & up overhead, then back out and down)

Chest lock up (1) lock down (2) lock up (3) belly roll down (4) Pelvic lock back (5) lock front (6) lock back (7) belly roll up (8)

Question for y'all

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:50:16 -0500

One of my goals for the new year is to start posting video drills. I’ve thought of a couple options:

1. Post a new 20 minute drill video every day. Most of it would be repeating previous drills, but I’d try to throw in one or two new things every day. You would just click on the video and drill along with it (like a DVD).

2. Post a 3-5 minute drill everyday, but every day would be something brand new. That way you can mix and match what drills you want to do. I can also give guidance on what drills to pick.

Let me know what you think or if you have any better ideas!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:33:07 -0500

16 Shoulder Circles in each direction

4 Arm Cycles in each direction

16 Hand Undulations

16 Hand Circles in each direction

30 Belly Rolls in each direction while laying down on your back

Do the following with cymbals- alternating singles:

3-7 minutes downs

3-7 minutes downs with walking (8-16 counts walking forward, 8-16 counts walking back)

3-7 minutes downs with grapevine

Combine the 2 combos we’ve been doing: Chest lock up (1) lock down (2) lock up (3) belly roll down (4) Pelvic lock back (5) lock front (6) lock back (7) belly roll up (8)

Thursday December 17, 2009

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:51:56 -0500

Wow, I can’t believe December is over halfway over. Has anyone else started putting together goals for the new year? I’ve been working on mine but I keep changing them ;)

16 Shoulder Circles in each direction

4 Arm Cycles in each direction

16 Hand Undulations

16 Hand Circles in each direction

30 Belly Rolls in each direction while laying down on your back

Do the following with cymbals longa:

3-7 minutes downs

3-7 minutes downs with walking (8-16 counts walking forward, 8-16 counts walking back)

5 minutes hip shimmy with belly rolls down to up

5+ minutes hip shimmy with pelvic locks (work on these longer if you have to, they’re hard!)

Wednesday December 16, 2009

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:05:17 -0500

16 Shoulder Circles in each direction

4 Arm Cycles in each direction

16 Hand Undulations

16 Hand Circles in each direction

30 Belly Rolls in each direction while laying down on your back

Do the following drills with cymbals 3-3-7:

3-7 minutes downs

3-7 minutes downs with walking (8-16 counts walking forward, 8-16 counts walking back)

3-7 minutes downs with grapevine

3-7 minutes pelvic lock/belly roll combo: Pelvic lock back (1) lock front (2) lock back (3) belly roll up (4)