Class Descriptions and Level Breakdowns
With an emphasis on moving from the core
muscles, Zanbaka's approach to belly dance offers students the vocabulary,
skills, and freedom to pursue whatever style they prefer. The Beginning Class
is appropriate for those who have never taken a dance class in their life and
for more experienced dancers who want to perfect the basics. This class
includes:
1) A multitasking warm-up utilizing common
foot-patterns and arm movements while raising heart-rate,
lubricating joints, increasing
blood flow/oxygen to all parts of the body, and sharpening our alertness.
2) Slow finger cymbal rhythms combined with simple foot patterns/arm movements
3) Conditioning to strengthen muscle groups used in bellydance and to improve
alignment and control
4) "Light" stretches to open up areas of the body that may have become stagnant
or tight during the course of the day
5) Technique exercises for postural alignment, beginning turns, and arm
positions
6) Various isolation drills for the head, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands,
ribcage, abdominals, and hips.
In addition to developing muscle
memory, our goal with the weekly drills is to build speed, clarity, and
precision, since they are the basis for so many advanced movements in bellydance.
7) Combinations to strengthen transitions between movements.
8) A cool-down with deeper stretches and relaxation
For students interested in advancing to the Intermediate Class, I recommend that
you be intimately familiar, have a firm understanding, and possess the ability
to independently execute each of the following technique items as guideline. For
students with basic bellydance experience, please bear in mind that the content
and intensity of beginning classes can vary immensely from instructor to
instructor. I ask that new students start out with the Beginning Class,
regardless of experience. I'm always happy to discuss your dance goals and
threshold for individual critique and feedback in class, so please Email me
anytime!
Beginning Technique
Foot Patterns, Finger Cymbal 3's at Full Time, Soft and Strong Arm Positions,
Floreos, Wrist Isolations, Hand Undulations, Low Arm Undulations, Shoulder
Isolations (Forward, Up, Back Down)Figure Eights PTM (U2D, D2U), Hip Twist (PTF,
Up, Raised), Figure Eights (F2B and B2F versions of Basic, PTF, PTM/PTF), Head
Isolations, Up Hips, Side Hips, Down Hips, Raised Up Hip and Timing Variations,
Ribcage Variations (Slides, Tilt, Twist, Diagonal, Vertical, Diamonds, Squares,
Figure Eights), Hip Diamond Variations (Up, PTF, Side-Up), Lower Body
Undulation, Abdominal Isolations, Full Body Undulation, Leg Shimmy, Weight
Shifting Shimmy, Quiver Shimmy, Up 3/4 Shimmies, Down 3/4 Shimmies, Basic Turns,
4/4 Rhythms.
Intermediate Technique
Complex Foot Patterns, Wrist and Elbow Leading Soft Arm Series, Floreos Layered
on Dynamic Strong Arms Positions, Leg Shimmy with Layering Variations, Traveling
and Changing Levels with Beginning Technique Isolations, Traveling Up 3/4 Shimmy
1, Traveling Up 3/4 Shimmy 2,