My guest, Elizabeth Joy, talks about the experimental performance concept, Improv Roulette, and how dancers can benefit from spontaneous creation and collaboration. Improvisation can be intimidating, even for experienced performers. As dancers, we may have strategies for improv, but we often know something about what sort of music we will get or what props we will use. But what happens when you put performance artists from different styles and genres in a safe space that encourages experimentati...
Dec 14, 2016•49 min
My guest, Hiba Al-Kinani talks about exploring different perspectives related to the controversial topic of cultural appropriation. Join us for an exploration of cultural appropriation and how we can approach the dance with respect, understanding, and appreciation without stifling our creativity. Note: Hiba is sharing her personal opinion on this topic, which is informed by her perspective as an Iraqi Canadian, but she is NOT speaking for the entire Arab community. For more geek-tacular resource...
Dec 09, 2016•1 hr 41 min
My guest, Zahra Zuhair, talks about how cultivating a more positive outlook can improve your dance. As dancers, we are often fortunate to have supportive communities of other dancers around us, many of whom become cherished friends. However, between social media, competition for performance spots, and varied motivations for pursuing the dance, we sometimes compare ourselves to other dancers, making us frustrated with our progress and actually discouraging us from the very habits that improve our...
Nov 01, 2016•1 hr 21 min
Nadira Jamal and Heather Wayman of Belly Dance Geek® geek out on everything but the steps: improv, composition, stage presence, history, culture, musicality, practice, values, and more.
Oct 27, 2016•1 hr 29 min
My guest, A’isha Azar talks about the cultural context behind Shaabi, and how it differs from what we usually think of as “belly dance”. Whether you’re a hard-core fan of Shaabi, or a total newbie, you’ll want to hear this! You'll Learn: Shaabi’s history and unique cultural context Important ways that the dance and music differ from standard “belly dance” Why it isn’t really belly dance – but belly dancers should learn it anyway This episode is sponsored by the DVD “Dynamic Zilling for Tribal an...
Aug 29, 2016•1 hr 14 min
My guest, Sausan, talks about The Egyptian Dance Code®. You'll Learn: The differences between American and Egyptian belly dance How those differences transfer into Egyptian style belly dance Sausan’s “Egyptian Dance Code®” concept For more geek-tacular resources, visit: http://www.BellyDanceGeek.com Also check out our sister program, "More Than Steps" where I geek out on how belly dance works, one coffee run at a time: https://anchor.fm/more-than-steps...
Jul 13, 2016•1 hr 13 min
My guest, Roberto Mejía, will talk about the role of male dancers in modern and historical belly dance. You'll Learn: Men’s dancing traditions Turkey, North Africa, and the Middle East, as well as ex-pats living in the West. Myths and misconceptions about dancing men The roles of gender and sexuality in dance How to make classes welcoming to serious male students For more geek-tacular resources, visit: http://www.BellyDanceGeek.com Also check out our sister program, "More Than Steps" where I gee...
Jun 09, 2016•2 hr 8 min
My guests, Ranya Renee, Anasma and Kelley McKinnon - the directorial team behind the Theatrical Bellydance Conference - talk about the use of narrative arcs in belly dance. You'll Learn: What “narrative arc” means Why it’s important, even for traditionally non-narrative belly dance How you build a narrative arc The difference between narrative arc and character development How describing your narrative arc improves your performance proposals For more geek-tacular resources, visit: http://www.Bel...
Jan 22, 2016•1 hr 45 min
My guest, Sahina, talks about dance mentoring. You'll Learn: What to expect from a mentoring relationship How to approach your teacher Finding a mentor who is right for you Steps to take on the road to going pro (teaching and/or performing) The story of how Sahina took up her teacher’s mantle when she retired This episode is sponsored by the new book Belly Dance Practice Prompts: Inspiration for tribal, cabaret, and fusion dancers, which offers 120 inspiring ways to jazz up your practice, plus $...
Dec 07, 2015•1 hr 5 min
My guest, Shadia Tohme, talks about costuming considerations for every body type. You'll Learn: Common mistakes and misconceptions that lead dancers to less-than flattering costume choices. Special costuming considerations for every body type Easy tweaks you can make to make an “okay” costume more flattering NOTE: This episode featured live costume critiques. You can download the photos on the episode page at: https://bellydancegeek.com/2015/11/geek-out-with-shadia-tohme/ For more geek-tacular r...
Nov 11, 2015•1 hr 54 min
My guest, Julie Eason, talks about how to write a book, a blog, or any kind of content for a dance audience. You'll Learn: How publishing a book is easier than ever Why dancers should write a book or blog How to get started, even when you feel lost and frustrated How to find the time to write An effective question-based outline to make writing as easy as answering questions in class This episode is sponsored by Amity Alize, Author of three business ebooks for dancers: Hosting Dance Workshops 101...
Oct 20, 2015•1 hr 46 min
My guest, Kay Hardy Campbell talks about Khaliji dance. Khaliji (sometimes written “Khaleegy”) isn’t belly dance, but is often included in a belly dance show. Kay will help demystify this gorgeous, but often misunderstood dance. You'll Learn: What Khaliji dance is (and isn’t) The benefits and downsides of doing research on YouTube How it’s different in its cultural context vs. in a belly dance show To Thobe or Not To Thobe – and why that’s a good question How to learn more about Khaliji And chec...
Sep 21, 2015•1 hr 21 min
My guest, Nadira of Virginia talks about how to promote yourself beyond your local dance community. Whether you’re promoting yourself, a troupe, or an event, we’ll have something here for you! You'll Learn: Whether broader promotion is right for you What techniques work best Common mistakes that dancers make when they step beyond their local area This episode is sponsored by The Belly Dance Business Academy, where we teach dancers how to build more profitable businesses. Get more students, land ...
Aug 31, 2015•1 hr 36 min
My guest, Assala Ibrahim talks about Iraqi Kawliya dance. Whether you’re a Kawliya dance fan, or have never heard of it before, you’ll come out of this call with a better understanding of the people, history, and culture behind this exciting dance style. For more geek-tacular resources, visit: http://www.BellyDanceGeek.com Also check out our sister program, "More Than Steps" where I geek out on how belly dance works, one coffee run at a time: https://anchor.fm/more-than-steps...
Jul 06, 2015•1 hr 12 min
My guest, attorney and belly dancer Amia D'Itri, talks about what dancers need to know about contracts. You'll learn: The difference between legal advice and legal information (and why you need to know) What must, should, and could be in a dance performance contract. Tips for finding and speaking with an attorney to create a contract for you. Tips for finding self-help resources to write your own. *** DISCLAIMERS *** 1) This episode was recorded in 2015, and a lot may have changed since then 2) ...
Jun 15, 2015•1 hr 10 min
My guest, Roxxanne Shelaby, talks about the early belly dance scene in LA. If you enjoyed our “early days” episodes on the early dance scenes in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, you’ll love this one! You'll learn about: The first generations of dancers in LA – and the musicians they danced with The middle eastern communities that made their homes in LA – and the nightclubs that brought them together What has changed since then, what has stayed the same For more geek-tacular resources, visit:...
May 13, 2015•1 hr 3 min
My guest, Terri Allred, talks about the use of props in American Tribal Style®. Whether you’re a tribal dancer looking for new sources of inspiration, or a cabaret dancer curious about how other styles use props, there will be something here for you! For more geek-tacular resources, visit: http://www.BellyDanceGeek.com Also check out our sister program, "More Than Steps" where I geek out on how belly dance works, one coffee run at a time: https://anchor.fm/more-than-steps...
Apr 16, 2015•1 hr 13 min
My guest, Katayoun, will talk about how to tell when you’re ready to start teaching belly dance. This call is for you if you are: An aspiring teacher A newer teacher looking for some guidance A seasoned teacher grooming your own students to teach someday Just curious about what it takes to be a qualified teacher This episode is sponsored by The Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive & Festival, now in its final year. To make sure that you don’t miss out on this epic event, sign up now at: bellydanc...
Mar 12, 2015•1 hr 31 min
My guest, Nadira of Virginia, talks about how engaging the dance community is crucial to your event. (And how to do it.) (With twice the Nadira, you know it’s going to be good!) You’ll learn: How can a healthy dance community help you as a student, a pro, or a promoter How to increase community interaction Why Nadira chose to start a local Bellycouncil How you can create your own This episode is sponsored by Raq-On Dance, providing Belly Dance classes in NH, VT and online, as well as events, per...
Feb 24, 2015•1 hr 3 min
My guest, Amity Alize will talk about tax considerations for dancers.It doesn’t matter whether you’re making big bucks, or not even close to making a profit. If you earn any income through dance, you need to hear this! (Note: we’ll be discussing US tax laws on this call. Some of the concepts will be universal, but some concepts (and most of the details) will only apply to dancers in the US.) You’ll learn: How to determine what expenses are safe to deduct for dancers and teachers When you need to...
Jan 14, 2015•1 hr 16 min
My guest, DeVilla, artistic director of troupe Isis-Siren-Sekhmet, talks about how to run a troupe with style, grace, and ease. You’ll learn: How student, amateur, and pro troupes differ – and what’s universal Whose vision is this: group leadership vs. a single leader Why a dance company needs to set goals and have a mission statements How to style your troupe for a cohesive look Why your members make or break the group – and how to choose the right ones. Group finances: the money you spend, and...
Dec 12, 2014•1 hr 48 min
My guests, Rosa Noreen and Jonatan Gomes Derbaq, creators of "Rhythm and Pause" will talk about finding space within continuous drum beats, so you can stop and be in the moment. You’ll learn: Why pauses add drama to a drum solo How to pull pauses out of fast music with a continuous beat How to navigate unknown music by using the rhythms We’ll be approaching this from both the dancer’s and musician’s perspective. This episode is sponsored by Belly Dance New England, the Northeast’s premiere onlin...
Nov 11, 2014•1 hr 54 min
My guest, Julie Eason of the Belly Dance Business Academy, talks about how to use crowd-funding services like Kickstarter to fund a big project. You’ll learn: What crowd-funding is What kind of projects can be funded through crowd-funding How to create a crowd-funding project How to set your project up for success This episode is sponsored by Blue Moonstone Designs, maker of tassel belts, tie-dyed silk veils, cover-ups and more. Check them out at: bluemoonstone.etsy.com For more geek-tacular res...
Oct 06, 2014•1 hr 7 min
My guest, Sahra Kent (aka Sahra Saeeda), talks about how understanding the context is the key to making sense of Egyptian folklore. If you’ve ever wondered why so many videos of the same folkloric style (such as Saidi) can look so different, Sahra’s breakthrough “tables” approach can help you make sense of it. So check out this geek-tacular discussion on how to put together the puzzle pieces so you can finally get a clear picture of Egyptian folkloric dance. This episode is sponsored by LeoToes,...
Sep 16, 2014•1 hr 21 min
My guest, Amira Jamal, author of Language of the Dance (and MY teacher!!!), talks about different learning styles.We’ll approach this from both the teacher and student perspective. You'll Learn: What learning styles are How they help teachers get through to their students Specific techniques for accommodating different learning styles Why understanding your own learning style helps you get more out of class AND practice time What to do if your teacher isn’t accommodating your learning style For ...
Aug 22, 2014•1 hr 40 min
My guest, Treasure Marshall talks about how to use costuming to help your show make more of an impact on your audience. You'll Learn: How to costume yourself for large vs. small stages How to choose skirts for skirtwork and other types of dance Considerations for quick changes And a LOT more! Note: This episode includes some visuals. You can download the slides on the episode page at: https://bellydancegeek.com/2014/07/geek-out-with-treasure-marshall/ For more geek-tacular resources, visit: http...
Jul 23, 2014•1 hr 57 min
My guest, Rhea of Greece, shares stories from her time in Jamila Salimpour’s troupe Bal Anat, the hippie movement, her decades-long international dance journey, and much more. For more geek-tacular resources, visit: http://www.BellyDanceGeek.com Also check out our sister program, "More Than Steps" where I geek out on how belly dance works, one coffee run at a time: https://anchor.fm/more-than-steps...
Jun 13, 2014•1 hr 22 min
My guest, Alia Thabit, gives a preview of her upcoming book, Midnight at the Crossroads: Has belly dance sold its soul? A frank and provocative discussion about: The essential values of oriental dance How we’ve strayed from them (and why) How to stay true to those values – without stifling ourselves or the evolution of the dance For more geek-tacular resources, visit: http://www.BellyDanceGeek.com Also check out our sister program, "More Than Steps" where I geek out on how belly dance works, one...
Apr 23, 2014•1 hr 9 min
My guests, Anasma and Linda Faoro of the International Urban Belly Dance Collective, will talk to us about how to build a successful career as a fusion artist, both from an artistic and business perspective. (We’re going to focus on the special needs of fusion dancers, but even traditionalists like me can benefit from thinking beyond the “belly box”.) You'll Learn: How career-building differs for fusion vs. cabaret dancers How the audiences, venus, and opportunities differ Why the “belly dance” ...
Apr 03, 2014•1 hr 44 min
My guest, Samira Tu’ala of the Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive, talks about how to get the most benefit out of a large dance event without running yourself ragged. If you’ve ever come back from an event with a case of “festival fatigue”, but not much else, this call is for you! You'll Learn: Why knowing your goals is the key to getting the most out of a large event The 6 things you may be looking for in an event How to make sure you don’t run yourself ragged Why trying to learn everything makes ...
Mar 24, 2014•1 hr 15 min
