fumbling towards proficiency
there are sometimes where I feel like I'm the worst dancer on earth. This usually occurs when I am coming down from a hot streak- I'll have 3 days out of my dance week when I'll be tearing it up in the morning, feeling like I've really "got it" and my movements are sharp, inspired, sassy.
Then there's other days where I get up, put on the iPodShuffle and it feels like I've never done any form of dance before, but merely heard some of the moves described to me be someone over a fuzzy cell phone connection and am ungracefully fumbling to remember them and translate them through my body.
It's on days like this when I stop improv dancing, pulling the needle off my dance record, and go back to drills. I start with basics: mayas, shimmies, umis, hip drops, hip bumps and then move up to my rib cage for extensions, pops, boxes, diagonal pops, then to the shoulders for the shoulder box *ouch, thanks Lisa*, figure 8s, snake arms in both tribal and big cabaret form and then to floreos, stomach rolls, body waves...
and it's here that I realize.. DAMN. There are a LOT of different basic, core moves to this dance that I do that I take for granted when I'm just DOING them without thinking. I think I love bellydance because there's always something I could be doing better, always something to work on. And, even when I'm frustrated and feel like the WORST DANCER EVER, there's these movements that are basic, but beautiful and amazing in the complexity that I can go back to. It's like being able to go back to baby steps, to step back from the full crazy expecation of Performing and just visit basics, becoming reaware of my body and how the movements effect me.
The past week, I've been getting up early and doing at least 1/2 hour of dance before work. This has really had an impact on my general well-being and I've found I'm not so grumpy and stressed at work. However, there's nothing more humbling than the days where I wake up and nothing seems to sink into place... but those days are blessings in themselves, as they remind me that dance will always hold more for me to learn, more ways to grow. and that's awesome.
posted by the ineffable b @ 5:41 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Try this exercise that Lotus gave me: Think of 4 very basic moves, e.g., maya, drop kick, snake arms, downward undulation. Now take a 3-4 minute song. Dance to that entire song using only those 4 moves. Be as creative as possible. Make them into different combos. Travel with them. Go in different directions. Try different angles.
When you feel that you've mastered dancing with those 4 moves, add one more. And so on and so on. The end result is that you realize just how much you do know and you feel much more comfortable as an improv, solo dancer because you know that, should you ever be caught unawares or you've forgotten your choreography, you can just fall back on 4 or 5 moves and still produce a dance that's lovely and powerful.
It also helps in choreographing because you realize that even the most complicated-looking choreographies are really built on very simplistic, core movements. It gives you confidence in your own choreography skills.
WOW what great advice!!! Thanks Toya... man, now to choose four.
*ponders*
I'll try it this weekend and update you on how it works.
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