It’s all about cross-training!

And I’m not talking about that crazy gym equipment – I’m talking about taking time to work on different aspects of your body and mind in order to benefit your dance. In this particular article I am going to be looking at how to cross – train to improve your creativity!

Dance is an unusual creature – ticking both physical and creative boxes, and because it’s so demanding on the body and mind, sometimes it can suck your creative well dry! And this is where cross training comes in.

“Cross-training refers to an athlete training in sports other than the one that the athlete competes in, with a goal of improving overall performance. It takes advantage of the particular effectiveness of each training method, while at the same time attempting to negate the shortcomings of that method by combining it with other methods that address its weaknesses.”

Wikipedia

For dance – I feel that cross training doesn’t apply to just the physical aspects of the dance alone. It applies to the creative side too!

Find a release for your creativity when dancing just won’t do. For me – painting and art is a way to improve my creativity, to re-set any artistic frustrations I’ve been feeling, and give my brain a chance to re-adjust and get back into dance again. Especially after a particularly busy dance period – it can be nice to take time out, reset, and then begin again!

Looking at different art forms can also add to potential choreography ideas, and jog the creative juices. Paintings, Music, Theatre, Film, Literature – all these mediums can create some really strong images and ideas that can kick start a choreography – and personally I feel it’s good practice to really immerse yourself in these in order to engage and train your brain to think creatively and outside the box! Something that I always find really engages me is period dramas and antiquated fashions. I love pouring over old books on the Tudor court, Victorian clothing, and old fairy tales from bygone eras. They really conjure up a sense of beauty, of poignancy, of the magic of history that for some reason really gets me going artistically.

Find something that works for you and embrace it! One of my dance colleagues found inspiration watching a skirt dance from the 1800’s on a historical BBC programme! You never know what might inspire your next performance, costume, or music choice.

Never say never – you might be frightened to pick up a paintbrush, write a poem, or feel that reading is just not your thing – that’s ok! But don’t rule these things out. They may seem like you are goofing off, and not dancing – but they will benefit your choreographies, costumes and theatricality no end!

I hope this helps you to work on your creativity within dance. Some of my best ideas have come to me when reading a novel, listening to an unusual radio show ( BBC R2 Folk Show has given me some goodies!) and when visiting galleries or unusual places! Above all – be open, and let the world be your oyster!

Final Note for the Day:

Take a chance to have a look at one of my favourite websites Pinterest. It's incredible how images can really trigger ideas, thoughts and emotions - and the best thing about this site? You can save your own ideas on your very own moodboard! You can see my pinterest boards here.

If you want to use this post in your e-zine, blog or newsletter, please go ahead! But make sure that you credit Louise Brooks - www.louisebellydancer.co.uk

What are your priorities?

So this blog post has been a long time coming - over the Christmas season I indulged and took some time away from dance to really focus on me and have some delicious "down time".

And I'm glad I did!

This year has already been a crazy year - and it's only the end of January!

I've started a new day job - working for an incredible Hospice within Fundraising, which is a blast! And really is a rewarding career. I'm buying a house with my gorgeous partner in dance, and in life, Jim, and to top it all off am teaching some amazing classes, creating some beautiful costumes and working on my yoga practice!

This got me to thinking - how on earth am I going to decide what takes priority, and how am I going to fit all this darn stuff in to my week!?
I thought I would share with you, ways to prioritise, organise, and work out your time, so that you get the most from all of your hobbies, dance activities, and your work!

1. Prioritise what you love - This is something that Amy Sigil says in one of her Datura Online classes that really stuck with me. If you LOVE dance - schedule that in to your week first. Make specific time slots in your diary, whether its an hour before work, or 15 minutes when you get home before you cook tea, make sure you schedule it in, so you get to do what you love. Same goes for other things - like if you love having a bath, schedule it in! Make time for the things you love! It may mean waking up half an hour earlier, but sometimes, it really is worth it.

2. Get rid of the things that don't make you feel excited - Is that Zumba class just a bind? Ditch it. Is trying to swim once a week just eating into precious drawing or sewing time? Ditch it. Do you resent having to sew a bellydance costume for your next show? Ditch it. Your free time is precious, don't waste it on sub par activities that don't excite you. Instead, dedicate more time to the thing you love, or find an activity that does excite you! It can feel tough, you may feel obliged to keep going to those rotary club meetings, or monthly bake sales, but if you aren't passionate about it, and it doesn't get your juices flowing - find something that does! Learn to be ruthless with your most precious commodity - time.

3. Plan Ahead - Make a point of planning things in advance. This will really help you to work out what works for you and your schedule, and also what you can fit into your year! I don't know about you, but I very often say I will do things, or go places, and at the end of the year, nothing's changed! Planning in advance will really help that - you will be more likely to stick to your plans, and it also gives you more things to look forward to!

4. Get a calendar - and use it! - It may take a bit of time to get into the habit of using a calendar, but by gum does it make life easier when planning, organising and arranging your time. I love my gmail calendar as I can sync it to my phone, laptop and emails, and can sort out nifty reminders and alerts. You should see some of the things I schedule in - sometimes stuff as mundane as taking an hour for a bath and pamper session - but if you don't plan it in somewhere, you'll never get round to it!


I hope these tips help you guys to start thinking about your own schedules and the way you organise your time, above all though - make sure you make yourself the top priority.

Final Note for the Day:

Play around with ways to plan your time - spreasdsheets, calendars, diaries - use what works for you best! I often use a mixtures of excel, diaries, and more often than not, post-its!

If you want to use this post in your e-zine, blog or newsletter, please go ahead! But make sure that you credit Louise Brooks - www.louisebellydancer.co.uk

How to Combat the Bellydance Blues

It's gotten to that time of year, where it's dark, it's damp, it's cold, and it's miserable! (Well, here in the UK that is!) If there is going to be a period of time where you feel like hanging up your hip belts and packing away your dance paws in favour of snuggly jumpers and eating chocolate it's now!

Sometimes however, it's not just the weather and seasonal shifts that can impact our dancing.

Sometimes we just get a bout of the blues, where our choreographies seem muddled and not up to par, we perhaps lose confidence in our abilities as a dancer, and we let our inner critic come out to play and stamp all over our hard work.

I'm a sensitive person. I really care about my dancing and really invest a lot of time, and emotional effort into creating and performing. And this really does take it's toll, on not only my social life, but also, my creative life. Surprisingly, you'd think that trying to practice every day and working hard will encourage results, and yes, it does... but it can also leave you feeling frustrated, burnt out, and fed up!

I wanted to share with you my tips for coping with, and combating the bellydance blues!

• Take a Break - This is the toughest to follow through! You may feel like perhaps sitting and taking notes in your dance class when you or your body is tired and fatigued is lazy, or that by skipping a class because you feel poorly (whether mentally or physically) is letting people down - Don't. I have pushed myself so hard before that I had to miss a workshop that I really wanted to attend because I was experiencing a really severe panic attack, that probably could have been avoided by taking a break when I needed it, and not feeling like I was "letting other people down". Sometimes it's hard to take a step back and say - "You know what? I feel really anxious, and stressed and unhappy today, and really need a break." 
• Give yourself some "Me" time - Sometimes if we are working on other people's choreographies, or learning routines for shows, it can become really easy to lose sight of who we are as dancers. Take time out to just dance for fun, making up your own routines or improvisations that are just for you, and not for anyone else. Feed your inner creative artist and allow yourself to have a play - it's not shirking off, as you are still dancing!
• Learn Something New - If you are feeling uninspired or feeling like you are at a loss with your dancing and not sure which way to go, learn a new skill! Whether it's a different style of dance, a new prop, learning from a new teacher, it can all help to jog your creative juices and get things flowing again. 
• Talk to Someone - Its important to have a chat with colleagues, dance troupe members, teachers, about how you are feeling. Firstly because you realise that you are not alone as a dancer, and that other people are going through these feelings too! Secondly, if people know you are feeling down about your dancing, they will want to support you, and be ready with lots of advice, and help you to feel back on cloud nine about your belly dance abilities!

I would like to leave you with this Native American Indian Story:

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Final Note for the Day:

In this cold weather, make sure to take in lots of fluids and eat plenty if you are exercising! Your body is only as good as the fuel you supply it with, so over this winter, look after yourself! 

If you want to use this post in your e-zine, blog or newsletter, please go ahead! But make sure that you credit Louise Brooks - www.louisebellydancer.co.uk

Getting into the Mood... Pre-Performance Rituals, and Make-up Must Haves! Part 2

I have been very lucky to be able to interview two gorgeous Tribal and Tribal Fusion Bellydance Stars about their performance rituals and how they prepare for the stage! Both Hilde and Charlotte are big inspirations for me, and to be able to chat to them about how they prepare to perform, it's a real treat!

Hilde Canoodt

Hi Hilde! Really great to chat to you. Your performances are so varied, and I know you are working a lot with Contemporary Dance and Fusing that with your Bellydance. How do you prepare for these performances and do you have any rituals to help ground you before a performance?

I'm in a weird transitional fase at the moment as a dancer. I used to wear a lot of stage make up, headdresses,... to add to the theatricality of my performance. But in the last few years a lot has shifted: I've been 'digging deep' and been trying to find my voice as a dancer. This goes together with lots of travelling and not having a home for about 2 years now. I feel quite nomadic. So I haven't got access to many of my costumes at the moment, and I've noticed that I started to 'shed' the layers of theatricality like make up, hair and costuming and when for more simple, natural look. Sometimes I hardly wear any make up, as I'm trying to find ways to dance from the inside out, wearing thick layers of make up seems to be contradicting that idea. I have a feeling once I have a home again and stop travelling so much, my pretty dresses will come out of the storage cupboard and I will bring more focus to my make up/hair/costuming rituals. I find it interesting how you can see dancers whole life on the stage, following their development as a dancer usually goes hand in hand with their personal life. For me: I feel I used to be much more of an entertainer and felt my performance was to please the crowd. Now, I want to dance from the inside out: more bare, and I think it shows in my aesthetic.
Wow, that is a really powerful idea. I love how you are really expressing yourself now as a performer. If you do wear make-up during performances, what is your cosmetic bag must have? I really do like my MAC eye liner: it's this little pot of black paint with the consistency of shoe polish it doesn't smudge and gives clear lines with a mat look. Even if I wear nothing else, I like to enhance the eyes as the eyes are so expressive in a dancer, I think it's important to enhance them.

Definately - The eyes are the window to the soul! Where do you get your inspiration from for costuming and makeup?
My inspiration comes from a number of sources: I will see someone's look on stage and go: oh that's beautiful and often have a chat with them to ask about their aesthetic choices. I like a more natural look often, but I do enjoy a bold lip colour too.

Where can dancers find out more about you and your performing?
I run a festival every year: Tribal Remix in Brighton, UK - www.tribalremix.co.uk I teach and perform in the UK and abroad - please visit my website www.hildedancer.com or find me on facebook (Hilde Cannoodt)

Charlotte Wassell

Hi Charlotte! You are such a Tribal Rockstar - how do you like to prepare for your performances?

Ideally the day of a performance I like to have a good workout of some kind, even if it is much earlier in the day, so I feel warmed-up to be able to perform my best. If I have time, I really like to go to town with my make-up – plenty of shading and lots of glitter and stick-on Swarovski accents in addition to the obligatory bindi. Usually I’m listening to my performance music in order to “brainwash” myself and get in the zone.

That's a great idea! Listening to your music before performing really helps ground you and get you in the "zone". What cosmetic item can you not live without in your gig bag?

Ok so this is not a make-up item, but I totally panic if I don’t have tictacs in my gig bag! I got this tip from the stunning Kathleen Pearlson (look her up) and as I really suffer from dry mouth when performing it totally changed things for me. Stick one or two under your tongue just before you go on and it stimulates your saliva so voilà! No dry mouth and a beautiful smile! 

Awesome tip! Who inspires you when it comes to your own personal bellydance look?

At the moment I don’t have a particular person who inspires me, but I really like the dark heavy eyes common in Tribal belly dance. I rarely wear much make-up on a day-to-day basis so it’s fun to go to the other end of the spectrum when I perform!

Where can dancers find out more about you and your performing?

http://www.hildedancer.com/teachers/

https://www.facebook.com/charlottio

https://www.facebook.com/TerzimUKSA

http://www.youtube.com/user/terzimtribal

Images courtesy of J. Christos Photography

Final Note for the Day:

Explore different styles of dance. Bellydance is a fantastic and diverse dance form, but don't be afraid to peek out of the box and have a look into Odissi, Russian Folk Dances, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz... You may find it benefits your Bellydance in ways you never imagined! Take a leap of faith and see what you can discover!

Want to catch up on my 100 day Belly Dance Challenge? Don't forget to check out my YouTube playlist here.

If you want to use this post in your e-zine, blog or newsletter, please go ahead! But make sure that you credit Louise Brooks - www.louisebellydancer.co.uk

Puttin' On the Ritz - The Glamour of Stage Shows!

Helen and Cherie

So it's been rather quiet on the blog front recently, and with good reason! This Wednesday just gone (22nd October) was the Sheikh It! Bellydance Show! Organised and put together by myself and Natasha with the idea in mind that we wanted to get together as many professional dancers as possible and put on a theatre show to the general public to really showcase the talent and skill of the dancers, as well as showing what a remarkable and versatile dance form bellydance is!

So What's it like to put on a stage show?

Left to Right: Cherie, Kassandra, Amy,
Mim, Sabrynah, Natasha

Well - it's definitely different to doing a normal showcase that's for sure! There is so much to think about! I think the biggest challenge for me was the technical aspect of the show, lighting, timings, rehearsals... It's all a lot to take in if you are just used to being able to rock up, do a bit of decoration, and then have the dancers do their thing!

But despite all the stress that comes with organising a big show, the best thing about doing a theatre show is the magic when it all comes together, and the audience comes in, everything goes quiet, and the first performance begins. It really is an incredible experience, and is worth every sleepless night!

One of the most awesome things about doing this show was being able to collaborate with so many different dancers, to form new bonds, learn from each other, and really create a spectacular show!

Is performing in a stage show different to performing in a showcase?

 Oh yes! The lights are brighter, the stage is (usually) bigger, and there is a lot more to think about! It's often harder to interact with the audience like you would do in a restaurant or a smaller more intimate hafla or showcase, and you really have to make sure you look out into the room, despite the fact that it looks pitch black because of the bright lights shining up at you! Plus, you can really go to town with make-up and costuming, as the lights will really pick up crystals, sparkles and glitter and more elaborate costumes look incredible on stage.

The backstage area is often more crowded as well in the theatre, and full of hustle and bustle, girls putting on makeup, practicing pieces, helping each other into costumes, swapping jewellery and sharing cosmetics. There is such a sense of camaraderie before a big show, and it creates a real "back stage family" feeling. There is definitely nothing like it!

Left To Right: Kassandra, Natasha, Mim, Me!, Cherie

What should I do if I want to put on my own show?

Research venues to start off with, think about how much it would cost to hire and how much you would need to charge for tickets and minimum ticket sales to make the show viable. Once you are happy with all this, then invite dancers to perform! Everyone loves to be invited to perform at a show, so send out some feelers and make some connections! Make this a chance to network with dancers in your local area and to make new friends. Also, think about if you want your show to have a theme or a story running through it, lots of showcases have themes that the dancers stick to which can work really well to build a show around!

Final Note for the Day:

Bellydance is a great way to meet people! In your next dance class, or the next event you go to, try and have a chat with a dancer you haven't met yet! It's a good way to make new connections, and you never know, you might just find a bellydance soulmate!

Want to catch up on my 100 day Belly Dance Challenge? Don't forget to check out my YouTube playlist here.

If you want to use this post in your e-zine, blog or newsletter, please go ahead! But make sure that you credit Louise Brooks - www.louisebellydancer.co.uk

The Beauty of Silence

Silence is a powerful tool within the dancers vocabulary. I'm not talking about pauses or rests in music, but in quietening the body, and allowing your body to be still as part of your routine - to allow your body to become... Silent.

We all know that in belly dance, our goal is to interpret the music with our hips and bodies - to embody the violin, accordion or drum that is accompanying our dance - to feel the music, and create a "visual interpretation" of the song. 

An important part of this interpretation is to allow the body to be still at certain parts of the music - whether it's in a pose, deliberate hesitation before a turn, or elongating and pausing during a move. 

But how do I know when to be "Silent?"

It's very often the case that dancers - especially in belly dance - become obsessed with movement. So much so, that a choreography can become a shimmy from the very first second to the last few bars of the track - as we are so desperate to showcase everything within our vocabulary in a short 4 minute slot! We become scared to stop - especially when we are first starting out as performers - as it feels as though, if we stop dancing, the audience will see us for who we are. Not to mention when adrenaline kicks in, and time flies at lightening speed!

Take a look at Uliana Lopatkina performing "The Dying Swan". As Belly dancers we can learn a lot from other dance forms, and Ballet is the perfect example of this. Within this piece Uliana rises and falls with the music. She creates light and shade, and contrast between movement, and stillness. Watch at 2:00 when she creates large shapes and travelling steps, before becoming quiet and soft at 2:17. And also at 2:49 when she dramatically stops, and holds her pose - creating an air of sadness, of finality, and you can almost see the swan in the sky taking it's last few breaths.

This is important to take in as dancers, as those pause make all the difference. Imagine if she hadn't paused then? Or slowed her movements at those certain times? Would the effect have been the same?

She is still moving - and still dancing, but she is incorporating stillness into her dance, allowing it to show emotions that sometimes, movement just can't!

Have a look now at Serena Ramzy performing a Baladi Piece. Watch how she uses pauses to great effect, for example at 0:39 where she drops her hip, and really let's the audience soak that in, before then interpreting the Accordian. This creates an air of calm, of confidence, of being comfortable in her own skin. Using the pauses within the music really does mean you "interpret" the music to the fullest, it also gives you as a dancer time to breathe, to think, and to relax into your performance. 

 These pauses within her piece create a completely different atmosphere to the one created by the ballet. Serena creates anticipation. With every pause, or elongated move, it creates excitement, it creates a build up, which is especially important in Baladi where the music gradually swells to a climax.

Therefore looking at both these performances we can determine the following:

   

Pauses and Silences within your dancing can create an atmosphere or emotion for your audience.

I will leave you with this quote from a fantastic book "The Intimate Act of Choreography" by Lynne Anne Blom and L.Tarin Chaplin, in which they say:

"Stillness is not an inaction. It is a waiting, with a sense of ongoingness. A hesitation, a caught breath, is a moment arrived at, held precious, and left. Stillness is gathering in the past... Holding, savouring thr present... Anticipating the future. It contains within it both past and future. There is a hint and promise of what is to come, a memory of what was - stillness, a moment tattooed."

Final Note for the Day:

Interested in how to interpret Egyptian Music? Look no further - all you need is this beauty of an article from Hossam Ramzy. Click HERE to read it!

Want to catch up on my 100 day Belly Dance Challenge? Don't forget to check out my YouTube playlist here.

If you want to use this post in your e-zine, blog or newsletter, please go ahead! But make sure that you credit Louise Brooks - www.louisebellydancer.co.uk

Injecting some fun into Bellydance - The 100 day Challenge!

I've found recently that it's been very difficult for me to have "fun" dancing. I'm often drilling, rehearsing, and choreographing, and although that is fun... It's not silly fun, it's not just losing yourself in the moment and dancing freely to music fun. And I think this is something that we all miss a lot in our day to day practice - the chance to break free, stick on a tune, and just... dance!

Inspired by a fellow 8 Elements student Malik Turley, who is currently breaking boundries, and is a real bellydance warrior, I've decided to create my own personal challenge.

This is a challenge to inject some fun back into your dancing. This is a challenge to push your boundries, find some new tunes, and just rock out in your living room. I wanted to do a challenge that would release your inner artist, jog your creative memory, and perhaps unclog some of that dancers block we get from time to time, where choreographies and dances jut seem lacklustre and don't have that glittery shine they used to.

I've been reading a book called "The Artists Way" by Julia Cameron - and in it she talks about "Filling the Well, and Stocking the Pond". In order to be creative artists we need to learn to be "self nourishing", we need to actively pursue fun, new images to replenish our resevoir of creativity. I personally find, that when I take the time out to just dance to a track, floodgates open, and all of a sudden, I am inundated with ideas of what I could do next.

Here is a breakdown of the 100 day bellydance challenge:

Every day, for 100 days I will be picking a tune at random, and just dancing to it. No choreography, just improvising, no matter how bad, no matter how truly ridiculous. I will film it (No retakes!) and upload it - to inspire you to do the same.

My uploads will be on an unlisted YouTube playlist - accessible only from this blog. I'll post a commentary every week or so letting you know how I'm getting on! (You can also see the evidence if you check back regularly!)

So, there you have it. I will be putting myself out there, making a fool of myself once a day, for 100 days, to show you that dance does not have to be perfect. Dance does not have to be precise. However, it does have to be fun.

And, to make things better, I'm taking requests! Got a track you want to see me boogie to next? Bring it on - no matter how silly, no matter how ridiculous. 

I dare you to take on this challenge too. Let me know how you get on! You don't have to film it, just take the time, once a day to dance to something and just let go, have fun, and let your inner dancer go wild!

Find my YouTube Playlist here:

You can tell my vids are one take only - sorry for the poor sound quality and abrupt ending of Day 1 - I'll make sure I have enough battery in my camera next time ;)

Final Note for the Day:

Ever wondered why Egyptian dancers like Fifi Abdou or Dina are so great at performing? It's because they really take the time to feel the music. They understand the mood, the nuance, the beauty of the track or live music they are performing to. Next time your improvise or Choreograph a piece of music - take the time to have a little look into the background of the track, or find translations of the lyrics so you can really get to grips with the music you are dancing to!


If you want to use this post in your e-zine, blog or newsletter, please go ahead! But make sure that you credit Louise Brooks - www.louisebellydancer.co.uk

Top 5 Tips to Create the Perfect Drill Session!

Why do we Drill movements?

Drilling techniques as a bellydancer is the key to strong, isolated, and controlled movements. By repping the moves we want to master we are making connections in our brains, utilising muscle memory, and generally making it easier for our bodies to understand what it is exactly that we want it to do.

Good Drilling is where we allot a certain amount of time for each movement, repeat it with good focus and concentration, and strive to create those connections with the movement. When you are drilling in your own personal practice, this can sometimes lead to frustration, boredom, and procrastination. Trust me, I know! There are so many things you would rather be doing - like boogying around to your next choreography piece, or sewing a fabulous new costume you want to wear. But trust me, if you want your dance to be tip-top and as slick as possible, you want to have at least 15 mins a day, just rocking out your drills!

My Top 5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Drill Session...

5. Find some music you love - This has always been a crucial thing for me in my practice sessions. If you find time just flies when you drill hip drops to ABBA's Dancing Queen, use it! If you use music that gets you going, and makes you happy, this makes drilling so much more pleasureable! (And gives you an excuse to have a sing along whilst your working!)

4. Pick 5 key moves that you want to work on - Don't feel you have to drill every move. Watch videos of yourself dancing and pick out 5 moves that you feel would benefit from a good going over. Make that your practice for the week. Then, pick another 5 moves! This stops your practice from becoming stale, and keeps things fresh and moving. It's so easy to get stuck in a rut, so mix it up!

3. If anything starts to feel sore, Take a break! - This is an important one as I can only too readily tell you, that if you are drilling to excess and pushing yourself too hard, you are in for an injury. If during your drills you find you come into any serious aches or pains - especially in the knees, please stop, and have a break. Drilling through injuries or pain will only lead to more serious damage.

2. Embrace the feeling of Frustration - If a move is not coming naturally, if you get to a point in your drill where you want to throw your hip scarf on the floor and have a cry, DON'T! Pick yourself up, and try again. That feeling of frustration, of almost getting it but not quite reaching it, is good. It's your body and brain showing that you are learning and making new connections. Remember, you never would have learned to walk if you'd just given up when your first fell down!

1. Slow and steady, wins the race - When it comes to drilling, be the tortoise, not the hare. In order to create a productive drill session and to really see results, it is better to do small practices but regularly, rather than once a week drill marathons. You will build up strength better, your brain will have time to digest everything you've been trying to acheive, and I guarentee, a move that you found difficult in your drills yesterday, will feel that bit easier today.


I hope this helps you create your own drill sessions within your practice. If you have any of your own tips or ideas to help create a fun and exciting practice, please do comment them below, I'd love to hear what you use at home to improve your dancing!

 

Final Note for the Day:

Remember those basic dance moves you learnt when you were just starting out? Don't forget those in your practice - they deserve just as much love and attention as the flashy moves. Figure 8's, Hip Drops, Hip Hits etc are your flour, caster sugar, butter and eggs. You can add all the chocolate sprinkles you want, but if you forget one of the key ingredients, the whole thing goes to pot!



If you want to use this post in your e-zine, blog or newsletter, please go ahead! But make sure that you credit Louise Brooks - www.louisebellydancer.co.uk