'Bellydancing the Elements'
FIRE AIR EARTH WATER
Bellydance can be a colourful, playful creative process with AstroBelly routines and the four elemental qualities of the signs - Earth, Fire, Air and Water.
AstroBelly routines can be used as the foundation for exciting choreographies and tools for creativity through dance. By using the elements and 'characters of the Zodiac' in bellydance, we can access many personalites and expressions within ourselves.
With AstroBelly, you can express your feminine sensuality with Water, release your passionate persona with Fire, enjoy the rhythmic physicality of Earth and the light playfulness of Air. Tapping into the elements helps the solo dancer deepen her awareness of the character and gesture. In a group, focussing on elemental qualities improves the group's overall expression and unity.
AstroBelly gives teachers tools to help improve the quality and creativity of their student's dance. The interplay of these routines can create some inspired choreographies. These routines may be freely used by teachers, providing credit and weblink is received - Keti Sharif's Astrobelly from www.ketisharif.com.
Interested in the transformative power of dance? Read more in Keti's POWER OF DANCE article in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Wellbeing Magazine on sale at most book stores in Australia. It can also be read online at www.wellbeing.com.au
The element of WATER in Bellydance is sensual, deep, soothing, mesmerizing and mysterious.
Figure eights, shoulder rolls and undulations are a feature of the Water element. Water expresses femininity, intuition and beauty. Keep hands elegant and dance movements graceful and flowing. The Water element brings out emotion and sensitivity. Its energy and moods are a blend of receptivity, feeling and intimacy. Smooth, flowing and sensual moves are best - taqsim and undular, rolling movements.
3 week lesson plan:
Week 1: Teach the three WATER routines, read about Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Week 2: Layer 2-3 lines of dancers performing water routines in choreography, like waves in various shades of blue
Week 3: Incorporate the WATER routines into a theatrical improvised dance 'taqsim' - Cancer's feminine qualities, Scorpio's myserty and Pisces flowing elegance.
'Purr-Caution' Video
FIRE
ARIES LEO SAGITTARIUS
SEE FIRE CHOREOGRAPHY
The element of FIRE in Bellydance is passionate, dynamic, proud, powerful and exciting!
Aries rules the head, Leo the heart and back and Sagittarius the thighs. Shimmies, travelling steps and expressive gesture are a feature of the Fire element. Fire brings forth courage, boldness and creativity. Keep hands and face expressive and dance movements gesturing outwards. Fire's spirit is lively and flamboyant, generous in nature and always extremely confident. The Fire element brings out passion and strength. Its energy and moods are a blend of openess, reaching out and giving.
3 week lesson plan:
Week 1: Teach the three FIRE routines, read about Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Week 2: In red and yellow scarves and skirts, the group dances like flames, in close formation, in a circle facing both in and outward.
Week 3: A dynamic layered choreography in reds, in a circle using a cane - each dancer in circle is an odd or even number. Saiidi Sagittarius step is the constant while odd no. dancers come forth to perform Leo and evens perform Aries routines, then swap.
Purchase AstroBelly DVD
with AstroBelly Booklet
$65 Aud/$60 USD
The element of EARTH in Bellydance is robust, sensual, grounded, rhythmic and strong.
Taurus rules the throat and shoulders, Virgo the belly and Capricorn the knees. Earth signs are usually good at playing tabla and zills. Powerful shimmies, stealthy steps and grounded gesture are a feature of the Earth element. Patterns in the rhythms are the secret to keeping the power in the earth sign's dance. Keep hands and face relaxed, confident and hand movements gesturing downwards towards earth or at hips. The Earth element grounds the dance, giving it dynamic form and reality. Its energy and moods are a blend of receptivity and instinct; receptivity to drums (especially to live tabla rhythms) and instinctive technique (particularly with movements of the hips).
3 week lesson plan:
Week 1: Teach the three EARTH routines, read about Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Week 2: Live drums and jam session with earth routines
Week 3: Layered choreography with dancers in a square formation, doing earth routines facing one another.
The element of AIR in Bellydance is light, playful, flirtatious and free.
Gemini rules the hands, Libra the hips and Aquarius the ankles. Air signs can spin, turn and travel with ease and have a sinewy graceful flow to their dance. Freedom and expressiveness are enabled through the added character shown through the articulation of the hands and face, with many upward gestures. The Air element requires freedom, space and room to move. Its energy and moods are a blend of changeability and clever expression. Veil is an excellent prop to use for the element of air for its lightness.
3 week lesson plan:
Week 1: Teach the three AIR routines - read about Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Week 2: Use veil with each routines (clip on AstroBelly DVD - Indi-fusion veil)
Week 3: Layered choreography with veil where dancers facing each other, two dancers at a time mirror and reflect each other with the flowing routines. Effect is light a bird or butterfly in flight.
Finish the 12 week course with "Elements in Dance"SOIREE.
Serve foods from each of the groups served on tables with different coloured cloths: Hot spicy dishes on the FIRE table, with a red cloth, yellow saffron rice and green vegetables on the EARTH table with a green cloth, friuts and drinks on the WATER table with blue cloth and Persian spun sugar dessert (white fairy floss) on the AIR table with a white cloth.
Students can then perform the choreographies in groups for each Element!
Download the 10 page 'Dance the Elements' PDF
Ten pages of lesson plans and Choreographies
625K in colour - you can save to your computer or print.