About This Course
In belly dance, while the main movements are often thought to originate in the pelvis and abdominal area, these movements must travel through the torso to connect with the sky and the space around us. When offering training and sessions on belly dance, I often discuss the doors that open when the chest is involved in the dance. In the Deepening Through Belly Dance program, we explore this with the air element and the lightness of our wings, while in the Belly Dance Techniques program, we adopt a more technical approach, focusing on arm positions and alignment.
In Anatolian belly dance, the inclusion of arms in the dance is more prominent. Although arms are integrated into all belly dance practices, in Anatolia, movements and lightness that come from the chest and heart—perhaps symbolizing the connection with the sky—are more pronounced.
Understanding the mechanics of chest and arm movements in dance is often more complex, as emotional blockages and habitual physical tension can prevent us from softening and moving freely. This can hinder the breath, grace, openness to space, and lightness of the dance. A dance that does not flow effortlessly through the chest and arms often makes us feel disconnected, as our hands and arms naturally want to express what is inside us.
This program offers a specialized 16-class series focusing on detailed work with the shoulders, arms, and hands in Anatolian belly dance. Through a mix of semi-improvised and technical exercises, the program helps the body relearn how to let dance flow effortlessly through the torso.
Course Benefits
This program gives significantly more time and attention to arms, shoulders, and hands compared to other belly dance courses we offer.
The work is structured as 50% improvisation and 50% technique, allowing us to draw from both our inner selves and established movement systems.
By the end of the program, you will:
What You Will Learn
While arms are included in other belly dance courses, I had mentioned that practicing arms in greater depth and over a longer period would be a focused endeavor—this is the time for that. Some phases of our lives may call for grounding ourselves and connecting firmly with the earth. At other times, we may need to move lightly, finding upward flow after establishing our connection to the ground.
In this course, we combine improvisation and technique. Through improvisation, we work extensively on resolving blockages in the chest, shoulders, arms, and hands to bring them to life in the dance. For alignment and refining specific positions, we utilize techniques. By integrating these two approaches, you will notice a significant transformation in how your arms behave in dance by the end of the four months.
Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing that allows ease of movement.
You can access the course materials through the My Courses section on your My Account page for 8 months following the confirmation of your registration. Announcements and live meeting links will be provided in the My Dashboard section.
All course content is copyrighted by Dance-Oriented Yin Energy (Dans Odaklı Dişil Enerji®). Unauthorized copying or sharing is strictly prohibited and will result in legal action.
16 Video
You can find the details of our next meeting and the meeting here.
