I need some help. I'm a beginner and am trying to work on my improvisations. I just throw a song on (traditional or something from the radio that I like) and try to improvise, but it's like I get stuck. My mind goes blank and I can't think of any moves to transition to. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions??
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Re: Improvisation help?
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 9:15 AMI think, it takes a while to build up a vocabulary of moves. And then some to learn how those moves relate to each other and how you can gracefully transit from one move to the next without interrupting the flow. For exemple, having one foot in front and doing hip drops or hip rolls- how do you change sides? Once you have learned these things and internalised them in your body memory it becomes much easier to improvise.
Artemis Mourat, for exemple, explained to us a breakdown of the bellydance moves, in small elements. I do not have her instructional DVD, so I cannot tell you what she teaches in there, but she might be one person to look for if you want to learn improvisation, Turkish style.
It also depends on your emotional state. There are some days where you feel totally stuck, and can't seem to get out of a certain pattern of moves while feeling totally bored with yourself and the way you move. And then, a few days later, suddenly things are moving forward again. Sometimes it is just the question of finding another song that inspires you.
I hope this helps.
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Re: Improvisation help?
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 10:58 AMInstead of trying to go from zero to 60 and improve from scratch right away, trying picking out a handfull of moves you know (a couple for the hips, chest and arms each) and play around with them. Pick a song and just use these moves, trying different patterns. Sting them together in different orders, with different tempos. Repeat certain ones for longer times. Just mess around with them.
Then when you are feeling better with that, start letting yourself add other moves if they come to you, but don't force it. :)
If you play around with how the moves fit together and how they feel on you when it's you leading the action, you're muscles and your mind will become more accustom to freestyling and you'll find it easier over time.
Don't feel bad about giving yourself some direction right now. It takes time and practice. :)
Have fun with it!!
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 2:09 AMHi Karissa. Can you name a few songs you like? Different music requires different moves. Either you specialize on one piece of music or else on one genre,(pop baladi maybe, or classical saidi with cane, or chiftetelli).
Never mind getting stuck. It takes experience to fill the blanks in the music. It is better you leave moments out and admit that you haven't found the move yet than filling the gaps somehow out of fear that there are gaps. You shouldn't get stressed, you don't dance for money but for pleasure and stress blocks your creativity. If you want to, do figure eights or the basic step during the whole song and relax. You will have ideas after a while. -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 2:12 AMok f.e. what about the 3/4 shimmy? It works on any upbeat 4/4 and you can walk around with it.
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 7:01 AMWrite down all the moves you know on index cards, mix them up in a bag, and draw out three. Then improvise with those three movements for a couple minutes or so. Repeat until you run out of cards. As you get better, you can add flourishes like arms, travelling, etc or begin using more cards. Another exercise that helps is to play the same section of music a few times (it doesn't have to be a whole song, 1-2 minutes works fine) and focus on a specific body part or family of moves, such as upper body/arms, undulations, figure eights, one sided hipwork, etc. These both give you a set of constraints, which actually make it easier to improvise because you have some idea of what you're going to do next, instead of the "OMGICANTTHINKOFANYMOVES!!!!" panic.
One thing I have also done is to not practice improv during my actual practice sessions. That makes me feel like I *have* to do it right then and there and it has to be perfect. I usually wait until I'm in a really good mood and feeling energetic, like when I'm cleaning or making dinner, put on some music I love, and have fun. That way, you sort of become conditioned to feel that improv=happy fun time. You can then begin integrating it into practice sessions. -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 9:27 AMGood idea about making a dance session about a practice improve. My solution for that was a little different, I make sure I have two seperate session, one drill, one for dance. I usually try for an Am and a PM work out since there is just to much to 'drill' and to much to practice as far as combining moves or practicing an improve for a new song. It makes a big difference for me to be able to set a 'drill' session aside, then I feel better about just dancing and putting on my favorite music. I can say OK I had a session and now I can just dance, practice the combo from class, add flare add more to the end or whatever it is and help me move into my own stuff for improving.
=) good luck! -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 9:28 AMOMG... I can't eat lunch and type and think...
"Good idea about making a dance session about a practice improve"
is supposed to be ... .
*about NOT making the workout session focusing on the practice improve* -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 10:33 AMWell, I've heard of a few different ideas to get things started.
One woman I knew used to think of stories in her head that she had to tell through her dancing. Like she was cleaning her higher up shelves (so this calls for hands being high in the air... maybe lotus hands or flower blossom hands)... Etc. Now, this never worked for me because in the end I looked like I was cleaning higher up bookshelves, not bellydancing. But it worked for her and maybe it'll work for you!
What DID work for me, was I have a sheet called the "bellydance alphabet" that has ALL the moves I could think of listed in alphabetical order. Next, I spelled words in my head with them and I used the corresponding moves in the alphabet. For example: RIVER could be...
R = Rib slides
I = Isolations (maybe chest, maybe belly butterfly shimmies)
V = V-step
E = Figure eight's
R = Hip Roll
I always changed up the moves in the words and I tried to make sure I didn't keep using the same words in my performances (or else you could end up doing the same dance each time.)
This is a good place to start, but you still have to find ways to flow between moves and also move around the dance floor. After all, you don't usually want to be frozen to the floor. Anyway, this was a great tool for me when I started but now improvisational dancing just flows now. Sometimes, I still utilize this technique if I'm having a particularly hard dance day. Hope this helps! =) -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 1:11 PMI LOVE the bellydance alphabet idea! I'm going to start on a list right now :)
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 5:42 PMi am thinking of what a v step might be, but what is it? -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 6:02 PMThe way I was taught, it's kinda like a latin dance step. Basically the way you're stepping draws a "V". -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 7:39 AMyour hip makes a v or your feet do? im sorry, i don't know anything about Latin. -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 8:47 AMYour feet do... It's like a rocking step forward then back.
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Re: Improvisation help?
Sat, May 3, 2008 - 8:50 AMThe bellydance alphabet idea is sooooo good. I haven't performed in public, only in private for one individual. Consequently, I've done all the choreographies we've learned in class. Each time I try to stretch the performance by doing one improv to a song I really like, whether it's bellydance or pop. The improv throws me because I tend to want to do the same moves over and over. I NEED STRUCTURE! This idea just seems fabulous because it would incorporate both...my own preset choreo to however the music has (in advance of the performance) moved me. (pun) :) On the other hand, this kind of makes it not improv, yes???? LOL
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Re: Improvisation help?
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 6:01 AMit happens to eeeevery one. Somehow all that practicing and you only rememeber like 4 moves. Happened to me last night, came to watch, wound up dancing. It was fun, but I kept saying 'Oh god you know more than this really you do....' but in the back of my head I kept remembering the best piece of advice I got from a workshop with the wonderful gothmutha...
"even if you only know four moves, turn around, it's different from every angle"
so don't forget moving around is part of that too. =) -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 4:28 PM"even if you only know four moves, turn around, it's different from every angle"
that's awesome advice!! ^^
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Re: Improvisation help?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 6:14 PMMy old instructor used to tell us that if we got stuck or forgot what we were doing, to think either from the top, down, or the bottom, up...
Like...what moves can you do with your head...then your arms...upper body...lower body...traveling moves...or the reverse...
My first independent solo I did was total improv...I had worked out a choreo to Black Horse in a Cherry Tree and was practicing early that morn...and when I went to take the CD out of my stereo...it was stuck!!! I had to change my music at the last moment...to a drum, guitar and didj tune that I absolutely loved...and I actually felt much better about it than I had my choreo that I'd worked out...here's a pic from that day...people.tribe.net/d8d66e42-...b3c9d8a929
Alot of times, if I'm lost for moves, I'll go to something tried and true...like undulations or maya's and taxeems...and this gives me time to think of what I want to do next...
I think that to do good improv, you really have to feel the music...if you love the music, you're going to love dancing to it and it's going to come much more naturally...
I got really brave at the Shakori Hills Festival recently and broke out my hip skirt and just went at it...drew quite a crowd and had many compliments, afterwards...so, alot of times, it's all just a matter of getting out there and doing it...have fun and it will show thru...
Okay...I'm done...getting a bit long winded...*rolls eyes at me*
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Re: Improvisation help?
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 5:56 PMThank you all so much for your help =)
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Re: Improvisation help?
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 8:51 AMI have a list that I typed up on the computer, with big enough words that I can read it while dancing, (it takes a few pages) that I tape up on the sliding glass door (where I dance) so that if I get stumped I can look and pick a move =0
I love when people come over and they are still up there... my troupe has combos that have some STRANGE names =) -
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Re: Improvisation help?
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 3:21 PMZina,
It's still improve... 'cause you still have to recall in your head the moves you know. This is just a way to help organize it in your head. Even the best improvers have a split second where they think of the next move they're gonna do. And everytime you dance, it should be different. 'Cause you're moved by the music, the crowd, the place you're in.
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Re: Improvisation help?
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 10:01 PMWhen I was starting to work on my improv I would take bits of choreography that I knew and liked and placed them throughout a song. Then whatever was in between was improv. After awhile, I got the hang of it and could change it up. Or if I was drawing a blank, I'd go back to the choreography I knew while I thought it through to what would happen next.
