So I've spent some more time with Rachel Brice's Serpentine DVD. As I mentioned before, it's a ton of material so it is taking a while to wade through it all. Rachel has posted sample practice schedules to help tackle the material and develop a structured practice that makes sense.

Anyway, this review is supposed to be about the drilling, so let's move on.

Shimmy Drill. You'd think shimmying for thirteen minutes straight would be boring and tiring, but no. It's all fun all the time. Lots of work with layers over standard big shimmies, but also 3/4 on the up and on the down, vibrations, and choo-choos.

Leg Strengthening Drills. Like the Shimmy Drill, this is a great full-body warm-up. There are simple, easy to follow movements that build upon each other to create a short combination, followed by some deep level changes.

Isolations. Honestly, I was underwhelmed by this portion of the DVD. I don't think the drills are long enough to be particularly beneficial. And I say that as someon who has an extremely short attention span when it comes to drilling! However, I did like the use of multiple foot patterns with each isolation. I just wish it was longer because it takes a while for my brain to shut up so my body can just do what it's supposed to.
There's not much explanation on how to execute the movements, which I suppose is fine for more experienced dancers, except that even I was confused by nuances such as the two "different" kind of chest lifts. Also, having two troupemates dealing with shoulder/upper body alignment made me hesitant to go full-force into the big shoulder isolations.

In conclusion:
Overall, I am a huge fan of Serpentine. I have a pretty strong personal practice of yoga and dance, but I do still like to use DVDs, especially if I'm in a creative rut or if there is something particular I want to work on. I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of this one because it has so much content but they are in segments short enough to insert into a longer practice. I am crazy about the shimmy drill. I've used the yoga as a warm up and as a cool down several times already. Seriously, this is probably the safest yoga practice I've seen on any DVD (including the yoga DVDs I've seen!) and it is a really nice pace for any part of the practice.

I would not recommend it to an absolute beginner because there is just not enough detailed instruction on how to execute basic moves safely and effectively. For someone who has some experience and body awareness, I think this DVD set is an excellent resource.

Lyra & I representing Kallisti Tribal at Shems's hafla on Saturday, July 10th. Shems put on a great show and I was super impressed by the caliber of her students. They did a fantastic job! It was a real treat to see such a great lineup of cabaret dancers since I spend most of my time out and about in the tribal scene.

I'm excited to announce a new session of classes!

Fundamentals of American Tribal Style Bellydance
Wednesdays 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
NEW 6-week session begins Wednesday, July 21st
$84 session
$17 drop-in
B.Funk Dance Studios
10291 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042

Registration and details.

I recently stumbled upon a wonderful post by Tribal Fusion bellydancer, Rachel Brice.

There are very few rules in Tribal Fusion, but in my humble opinion the one constant is that the dancer or group is versed in American Tribal Style as taught by Carolena Nericcio. Her stylistic approach to existing vocabulary, her theatrical approach to costuming, and the incredible invention of group improvisation, has allowed infinite variations that all have one thing in common: powerful presentation.

I'm so glad that she made this statement. There are so many dancers labeling themselves as "Tribal Fusion" who have no trace of tribal in their dance. Maybe some of them have never even studied ATS. I know that there are fiercely dedicated students and performers of ATS that will preserve the integrity of the dance, but I am often disappointed when I see performances deviate so far from the format, and even more saddened when I see "professional" performers lacking in tribal technique. I know this might make me sound like a "tribal curmudgeon" especially when I leave a performance unenthused, but it's just that when I see an artist or show billed as Tribal or Tribal Fusion, I expect to see at least some reference to an understanding of ATS.

Here's a video from Saturday's performance at Charm City Tribal:

Verve Tribal at Charm City Tribal 2/27/2010 from Anne Barkett on Vimeo.

Such a fun event! We had a blast jamming after the show dancing with the drummers, and it's always a good time hanging out with other dancers.

It's a performance double header!

Verve Tribal performs at Charm City Tribal
Saturday, February 27th, 9pm Doors, 9:30 Show, FREE!
We're doing a sword choreography you won't want to miss! Stick around for open dancing and drum circle!

Kallisti Tribal performs at DC Tribal Cafe
Sunday, February 28th, 6pm Doors, 7pm Show, $10
I love this event! A great community of dancers and dance enthusiasts. Always fun. We've got something special planned, too!

I'm I crazy for doing two choreographies in a row?! I'm an improv girl!

I'm just sitting down after four days of bellydance training! I went through another round of American Tribal Style General Skills with Carolena of Fat Chance Belly Dance & Megha of Devyani. After my first GS last summer, I was on fire to fully commit myself to the study of ATS and soak up as much as possible. I took it this time with a special intention to prepare for Teacher Training certification in San Francisco this November.

I feel so fortunate to have shared this experience with my dance partner, Chris, as well as with the super dedicated and fun-loving DC dance community. It was, again, a magical experience and I loved every minute of it! One one hand, this GS really solidified my confidence in my dancing and my ability to present ATS to my students. On the other hand, I am surprised by nuances that I overlooked, challenged by movements I don't use often enough, and enlightened by new perspectives on concepts. I'm freshly motivated and as always, I'm humbled and inspired by Carolena.

I think the only reason I was able to hold back tears this time around is that I know I will be seeing Megha again in July and Carolena in November! I am so, so excited for Teacher Training. I can't wait. I so fully believe in ATS, and I am so eager to bring up new dancers who may learn to love it as much as I do!

I must interrupt the usual thought-provoking blog content with an important product review.

MAC Fluidline! How did I live so long without this product? I have been rocking the cat eye liner look since I was a teenager! Originally I was a devotee of some Maybelline liquid liner, but the formula changed probably 8 years ago and I tried a handful of products until I eventually landed on Fluidline, the Holy Grail of Eyeliner. I can get an absolutely perfect swoosh with an angled liner brush. It does not budge all day, and Blacktrack is BLACKBLACKBLACK, which makes it ideal for everyday as well as performance. It is every bit as good as it is reputed to be, so if you use liner get yourself some!

OK back to your regularly scheduled asana sequences and anatomy freak-outs!

Hey there bellydancers!

There will be no class on February 10th due to the snow. The session will be extended to February 24th so we can make up the class.

Stay safe and warm, everyone!

While I was teaching and demonstrating bodywaves in my ATS class last week, one of my students asked me, "Are you doing a bellyroll?" and my answer was "Yes, sort of."

In a bodywave, the ribcage shifts forward and lifts, then the back body rolls back against an imaginary wall, with the shoulders touching first, then the ribcage, lower back, and finally the hips.

So, muscularly speaking, the latissimus dorsi contract to send the chest up and forward. Then, to bring the chest back, the rectus abdominis contract, first the upper section, then rolling down to the lower section. Finally, the contraction in the lower abs release, taking the spine back to the original dance posture.

In a bellyroll, the lats are out of the equation and the spine is held in dance posture. The rectus abdominis is still working, however, it's the obliques (mostly external, I think) that are driving the movement and the rectus abdominis is going for a ride on top.

Or at least that's how it's happening in my body.

Anyway, in my first go round at ATS General Skills, I learned about the latissimus dorsi driving the movement in Egyptian Basic. Try generating that movement ONLY using your lats. Amazing! You'll see in the attached image that the point of origin of the lats are way down towards the base of the spine, which gives the Egyptian Basic that dramatic swivel. In barrel turns, the lats are working to compress the side body for the initial "scoop" part of the turn. As mentioned above, in bodywaves, the lats are drawing together lifting the ribcage forward and up. I was under the misconception previously that the rhomboids were the inital part of the bodywave. While this will shift your shoulders back, your chest will not move up at all. You need to contract much lower down your back, towards the bottom tips of the shoulderblades to get that lift. So yay for the latissimus dorsi! To access your lats, transition between upward dog and downward dog. Down-dog lengthens the the latissimus dorsi, and upward dog works them.

It's very helpful for me to figure out exactly what muscle is working and how, both in yoga in dance, and I find descriptions like "this is a skeletal movement" to be frustrating and problematic. Bone doesn't move on it's own, so there must be some muscle taking that bone from point A to point B. You don't have to be an anatomy expert to investigate your movements and see how your body works.

If you've made a discovery of your own, please share! Also please let me know if my analysis make sense at all!