Melina’s “Tips from the Hip”TM

PiperMethod Technique Workshops

Sat, 6 Dec 2008 13:57:29 -0500

Saturday, December 6 2008
10 a.m.-noon  PiperMethod Level 1
Posture & Precision Hip Work 
Saturday, December 6, 2008 1 - 4 p.m.  PiperMethod Level II (you must have taken PiperMethod Level I workshop to register for Level II) Layering & Traveling Steps

Testing for PiperMethod Certification Each level of testing lasts 30 minutes: $100/per level Testing includes 10 paged hand-out of priceless, personalized detailed feedback.
Workshop participation and testing does not guarantee certification.
Testing appointments for December 6 and 7 MUST be booked in advance through Melina. 
Sunday, December 7 2008
 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
PiperMethod Level III  Advanced Techniques and Layering + Complex  Traveling Steps
(To participate in Level III PiperMethod Technique Workshop you MUST have taken PiperMethod levels 1 & 11 Workshops)

Workshops  limited to 8  participants 
Advance  Registration  Required 
$50 Level 1  (2 hours) 
$100 for Level 1 and II (5 hours) 
$150 for levels 1, II and III (9 hours of  instruction)

$100 per level of Certification  Testing
 (Participation in Workshops is  required to be  eligible for testing in the  PiperMethod)

Preregistration for PiperMethod Workshops and Testing for PiperMethod Certification is now available online.  
More info at www.daughtersofrhea.com. More info on Piper and the PiperMethod School of Belly Dance at www.pipermethod.com.

Melina’s 2008 and 2009 Belly Dance Classes

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:57:37 -0400

Preregistration for classes and special seminars offered by Melina or her guest artists is now available online.

A Quick Peek at Melina’s 2008 SCHEDULE

Wednesdays
6:45 - 7:45 p.m. - Level 2 (Beyond Beginners)
8 - 9 p.m. - Level 3/4 (Intermediate)

Thursdays 6:45 - 7:45 p.m. - Level 1 (Beginners)
8 - 9 p.m. - Level 3/4 (Intermediate)

NO CLASSES THANKSGIVING WEEK

Location for Melina’s Wednesday and Thursday Classes:

Women’s Club
72 Columbus Street
Newton Highlands, MA 02461

Melina’s Upcoming Performance and Touring Schedule

BOOKING INQUIRIES: Email Melina
Visit www.daughtersofrhea.com for more info

The Helping Hips Belly Dance Charity Gala on Saturday November 15th

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 13:00:05 -0400

Benefiting the non-profit organization We Love Children.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
7-11 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Roseland Ballroom at Hong Kong City Restaurant
Hong Kong City Restaurant
174 Broadway/Rt 138
Taunton, MA 02780

$35 - Reserve your tickets now by calling 508.822.6449. Tickets are limited and sold in advance only.

The event will feature...

...Breathtaking performances by some of New England’s finest belly dance stars
...Raffles and silent auction of massages, tickets to sporting events, dance classes and more
...Hors d’oeuvres, delightful cocktails, cash bar, and other surprises!

Performers include: Aurel, Chantal, Hanan, Melina of Daughters of Rhea with World Fusion Percussionist John de Kadt, Najmat, Panayiota, Phaedra and Susi.

To pay by credit car, call 508 822 6449

BOOKING INQUIRIES: Email Melina
Visit www.daughtersofrhea.com for more info

Melina’s Belly Dance and Circus Arts Workshop, Performance & Touring Schedule

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 09:12:55 -0400

Melina’s Fall Classes in Newton, MA. Info and Pre-registration is available now.

TOUR SCHEDULE 2008  Wellesley College, Wellesley MA March 1, 2008 SEMINAR: Melina's CLEOPATRA'S FRENZY choreography Technique, Drills & Choreography

 First Unitarian Church, West Newton, MA
Women’s Society March 14, 2008 Introduction to the Ancient Art of Belly Dance

The Roxy Nightclub in Rhode Island
Melina and Sacha in Cirque Passion Performance
Gala One Year Anniversary Party at The Roxy
Thursday March 27th & Saturday March 29th
Cirque Passion Aerial Performances throughout the night.

Quincy Marriott in Quincy, MA
Gala “Cirque Belly Dance” performances for Citizen’s Bank Award Ceremony
Sunday March 30th

The State Room, Boston, MA
Belly Dance Performance at Private Wedding Function
April 5th, 2008

Newton, MA April 5, 2008 Fool’s Folly Benefit Performance Fundraiser Performance for Mason-Rice School

Karoun Restaurant in Newton, MA
Saturday April 5th
9:30 p.m. belly dance show with live music

Finz in Salem, MA SHE Network Gala Event: Show & Seminar
Benefit Performance April 10, 2008
 Studio Rhea in Athens, Greece April 12 - 20, 2008 Seminars & Shows

Goddess Motion Studios in Singapore
Goddess Motion
April 29th, 2008 show at Victoria Theatre
May 1-4, 2008 Melina seminars

Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, NY May 14th, 2008 Greek Belly Dance Show with sister Piper Corporate Event

Circus Flora in St Louis, MO Circus Flora Tour June 5 - 22, 2008 
COCA in St Louis, MO Center of Creative Arts June 30-July 11, 2008 Circus Arts & Belly Dance Instructional Workshops

Kripalu: The Sacred Pulse Music Festival
Stockbridge, MA http://www.kripalu.org/program/view/SE/SPMF81/
Weeklong Festival July Jul 13-18, 2008 (5 nights, Sun – Fri) Faculty: Krishna Das, Mickey Hart, Wah!, Donna De Lory, Tracy Vernon, Shivananda Thomas Amelio, Toni Bergins, KDZ: The Drummers at Kripalu, Melina, John de Kadt and The Nanapowe Drum Group July 18, 2008: Ancient Art of Belly Dance Workshop with Melina

Circus Flora in Nantucket Island, MA Sat/Sun of the last weekend of July, 2008 Circus Flora Tour

Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore, MD Daughters of Rhea BellyPalooza Festival Johns Hopkins University Campus and BMA August 2-3, 2008 Festival, Workshops & Show

Kripalu
Stockbridge, MA
Saturday August 8th 2008, 7:30 p.m. Live Music Performance with HuDost and John De Kadt

Kripalu
Thursday September 4
Private Gala Performance with KDZ Kripalu Drummers

Melina presents:
Special Guest-Artist Seminars with Lisa Zahiya
2008 Tribal Fusion Belly Dancer of the Universe
September 27 and 27
Details and pre-registration at www.daughtersofrhea.com

Citizenship Private Gala Party in Providence, Rhode Island
Friday September 19

Saturday September 20
Karoun Restaurant

Saturday September 27 (with Lisa Zahiya)
Karoun Restaurant

Sheraton Boston Private Gala
Saturday October 4, 2008

Saturday October 18, 2008
Karoun Restaurant

Friday October 24, 2008
Cirque Passion/Daughters of Rhea performance featuring Sara, Melina and Troupe Moirae at Roger Williams University “Midnight Madness” Event.

Saturday October 25, 2008
Karoun Restaurant

Saturday November 1, 2008
Concert Performance at Kripalu with John de Kadt and Steve Gorn

Friday November 7, 2008
Karoun Restaurant

Saturday November 8, 2008
Private Party Function

Friday November 14, 2008
Karoun Restaurant

Saturday November 15, 2008
Hong Kong City at the Roseland Ballroom “Belly Drum Dagger Dance”
Featuring Melina and John de Kadt
and other Top Belly Dancers of New England
Fall Gala to benefit We Love Children
info@thehelpinghips.org

Saturday November 29, 2008
Karoun Restaurant

December 6 and 7 Melina presents her sister Piper, Belly Dancer of the Year 2000, in Boston-area seminars. Technique and certification in the PiperMethod.
Details TBA

Saturday December 6 Karoun Restaurant

2009 TOUR

Singapore
April 30 - May 4, 2009
Performances and Seminars with Melina and her mother Rhea of Greece
Info and details to be posted on Goddess Motion as date approaches

Athens, Greece
Mid-Late May 2009
Seminars with Melina at Studio Rhea and Dance 2 Dance in Plaka

Kripalu Workshops
Summer 2009

South of France Workshops Summer 2009

New Hampshire workshops
September 2009 

BOOKING INQUIRIES: Email Melina
Visit www.daughtersofrhea.com for more info

“Belly Dance as Empowerment” by Melina

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:42:08 -0400

BELLY DANCE AS EMPOWERMENT by Melina of Daughters of Rhea

My mother Rhea taught me – both explicitly and by example, that belly dance can be both a dance of empowerment and a way of life. I am very lucky to have inherited this idea as a birthright instead of having to beat a path to its discovery later in life.

My mother is quoted in a 1973 article on belly dance that appeared in the now defunct Venus magazine:

“When I dance, I don’t want to be seen as a sex object; I’m an artisan. I try to mesmerize, hypnotize the audience. I’m a sorceress, a magical trickster, the master of my body. I say to them: “Watch me do this over here, but did you see this move over here at the same time.” And I relate to the men and the women in the audience, and they relate to me. Belly dancing is not just a sensuous dance. Its an extravaganza, showing the feats of human capabilities.”

When a new student embarks on her belly dance journey, whether by choice or because their friend dragged them to their first class – it often becomes a profoundly transformative and integrative experience for body, mind and spirit.

Undulations, isolations, articulations, trembles, shimmies, flutters and rolls awaken the body and its deeply embedded ancient wisdoms.

Sometimes, for new students, the unfamiliar articulations of belly dance dredge up inarticulate anxieties of the soul – anxieties I see expressed on faces during class:
“My pelvis is tilting! My hips are hipping! My stomach is showing! My breasts are jiggling!”

But the remedy to these anxieties lies in the very movements that dredge them up. The anxieties are processed through practice, they are alchemized into a serenity and sureness that only sinuous training, passionate concentration and dedicated study of technique can bring.

In post-modern American Society, the ancient art of belly dance raises many important questions: Questions about gender, body image, ethnicity, emotion, art, entertainment, social roles and while we’re at it: the meaning of life. It is up to each student to answer these questions for herself. As a teacher, I see my role as encouraging people to think for themselves: to never bow to fear to never be tethered to convention. To use belly dance as a tool of empowerment and joy. Because I am a belly dance fundamentalist: I was born and reborn to belly dance, and I firmly believe it can change your life for the better.

When I have student recitals, I discourage the tense pursuit of perfection and encourage the enjoyment of process. Perfection is overrated. Process is golden. We work hard in class on technique, but in performance we want to present ourselves with our natural grace and personality, incorporating in more and more advanced technique as we grow as dancers. I like to pay homage to process and the journey, accepting ourselves as perfect just where we are along the way. We’re on this earth to have fun and dance, and we’ve found the secret to a joyful and empowered life: Bellydance.

A SHORT HISTORY OF MELINA’S RECITALS

I model my student recitals on the many inspired dance happenings my mother Rhea puts together in Athens, Greece. Basically, the formula goes like this: bring together a diverse set of dancers in a beautiful restaurant with a lovely large stage and let them work their individual and collective magic on a friendly and encouraging crowd that is intoxicated with good cheer. Mix in unbridled enthusiasm, fun, positive vibes, a few beautiful costumes, great music and a healthy spattering of nerves. Sprinkle in some creative solos, a couple of dashing duets and some group numbers. Practice as much as you can considering that you all have full-time jobs and/or are hardworking mothers, then put perfection to the side and just go for it. Spontaneity is encouraged: last minute entries are accepted. Experimental music is allowed. Self-expression abounds.

My mother and I differ in opinion on one point: I try to keep the recital short, about 1.5 hours. Hers can extend far into the night -- but then again, that’s in Greece, where folks are used to staying out until 3 a.m. on a regular basis.

The basic idea is: never bow to convention or fear. Just come on out and do some dancing.

Melina’s Upcoming Performance and Touring Schedule

BOOKING INQUIRIES: Email Melina
Visit www.daughtersofrhea.com for more info

Melina of Daughters of Rhea’s Belly Dance Music Playlists

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:40:06 -0400

Fall 2008 Playlist (I will update this as I add on new music to my playlists in class)

For warms-ups, stretches, hand undulations, body center circles, slow work, slow interpretive dance:

Omar Faruk Tekbilek: Ask and A Call to Prayer
Dalia Carella Presents: Shuvani. Oud and Ney taksims
Taksimler from Alla Turka.
Rumi’s Passion by Mosavo.

For drills and technique practice with steady 4/4 counts:

Saidi by Ali Arsoy from Ali Bi Ghanni li Rhea (available in class from Melina)
Saskin by Tanyeli - Turkish Belly Dancer
Shashkin by Omar Faruk Tekbilek
Tsiftetelli by The Toids from Unblocked Ears
George Abdo: Raks Al-Sultan
Karachi by Fat Chance Belly Dance
Earth Beat by Garden Play (My Fall 08 “Cultish Combo” is performed to this song)

Techno-fied remix fun for Dionysian shimmy practice:

Naked Rhythm: Babylon
Mosavo: Jil Al Hadis
Egyptian Disco

For fast Greek tsifteteli:

Check out the classic bouzouki-featured “Tsifteteli tou Bourneli” available for sampling on iTunes (Musician’s name is pronounced Vourneli in Greek). Tsifteteli is sometimes also spelled or pronounced chifteteli. The fast Greek tsifteteli - this is what Greeks love to belly dance to and the music I grew up with - is to be distinguished from the slow tsifteteli rhythm sometimes used by belly dancers in the slow work portion of their routine (with the ‘slow, slow, quickquick slow beat’).

More on music:
The twin forces of Music and Dance were present at my conception: My dad is a musician and my mom is a belly dancer. Live music was part of my daily life growing up, and when my mom moved to Greece, we danced every night in tourist tavernas with wonderful live Greek bouzouki bands. Music and rhythm is where everything begins for me. Love for - or connection with - a particular song lies at the heart of most of my dance creations and movement visions. When I am planning my belly dance classes, I put a lot of thought into what my playlist will be, and I like to change it up frequently. I like to expose students to a wide range of belly dance music and, whenever possible, talk in class about where the music I am playing comes from, what it means, and what belly dance movements would work best with it: from Turkish to Greek to Rai to Egyptian to Techno remix fusion to Gypsy to New Age to Trance, Indie and more. When my students first tell me that they’d like to perform a solo in an upcoming recital the first thing I ask them is “have you found a song you love to dance to?” In performance, you want your body to speak the music and speak your love of the song. The dancer’s emotion immediately translates to the audience, and music is at the heart of the art.

Here is a quick list of a few of my favorite albums, songs and/or musical artists for belly dance. It is by no means exhaustive nor is it in alphabetical order, but it can start your exploration. Most of these artists can be sampled either on iTunes or Amazon. You can also often find them on your local dance vendors’ tables.

CLASSICS

George Abdo
The Joy of Belly Dance
The Art of Belly Dance

Eddie “The Sheik” Kochak
Strictly Belly Dancing

John Bilezikjian (www.dantzrecords.com)
Belly Dance Classics

Bert Balladine
Bert’s Baladi

Setrak Sarkissian

TURKISH/MIDDLE EASTERN/GREEK/WORLD

Omar Faruk Tekbilek
The Sultans CDs
Fire Dance
Mystical Garden

Tanyeli
Turkish Belly Dancer

Asena
Asena CD

Tarkan
Karma
Dudu

Ali Arsoy
Ali Bi Ghanni Li Rhea
Karma

Dalia Carella
Shuvani

Belly Dance Superstars
Any of the Compilations

Hakim
Yaho

Natacha Atlas
Diaspora

Amr Diab
Nour el Ain

Khaled (king of Rai)
Aisha

Bourneli - or Vourneli -
Greek Tsiftetelli bouzouki music

Ozel Turkbas
Alla Turca

Neena & Veena
Essential Bellydance

REMIXED/TECHNO-FIED BELLY DANCE

Electric Oasis 2

Bellylicious

Oojami: Belly Dance Breakbeats

Jehan: BellyFuse - Arabesque Lounge

PERCUSSION ARTISTS 
Susu Pampanin & Cairo Cats
Dancing Drums

Hossam Ramzy
Immortal Egypt
Modern Egyptian Belly Dance Music

Great Musicians/Artists with whom Melina has collaborated in belly dance, circus arts, or other arts experiments. Listed here randomly in neither alphabetical nor chronological order:

Phil Marsh
My dad - Folkster, Songster and Snakecharmer extraordinaire

Harry Bedrosian Jazz, Arabic, Greek and Armenian music ... and more
Love that oud

Ali Arsoy
Middle Eastern/World
Great Arabic and Turkish vocals, dumbek, keyboards

John de Kadt  Drum Poetry -
I love and recommend all his percussive, poetic creations

HuDost
Alternative/Folk-Rock/Experimental
My daughter listens to their beautiful music as she floats into dreamland....

Telesma
Pyschodelic-electroaucoustic-rock
Our Telesma favorites Ian and Jason always rock the BellyPalooza festival and show on didg and drum
 Mademoiselle
Alternative-Rock-Indie
Incredible band featuring Sam Cabral - profound and poetic Azorean singer/songwriter

Aboudi Badawi
Lebanese/Middle Eastern Music and Rhythms

Mitchell Kaltsunas
Arabic Music and beyond

Jamal Sinno
Soulful Qanun player

KDZ Drummers
Wonderful band of percussionists at Kripalu

David Edelman Jazz, bluegrass, ethnic fusion fiddle player

Melina’s Upcoming Performance and Touring Schedule

BOOKING INQUIRIES: Email Melina
Visit www.daughtersofrhea.com for more info

STUDENT INFO: Melina’s Level 3/4 Belly Dance Class Notes for Fall 2008

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:57:18 -0400

Respectfully, please do not copy or perform this material without first attaining permission and giving proper credit.

Melina’s “Cultish Combo” to the song “Garden Play” by Earth Beat from the album Tales of a Mystic Garden. You can download it from iTunes, and I have embedded the song to the left of this paragraph, though it may not play on all computers).

These notes are for the basic set of moves. I sometimes add variations in class such as extra turns and directional shifts to make the combinations more dynamic but for purposes of simplicity have not included those here.

Intro: As soon as music starts, Arms reach up to Sky, then pull down alongside face in “Sky to heart” arms, end movement with hands in prayer position in front of heart chakra, just slightly in front of body.
When quick rhythms start, head slides and hip sides, holding hands in prayer position:

Head slides R,L,R (pause for fourth count)
Hips side R,L,R (pause for fourth counts)

With shift in music, do gentle, tiny, subtle earthquake shimmy style bounces to the tempo of the music for 4 sets of 8 counts.

1st set of 8 counts: keep feet flat, both knees bending at the same time as tips of fingers, hands still in prayer position, point down and then pull apart to form triangle in front of belly button, then turn wrists and scoop out hands to let arms flow down in front of hip bones, then lift out to side to wide “W” position.

2nd set of 8 counts -- take your time on this one -- hands lower “painting the walls” to low position behind the back, fingers touching below the base of spine,

3rd set of 8 counts: hands trace up the sides of the body for “Earth to Sky” arms. Keep the finger tips grazing the body all the way up behind your neck then release hands as arms stretch to the sky

4th set of 8 counts: arms flow back down to rest in “elbows in the doorway” position.

Step hip for 4 counts each with these arms positions:
Elbows in the doorway
Wide “W” arms AKA Classic Egyptian
Flamenco arms, wrists touching above head (Chest up! Shoulder blades pulling down and together. Elbows pulling back behind ears)
Alternating “L” and “Reverse L” body framing arms, gaze following hands as they reach out sideways from your shoulders.

Traveling step forward with alternating “Show the queenly ring” arms -- 4 forward, 4 back. Watch that you keep your lifted elbow pulling back, lifting chest.

Turn, turn, turn hip (Repeat 4). Arms in wide “W” with low hands for the turn, “L” frame position for hips.

“Back, forward, step, hip” starting by going back on the ball of the left foot and moving forward (repeat four)

“Put the long glove on” Arms while stepping back with a sit hip, flat footed. As you step back on left, push back into left hip, then right, left, right. Keep your knees bent, hips tucked, chest lifting.

With music change, go into “accent-the-rhythm” combo  Dainty dominatrix Hip lifts and drops (rhythm II, II)
Shoulder accents (rhythm II, II, I)
Repeat 4, 2 sets on each side, alternating

Then, we go into the fast greek tsiftetelli combination:

Go up on balls of feet, knees bent, hips tucked, chest tall (hips move side to side following direction of feet)
LRL, LRL, LRL, RIGHT
Repeat
For the last step on the RIGHT foot, step flat, get grounded for a big side hip to right with knees bent, left foot sliding along.

Arms: relaxed out to sides for LRL, then strong Reverse L arms (right arm up, left arm out to left side) for last step on right. Lift up right rip cage as left arm lifts, but pull left shoulder blade down so your shoulder doesn’t creep up to your ear.

Hip pulls on left foot going forward and back to music: FF, BB, FF, B. Do it once in place, once traveling to left. Right arm is up where it ended up on the last move, Left arm pulls gently in opposite to hip. Gaze follows left foot. Try not to bob up and down with the exertion of your quick hips. Stay smooth, still and gliding on the top.

Switch hip pulls to right side and reverse arm position. With the transition, drop left heel and lift your right foot behind with a little flick. Gaze then follows right foot.

Two-hip shimmies for 2 counts of 8.
Very small hip movements -
As you travel forward with the two-hip shimmies, arms push straight down, then travel out and up sides. As you travel back, pull down arms in ‘sky to earth’ arms, then reach forward from heart
THEN, the big drama transition
Step back on left foot, frame body in left diagonal mode – left arm up, right arm down behind hip

6 accent “taks” total
1st accent is getting into the first position and snapping the hip down
2nd accent is circling the hip counter clockwise with a vertical lift and snapping down
3rd accent is a roll up the body
4th accent is a roll down the body
5th accent is reaching forward with the right hand and pulling ripcage forward as well, pulling a kiss out of the air and putting it in your heart, pulling your ripcage back
6th accent is a chest rotation to the right

Take your time to transition to right lunge position, right hand sliding down body, then traveling back up to cup behind your head, left arms extending horizontally out from body, “paint the floor” with the left foot as it travels in toward your right leg, extends forward and the circles back to the left again.
Alternate right and left lunges with circular foot painting movement.

Sit hip, “flick” foot - in place for 4, then traveling clockwise in tight circle

4 counts of 8: Starting with right foot crossing in front of left, grapevine step traveling left with 2 hip shimmy, end with pause on back right leg. Travel left, behind, to front, then to right.

4 of the Tunisian twist hip series - in place, to back of room, to front again, then travel forward

4 Folkloric dip lunge forward, sit sit sit hips to 4 corners

4 Hip pulls to right and left, repeat four times

Repeat from beginning of fast Greek tsifteteli combination to Ending where you send out a kiss.

__________________________
Fast Greek Tsifteteli Combination by Melina
I have embedded in this posting a Greek Tsifteteli Song -- one of the classic “Tsiftetelia tou Vourneli” -- that is 3:03 in length, but you can use a variety of Fast Greek Tsiftetelli song renditions for this set of movements and adapt to accommodate for the variety of exciting pauses.

Begin on balls of feet with first pick of bouzouki.
Start up on toes, knees bent, hips tucked chest tall (hips move side to side following direction of feet)
LRL, LRL, LRL, RIGHT
Repeat
For the last step on the RIGHT foot, step flat, get grounded for a big side hip to right with knees bent, left foot sliding in to right ankle.

Zill Pattern: R, RLRLR, R, RLR, RLRLRLRLR

Arms: relaxed out to sides for LRL, then strong Reverse L arms (right arm up, left arm out to left side) for last step on right.

Hip pulls on left foot going forward and back to music: FF, BB, FF, B. Do it once in place, once traveling to left. Right arm is up where it ended up on the last move, Left arm pulls gently in opposite to hip. Gaze follows left foot. Try not to bob up and down with the exertion of your quick hips. Stay smooth, still and gliding on the top.

Switch hip pulls to right side and reverse arm position. With the transition, drop left heel and lift your right foot behind with a little flick. Gaze then follows right foot.

Two-hip shimmies for 2 counts of 8.
Very small movements
As you travel forward with the two-hip shimmies, arms push down, travel out and up sides. As you travel back, pull down arms in ‘sky to earth’ arms, then reach forward from heart
THEN, the big drama pause and prep transition
Taka taka TAK pause on last tak
Step back on left foot, frame body in left diagonal mode – left arm up, right arm down behind hip

6 accent “taks” total
1st accent is getting into the first position and snapping the hip down
2nd accent is circling the hip counter clockwise with a vertical lift and snapping down
3rd accent is a roll up the body
4th accent is a roll down the body
5th accent is reaching forward with the right hand and pulling ripcage forward as well, pulling a kiss out of the air and putting it in your heart, pulling your ripcage back
6th accent is a chest rotation to the right

After accent “taks,” do a quick weight transfer into a right leg lunge toward the right diagonal.
Shoulder shimmy improv to climbing strains of bouzouki - as the notes rise you should shift what you layer into the shoulder shimmy. You can try: an undulating body roll up, a lifting shoulder, a torso lean or figure 8. In the course of the shoulder shimmy improv, shift your weight and body orientation to the left diagonal so that you end up in a left leg lunge position with back right heel lifted. The bouzouki dies out and you pause and prep your arms, body essentially still, for the next notes.

Left hand behind head, right hand pressing straight in front of body (straight toward left armpit). Do tiny right hip pushes back to accent the plucks of the bouzouki. As bouzouki gears up and descends in note, do a level change down as well, coming up on the balls of both feet as needed. Keep your hips tucked under. Your hips should shake-ily or snake-ily respond to the rubbery changes of the music. The bouzouki phrase finishes when you are down. You can dramatically smack the floor, Greek style, if your knees can handle it. Otherwise, modify the descent and go only as far as is comfortable, then drop your right shoulder down and slump your head with gusto.

Bouzouki twangs back in -
da da! (shoulder accent lunge right diagonal)
dadadada da! (back right hip sit accent while lunged to left diagonal - look back at right hip)
dadadada da! (shoulder accent)
dadadada da! dadadadadadadadada....(hip sit accent...into tiny earth quake shimmy layered with hip circle.)

Then the rhythm goes back to the original 8 counts with pause on “7”
Double Sit hip with “flick” foot - in place for 8 (with pause on 7)
Double sit hip step with flick foot traveling clockwise in tight circle (with pause on 7)
Starting with right foot crossing in front of left, grapevine step traveling left with 2 hip shimmy, end with pause on back right leg.
Long held bouzouki moment with a counterclockwise turn in place while doing choochoo steps on balls of feet and circling hips clockwise, arms out to side into
Three “Strike a pose” accent pauses (can be modified to suit your abilities and personality)

Smooth Slide/Jump right, push weight into right leg, right hip juts right, right arms up, left foot out to left on ball - (reverse “L” arms)
Smooth slide/jump into left foot, right up on ball and reverse arm pose (to form “L” arms)
Head toss

2 sets of traveling forward figure 8 hips on the horizontal plane (keep heels on the floor - we’ll keep working on the technique of this move in class). Left hand cupping head behind ear (thumb pointing down behind ear), right hand in earthy fist on hip.

Take step behind on right foot and pivot so that you are facing away from ‘audience’. Line up and point both knees in same ‘away from audience’ direction, back left leg is up on the ball, front right knee is bent. Shimmy as you lift both arms straight up over your head and follow with your gaze. WIth sudden end, drop arms dramatically.

With accent, roll left shoulder back toward audience and look over your left shoulder with a dramatic gaze.

With accent, orient both knees toward right diagonal, make sure feet aren’t too far apart (less than hip width), and body roll up from the first chakra.

...To be continued.

Try combination to Naked Rhythms Babylon (you’ll have to make variations to have it work with the song)
Try combination to Rumi’s Passion by Mosavo (slow down all movements and add in snakes and figure eights: it changes the look, feel and emotionality of the combination)

____________________________________________
“FOOT PAINTING” combinations

I often teach these advanced movements as a group because they all share the idea of painting circles or figure 8s on the floor with your foot or the big toe/ball of the foot. In order to do these movements well you have to a really good base in technique -- my sister Piper has these movements listed in her level II, level III and level IV PiperMethod certification lists -- they are very challenging to do well (but always fun to try). You should be able to do these movements without level changes, and you have to have mastered the body roll up and down and be able to travel with the rolls without losing your technique (body rolls up and down are categorized and described by Piper in the PiperMethod School of American Belly Dance but have also been called Arabic basic and Camel walk in the Jamila Salimpour School of Dance).

Warning: These notes are imperfect and are designed to jog your memory as you practice at home. I intend them to be a helpful supplement to class practice and will be improved upon when I have more time.

Rhea’s Body Roll Walk Backwards with Foot circle painting from front to back. This movement looks beautiful with a forwards and backwards leaning Turkish style posture and is a beautiful and dramatic movement to perform with a prop on your head. I don’t recommend this movement with a straight up and down Arabic style posture. To start, stand with both feet together, knees bent, hips tucked under in neutral posture (not arched), chest tall and shoulders pulled back and relaxed. Paint the floor with a straight line in front of you with the right foot then circle it to the back. As you do this, your chest leans forwards but is still “active” and lifting, and your base knee stays bent. Right foot circle around to the back then pulls in to replace the left foot as you transition to the Turkish-style leaning back posture with your hips in front of your chest and shoulders. Body roll down then begin movement again, this time with the left foot.
Single hip figure 8 with foot painting an 8 on the floor in front of you - knee of the base leg must be bent to act as a shock absorber so you don’t bob up and down and perform inadvertent level changes.
Traveling body rolls down starting with the rip cage pulling forward and up then undulating down the body (or camel walk) to right and left diagonals with smooth transition step in which you paint the floor with a foot circle. Foot work: Step diagonal right with right foot, feet together, step right, feet together, then for transition movement left foot paints the floor forward, then in counter-clockwise half circle to the left, then you shift your torso orientation to the left and repeat steps to the left diagonal with the left foot leading.

Again, I will improve upon these notes as time goes by and we discuss details in class.
_______________________________________________

STUDENT INFO: Level 2 Beyond Beginners Class Notes

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:26:10 -0400

In Melina’s level 2, or “beyond beginners” classes, students will continue to refine the basics and the moves learned in the level 1 classes. You will deepen your body’s understanding of the basic movements and begin to express the belly dance music -- and your inner soul -- more and more fully. We will begin to incorporate zills into classes and continue to work on proper posture, body alignment, and graceful hands and arms.

Try to maintain correct belly dance posture and body alignment: keep hips tucked under, tail bone energy down toward earth, pelvic bone lifting and pulling in towards womb, knees soft, lifting heart/proud chest for a queenly dancer’s posture, remembering to breathe and relax - lower - shoulders.

Remember to check my music playlist page for details on specific songs that I play in class.

Respectfully, please do not copy or perform this material without first attaining permission and giving proper credit.

Melina’s “Cultish Combo” to the song “Garden Play” by Earth Beat from the album Tales of a Mystic Garden.

These notes are for the basic set of moves. I sometimes add variations in class such as extra turns and directional shifts to make the combinations more dynamic but for purposes of simplicity have not included those here.

Intro: As soon as music starts, Arms reach up to Sky, then pull down alongside face in “Sky to heart” arms, end movement with hands in prayer position in front of heart chakra, just slightly in front of body.
When quick rhythms start, head slides and hip sides, holding hands in prayer position:

Head slides R,L,R (pause for fourth count)
Hips side R,L,R (pause for fourth counts)

With shift in music, do gentle, tiny, subtle earthquake shimmy style bounces to the tempo of the music for 4 sets of 8 counts.

1st set of 8 counts: keep feet flat, both knees bending at the same time as tips of fingers, hands still in prayer position, point down and then pull apart to form triangle in front of belly button, then turn wrists and scoop out hands to let arms flow down in front of hip bones, then lift out to side to wide “W” position.

2nd set of 8 counts -- take your time on this one -- hands lower “painting the walls” to low position behind the back, fingers touching below the base of spine,

3rd set of 8 counts: hands trace up the sides of the body for “Earth to Sky” arms. Keep the finger tips grazing the body all the way up behind your neck then release hands as arms stretch to the sky

4th set of 8 counts: arms flow back down to rest in “elbows in the doorway” position.

Step hip for 4 counts each with these arms positions:
Elbows in the doorway
Wide “W” arms AKA Classic Egyptian
Flamenco arms, wrists touching above head (Chest up! Shoulder blades pulling down and together. Elbows pulling back behind ears)
Alternating “L” and “Reverse L” body framing arms, gaze following hands as they reach out sideways from your shoulders.

Traveling step forward with alternating “Show the queenly ring” arms -- 4 forward, 4 back. Watch that you keep your lifted elbow pulling back, lifting chest.

Turn, turn, turn hip (Repeat 4). Arms in wide “W” with low hands for the turn, “L” frame position for hips.

“Back, forward, step, hip” starting by going back on the ball of the left foot and moving forward (repeat four)

“Put the long glove on” Arms while stepping back with a sit hip, flat footed. As you step back on left, push back into left hip, then right, left, right. Keep your knees bent, hips tucked, chest lifting.

With music change, go into “accent-the-rhythm” combo  Dainty dominatrix Hip lifts and drops (rhythm II, II)
Shoulder accents (rhythm II, II, I)
Repeat 4, 2 sets on each side, alternating

Then, we go into the fast greek tsiftetelli combination:

Go up on balls of feet, knees bent, hips tucked, chest tall (hips move side to side following direction of feet)
LRL, LRL, LRL, RIGHT
Repeat
For the last step on the RIGHT foot, step flat, get grounded for a big side hip to right with knees bent, left foot sliding along.

Arms: relaxed out to sides for LRL, then strong Reverse L arms (right arm up, left arm out to left side) for last step on right. Lift up right rip cage as left arm lifts, but pull left shoulder blade down so your shoulder doesn’t creep up to your ear.

Hip pulls on left foot going forward and back to music: FF, BB, FF, B. Do it once in place, once traveling to left. Right arm is up where it ended up on the last move, Left arm pulls gently in opposite to hip. Gaze follows left foot. Try not to bob up and down with the exertion of your quick hips. Stay smooth, still and gliding on the top.

Switch hip pulls to right side and reverse arm position. With the transition, drop left heel and lift your right foot behind with a little flick. Gaze then follows right foot.

Two-hip shimmies for 2 counts of 8.
Very small hip movements -
As you travel forward with the two-hip shimmies, arms push straight down, then travel out and up sides. As you travel back, pull down arms in ‘sky to earth’ arms, then reach forward from heart
THEN, the big drama transition
Step back on left foot, frame body in left diagonal mode – left arm up, right arm down behind hip

6 accent “taks” total
1st accent is getting into the first position and snapping the hip down
2nd accent is circling the hip counter clockwise with a vertical lift and snapping down
3rd accent is a roll up the body
4th accent is a roll down the body
5th accent is reaching forward with the right hand and pulling ripcage forward as well, pulling a kiss out of the air and putting it in your heart, pulling your ripcage back
6th accent is a chest rotation to the right

Take your time to transition to right lunge position, right hand sliding down body, then traveling back up to cup behind your head, left arms extending horizontally out from body, “paint the floor” with the left foot as it travels in toward your right leg, extends forward and the circles back to the left again.
Alternate right and left lunges with circular foot painting movement.

Sit hip, “flick” foot - in place for 4, then traveling clockwise in tight circle

4 counts of 8: Starting with right foot crossing in front of left, grapevine step traveling left with 2 hip shimmy, end with pause on back right leg. Travel left, behind, to front, then to right.

4 of the Tunisian twist hip series - in place, to back of room, to front again, then travel forward

4 Folkloric dip lunge forward, sit sit sit hips to 4 corners

4 Hip pulls to right and left, repeat four times

Repeat from beginning of fast Greek tsifteteli combination to Ending where you send out a kiss.

Notes for WARM UP & SLOW WORK
Slowly circle the body centers, joints and extremities: head & neck, shoulders, ripcage, hips, ankles
Forward-oriented ripcage circles while in “Melina’s killer lunge” position: heart pulls forward, lifts, behind hips and folds down at solar plexus. Repeat.
Focus on hands and wrists: Take your time.
Hand undulations leading from the wrists
Watch that you keep your fingers mostly together, that your fingers don’t splay out. Keep your thumbs tucked in, follow through hand movements to the tips of your fingers and don’t rush. For an elegant look, drop the middle finger lower than the others.
Wrist Circles
Weaving Wrists with arms descending from sky to in front of face to heart
“Put the long gloves on” arms as torso twists to right and left diagonals.
Snake arms

(Slow) Big Hip Circles in place
Traveling right and left
Camel Walks (full body undulations)
In place and traveling

STEPS: In Level 2, we continue to hone a fundamental traveling step of belly dance known as “basic” (or “arabic basic” or “turkish basic”) or “step hip”. We layer this basic move with a variety of arm positions that will serve to beautifully frame the body. We concentrate on the smooth and elegant transition from one arm movement to another.

Practice these arm positions so they flow elegantly from one to the next. Practice the arms standing, then while doing rhythmic hip practice, either a choo choo step or a step-hip.

Arms down, hands near hips with palms facing in, elbows pulled out to sides as if gently lifted by strings. Keep shoulders relaxed and down, torso active and lifting, palms facing in to body.

Classic Egyptian arms: arms out to sides, elbows bent, wrists bent to fingers face up, middle finger gently dropped, thumbs in. Shoulders relaxed and down, torso active and lifting.

Flamenco arms: arms raised above head, chest lifted in “snobby queen” posture, outsides of wrists joined and turned so palms face out, thumbs in.

Elegant “L” and “reverse L” arms. One arm is up, palm facing out, elbow gently bent, the other arm in classic egyptian arm position. Try to keep the movement between positions smooth and flowing. Don’t bob your body up and down, keep your chest lifted, see if you can circle your wrists as you transition between arms positions.

Cupping the back of the head hands. Elbow out to the side, hand cupping the head behind ear with thumb pointing down, pinky pointing up. Don’t let elbow come in front of your face.

Practice these arms with Step-hip
and variations on the step-hip theme:
Step hip, drop, hip
Step, hip hip hip
and
Back, forward, step, hip

Practice these arms while doing footwork and with gallop pattern (RLR) zills.

As you practice, always try to be in proper belly dance posture and body alignment to minimize back problems. As time goes by you’ll relax into the postures and get more of a feeling of relaxed yet precise flow rather than holding yourself stiffly. It takes time for belly dance movements to feel natural in your body, time for things to flow naturally. Sometimes years! Enjoy the process: its not a rush to perfection. Perfection is overrated; enjoying your body’s movements as a process is not.

FOR MORE ARMS & POSTURES

Visit my sister Piper’s website for her great and detailed articles on belly dance arm positions.

Rhea’s Ancient Greek Dance inspired arm position innovations:

Aphrodite posture. Following the pedagogical inspiration of my mother Rhea, I incorporate principles and postures of Ancient Greek Dance into my belly dance style and teaching. She expounds beautifully on her theories in her DVD “Graceful Hands and Arms,” available to my students in class for the discounted price of $30 (market price is $40). In Aphrodite posture, inspired by the ancient greek statues of the goddess of love, arms travel up and down the body in “Sky to Earth” and “Earth to Sky” vertical directions. Hands much stay very close to the sides of the body, caressing your aura or even skimming the skin. Feet are both on the earth, weight bearing foot is flat on the floor, non-weight-bearing leg foot touches the floor all along the inner side of the foot.

More of Rhea’s arms:

Earth to heart and out to world (arms/hands behind the back, up the spine, extending out to sides)

“Hug” arms keeping a chest lift throughout

Sky to heart and out to world (reach all the way up, then bring hands down behind the head to neck and extend out to your sides).

These arm movements can be incorporated with a variety of traveling hip steps.

“Choo choos”, a traveling step on flat feet with knees bent and quick side-to-side staccato hips engaging with your shifting weight. Choo choos can also be practiced up on the balls of the feet, knees bent, pelvis tucked under, chest lifting, shoulders relaxed.

Standing shimmies.

Remember to breathe evenly throughout class.

Zill Patterns

Work with zills (Turkish word for bells), sagat (arabic word) or finger cymbals. (Click here to read my essay on finger cymbals in the gilded serpent).

Gallop pattern: R,L,R, R,L,R (and the reverse)
Cascade pattern: RLRLRLRLRLRLRL

Practice forward step, back step with gallop pattern zills.
Practice Step hip with gallop pattern zills.

Work on isolating the chest for torso rotations. Some of my ideas for practicing isolations at home include: putting your nose against a mirror and trying to circle your chest without moving your head.

Try this: with zills on, do a gallop pattern while dancing sideways in a grapevine step.

Try balancing an object on your head to focus and concentrate your energy. It also helps to practice body isolations while balancing something on your head. Just remember to keep your body in proper alignment: knees bent, pelvis tucked, chest lifted, shoulders down - breathe!

www.daughtersofrhea.com
Melina’s Upcoming Performance and Touring Schedule

STUDENT INFO: Boston Area Belly Dance Resources

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:24:31 -0400

A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
TO MELINA’S PERSONAL PICKS IN THE BOSTON AREA 
Visit Amy Smith’s on-line resource of teachers, performances, venues and events in New England at www.bellydancenewengland.com. There you can also subscribe to the informative magazine Middle Eastern Dance in New England (MEDINE) and get to know who’s who and what’s going on around town and beyond.  
There are numerous on-line groups you can subscribe to such as http://boston.tribe.net, or subscribe to Hanna Svarc’s “belly dance plus” newsletter hannas_hips@yahoo.com. The more you search the more you’ll find out. You can also subscribe to the Belly Dance Massachusetts yahoo group and receive e-mails about events in Boston and around New England. Send an email to: Bellydancema-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Where you can go locally to see, try on and buy belly dance costumes and accoutrements.

Anatolia Imports/Belly Dance Oasis
1703 Warwick Avenue
Warwick, R.I. 02889
401.737.4713 – Call first to check on their hours - and tell them Melina sent you!

Great Eastern Trading Company
49 River Street
Central Square, Cambridge
617.354.5279 – call first to check hours - and tell them Melina sent you!

Za-Beth’s workshops and hafli’s (dance parties) are always a great place to learn, see a great variety of belly dance performances & shop! Get onto Za-Beth’s mailing list for news up her upcoming events: email her at zills@earthlink.net.

For an original, custom-fit, beautifully beaded belly dance costume creation and not a “cookie cutter off-the-rack costume” call upon the talented Shadia Tohme for a consultation and fitting! Shadia is a wonderful belly dance teacher and costumer in the Boston area. Shadia: 781 461 0512.

Catch me or other belly dancers live in performance at Karoun Restaurant in Newton Fri/Sat nights. Check the Daughters of Rhea website for my show schedule and make reservations for a great dinner and fun evening (I recommend the lamb kebob, and all the soups are homemade and delicious): Visit www.karoundining.com or call 617.964.3400. On Saturday nights you have to make dinner reservations and there is a minimum price for dinner. Call them and ask what that is.

Other local venues with belly dancing:

The Middle East in Cambridge
Layaleena - check website for latest location (www.layaleena.com)
Sahara in Methuen
The Red Fez in the South End
Tangierino in Charleston
Athenian Corner Restaurant in Lowell
Byblos Restaurant in Norwood

I encourage all of my students to explore Boston’s vibrant belly dance scene and try out classes by other local teachers, attend workshops, performances and haflis (Arabic for “party”). The more you know, the more you’ll grow as a belly dancer. Keep an open mind, an open heart, and enjoy yourself.

www.daughtersofrhea.com
Melina’s Upcoming Performance and Touring Schedule

STUDENT INFO: Level 1 Beginners Notes

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:59:37 -0400

The following notes are based on an 8 week session, but I go over all these moves and concepts in all my Level 1 classes and special workshops.

Week 1: Circle Warm Up and Introduction of Proper posture and body alignment for Belly Dance. Body isolation practice and basic arm positions. Step Hip & Shimmies.

Week 2: Repeat & Review (R&R) previous material. Focus on CIRCLES: Hip circles, chest circles, wrist circles. Learn and practice basic hip movements - hip ups and hip downs, as well as traveling step hips. Remember that hip movements originate from the knees, not the hips. I can’t say this enough, it is one of the hardest concepts for students to convince both their brains and their bodies. Try to keep your knees bent and soft at all times, never locking them.

Week 3. Focus on the Maya, a slow, vertically lifting figure 8 movement of the hips. It is very important to keep your knees bent for this movement, hips tucked under so that you don’t arch your back and create unhealthy pressure on the lower spine. Activate your waist muscle by contracting the waist to lift the hip toward the ripcage, being careful not to let your derriere move behind your shoulders. Keep your chest tall and keep breathing.

In Level 1 Classes, Melina also teaches the “hokey pokey” belly dance sequence, shown to her by her sister Piper whose student Driana originated the idea. “Put your right hip in, put your right hip out, put your right hip in and shake it all about. Do a shoulder shimmy and turn yourself around, that’s what its all about!” We also practice our earthquake shimmies and layered bounces with hip circles.

Week 4. We work on the “back, forward, hip, hip” movement with Rhea’s circular “Earth to the world” arms (arms go down to the base of the spine, pull up the vertebrae and side ways out at the ribs), “Hug” arms, and “Sky to the world” arms (arms go up high over head, then come down to stroke the back of your hair, then to your neck and extend out to the sides). Focus on follow-through of the fingers, unfurling your hands to release imaginary light through your finger tips at the end. Avoid curling or clutching your hands. Isolate your hips from the upper body by relaxing - but lifting - your torso and keeping your base knee bent. Look fondly upon your hip as it comes up. Pay attention to where you place your gaze.

In this class I introduce my killer lunge sequence to help build strength and flexibility in the thighs and hip flexors and protect your back for long-term dance use. Practicing this movement will help you become stronger dancers who can do an exciting level change at the drop of a hat!

I introduce 3/4 shimmies: hip lift, hip drop and switch weight/hip side to other leg. Repeat.

We undulate through the chakras, snaking the spine up and down.

We sweat a lot and tried to keep hydrated.

Week 5. Back, step, hip hip combinations and more 3/4 shimmying. Also: Focus on the NAVEL. Belly Rolls and Flutters. Techniques for how to build control of the abdominal muscles.

Week 6. Focus on FINGER CYMBALS. How to put them on and basic patterns to accompany your belly dance moves. We began class by learning a combination of steps and accompanying zill patterns.
Step, hip for 4 with R, RLR “gallop” pattern
Stay in place shoulder accents with R,L,R,L,R,L,R “cascade” pattern

The key to zilling is to keep zilling! “Fake it til you make it, and you will make it!”

Week 7. Focus on VEILS. The mysterious, alluring and dynamic veil - your sartorial partner in oriental dance.

Week 8. Focus on PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER. Learn one of Melina’s belly dance choregraphies.

www.daughtersofrhea.com

Melina’s Upcoming Performance and Touring Schedule

STUDENT INFO: Melina’s Circle Warm Up for all Levels

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:29:02 -0400

Read more my circle dance article on the Gilded Serpent.

Melina’s Daughters of Rhea Circle Warm-Up with Arm Variations. Music: Nisim Al Amar by Ali Arsoy’s Ali Bi Ghanni Li Rhea CD, available through Daughters of Rhea
All written material copyright 2005 by Daughters of Rhea www.daughtersofrhea.com

I like to teach belly dance in a circle. It is the way I watched my mother Rhea teach from the time I was born, and it makes sense to me. Dances have been performed in rings for thousands of years. The circle is a perfect, democratic & unending shape, the shape of an energized community, the shape of this lovely round planet. It is a good shape in which to learn belly dance, an ancient dance of with primal roots, a dance that transcends geographic boundaries. Shimmies, snake arms, head slides, spins, turns, undulations, body part isolations, hip articulations – no matter how you dress it up ethnically, this dance expresses itself with common movement themes all over the globe.

I have noticed the following facts about dancing in a circle, like them or not: Nobody can hide in a circle. In a circle, if one person smiles, everyone smiles. If one person goes the wrong way in a traveling movement, they are quickly brought into proper flow by the larger group. Fellow students are quick to help their neighbor. In a circle, we are all in the dance together, and everyone thinks positively about their bodies because they are brought unselfconsciously into the flow and fun of the dance.

This circle warm-up is designed to bring you into the flow of dance with a smile on your gypsy lips, so have fun, do what you like with it and keep breathing.

Proud Gypsy with Saucy Shoulders and Steady Gaze. Hands on hips, right shoulder facing center of the circle, gaze fastened to the center of the circle as well so that your chin is directly above your right shoulder, step forward and back starting with your right foot. Make sure to put weight on each foot –R,L,R.L -- and not just tap your right foot front and back. When you step back and put weight on the right foot, turn your left shoulder into the circle and swivel your head so that your chin is now over your left shoulder. This keeps your gaze forward at all times, and warms up your neck to boot. Proper Dance posture to minimize injury/impact on back and knees: always keep knees slightly bent, never locked, step forward and back smoothly so that you are not bobbing up and down, keep hips tucked under (don’t arch your back), chest lifted, shoulders back, chin proud. Keep breathing throughout. Repeat each arm variation 8 times or so.

Reveal the Pearl. Start with both hands on hips. As you step forward on your right foot, extend your right arm forward at shoulder height into circle and slowly unfurl fingers, palm facing sky, as if to reveal a beautiful pearl nestled in your palm. As you step back on your right foot, retract your hand and bring it back in a fist to your right hip. “Here’s my pearl … but its mine…. You can see it for a moment, but it belongs to me…” Remember to keep your chin over each shoulder as you step forward and back and keep your gaze/focus forward to the center of the circle.

Wiping the Pearls of Sweat. As you step forward on right foot, right arm extends into circle, where you let your pearls of dance sweat fall to the floor from your fingers. As you step back on the right foot, your right hand comes to touch your LEFT shoulder. As you come forward again, your right hand maintains contact with your skin, pulling along the upper chest all the way to the right shoulder, then it extends into the circle again.

Ya Salem (“hi, how are you”). This arm movement involves a wrist rotation. As you step forward on the right foot, your right arm extends forward into the circle (shoulder height). At the same time your right wrist rotates in a tiny circle until your right palm opens to sky and your right arm is at full extension. As you step back on the right foot, bend your right elbow, keeping it close to the body to avoid the move looking like an army salute, and rotate your wrist in reverse bringing closed, straight fingers up to graze the side of your temple.

You want me? You can’t have me! Shoulder shimmy as you right-step into circle (you want me), then as you step back on your right foot your chest turns away from the circle’s center but you keep looking saucily back over your right shoulder (you can’t have me).

Feed the Tiny Unicorn: Right-step forward and extend an imaginary golden apple down to a tiny unicorn at your feet, then as you step back on the ball of your right foot, you reach up very high behind you with your right hand to pick another apple from the Golden Apple Tree whose laden branch is almost directly over your head. As you bring this new apple to the tiny unicorn, you wipe it on the back of your hair to polish it to perfection.

Taj Mahal & Taffy Pull: Step forward, both arms reaching up over head in I Dream of Jeannie/Taj Mahal architecture pose, knuckles touching and fingers vertical and closed together, then turn hands so the palms face each other and pull imaginary taffy so that arms extend to shoulder level at your sides. The taffy image is designed to make you use resistance as your arms pull apart. Repeat.

When you have completed all the arm variations leading with your right foot, repeat the moves on your left foot. The Daughters of Rhea dance philosophy aims to reconcile both sides of our brain and give strength to our weaker side by working both sides of the body equally. In this way we can bring right/left, yin/yang, feminine/masculine principles – all the oppositional forces that reside within -- us more into balance.

Melina’s Upcoming Performance and Touring Schedule

SHE Network - Share, Help, Empower

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 17:42:58 -0400

Dear Melina

We wanted to thank you and your team [Daughters of Rhea Dancer Sara Cabral and Tech Support Sacha Pavlata] very much for coming and donating your time to share the fabulous art of belly dancing at the recent SHE Network event at Finz in Salem.

We feel very privileged that you were at our event and gave us all such a wonderful insight into, not only the beauty and skills of belly dancing, but the philosophy and principles behind it. As you know, SHE Network works to strengthen and empower the spirit of women and we are thrilled that your personal mission statement is so aligned with ours. We consider your honesty and candor as much a part of your beauty as your amazing belly dancing skills and we know that many women were touched by your presence that night.

We hope you had a good trip to Greece and that the rest of your current travel plans are working out. Your professional advice and encouragement also meant a lot to us. You will be one of the first to know when our website gets up and running!

Once again, thank you Melina for your invaluable contribution to this very special evening. Photo attached!

With our very best wishes
The Women of SHE Network

Singapore Sling Melina!

Sat, 2 Aug 2008 09:47:18 -0400

Invited by the talented and cheeky Singapore-based teacher Susanna of Goddess Motion, Melina of Daughters of Rhea performed and taught special seminars in Singapore in April and May 2008. She will be back in 2009 WITH HER MOTHER THE GREAT RHEA OF GREECE!!!! Visit the Goddess Motion website for photos of our 2008 show and for more info as 2009 approaches....

Melina and Rhea will featured in Concert with Goddess Motion at Victoria Theatre on April 30, 2009

Seminars May 1 - 4, 2009
Seminar topics to include:
Greek Belly Dance
Greco-Turkish Cabaret Combos Floorwork and Prop Balancing
Veil work, Shimmies and Zills
Folkloric Costume-Making

I LOVE YOU LADIES!

This is an email I sent to my family and friends while in Singapore:

“Spoiled in Singapore”

It’s 2 a.m. at the Summer Tavern on Carpenter Street in Singapore and once again I can't sleep. Sacha doesn't seem to suffer from the same jet lag issues, as he is sleeping away already. He has caught a slight cold from going in arctically air-conditioned shops and out again into humid boiling sun conditions. I am hoping that my pomegranate iced tea from the local 7-11 isn't the true cause of my insomnia. I just realized it probably had a black tea leaf base.... caffeine....caffeine.. my friend and foe.

Today was my first "free" day after teaching a marathon set of classes the last few days - 5 hours a day for 4 days in a row. The beautiful students of Susanna Lawren AKA Goddess Motion and Claribel's Raks Sharki studio (www.bellydanceinsingapore.com) barely flagged under my energetic forces! They wanted more! More! Dancers are in great shape over here! Local professional dancer and recent finalist of a Miss Singapore competition, Angelina Tay came to all the seminars and then went on to dance four sets at Shiraz restaurant in the trendsetting hotspot area called Clarke Quay. She always finds the energy to shimmy - could the secret be her daily dose of chocolate? Women (and a couple of men) from all over Asia came to the workshops -- from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. Back in Boston I'm always impressed when students drive to class on a regular basis from Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine, but flying in to Singapore for class from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan? Its a whole new map for the mind over here. I have been invited back for next year and I am already looking forward to the next trip. It is such a pleasure to see how belly dance strengthens and empowers women -- how it seems to change lives for the better -- all over the globe. And it is also gratifying that the Daughters of Rhea Way is received so positively even on the other side of the earth one degree above the equator. Greco-Turkish-Vintage-Oriental-Manouche Style with creative spirit and colorful family stories makes for happy feet, hearts and hips (plug, plug). The gorgeously petite Japanese dancer Kyoko wanted yet another workshop today, even after she taught her own classes at Claribel's she was ready for more. Singapore Energy! Is it the equator? Is that why I'm still awake at 3:30 a.m.?

Besides hours upon hours of belly dance, in Singapore Sacha and I have shopped and dined, dined and shopped, shopped and dined. Protectively guided around the city by our phenomenal sponsor/host, Susanna Lawren of Goddess Motion, we have seen nearly every inch of Chinatown, Clarke Quay, the other Quays, the shopping centers around our hotel, - had shiatsu massage on body and foot reflexology session, bargained with every shop keeper ("that your best price?" mantra drilled into me by Susanna). I am not prone to bargaining but since Susanna is by my side I don't want to let her down so I always say "That your best price?". Sometimes I get a couple of dollars off, or they throw in a gift. It never hurts to try. Even if its just a snow globe. On the other hand, Susanna encourages me to price my items for sale in the seminars quite high -- great business women here! Buy low, sell high! Make good business! Everyone in the Claribel Raks Sharki studio coterie has been of enormous help and support -- we are constantly treated to magnificent meals and experiences: Serene has sported us around town in her zippy little alpha romeo: just after we arrived and were still ridiculously jet-lagged, following our concert gala, she whisked us off with Claribel to Mustafa's 24 hour department store in the Indian section of town at 2 a.m. We wandered through miles of aisles crammed with videos, make up, electronics, toilettries, kitchen items, books, fabric, clothing, just about everything except the Turkish coffee pot that Claribel was in search of. Another night Serene drove us to the most incredible fish restaurant in Singapore where you go choose the live fish you want from the tank and then the restaurant prepares the fish in delicious sauces -- ginger, chili, garlic.... She and Claribel treated us to lobster, chili crab, scallops and some kind of trout-like fish. Hsiao Min treated us to an exquisite Singapore Sling at the Regent Hotel (sister hotel to 4 Seasons - live jazz trio as you sip your drink on comfy couch experience) -- the next day Serene guided us over to compare their concoction to that that of the Long Bar where the original Singapore Sling was invented. The Long Bar is part of the Raffles Hotel, and colonial-style building dating from 1887, named after Singapore's Founder Sir Stamford Raffles. It is also famous for the peanut shells you are supposed to throw on the floor after you have shucked your nut. In a city where littering carries the possibility of imprisonment, throwing your peanut shells around is a bit of a thrill.

Back to the food, the food: Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, Thai, Arabic, Nepalese, Greek...you name it we have eaten it on this trip. Turtle soup, shark fin egg stir fry, satay, bean curd mango desserts, chili crab, strange hairy fruits that taste lychee-like, a s, Nepalese version of a greek salad, bean curd this and thats, lots of icy fruit juices on the street (as rumored, it is quite hot here near the equator). Everywhere we go to eat Susanna orders chili on the side. She is Indonesian-born and says she could live on rice and the hottest chili in the world. Our western wimpy tongues can't take the heat, but we have been pretty adventurous even as we try to avoid having what Dav Rue, Susanna's marketing/editing/backstage director guru, called "Running stomach". So far have avoided Running Stomach, although I must report it sometimes feel its warming up a for a run.

Singapore Sling
• 30ml gin
• 15ml Heering Cherry Liqueur
• 7.5ml D.O.M Benedictine
• 7.5ml Cointreau
• 120ml Pineapple juice
• 15ml fresh lime juice
• 10ml grenadine
• dash of Angostura bitters
• Garnish: maraschino cherry, pineapple chunk, and orange slice

Last night Susanna with Serene and Claribel's help organized a hafli at a new arabic/nepalese/greek place (ethnicities abound here after all). Beautifully decorated place where you sit on cushions and the ceiling looks like a tent with fabrics billowing all around. Dancers and their family members came who had attended my seminars and after eating delicious appetizers of all sorts (I can't even figure out what we ate anymore) a dance fest ensued including Indian dances, raks sharki, humor dance, wild dance, finger cymbals riffing, dance-with-teapot-on-head (more on all this another time).

Today I made the grave error of trying on a couple of the costumes from Claribel's belly dance boutique... Had to get one! I chose the classy and sexy black elegant Egyptian style one over the zippy purple and gold "flamenco" style creation (I have more gypsy stuff in my wardrobe) - but then Claribel gave me the purple costume as a gift! Talk about generous souls. We have definitely been spoiled in Singapore.

I am finally tired at nearly 4 a.m., so good night to you all.
Love M

p.s. Random Facts about Singapore based on my one-and-only visit

Public restrooms are everywhere - and free and clean -- in public shopping areas. Great for those of us who like to go a lot.
Toilet paper often not in stall, you have to get it outside by the hand dryer first. Important to remember this.
Internet free at Starbucks and McDonald's (starbucks is EVERYWHERE)
The U.S. dollar is slightly higher than the Sing Dollar
Shiatsu is great
Lots of umbrella use to shield people from the sun, not many people wear sunglasses
Everyone speaks English
Belly dancers everywhere are wonderful, talented, warm and funny.

Daughters of Rhea BellyPalooza Festival

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 22:01:48 -0400

MELINA, PIPER AND RHEA ALONG WITH THEIR STAR GUEST INSTRUCTORS GATHERED IN ONE PLACE!BellyPalooza 2008 at The Johns Hopkins University Mattin Center and the Baltimore Museum of Art is guaranteed fun and high quality all around! Vendors, Shoppers, Dancers, Teachers & Events gather together for an inspiring belly dance buzz event.

BELLYPALOOZA 2008 DATES: AUGUST 2 & 3
BELLYPALOOZA DATES 2009 TBA!

Visit BellyPalooza’s website
for pictures and reviews of our past BellyPalooza festivals and Belly Dance Magic Shows.

Top photo of Piper and Melina
by Algerina Perna of the Baltimore Sun

Photos of Melina at left and right by
Allen Becker

MELINA’S 2008 BELLYPALOOZA SEMINARS
(Click on each for notes)
Floorwork Secrets
Belly Dancer in the Womb
Melina’s Tray of Candles Essay Props/Balancing/Floorwork for Advanced Dancers Balkan Beat Box Fusion Choreography Ice Queen Choreography Mixed-Level “Linked by a Hip” and Luscious Arms

Melina’s Favorite Quotes, Thoughts and Poems

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:57:59 -0400

*~*

A few of my favorite quotes:

“If you are not integrated, whatever you are doing cannot have real integration; it can only be put together superficially. And the result of that putting together will be just a mechanical unity, not an organic unity.

[...] The significance comes from the person, the poet; it is not in the poetry. If the poet has something overflowing, then the poetry becomes luminous, then it has a glow; it has a subtle unity. If it throbs with life, it has a heart, it beats...you can hear the beat of the heart. Then it lives and grows and it goes on growing.”

-Osho, from Everyday Osho, Excerpt #184, Organic Unity.

“Things are not all so comprehensible and expressible as one would most likely have us believe; most events are inexpressible, taking place in a realm which no word has ever entered, and more inexpressible then al else are works of art, mysterious existences the life which, while our passes away, endures.” - Rainer Maria Rilke.

“If the dancer is not stimulated by the truth and beauty of his movements, there will be no communication either to the dancer or to an audience, if an audience is included. This kind of concentration is the secret of projection.”
--Margaret N. H’Doubler, “Dance: A Creative Art Experience” U. Wisconsin 1940.

“We are what we eat. We are also what we see and hear. And we are in the midst of living our one and only life.” -- James Salter from Writers on Writing.

“I’ve come to think that what we call ‘talent’ is inextricably linked to a bottomless fascination with the process itself, that an artist of any kind possesses, among other qualities, the desire to do it and do it until it comes out right.

It took me some time to understand that what I needed to do was not reform my natural inclinations, but to give in to them.

I’m not convinced that writers must only write about what they know, but I’m sure we should only deal with that about which we care passionately.

Have patience. Don’t panic”

Interview with Michael Cunningham from “The Very Telling: Conversations with American Writers” by Sarah Anne Johnson.

*~*

I see Belly Dance as sacred dance theatre.
You must be simultaneously priestess, trickster, artist & showman.
Distill the energy of the universe within your body and radiate it out in all directions.
From your hips, hair, fingers, face.

*~*

What I’ve learned from dance:
Be present.
Where are your hands.
Where are you looking.
Where is your weight being placed.
What part of your body is bearing the burden.
Breathe
Life your heart
Take your time
Release the burdens
Love the world.

*~*

When your mother goes off at the age of 35 and starts life anew in a foreign land,
you grow up believing that anything is possible
and new beginnings can always occur.
You can reinvent yourself, your lifestyle,
Your context,
Refashion your behavior,
Learn a new language.

The snake sheds its skin
and continues to live

*~*

One of my favorite writers/thinkers is Joseph Campbell, who said “the influence of a vital person vitalizes.” He also said “The whole world is conscious... We are the earth. We are the consciousness of the earth. We are the eyes of the earth, we are the voice of the earth.”

Another from Campbell:

You can tell what’s informing society by looking at the tallest thing in the place.

*~*

Belly Dance Class

We belong to something ancient,
alive
Together, in a circle, we create a sacred space
where temporal walls dissolve
to reveal
a primal shimmy.

Collective, communal experience
women coming together in movements
that keep energy flowing throughout the body
and outwards to the world

*~*

You can’t have creativity
Unless you leave behind the bounded
the fixed
all the rules

*~*

Be brave, live large and test your boundaries.
Do not be held back by conventions.
Taste the thresholds of other worlds.
Enter those worlds and eat of their pomegranates.
Cross borders. See what might happen.
You have nothing to regret.
This is your one and only life.
Live it up.

*~*

Visit www.daughtersofrhea.com for more on Melina’s dancing family and belly dance projects

Melina’s Upcoming Performance and Touring Schedule

*~*

Whiskey Tent Dance by Melina

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:25:35 -0400

WHISKEY TENT DANCE by MELINA - Choreography Notes
Copyright 2005 Melina of Daughters of Rhea
Music Abdel Kadir by ALI ARSOY from Karma (4 minutes 40 seconds)
www.daughtersofrhea.com
~ www.bellypalooza.com ~
www.cirquepassion.com

On the day in December 2005 I found out that Sacha and I were to be the proud parents – er -- owners of our own, gently used French circus tent I was giddy with glee and tinged with slight trepidation (how does one go about importing a tent? I now had to figure that out)! I tried to settle down and plan my classes for that evening, but had trouble focusing. The previous month, after over a year of misty-eyed dreaming about this sweet little tent and negotiating various details, Sacha and I had traveled to the small town of Vire in Normandy, France to check out the red-and-yellow-striped chapiteau a local theatre company was selling. To see it in person took our breath away: it was a beautiful, charming, elegant, Oriental-esque two-masted tent, 17 X 10 meters, 350 -500 person capacity – it would make the perfect home for Cirque Passion, our bellydance-theatre-circus-fusion fantasy production company. We made an offer well under their asking price, which was too high for us, and kept our fingers crossed. They pursed their lips in fine French style and did not immediately accept our honest proposition. I returned to Boston to teach, Sacha stayed in Paris an extra week “just in case” they called and finally accepted our offer. And that happy day did indeed arrive! Their fiscal year was coming to a close and they had no more need of the tent: she was ours! You can check out some pictures of our seafaring tentbaby in Cirque Passion’s cyberworld - www.cirquepassion.com.

I was alone in our home studio when Sacha called with the news, and as I had no champagne in the fridge I cracked open a beer and we toasted virtually over the phone. Then I immediately called Piper, and as I spilled the news I began to hiccup wildly in between sips of Sam Adams. I could barely get the story out. Piper said in big sisterly fashion: “Wait a minute. Stop talking. Listen to me. Go to your kitchen. Look for a bottle of whiskey. Open the bottle. Pour yourself a shot. Drink it down in one gulp.” I did so without question, and my hiccups immediately disappeared. Piper had folk-cured me just like she used to when I was a kid (once she gave me a sip – ok, maybe I took more than a sip, could have been a gulp – or two -- of ouzo when I was 9 and mom had to walk me 3 times around the acropolis to get it out of my twitching system, but that’s another story)! I was left with a feeling of warm wellbeing and had a certain inspired zing in my veins. I had two hours before I was to teach class. I put on Ali’s Karma CD and began to dance, seeing what movements came my way with my blood infused with international bohemian spirits. I grabbed my notebook and began to channel a choreography that I am showing you here today, a dance that I had to name the “Whisky Tent Dance.” And there you go. A true Dionysian choreography from my heart and soul, inspired by real life events and supported by my family’s musical collaborations, movement traditions, and alcoholic remedies. -Melina

WHISKEY TENT DANCE by MELINA
Back turned to audience, arms up, chin over right shoulder “disco” beginning. Right arm down, left arm down, pivot turn – head stays in place. Repeat movement – right arm up, left arm up, right arm down, left arm down, facing forward.
8 counts of two hip shimmies in place
8 counts of two hip shimmies traveling forward with wrists circling at hip.
8 counts of two hip shimmies traveling side with left hand behind head, right hand out to right, gaze directed to right.
8 counts of two hip shimmies in 4-point pivot turn, circling right wrist as you pivot around counterclockwise.
Facing center, 4 Suzie Q steps to left with pelvic clutches with arms straight down by hips, 4 hip pushes to right with pushing ‘prayer’ Egyptian hands up at right shoulder level, gaze over left shoulder as you travel right. Repeat this paired sequence twice.
With drums, bounces to a swooning fall to right and then to left with “hug” arms, pulling out from elbows
When Ali starts singing start refrain step: Dip back (left foot behind right, dipping back to your right) 2, 1,2,3, step with hug arms as you dip back. Repeat four. After completing the 1,2,3 of last dip back step, your left foot is free to travel left in a traveling turn to left.
Turn 2,3, to left into low-anchored lunge facing left with pulling torso and snake arms pulling back, front, back, front. Repeat four times.
Back forward step hips. Repeat four. When you step back on left foot, look over left shoulder, then ahead as you travel forward and hip. Same concept on right side.
Step, hip, hip, hip - stepping backwards and with hip to front, side, and back. Repeat four. Left hand cupping behind head, right hand outstretched.
Ali starts singing again: Quick Tunisian twist hips in place to right, then left then in tight “dog chasing tail” circle. Repeat in other direction. Arms straight down and near, but not touching, hips with bent-at-the-wrists, palm-downwards hands.
Refrain step: Dip back, 2 1, 2, 3 step with hug arms.
Turn 2,3 to left into low-anchored lunge facing left – this time with a chest contraction and layered shimmy pulling back, front, back, front. Repeat four.
Back forward step hip, Repeat four.
Then: Surprise! With drums, little jump in the air and land in shimmy.
Ali singing again: Walk three steps to right looking over left shoulder, then dramatic traveling turn to left 2, 3 with chest lift at end. Repeat four.
Refrain step: Dip back, step 1, 2, 3 with hug arms
Turn 2, 3 into lunge, this time with body roll up, then down. Repeat TWICE only.
Drum solo sequence:
High heel on right foot, body angled slightly to right diagonal, thighs squeezed together and hips tucked under: 3 quick hip downs starting with right hip with downward level change, quick body roll up from pelvis to chest. Repeat twice.
Lunge into right leg, shoulder shimmy to right diagonal, then weight transfers back to left leg, 3 quick right hip sits down to drum accents with left hand behind head. Repeat twice. Feet together facing forward, shimmy 3 counts, body roll up from pelvis, shimmy shoulders, body roll down.
Refrain step: Dip step, 1,2,3 with hug arms 4 times. Traveling turns with Lunges and original snake arms pulls to right and left. Repeat four.
Freestyle Shimmies with drumming.
With Ali’s singing again after drums, be ready for quick Tunisian twist hips sequence to left and then right. Repeat four.
Back, forward, step hip, Repeat 4
Step hip hip hip traveling back
Slow drama step hips until ending:
With ending, pivot turn earth to sky right arm as you turn!

Misirlou Dance by Melina

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:17:21 -0400

Misirlou: Greek Lyrics by N. Rubanis  
Μισιρλού μου, η γλυκιά σου η ματιά Φλόγα μου 'χει ανάψει μες στην καρδιά Αχ, για χαμπίμπι, αχ, για χαλέλι, αχ  Τα δυο σου χείλη στάζουνε μέλι, αχ  Αχ, Μισιρλού, μαγική, ξωτική ομορφιά Τρέλα θα μου 'ρθει, δεν υποφέρω πια Αχ, θα σε κλέψω μέσα από την Αραπιά  Μαυρομάτα Μισιρλού μου τρελή Η ζωή μου αλλάζει μ' ένα φιλί Αχ, για χαμπίμπι ενα φιλάκι,άχ Απ' το γλυκό σου το στοματάκι, αχ

My Misirlou (Egyptian girl), your sweet glance It's lit a fire in my heart Ah, ya habibi, Ah, ya haleli, ah (Arabic: Oh, my love, Oh, my night) Your lips are dripping honey, ah  Ah, Misirlou, magical, exotic beauty Madness will overcome me, I can't take any more Ah, I'll steal you away from the Arab land  My black-eyed, my wild Misirlou My life changes with one kiss Ah, ya habibi, one little kiss, ah From your sweet little lips, ah

Choreography by Melina, to be danced with or without veil.

Start with your right foot crossed over the left, up on the ball, arms in “bolero” pose with elbows out. On third count of song, walk around dramatically for 7 counts. On the 7th count you face forward in lunge position, right foot in front of left. Left foot is lifted up to the ball.

Starting with right arm, snake arms for 8 with passionate drop level change at the end.

4 sets leaning dip back step with “hug” arms (start with right foot behind left, weight on right foot)

4 sets leaning dip back step with simultaneous “circling” arms

Walk around again in your own circle again, and on count of 5, dip your right shoulder down and “pluck the rose” from your knee. Pull rose up your body, ending with an arm flourish up, freeing the rose with gaze skyward.

With start of singing, camel walks to the right for 4, back arm up, front arm extended behind you horizontally from the shoulder. At transition, contract down with “hug arms” and dip down for a level change, keeping chin up.

Camel walks to left for 4 counts with ending transition as described above.

Stay in place, lift and circle your right hip twice with hands “operating” hip motion, then dramatic hip lift with a step to the right on third count, reaching straight up with your right hand, left hand to right hip bone in front of body. Slowly drag your left foot in to meet the right as your right hand descends down in front of your face to rest on your forehead and take head around for dramatic head roll.

Reverse mayas in place with snake arms that slowly rise higher, end with hands waving left, right, left, right.

2 lunges to right side with reaching torso and arm, vertical lift circle hip

“Pulling kisses from the air” reaching right and left with torso pulls 4 times.

Start from the beginning and repeat everything, but with focus on the left hip and left side. In second half, there is no plucking the rose from the knee -- leaning dip back movements go straight to camel walks.

Ending: walk slowly around to right with arms down, and slowly rising to up over head, then 3 quick spins, stop and stay still in leaning lunge and, to music, dip down, pulling arms down, then extend up and open hands to release veil.