Souhair - practice

Practice:

In front of a mirror and without a mirror.
With music and without music.
Moves on the right side and on the left side.
Moves reversed in direction.
Standing still and moving. Try doing hip circles while walking forward, then back, then to the side.
Changing levels. Try bending and straightening knees while doing vertical hip figure 8’s to change your height. Also practice moves on your toes (on the balls of your feet as if you were wearing heels - bend those knees!)
Different speeds. Try very slowly and controlled - or very quick and staccato!
Adding light and shade to a single move. Gentle then strong, slow then fast etc.
Pulling energy in & pushing energy out. Move the energy around your body.
Changing the size of the movement. Try little, medium and big movements.

If you are feeling more confident, practice:

Flowing a move from one part of your body to another. Transfer a shimmy from your hips up to your shoulders, keep the shimmy there, then flow the shimmy back down to the hips and isolate it there. Don’t give up. It takes practice!
Facial expression. Try expressing different emotions - mischief, amusement, joy, anger, grief, pride etc. Remember to keep your face and neck alive. Avoid the deer in the headlights zombie belly dancer ridged neck and face.
Layering one move on top of another. Try a shimmy on top of a hip circle or a walk.
Relaxing into a move. Hold your head up and bend your knees a little more. Make your movements strong, yet fluid. Now relax; get into the music and the motion.
Moving as if you were under water. This imagery will help you to become more fluid. Feel the pressure of the water against your arms as you move them.
Using your abdominal muscles to make the move stronger and more juicy. Lots of Egyptian moves are very internalised and include abdominal work.
Linking several steps into a combination.
Fitting steps to the music. Different steps will work with different kinds of music.

Dance Tips:

Be gentle with yourself - physically and emotionally. This dance takes time to learn and if you are over-critical of yourself and run a “ negative mental tape” it just makes it harder. Celebrate your achievements!
Try to practice at least 20 minutes twice a week (not counting class). This will increase your coordination, muscle memory and muscle strength. You actually need to repeat moves hundreds of times before they enter your ‘muscle memory’ and become natural.
Always warm up and cool down. Stretch while warm to reduce muscle soreness and increase flexibility.
If you can't do a move, check your posture. Make sure your pelvis is neutral, your feet are aligned. Check that your core muscles are switched on. You may also wish to try bending your knees more.
If it hurts, don't do it! This usually means that you are doing it wrong or that the move does not suit your body. If it hurts put ice on it - 20 minutes with an ice pack will reduce inflammation and soreness. Check with your doctor if soreness persists.
Keep your head up and smile. Frowning or looking at the floor can become habitual!
Allow your breath to flow with the movements and music.
Direct your gaze to the part of the body that you wish your audience to look at.
Listen carefully to the music. A great dancer and teacher, Morocco, describes the dancer as “the music made visible”.
Try to pick out the rhythm - for example Dum Dum tek a tek Dum tek a tek. A lot of Egyptian music is in 4/4 time (you might also encounter 2/4). Count out the music. Try: And a 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4. Try: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Practice stepping on the beat. “Keep the beat with your feet.” There are a lot of rhythm resources on the Internet and many musicians put out teaching tapes.
Listen to the different instruments. Pick one and try expressing its sound with one part of your body. The Nay (Egyptian flute) can be expressed with the arms - try doing snake arms. The Accordion invites abdominal movements such as undulations. The Oud (a stringed instrument like a lute) is sometimes expressed with the hips, often figure 8’s work well with it. The Kanoon (which is hammered like a dulcimer) is percussive. Its vibrating sound makes you shimmy. The drum can be followed with the feet, and accents are often expressed with sharp hip or shoulder movements. Play! Try switching between the different instruments you are expressing. If you are ready for a challenge try expressing two instruments at once! It can be confusing at first!