It is in process this -consideration of the anatomy of movement - and that is in my opinion, one of the biggest things in belly dance today. When I took belly dance from Rossah Pirslin, who had learned from Jamila, Suhaila's mother, there was very little attention to detail around technique. There was very little if any knowledge incorporated into the dance re: the physics of muscle and anatomy of movement. At that time which was around 94, 95, 96 for me, that was the experience even with "master" teachers. They taught more of a style and general "how to" of a movement with the proverbial command "just do this" and then a demonstration and there was no focus on the anatomical technique of isolation and drilling which there is now and which I think "undergirds" the repertory of dance movement. I had come from an extensive ballet background and that was always a little confusing for me.

I think though that the origin of belly dance has more to do with this, than anything. It didn't develope as a dance practice per se, but a movement done by our earliest human ancestral sisters in relationship to the very mysterious and powerful process of pregnancy and birth. Who gives hoot about technique when you are just trying to understand your place in the universe, the powerful unexplainable forces all around you and what seemed to be women's unique magical and fundamentally powerful domain, like creating another human being and producing a sweet milky sustenance from their body, or bleeding on a regular basis and not dying or being sick. In my opinion most dance comes from the personal interface between humans and their lives. I think ballet is the strongest exception to this. And when you look at how gymnastics or any physical sport has developed to an obsession with pushing the body to extreme skill goals, you understand why knowing the anatomy of muscles and bones and their movements is so critical. You simply can't run so fast, or jump so high, or execute 3 flips and 1/2 twist in a dive without understanding physics.

When I started exploring belly dance in 94, 95 and 96 some troupes at that time, did have a very strong and succinct style, meaning they expected their dancers performing their dance suites and choreographies to look more or less the same and execute movement more or less the same, which I believe came more from dancers with good observational skills, rather than good teachers who understood the anatomy of movement, how to break it down, how to convey that to people with different learning styles, and how to get their students to invest themselves in learning a specific teachers vision and understanding. In my experience in the early 90's with bellydance, their was more laissez faire approach.

In 95, and 96 both Habhi Ru and Fat Chance Belly Dance as a groups had a very strong specific style and their troupe members internalized that well. Suhaila Salimpour and Caroleena of Fat Chance were also developing their approach to belly dance, which was very classically dance disciplined and strength based, physics and anatomically oriented. Meaning understanding how muscles work and move together to produce movement and emphasizing physical conditioning in order to execute belly dance movement specifically. In other words they began to think and practice like athletes or physical conditioners.

When I first began to teach I had no map and I had the experience of being in a troupe that had such varying skill level and a teacher who didn't always care or have the knowledge to notice the difference. (Bear in mind another very long post I've done earlier in the tribe about the different reasons peole dance and the different levels of desire re: performance. Some women just want to get together and move and have fun and empower themselves to commune and celebrate their strength, community, power and creativity - this is completely radical and awesome AND its different than the wish to reach a pinnacle of physical expression and technique and professional performance.) Anyway the very first thing I did, was write down every belly dance movement I knew - the majority of which came from the Salimpour tradition as passed down by Rossah, but others too from Master teachers I had taken a workshop with. I then began the arduous process of categorizing these movements based on similarities and differences in that tasks they asked of the body, how much of a layered movement it was and its ease of accessability and mastering. I ended up with 4 levels of dance repertory, including 4 levels of working with the basic isolations of rib cage and pelvic movements and as well repertory for hand movements, arm movements, body positions and level of zill technique.

Then I began constructing a dance and teaching practice, teasing out "well you have to have this skill before you can add this and so on". When I began teaching I decided to run the classroom the way I had experienced in my study of ballet and jazz, with attention to warm up and cool down, and to codify and standardize a mastery of a skill. I had to ask myself what would it look like a successful rib cage lift and drop, rotation, slide, figure 8 etc. and what way of doing it will be in harmony with correct physics of anatomy? I determined that 1.5 hours was the minimum acceptable time for a class in terms of allowing the body to do all it needed for a workout. I used ballet terminology where applicable and clear use of lay anatomical terms, "place your right foot on the ball and stand in demi-plie on a flat left foot" for example. I became a servant to teaching and communication. How can I help you execute this, this way and love it, and have it serve you and express a surrender to a spiritual path. How can it be strengthening, empowering, healing, creative and communal? How can I get you excited about physical technique and drilling and paying attention to all the details and have you feel positive while doing it?

I had never studied with Caroleena, nor Suhaila, but took my first workshop with Suhaila 2 years after I began teaching and was shocked and surprised that my approach was following in her footsteps. So I felt that I was on the right track. In order to teach ATS I studied Caroleena's videos and used a very cool gift I was given by Grace, to learn from observation. Suhaila and Caroleena ( and I'm sure others I'm not aware of) in my opinion began this phase of taking belly dance into the realm of marrying anatomy of movement to bellydance repertory, standardizing movement and with suhaila, standardizing a universal terminology which is huge! RAchel Brice's approach to dance, not unlike a gymnast or classically trained dancer and an accomplished yogi is also one of the movers and shakers who is role modeling what it would like to be a full time belly dance professional (I know at times her practice schedule looks similar to the hours input like a pro athelete and yes its her all day every day job, so she has the liberty to do it) . I like terminology which describes the physical movement, not something completely unrelated like Aladdin arms or Egyptian shimmy. Give me rib cage lock up/or down, rib cage lift up or down, rib cage slide, rotations, figure 8 vertical, horizontal, front to back etc. Flat or ball feet , pivots, diagonals and traveling, etc. and I've used standard ballet terminology from the beginning - its useful and in place so why not. Therefore arms in 5th, 3rd, 4th etc. The traditions of ballet, gymnastics, diving and some yoga traditions have always approached terminology this way and these are standard ways to communicate about movement. So if I want you to rotate your femur to the right and drop it into you right hip joint, while keeping your tail bone pointed down, by contracting your lower abdominals, you know exactly what to use and do.

You are also in California and are the lucky recipient of the incredible creativity and drive of the dancers here on the West Coast. West Coast Belly Dance is changing and influencing the world of Belly Dance in a significant way. Here dancers are getting turned on and tuned in to strenght, coordination and the benefits of physical conditioning and sophisticated physical skills. Yoga, pilates, weight lifting, ballet and jazz training, flamenco study and rigors of hip hop are pouring into the mix. This is the time where the focus on proper anatomical execution of movement is starting to undergird the long ancient history of belly dance repertory. So yes its different for every troupe, because not all teachers have experience and training in the anatomy of movement - yet. But it is happening, teachers in Belly Dance are learning pilates, yoga, ballet and bringing it into their teaching. They are lifting weights, and eating organic foods and talking about not smoking and substance abuse etc. We are studying mindfulness and meditation. WE are becoming knowledgable about feminism, classism, enviromentalism, militarism and physical, spiritual and mental well being. WE acknowledge and do not accept patriarchy and we are talking about the joy of gratitude, loving kindness and humility. It is all part of it if you have an attentive teacher, and if you are an attentive student.