Teaching Dance Part Nine: Breaking Down Steps and Movements By Alexandra King

GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING DANCE: BREAKING DOWN MOVEMENT

Dance is a complex performing art as it combines athleticism with music and drama (expression) and culture. So, teaching dance involves teaching all four. So, let’s take a look at how to teach these four things.

When breaking down a movement you need to include:

a.      The name of the movement.

b.      The preparation: Where the feet hands and arms are and where the movement originates.

c.       The parts of the body involved

d.      The time signature and tempo

e.      The cultural background.

f.        The expression for the movement as it pertains to the overall choreography.

How to do this properly involves doing three things:

1.      Demonstrating – make the students watch the movements before trying it. Break is down as you do it.

2.      Breaking down the movement in as detailed a manner as possible. Takes time!

3.      Drilling it as much as possible! Takes lots of time!

Example: The Hip Drop

The Hip Drop is a 4-count movement with two drops and a kick on the second drop. The preparation begins with the stance – one foot is flat on the standing leg with a bent knee and one foot is on the ball.  The body is typically is facing the diagonal in a standard Arabic Hip Drop, but it is different for Ghawazee stylization where the body faces directly forward. The Hip is lifted and drops two times. On the first drop the foot stays on the ground and then on the second drop, the foot kicks out a little to allow the hip to drop further.

Arm placement can be one of many variations including Balady Arms, Salutes Arms, Second position, Pillow or Ghawazee arms – to name a few!  

Expression is varied as well. For sultry, slow dances expression is moody and sexy. For happy folky dance or openings and finales is joyous and all smiles!

Plaka Greek Restaurant early 1980s

The Plaka Greek restaurant, circa 1985 doing a hip Drop with arms in 3rd position (both overhead).

Angles and Levels

There are two ways to modify movement to make it more interesting: Change the angle or the level. This usually creates a complex movement.

Complex Movements- Layered or Blended.

Complex movements are movements that involve two or more movements together – either layered or blended. Layered means one or more movement is done simultaneously with another. Blended means one movements blends into another.

Example: Rocking Body Wave with a Level Change. The Rocking Body Wave is a 4/4 movement. It is Pan-Arabic. This movement includes a Rock – moving from one foot to the other (angle change) and a plie - knee bend + releve - level change going to the balls of the feet, with two Body Waves, one with the Plie and one with the releve. Keep the feet closet together, one in front of the other.

Practice the plie Body Wave 10 times, then the Releve Body Wave 10 times. Then practice the combination of the plie and releve 10 times.

Adding Props: A Prop (veil, pot, cane, candelabra, basket, sword, snake) adds excitement to dance. Every culture has a prop(s). The American Cabaret includes all these props and does not distinguish the style of belly dance.

Raks Assaya

Example: Cane or Raks Assaya is a 4/4 dance from Egypt and Lebanon. It is part of the folkloric segment of the Egyptian cabaret -done after the Oriental segment. In AmCab it is at the end of the five-part cabaret. It is essentially a basic dance using a cane while moving.

Example: Another example is the Shamidan (candelabra). Shamidan dancers who are dancing Egyptian style may or may not use zagat but AmCab dancers always use finger cymbals. Shamidan in the Egyptian style is a dance unto itself, but in AmCab it is part of the 5-part cabaret – usually performed at the end.

Steps for belly dance are usually not the featured movements (as in ballet),  but rather are done to create action or direction while showing off isolations and arm work. Belly dance is an Earthbound dance style, unlike ballet which is aerial. When teaching steps always teach footwork first then add upper body movements which become the featured movements.

Lastly - Vocabulary!

Always teach the names of movements and urge/expect students to know these! And, have fun!