Zilly girl!

RR RLR R RLR RL      Wow! Seems so very simple when you see it written down, but keeping up the pattern reminds me of tongue twisters. We can all say them slowly, but the faster you go, the more twisted it becomes. We all know that I am rhythmically challenged, to put it kindly.  So, we start off in place with the teacher counting it out either 11 123 or rr rlr etc..I  keep up like a pro...but walk? And change hand positions? And if she doesn't count aloud, I completely am confused by my classmates who are ALL on the wrong beat- in unison.  I practiced between classes, but not enough to create a memory for it. As with each new thing we learn from this teacher, she starts off very slowly and then goes faster and faster until it seems we can't do it another second.
 Like with most things I am learning in dance- I seem to try so very hard, watching, repeating, watching a thousand videos until I feel completely lost. Then, I give up and do something else for a few days and the move or idea will just finally break through all my brick walls of self doubt,  and self criticism. Each time, there is this Ah-HA! moment when I just "get' it. I may not be able to do  it well, but I understand it when I stop trying so hard.

Planless

Practicing as much as possible, but I lack an organized plan.  I just sort of wake up and do the usually stretches, plie, relave, some snake arms, 8's, for a few minutes but nothing structured. I know that if I actually made a plan and stuck to it, I would make more progress. Tomorrow, after errands, I think I will make a tape of practice drills so I can compare them over the weeks to come. I haven't watched a Rachel Brice DVD in awhile- and put on the Serpentine today. Wanted to give up in just a few minutes. I think I need to set up a 3 x a week schedule for her and then the other days with my other favorites. I wish more beginners would blog about the challenges..

March, 2012

After one of the top five days in my worst days at work today. Then rushed to week two of beginning belly dance with undulations, tribal camel, with arms, belly roll up. Zills! Traveling with zills. And more chest lifts than I thought was humanly possible. I do enjoy learning new things-but I am a very slow learner. It is just in my nature to analyze things, watch them, think about it and learn it in very slow motion. I was always the last student in nursing school to try the new skill-like starting an IV. I wanted to read about it, study it, learn the rules, the anatomy. Then I wanted to watch every other student do them and hear the critiques. Then I wanted to do it, very slowly and perfectly. It is like that with dance. For instance in learning the 3/4 shimmy- I tried in class and just didn't get it. Then I watched on you tube. Then bought a particular video that I watch often. I practiced until I actually pull either my internal oblique or my psoas and could barely move for weeks and managed to actually cause my belly button to move to the right about an inch or so.
This dance class really moves quickly, and it challenges my nature. I want a long lecture complete with muscle descriptions, anatomy lessons, drawings, demos, what NOT to do and then try whatever move at the slowest possible speed until my form is as perfect as it can be-my knees are bent, pelvis tucked etc. After hours or days or maybe even weeks...I would like to try it at half tempo and move up very slowly.  And at that rate...I won't be dancing much.
So, I have to suck it up. I have to get up earlier to fit in practice before work. Do some serious yoga stretches at lunch at work and come home to Rachel's or Zoe's drills at night. I am going to keep up at Jamballah this year.
Oh, and ZILLS! I didn't get it during class. But at the end, I looked at the pattern written out and said..Oh, you start with 3 1s, then 2, then 1-2..you take away a one every time. She looked at me like I had lost my mind...but I showed her how my mind finally grasped the pattern...not R-R RLR, R RLR, RL, but 11 123, 1 123, 1-2...but in my head it is 3 1s 23, 2 1s 23, 1-2......I actually can't hear the rhythm yet without some serious effort, but it is getting better every day.
Imma belly dancah...a snake charmah...

Hippie Dippie

Started the morning with Drillz that Killz again. Still not understanding what she means by hip drops out, in, neutral. I am searching through some other more basic DVD's to see if I can find this broken down MUCH slower.
Excited that tomorrow after work my medical assistant and maybe my Mom and sister will join me for the beginner belly dance class. The most exciting part of the day, was while I watching a TV program, I was practicing hip drops and my sister, looked at me and said "how did you learn to do that? you must just practice hours a day". Wow! She is such a great dancer at all the family events. I am the one who has always been the WORST dancer in the family. And look at me now! I am actually going to say this.. I am a belly dancer ( okay student, but still I AM a dancer)...
Thought for the day is to use my FLIP camera to monitor my progress and maybe be brave enough to post some of my struggles to learn new moves. You would likely be seeing me in my pajamas...seems to be my favorite dance wear...

Rollng, rolling, rolling- rawhide!

I have it in my mind that one of the most wonderful moves in dance is the undulation, especially reverse undulations or rolling up.  I am convinced that I absolutely cannot dance unless I can do that move. I am generally outgoing, except when it comes to dancing because even when I dance like no one is looking I am self conscious. So, I have watched about a zillion youtubes and several of my belly dance DVDs. I have the reverse beginning to almost look like a recognizable move. So, practice, practice, practice and finally got a mirror yesterday ( I had to leave my old mirrors in my last place) and I have the ' Sit, tuck, upper abs" parts, but the chest? I just don't get it. I am not sure if I am supposed to use my upper back muscles, or my shoulders?  Anasma's description and demonstration is the best that I have seen, but still missing that last little piece.
My weakest link is anything to do with my chest. I watched Zoe forever tonight and tried to keep up with the chest pops, locks, lifts, slides etc, but she always loses me in a few minutes.  I have only had one private lesson with the instructor of my new beginner belly dancing class, but I do remember how much she balances between hips and chest ( and of course arms, hands and shoulders).
I do know that I become easily frustrated when learning some moves. When I am watching/playing DVDs if it gets too hard, I just stop it and do something else. I can't do that in class, which is good. I won't be able to stop the workshops in Portland, so I have to find a way to work through the hard parts.