Dansu Dansu Dansu

[shanmonster]

I've started doing Rachel Brice's Yoga Isolations & Drills for Bellydance again. More precisely, just the drills. I hadn't done them in a few months, and I've discovered a few things in the interim. I do my figure 8 of ribs a little differently than she explains. Rather than concentrating on the contraction of the ribs to one side, I focus just on the expansion on the other. When I started doing this, I found a big difference in the movement. When I do a backbend, I don't concentrate on the contraction through the back, but on the expansion and lift through the chest. This results in a much better-looking backbend, and also takes the stress off the back. I think the same principle holds true for the figure 8 of ribs.

Also, for the forward locking of the hip, I've stopped concentrating on contracting through my lower abs, and am instead focusing on contracting through the psoas. The result is my abs are freed up for doing other things (like undulations, for example).

I do really like the way she breaks down the bottom to top undulation. I need to practice her breakdown more often.

I wonder if she'll ever put out a video for arm work? I'd love to see that. In the meantime, I ought to crack open my copy of Aruna's Dancers' Arms. Even if I don't do the same moves as she does in performance, I've found my arm work to have improved enormously since I started drilling with this DVD. Time to get back to it, hmm?

Now, I must be off to teach dance. It's another balancing class, tonight. Maybe I'll practice my turns again.

Comments

[meddevi.livejournal.com]

"When I do a backbend, I don't concentrate on the contraction through the back, but on the expansion and lift through the chest."

That's an excellent way of thinking about it. From what RB has posted on her tribe, her next series of DVDs will include arms.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I'm really looking forward to the new video. I'm willing to bet it will have more continuity than the current one. There's no flow between the yoga movements and the dance movements. I'll betcha she has the kinks worked out this time around.

And here's hoping whatever dance performance she may put onto this DVD will not give me epilepsy!

[meddevi.livejournal.com]

for me, it was nausea ;(

[zoe-serious.livejournal.com]

You're in luck... she did a 2 hour arm workshop the weekend she was in T.O. and it was material she was working on for her video that she'll start taping in 2 weeks time available in May and ALL ARMS.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I remember when she posted quite a way back that she was looking for suggestions for another video. I suggested arms, and a bunch of people got excited by the idea. It gives me a certain amount of geeky dance smugness to think I may have given a teensy nudge toward it. Heh....