For someone who hates the whole “hack” concept, I’m cringing slightly at the subject title ☝️ but I can’t find a better way to describe today’s express class!

(In fact, it’s so snappy I can hardly call it a class.)

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of drills.

I frequently reinforce (i.e. I’m always banging on about) the accumulative, imperceptible progress we get from the repetition of technique.

Yadda yadda yadda … 😴

So I’m going to break with tradition and give you a speedy, non technical, instantly gratifying belly-hack.

Here in today’s blog, I’ll show you how to instantly create the fuzzy, retro charm of golden age bellydance film stars with one simple gesture.

• If you’re struggling with how to get some vintage allure into your choreo, you’ll love this.
• If you want to dance around your bedroom looking like an Egyptian film star (whilst wearing your dressing gown) you’ll love this too.
• Love finding easy new bellydance moves that require next to no technique? This blog is a dream for you.

Thank you so much for joining me for this week’s express class! Be sure to join the conversation, leave me a comment on YouTube and let me know what you think! I LOVE to hear how you’re doing on your belly dance journey.

Your assignment

Get heart, soul and allure from this gesture and be sure to feel plenty of expression through the shoulders. Don’t just move from the wrist and hand! Take a few moments to check yourself in the mirror, then let loose round the house with it!

Learn belly dance with us!

Are you ready to start your belly dance journey? Our current local Beginner course is now full. But don’t panic because we have a brand new Beginner course starting in January 2019. Go here to book find out more and your place!

Learn with me online! ▶️📲 💻

If you’d like to learn how to bellydance with me, let’s hit the ground running distance learning style!

Get access to my full length, comprehensive classes, drills, choreography sequences, movement tutorials, technical preparation exercises at Santa Maria Bellydance Online. You can learn with me anywhere and any time you have internet connection at just £15 a month for the entire (growing) library. Go to www.santamariabellydanceonline.com to find out more and get started now!

Thank you so much for reading and being here 🙏.

Happy dancing to you, with love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Ps. Here’s a peek at the latest class release available now at Santa Maria Bellydance Online 👇

Choreographing your own belly dance routine? Don’t reinvent the Wheel

You’ve made your first belly dance choreography – woo hoo! This is awesome and you deserve credit for challenging yourself to create your very own dance.

In the first instance, it’s all about learning to count the music, which moves configure together well and how to transition between moves and sequences. At this stage, you probably want to stick to a track that can easily be counted in eights with few or no rhythm changes.

Once you’ve got this all locked down, it’s time to move on to the next step and expand on your creative methods.

In this week’s express class, I’m really “giving away the farm” as I’ll be giving you one of my top tips for belly dance choreography. I’ll then be giving you a really use-able example of what I’m getting at.

It’s so tempting to throw in every single move you’ve ever learned into one routine. But one thing that will really develop your creativity and help you mature as a choreographer is to be playful and creative with what you already know.

Ready to find out more?

Go here to take the class now:

Thank you so much for joining me for this week’s express class! Be sure to join the conversation, leave me a comment on YouTube and let me know what you think. Do you have any top tips to share? We’d love to know!

Your assignment

Dance this concept along with me several times until you have a good understanding of this idea, then get creative! Try changing the move a few times to see what happens. There are no wrong moves, just experimentation. Some of the outcomes might not work for you, some might work really well, some might not work but will spark off other ideas that you would never have discovered!

Learn belly dance with us!

Our Autumn 2018 courses are now open! Early bird prices are in full swing on all courses from Beginner to Advanced and troupe level. Go here to grab your place.

Not local to me here in Reading? If you’d like to learn how to bellydance with me from the ground up (or rise to the top of the class if you already bellydance), let’s hit the ground running distance learning style!

Using my longer, more comprehensive classes, drills, choreography sequences, movement tutorials, technical preparation exercises at Santa Maria Bellydance Online, we’ll have you confidently bellydancing in no time 🙂 You can learn with me anywhere and any time you have internet connection. Go to www.santamariabellydanceonline.com to find out more and get started now!

Thank you so much for reading and being here. Happy dancing to you, with love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Ps. Here’s a peek at one of my new drills classes at Santa Maria Bellydance Online

Everyone loves a crowd-pleaser

Credit where credit’s due, I recently had this brilliant request from a YouTube viewer,  and I can see why!

Adding a shimmy to your belly roll, or adding a belly roll to your shimmy (whichever way you look at it) is a super fun move to drop into your routine. It’s one of those “how does she do that?!” moves that makes you feel really special and accomplished as a dancer.

Here’s an express class from me on how to achieve a shimmy with a belly roll. Ready? Let’s get started!

Thank you so much for joining me for this week’s express class! Be sure to join the conversation, leave me a comment on YouTube and let me know what you think. Do you have any top tips to share? We’d love to know!

Your assignment

Pay attention to your breathing as you work on this move. Are you holding your breath? Are you teaming up your breathing with the roll? Aim to keep your breathing relaxed and isolated from the muscular undulating action of the roll.

Learn belly dance with us!

Our Autumn 2018 courses are now open! Early bird prices are in full swing on all courses from Beginner to Advanced and troupe level. Go here to grab your place.

Not local to me here in Reading? If you’d like to learn how to bellydance with me from the ground up (or rise to the top of the class if you already bellydance), let’s hit the ground running distance learning style!

Using my longer, more comprehensive classes, drills, choreography sequences, movement tutorials, technical preparation exercises at Santa Maria Bellydance Online, we’ll have you confidently bellydancing in no time 🙂 You can learn with me anywhere and any time you have internet connection. Go to www.santamariabellydanceonline.com to find out more and get started now!

Thank you so much for reading and being here. Happy dancing to you, with love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Ps. Local to me in the UK? Here are some Summer learning opportunities with SMBA that I think you’ll love.

Summer drop-in sessions with Helen
Join me for some fun and fabulous bellydance fitness this Summer! With an entire session dedicated to upper body work and another to focus on everything from the waist down, I’ve got you covered. Let’s work up a sweat! Get full details and book your place here.

Classical Persian Masterclass with coach Natasha Saturday 21st July 11am until 2pm, Cotswold Sports Centre, Downs Way, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 6SL. Book your place  here.

Learn stunning spins, turns, poses, advanced footwork and floor patterns. We will focus on fluidity, core strength, grace and elegance. Not sure what Persian dance is all about? You can thank the elegant posture of Persian dancing for it’s influence on the upright, willowy mode of ballet. Dance historians agree that French Classical Ballet has its roots in Persian Dance and you can definitely see similarities in technique.

Natasha’s workshop is fantastic for any level of dancer to strengthen, tone and improve posture but more importantly the feeling of openness and fluidity you get when you dance can be taken with you into any dance style and even your day to day life. Get ready to learn how to use your core to the max for elegant, controlled turns and fluid movements! Book here before 30th June for the early bird!

Pps. If you’d like oodles more videos with shimmy drills, technique, guided improvisation, be sure to check out my online studio. Here’s a little taster of one of the classes:

Are you out of control?

I used to call it “octopus arms”.

That feeling when you’re dancing and you know your arms are chaotic, sloppy and out of control.

Gaining control and mastery over our arms for dance is tough! And is it any wonder?

We use our arms in everyday life instinctively to help us balance. The way we ordinarily move and place our arms is unconscious, we don’t even have to think about it. Even when we simply walk along our arms make tiny little movements which helps us keep balance. Imagine you are stepping onto a log and preparing to walk along it. You put your arms out to the side for balance without even thinking.

Re-training such an instinctive bodily response takes time and bundles of patience. And when you consider that many of us come to (belly) dance as adults, there is some un-learning to do, too.

But it CAN be done. It’s totally possible to train yourself to get elegant, well-shaped, controlled and pleasing arms for belly dance.

Just a note here: this is not about having slim arms! It doesn’t matter how big or small your arms are. Any kind arms can look elegant with a bit of practise 🙂

In today’s express class, I’m going to take you through a short warm up for shoulders and arms to get you on track for amazing arms.

Thank you so much for joining me for this week’s express class! Be sure to join the conversation, leave me a comment on YouTube and let me know what you think. Do you have any top tips to share? We’d love to know!

Your Assignment

Take this short warm up exercise with me either before your practice session, or as an express class in it’s own right. Then, pay close attention to the shape and position of your arms and also your shoulders. Do your shoulders ride up? Do you maintain a soft curve of the arm? Are your arms moving too fast? Too slow? Does one arm move more smoothly than the other? I’ll be prompting you throughout to help you keep focus.

Learn belly dance with me!

Some of my most watched and commented on tutorials are from my vintage style bellydance series. This year I took myself out of my filming room (aka my comfort zone) and took my 2 hour workshop on the road. It was amazing to see people accomplishing this style right in front of my eyes! (I should have done it ages ago!)

I’m on the road again this Saturday, 10th June, in Oxford at the Dance Around the Globe Festival – woo hoo! I’ll be teaching vintage/Golden Era, bellydance style with a focus on Samya Gamal. If this 2 hour workshop sounds good to you, come and join us!

Not local to me here in Reading? If you’d like to learn how to bellydance with me from the ground up (or rise to the top of the class if you already bellydance), let’s hit the ground running distance learning style!

Using my longer, more comprehensive classes, drills, choreography sequences, movement tutorials, technical preparation exercises at Santa Maria Bellydance Online, we’ll have you confidently bellydancing in no time 🙂 You can learn with me anywhere and any time you have internet connection. Go to www.santamariabellydanceonline.com to find out more and get started now!

Thank you so much for reading and being here. Happy dancing to you, with love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Ps. If you’d like oodles more videos with arm drills, technique, guided improvisation for arms and tuition on arm placement, be sure to check out my online studio. Here’s a taster of one of the classes:

Pps. Subscribe for blog updates with bellydance tips to get on track and stay inspired. Plus receive my free online class! Go here to get yours. You can expect to hear from me every couple of weeks or so and you can easily unsub any time.

Today’s blog features a drill aimed at all levels of belly dancer. Though if you’re upper-intermediate or advanced level, you definitely need to lean in and listen up!

Here’s a short class to keep you on track to advancing your belly dance skills (and avoid falling into a classic pitfall).

Thank you so much for joining me for this week’s tutorial, be sure to leave me a comment on YouTube to let me know what you think!

Your Assignment

Now you’re headed towards being an advanced level belly dancer, it’s time to start being super fussy with yourself. One thing that marks out a higher level dancer is her ability to self-correct. Dance along with me in the class but keep the focus on YOU!

Learn belly dance with me!

As you can see from my website,  my team of coaches and I teach weekly classes in Reading, UK. The awesome news is that we have a brand new Beginner Course starting in June! If you’re ready to hit the ground running and learn to belly dance, we’d love to have you on board. Book you place here.

Not local to me here in Reading? If you’d like to learn how to bellydance with me from the ground up, let’s hit the ground running distance learning style! Using my longer, more comprehensive classes, drills, choreography sequences, movement tutorials, technical preparation exercises at Santa Maria Bellydance Online, we’ll have you confidently bellydancing in no time 🙂 You can learn with me anywhere and any time you have internet connection. Go to www.santamariabellydanceonline.com to find out more and get started now!

Happy dancing to you, with love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Ps. Subscribe for blog updates with bellydance tips to get on track and stay inspired. Plus receive my free online class! Go here to get yours. You can expect to hear from me every couple of weeks or so and you can easily unsub any time.

Ask and you shall receive

Hello and welcome to this week’s blog! Today I’m taking on board a request for some belly dance technique, so let’s get to it.

I’ve been asked for some technique on hip drop variations, specifically a hip drop circle.  I happened to be watching some Fifi Abdou just the other day and I caught her doing this move and it looked incredible! Think juicy, earthy and luscious with this one.

Here’s my express, step-by-step tutorial on how to execute this move with ease.

Thank you so much for joining me for this week’s tutorial, be sure to leave me a comment on YouTube to let me know what you think!

Your Assignment

Once you’ve got the hang of this move, experiment with other hip drop variations and see if you can create your own hip drop combo.

Learn belly dance with me!

As you can see from my website,  my team of coaches and I teach weekly classes in Reading, UK. The awesome news is that we have a brand new Beginner Course starting in June! If you’re ready to hit the ground running and learn to belly dance, we’d love to have you on board. Get your early bird place before May 15th here.

Not local to me here in Reading? If you’d like to learn how to bellydance with me from the ground up, let’s hit the ground running distance learning style! Using my longer, more comprehensive classes, drills, choreography sequences, movement tutorials, technical preparation exercises at Santa Maria Bellydance Online, we’ll have you confidently bellydancing in no time 🙂 You can learn with me anywhere and any time you have internet connection. Go to www.santamariabellydanceonline.com to find out more and get started now!

Happy dancing to you, with love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Hips, emotions and expression

Did you know that, apparently, our hips are the proverbial under stairs cupboard when it comes to our emotions?

I’m certainly no expert in the yogic intricacies of this concept, but I do know that my yoga teacher is obsessed with hip openers! As bellydancers, we all know how energetic, powerful and expressive our hips can be.

So this week, I’ve been thinking about a tutorial on how we can enjoy maximum expression through our hips during belly dance by keeping them artistically agile.

If you’re new to my blog welcome! I’ll let you know that, as well as updates and insights from me, you can expect a FREE belly dance video with each post. For this week’s blog I’ve put together a nifty little progressive belly dance drill to help achieve and maintain agile hips. Go here to get started now!

Your assignment:

Join in with me as you watch the drill and take note of which elements feel a little clunky. Then, check in with the drill on a regular basis to work past those sticky areas until it feels easy. Be sure to let me know how you get on!

Learn belly dance with me!

Here at SMBA in Reading, UK we are all in the honeymoon period of our brand new Summer term. New music, new routines, new challenges – the energy is amazing! Would you like to learn bellydance with me?

If you live too far away, feel too shy, can’t make it fit your schedule or have child care issues, why not join my online studio?

As a paid up subscriber to Santa Maria Bellydance Online  you’ll have immediate access to my growing collection of short choreography sequence workshops, my beginner bootcamp workshop, individual movement tutorials, practice drills and conditioning exercises, combination tutorials, warm ups and cool downs. It’s everything you need to learn and master this gorgeous art form. Go here, get your first 3 days for free and, if you don’t dig my online studio, you can unsubscribe anytime (even before you’re charged anything!)

Thank you so much for reading and watching.

Love and shimmies,

Helen xx

Do you struggle to coordinate your hands, feet and arms when you dance? Don’t worry, it’s completely normal!

But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a bit of practice you can smash through that awkward feeling and enjoy artful, controlled and confident movement.

If you like to have a bit of guidance and “hand-holding” during your practice, then you’ll love today’s tutorial.

I’ve compiled a short belly dance coordination drill to help you practice harmonizing different movements simultaneously. The idea is to do it on a regular basis so you can make small, incremental, solid improvements to your coordination skills.

I’ll talk you through as we go, giving you prompts and pointers to think about. We’ll be using a basic camel action and layering on some arm patterns and positions. You’ll be gently challenged to combine different movements whilst maintaining a calm and cool composure.

And the best thing about this drill? The more you do it the better you get!

If you thought that your coordination skills were a lost cause, think again. I KNOW you can do this! All it takes is a little commitment from you to squeeze in just a couple of minutes of practice on a regular basis.

Let’s get started!

I hope you enjoyed the drill, I’d love to know what you think! Be sure to leave me a comment on youtube and give a thumbs up (so I know you dig this kind of thing). Thank you so much.

Are you ready to dip your toe in the glittery belly dance waters? Why not try a one off taster session with us! Our next batch of taster sessions are now open for bookings – woo hoo! It’s like Christmas – we only open these up once a year. Head over to our Beginner page and book your place now!

If you’re further along on your belly dance journey I’m happy to say that our complete Summer timetable is open for bookings! We have courses to suit all levels of dancer, so there’s something for everyone.

I’m incredibly proud of our SMBA coaching team who stretch their creativity each term to bring our students new and exciting routines. Our Summer term is no different! You can expect to be expertly guided through the moves and polished to performance standard throughout the 12 week course.

Go here to book your place now!

Thank you so much for reading, until next time …

Love and shimmies,

Helen x

Ps. Check out my Workshops and Events page to stay in the loop with the amazing upcoming workshops and showcases I’m involved in. Here’s the latest:

• Casbah Cabaret the bellydance showcase for aspiring belly dance students and enthusiastic bellydance fans! Sunday 22 April, 7.00pm-10.00pm, doors open at 6.00pm,The Outlook 76-78A Kings Road, RG1 3BJ Reading. Early bird tickets £8 til tomorrow when prices go up to £10
• Ozgen workshop places open today! After last year’s sell out workshops, I’m delighted to be hosting Ozgen once again! Tango Fusion for performance and Romany Gypsy are the exciting themes this time. Book your place now
  
• I’m super proud to say that after watching my interview with Charlotte Desorgher about the Bellydance for Joy project, my Desert Pearls have organized an amazing Hafla. They’ve even invited me to perform! Check out the facebook event for more info.
• Vintage Style Belly dance Choreography Workshop with Helen Saturday 24th March 2018, 2.00-4.00pm, Redditch, £20 – Sold out email Emma at bellyjewels@mail.com to be added to the waiting list
• Vintage Style Belly dance Choreography Workshop with Helen places available Saturday 28th April 2.00-4.00pm, Gloucester, £25 Contact Penny at pennybellydancer@hotmail.com for bookings and info

• Coach Natasha Bradley will be teaching a masterclass workshop on Classical Persian dance featuring a choreography by the Persian dance superstar Helia Bandeh. 21 July 2018, Reading UK – save the date

Pps. Take a peek at my latest addition to Santa Maria Bellydance Online

So what part of your dance would you like to work on today?

Whenever I ask my students this question I can bet my bottom dollar that arms will be a popular topic. I’ve even come to notice that my arm tutorials are among some of the most popular!

So in today’s blog post I thought we could work on arms.

The only thing is, there are gazillions of (really good) tutorials on arm technique out there in youtube-land. So, rather than add to those, I’m going to change the focus and get you to start working on achieving perfectly timed and placed arm positions. Why is this important? Because it’s how we can begin to figure out that ethereal thing called musicality.

We often think the key to achieving graceful supple arms is just about drilling technique. To a great extent it is, but I believe that dancers with seamlessly integrated rhythmical interpretation in their belly dance armwork are the ones that really stand out.

And I want you to stand out too! So today’s express class features a short drill to get you thinking about musicality with a focus on rhythm and timing, not just technique. I’ve been using this in class and seen some great results with my students.

I know you’re busy and possibly short on space, so I’ve kept it quick and compact (you’re welcome ;-))

I hope you enjoyed this week’s blog, if you did I’d be so grateful if you were to use the share button below and let your belly dance pals know about it! And of course give me a thumbs up and even a comment 🙂

Would you like to start your belly dance journey with me? Now you don’t have to live local to the mothership here in Reading, UK! Go to santamariabellydanceonline.com to join my online belly dance studio where you’ll find all sorts of video classes and tutorials.

One last thing before I go. If you’re starting or thinking of starting to teach bellydance, you might like to check out a series I was interviewed for recently about Growing Your Teaching. It’s by Nara Nemer and she asked me specifically about how to sustain your teaching, go here to check it out.

Thanks for reading and watching! Until next time … love and shimmies,

Helen xx