On Improvisation

I’ve been taking a class on improving to drum solos.  I feel (as many dancers do) that improv is just about the scariest thing a dancer can do.  The potential for complete disaster is obvious…until you really think about what improv is and that there are rules even for this.  I’d like to share what I’ve been learning.  Improv is so scary for most of us that it is becoming a dying art.  I hope this helps – It has certainly helped me.

Some dancers think that improv is creating something from nothing.  With no set choreography how will you know what to do next?  How will you know what to expect especially with a live drummer?

Hint #1 – The Holding Pattern: Every dancer has a favorite “go to” move.  It’s a move you can execute well and feel comfortable with.  Mine is a maya.  I like this one because it’s very versatile.  It can be big, small, fast, slow, stationary or traveling, smooth or percussive.  And it fits with any 4 or 8 count beat.  Any move works as long as its one you know well.  A traveling move can be a holding pattern too.  I like a step/hip lift – the move itself is simple and you can vary the arm position, add a cross step and vary the tempo and direction easily.  So think about what moves you like best and create a Holding Pattern.  If all else fails use those moves.   It’s ok not to accent every single dum or tek and throw your Holding Pattern in until you think of something else.  The audience won’t mind as sometimes less is really more.

Hint #2 – The Rule of Four: If you’re dancing with a live drummer who is experienced working with Middle Eastern style drumming they will know The Rule of Four.  A good drummer will repeat whatever is happening 4 times.  The first time you’ll just hear it and notice it’s something different that the last thing played.  The second time you’ll try to match your moves it.  The third time you’ll hit it and the fourth you’ll nail it!  Then you know something different is coming so you can go to your Holding Pattern and wait to hear what it’ll be and by the second time it’s played you’ll match your moves to it and so on.  If you’ve practiced beforehand with your drummer The Rule of Four can be broken.  If you know after 4 sets of Maqsum the next thing is a slow Ciftitelli it is easier to think fast.  Which leads me to the next hint…

Hint #3 – Know Your Basic Middle Eastern Rhythms: As a dancer it’s important to know some basics about Middle Eastern rhythms.  If possible find someone who has some knowledge and study with them.  There’s usually a few good drummers in every belly dance community and most often than not they’d be happy to teach you some basics.  Or at least recommend a good CD to get so your ears can become at least familiar with the feel and sound of rhythms like Maqsum, Saidi and Beledi.  Jas’s Middle Eastern Rhythms FAQ is a good place to start on your own.  There are audio examples of each rhythm along with some history and interesting facts.

Hint #4 – The Relationship Between Drummer and Dancer – Have you ever been to a hafla and seen a live drummer and a dancer perform and think to yourself “They make a cute couple!”  That’s because the drummer and dancer have to communicate in order to make even an improv drum solo look great.  The dancer has a responsibility to follow the drummer in the hopes the drummer knows The Rule of Four and the drummer also has the responsibility to follow the dancer..ahha!!  Let’s say the drummer is drumming along and does something the dancer really likes.  The drummer notices this and may keep going with the finger rolls if they see the dancer totally into their shimmy.  Or if the drummer notices the dancer tiring they may slow down to a nice Cifti to give the dancer a break.  On the other hand the dancer can hint to the drummer what they want.  Sometimes a look or a nod can mean slow down or speed up or what the ? are you doing?  It’s a relationship for those few minutes that has the potential to be magic.  It’s a give and take.  If the dancer is dancing with a drummer they’ve never met – even if it’s in a different country – some basic knowledge of the rhythms will go a long way to create that relationship.

Hint #5 – You Don’t Have to Hit Every. Single. Beat.: A drum solo is more than dums and teks.  A good drummer will use fill (additions to the basic rhythm pattern) and technicals (those are the fancy “guitar solos”) to make the solo more interesting.  A drummer sitting there playing Dum-Tek-Tek-Dum-Tek for 4 minutes without fill or technicals makes for a boring 4 minutes for the dancer, audience and for the drummer.  As a dancer you have the choice to follow the basic rhythm, the fill or jump in on the technicals.  If you’re lucky you’ll be able to work with 2 or 3 drummers at once where one is playing the basic rhythm and the others are adding the fills and technicals.  The same way a dancer chooses to work with the melody or rhythm of a song a dancer can make choices with a drum solo.  If all else fails you can always go back to Hint #1.

I hope this makes improv less scary.  I’m still not great with it but with these few hints and practice I hope to become more comfortable.  I’d like to thank 2 great teachers – Shari & Geoff Bennett Speer – for sharing their knowledge and joy with me and the entire Richmond, VA dance community.  If you’re local take a class or go see them perform!

What I’ve Learned…So Far

And I don’t mean that I’ve learned how to play the zils or do figure eights.  I mean the little things no one tells you – or if you’re lucky someone does take the time to tell you when you’re starting your journey as a dancer.  This is by no means a fully comprehensive list…Just last night in class I learned why it always hurt my lower back when I do a reverse pelvic undulation.  I wasn’t tucking enough or using my glutes.  Moments like that make me happy to know I have good teachers who care about our well-being – both physical and creative – as dancers.  So on with a list of stuff I’m glad I know.

1.  Reinforce, reinforce…and Reinforce again.  No matter how well made a costume looks to be it never ever hurts to add a stitch here and there and add a hook everywhere.  I have seen a few costume mishaps and if the worst case scenario occurs keep dancing and make it look like a “graceful accident”.  This works when a hair ornament or piece of something falls of and goes flying.  It doesn’t apply if, say, your bra clasp gives out.  I learned recently (because mine was on the verge…) that the best thing to do is lock your arms from the shoulder to elbow down by your sides and either keep going w/o using large arm moves or simply and elegantly dance off stage.  Chances are whoever is working the music has worked a show before and can see what’s happening.

2.  For any slippage that may occur like bra straps or hip scarves try a tube of kitchen/bath/plumbing silicone.  You can go to Lowe’s or any other hardware store and buy a tube of clear silicone for this.  Keep in mind that it will need at least 24 hours to dry fully.  ((***I want to add here that I am not allergic to anything in the silicone.  If you are PLEASE don’t follow this advice!!!  If at all in doubt either don’t do it and let me know if you have another way to get the same result or test a tiny bit on your arm to make sure you are not allergic to it and that it doesn’t cause any skin reactions.***)) Put a thin layer on the underside of the bra straps and smooth it down by dipping your finger in water and running your finger down the “bead”.  You can also put it on in little dots and smooth it into a line.  It’s a little messy so don’t use too much.  You can also apply it to the edge of your coin scarf or the inside of your belt.  It smells kind of strong when you first apply it but once it dries it looses the strong smell.  You will have to reapply it when it looses its stickiness.  It peels off pretty easily but be careful especially if the material you’ve applied it to is delicate.

3.  Be aware of the surface you’ll be dancing on and decide on the appropriate foot protection.  If you’re dancing on a carpet (either one you’re brought or the venue happens to have carpet) shoes that grip may hinder turns or fast traveling.  If it’s your carpet barefoot is probably best; If you happen to be in a restaurant there’s a chance there may be remnants of broken glass or dishes (or anything sharp that could cut your feet) so choose a shoe or slipper that you know won’t be too grippy…something with a smooth sole like Hermes sandals.  I love mine!  They work well on most surfaces (haven’t tried them outside on grass), are adjustable and last a while.   One thing on the Hermes sandals though – They are a bit slippery on a smooth floor so test them out on different surfaces first.  I have slipped around on smooth tile more that I wanted to a few times.  And be careful about wearing them outside especially in the rain.  They are leather and are subject to damage if they get too wet.  Other ideas include basic ballet slippers or Dance Paws.  Those work really well if you don’t like the feeling of the straps of the Hermes sandals.  Some women find dancing in heels easier – It puts you in releve without much effort.  Make sure you can walk well in heels before dancing in them.

3.  Most belly dancers I know do more than one style of dance.  Always try to keep in mind the style of dance you’re doing when you choose your costume and props.  If ATS or tribal fusion is what you’re going for a traditional bedlah may confuse your audience.  And with very traditional folkloric types of dances like Khaleegy or a form of Tahtib it’s a good idea to do some research and know what music, costume and moves go with the style.   As I dancer I feel I’m not only there to entertain but to also present the audience with some degree of authenticity and pay homage to the Middle Eastern culture and people.  That being said don’t feel like you can’t be creative with music choice and costumes.  I’ve done everything from ZZ Top to music from Star Wars…

4.  There are in fact Rules of Etiquette for dancers.  I wasn’t aware of this when I started dancing but have learned the subtleties of  being a dancer at a student hafla as opposed to being a paid, hired dancer.  At a student hafla the rules are more relaxed.  The Always Wear Your Cover-Up rule is the same as you never want to distract from the dancer on the stage.  A note here – A veil is not considered a cover-up.  I have heard this from  more than one source.  A veil is a prop and a cover-up is a cover-up.  Whether its ornate or a plain cotton robe a cover-up is essential no matter where you’re performing.  So…At a student-type hafla feel free to eat, drink and socialize.  Also it’s fine to bring a change of clothes for after you dance – especially if it’s cold or hot out or if the costume is not conducive to sitting around in.  You’ll still want to wait quietly in the wings for your turn and be respectful of other dancers.  If you are lucky enough to be a hired dancer and are receiving payment for your performance it’s more formal.  It’s your job to maintain the aura of Belly Dancer so no eating or drinking while you’re in costume.  Also try to stay out of sight when you’re not performing if possible.  It adds to the mystery I think.  Some dancers are fine with having audience members put tips into their belts.  If you are fine with this and the venue is too then I personally don’t see anything wrong.  If an audience member tried to put the tip in your bra…That’s where I’d draw the line.  You can be cute and coy with a little hip bump.  On the other hand a dollar bill in the cleavage can be not so family friendly.  If people toss money at you I think it’s best to wait until after your performance to gather it up or better yet have someone you trust with that as their designated duty.  That is my opinion and please feel free to make your own decisions here.  When dancing at a wedding also do your best to conduct yourself with respect to the bride.  It is after all her day.

5. Always test your CDs before your performance and bring a backup copy just in case.  Be sure to find out what kind of equipment is there for you to use or if you need your own stereo system or box.  Since everything has gone all digital it may be that the venue has the capability to play MP3s.  I dance at one restaurant that has an iPod hook up so it’s as easy as cueing up your song and having someone press play.  If you use burned CDs it’s also a good idea to have just your song on the CD to avoid confusion and someone playing the wrong track.  Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes technology isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  For example at one student hafla a dancer’s music cut off about 30 seconds in and they couldn’t get it to play.  She didn’t miss a beat – especially when the audience started to clap in rhythm and a local drummer thought fast and grabbed a soup pot from the kitchen and started drumming.

6.  Try to learn some basics about make up application.  You can go to any department store like Macy’s or Nordstroms or Sephora and have a professional show you what colors can work for you and give you tips on how to apply the make up to accentuate your look.  There’s also some good tutorials I’ve found on YouTube.  If you search YouTube for MakeupGeekTV she’s easy to find.  She’s got some great how-tos on everything and has plenty of different looks to choose from.  2 quick tips from me…To avoid looking like Fire Marshall Bill if you’re been smiling for too long put a thin layer of Vaseline on your top teeth.  This allows your upper lip to slide over your teeth instead of getting stuck there.  Also a great tool for applying glue to your fake eyelashes?  Cut a Q-tip in half and use the un-cottony end.  It also can help in guiding the lashes to where you want them to go.

If I sit here and think about it long enough I’m pretty sure I could come up with more.  If I have any exciting revelations I’ll be sure to share…Happy Dancing!