Blog Hiatus and New Move

I have taken a long break from this blog as I have not been performing recently, awaiting the new baby. Well, she's here now! And, since my long break, Google has made this blog even more annoying for me to access.  So, I will be slowly integrating the content into my other, teaching blog. You can find it here: http://amiaditri.wordpress.com/.

Happy dancing, and see you online soon.

~Amia

Pictures: Candles

The beauty of flames and shadows.

  

Pictures: Ashley Lopez Show

Hosted by Belly Dance Tucson

November 12, 2011

Easy Embellishments

I love the costume styles from Egypt over the past few years—a sleek skirt and a smooth top with a few big embellishments.  Not only is this comfortable to wear, easy to wash, and simply stunning, but this style is simple to replicate at home.

            There are already many tutorials and patterns available to aid you in making a skirt and top.  I would like to focus on all my secrets for finding the perfect embellishments at a great price.

Some Shopping Tips

Tip One:  Teen stores are your friend

Relive the glories of your high school days.  Or finally make the ones you wish you had.  Teen stores like Claire’s, Icings, and Charming Charlies have great selections of costume jewelry at teen-allowance prices.   Recall your teen dance schedule to know when the stores will be stocking up—home coming, winter dance, and prom are key times.  However, be sure to note the stores' return policies.  For example, Claire’s and Icings will not allow you to return rhinestone items (apologetic sales clerks explained to me that, otherwise, girls try to return them after Prom). Charming Charlies has a limited return policy as well.  

Tip Two: Shop holiday sales

I try to not purchase items without an actual costume in mind.  Otherwise, I never get around to using them.  So, I keep in mind when stores are likely to have sales and plan costume-making around those times (as an added bonus, I’m likely to have some days off around the holiday to get sewing).  You can find great deals at the mall on sparkly jewelry around Christmas.  Fabric stores have big sales in anticipation of Halloween (and this is also a great time to stock up on fake lakes and nails at drug stores).

Tip Three:  Sign up for coupons.

Jo-Anne’s Fabrics sends out at least one 40% coupon a month, along with a flyer announcing the month's sales. With a costume taking three to five yards, and rhinestone trim at $20 a yard, this comes in quite handy.  Most boutiques also have an accessories section, so sign up for coupons at any place you usually shop.  And, finally, sign up for coupons from your favorite lingerie store so you can buy costume bras at great prices.

What to Get

Of course, you can always hunt around online for “real” items to order.  But I like to be able to actually see the item, and, without many couture sewing places in town, this is how I make great finds.

Necklaces

These work great as-is for belly drapes, dangled over the top of a bra, or swagged off a belt.  But, you can think outside the box as well.  Look at how Eman Zaki swings a few chunky beaded strands around the hips of her costumes.  You can easily recreate that look.  Also, look at the beads themselves—a necklace too hideous to use as-is may have a great assortment of matched beads at much lower prices than a bead store.  For example, I bought several hideous red necklaces from a Macy’s Christmas sale and pulled them all apart to hang from a bra and belt.

Bracelets

Everything for necklaces also works for bracelets.  You can hook several together to make them longer.  They also make great decorations for bras as two will usually perfectly decorate the top of two cups.  Another idea that I’ve seen (and have planned for my next costume) is to cover a wide bangle with fabric to make a matching cuff for your costume.

Earrings

Cut from their hangers, these are fabulous as accent pieces.  Or, if you want the option of also wearing it as an earring at some point, you can sometimes push the earring back through your costume fabric to hang it in place.

Rings

The current trend of big, elastic rings is a belly dancer’s best friend.  The elastic can be snipped off to free the embellishment, which can then be sewed on to your costume as a focal-piece.  Look at Sahar Okasha for some ideas.

Hair flowers

These, too, can be sewed on or clipped into place as focal pieces and coordinated hair accents.  I have also found some at teen stores that have pins already sewed on.

Hair pins and clips

I have used hair clips to double as hip wrap fasteners.  I pin the hip scarf into place to ensure that it will stay through my dancing, then clip the hair clip around it.  When my favorite embellished hair pins broke, I cut the bobby pin off and sewed the rhinestone flower onto my costume.

Buttons

Fabric stores have large rhinestone and pearl buttons that, once sewed on, look like glued-on stones with the advantage that you can move them around as your costume tastes change.  A friend also puts a dramatic button on the back of her bra to cover any unsightly hooks.

Shhhh! Make-Up Secret

As I primped and prepped for another performance, I thought of how long it has been since I last posted anything for you.  So, it penance for my long absence, I decided to share my Number One top secret performance make-up tip:  Anti-persperant, rubbed all around your hairline.  It does wonders!

Zill Cleaning: Fast, Cheap, and Easy

Gave my zills a nice cleaning for tonight's performance.  For those who haven't tried polishing their brass zills, it's so fast, cheap, and easy.  Are you ready to write all this down?

1)  Mix lemon juice with either salt or baking soda to make a paste.

2) Start scrubbing.

What could be easier?

Actually, to make it even easier, I leave the next zill to be cleaned submerged in a little dish of lemon juice.  That can take off the worst of the tarnish without even needing to do anything.

On some online advice, I rubbed a very light layer of olive oil onto the brass when I was done, as a preventive layer from further tarnishing.  I'll let you know if it helps (I had to wipe so much off to make sure that it would not leave an oil stain on my costumes that I'm not sure if it will).

Set List Drama and Dilemmas

Ah, the Making of the Set List!  A task fraught with joys and terror.  So many songs that I love... but will the audience?  Will the restaurant owner?  Can I do it justice?  Have I already done it to death?  Then there's trying to pick enough songs that appeal to my aesthetics while trying to keep enough general pop songs to please everyone, and add in the pressure of the impending performance, and the time crunch on rehearsal time.   Let's not even start on shopping through I-Tunes.  What is a dancer to do?!

Here are a few tips I've found to make the task a bit more manageable:

Set Framework
Having a basic method to the madness helps me.  I keep the general American cabaret set format in mind.  I do an entrance piece (complete with dramatic intro section that I let play before entering).  I like to have my entrance more or less planned out, so I go to old favorites for this that I know well.  Then, I like to indulge myself with a "Me" song that I love so I can take a moment to settle in and enjoy the music.  Then, I bring the energy back up with an "everybody dance" song, something fun and easy to improv to.  A drum solo or something percussive comes next, and then a finale piece. Since the audience best remembers the entrance and exit, I try to leave on an upbeat but dramatic note, so I usually go to a pop song with some passion.  Somewhere in there is a prop piece--usually my solo piece (sword, tray, veil) or dancing song (cane, rope).   Of course, I may switch things around, but at least I have a general idea of what to plug in where.

Preparing
I have attempted to alleviate the time-pressure problem by creating several sets in advance and dancing to them occasionally.  This is far from a perfect solution.  I inevitably end up changing half the set at the last moment anyway as the songs I loved to dance to last month may not move me this month. But, at least it gives me a foundation to build on.

Sorting songs
Any time I input a new song in I-Tunes, I make sure that its genre is set to "Belly Dance" instead of I-Tune's generic "World". Then, I can listen to my entire belly dance genre while driving, cleaning, etc. and familiarize myself with my collection.

Play Lists
Since I also enjoy dancing to non-belly dance songs, I have set up a Play List of "Dance" for the same reason as above ( I attempted in the past to make play lists like "Dance-Fast" or "Dance-Traditional", but it was too cumbersome to keep them updated.).

Rating my music.
I never remember to remember a song that I've enjoyed.  So, I make sure to rate things that I enjoy as soon as I hear them.

Utilizing View Options
If you select "View" in I-Tunes, a list of View Options comes up.  I select Rating and Time of a song.  Then, if I go into my Dance list or view the Belly Dance genre (Select "All My Music"and then type in "Belly Dance" in the search box), I can then sort by Top Rated to go through the songs that I know I love.  Or, if I'm a bit short on a set (say I want a short drum solo), I can sort by Time to find the perfect two minute song.

Adding Comments 

I have not done this yet, but it is next on my To-Do list.  Select "Comments" under "View Options" and you can add notes to a song, like "Entrance piece" or "Finale" or "Dance Song."  My thought is to make notes in songs that I think are great for various parts of a set.  I think trying to go through my entire collection is too much to hope for, but at least I could make notes on songs as I create dancing sets.

Well, off to do some minor costume repairs (do they ever end?!) for tonight's performance and the test on how good these new sets are.

Please comment on your favorite ways to put your sets together.

Ah, summer break!

I work in spurts.  I think it's because I have some many responsibilities and interests competing for my time.  It seems easiest for me to focus on one thing for a while, then run over to focus on something else as I notice that area of my life suffering.  And so it goes--constantly tossing ball after ball up in the air as they come down.

This month, dancing has taken a bit of a backseat as I focus on career.  But, the amazing thing is, once I go back, it's like my brain had been working on old problems in the background the whole time.  So, after weeks of drilling shimmies nearly daily, then suddenly not dancing for two weeks, the shimmy has worked itself out.  It's finally that big, loose, chunky shimmy that I've been longing to add to my repertoire.

So wonderfully surprising.

And so I will remind myself that taking breaks can be a good thing.  It can be a chance to heal, to rest up, and to reset brain and body so that they can surprise you with what they can do if only left alone for a bit.

On Self-Critiquing and Videos

I recently purchased a tripod so that I can record my home practices.  A few days ago, my wonderful husband even helped me find the best place in the living room to set up everything, so I could catch myself and the mirror.  Out of excuses, I set it up yesterday and hit "record", then lamented the results to my friends on Facebook.

But, despite the initial shock of always seeing myself on video, I find it overall a very helpful, and thus very positive, experience.  Personally, I think I've gotten too lazy and frankly arrogant about dancing.  A crashing does of reality was very much needed, if I was to stop deluding myself and starting working!  I thought it might be helpful to describe how I go about self-critiquing, in hopes that this may inspire you to push aside impending dread and give it a try.

I like "methods" and this is a method for providing constructive criticism that  I learned from an educational show years back (I did not catch the name, or I would provide you the resource).  I've found, with some tweaking, it works well for critiquing myself.


Pre-Flight Check:  Don't Take it Personally
Which leads me to my first pre-method check: Don't take it personally.  Sounds silly, since I am critiquing myself, but emotional distance helps.  Once the dance is recorded, it's a past moment and there's nothing I can do to change it.  So, there is no point getting upset about it.  And, the camera is just catching how I was at that moment.  It does not mean that is what I will always look like.  With practice--and this is the whole point anyway--I will look better.  Besides, I can always delete it and destroy all memories of it when I'm done, or keep it to look back on years later and note how far I've come.

Step One: Describe What You See
This step may seem silly, but honing your eye for detail and your ability to articulate what you see is important.  For example, "the dancer is wearing a green costume."  For myself, the temptation to begin immediately criticizing my performance as soon as the tape starts playing can be irresistible.  So, I force myself to describe the entire performance before I can do anything else.  Of course, this requires sitting through the entire piece.  Then I make a mental note, "that was a slow piece" or "I looked happy."

Step Two: Give a Specific Compliment
Providing specific compliments lets your audience know that you were paying attention and truly appreciating what you saw.  For example, "the green costume looks great with your red hair."  For myself, I look for something that I've been striving for and note how I've improved.  It doesn't matter if it's something that I've "worked on" and moved on a while ago.  It's nice to know that practice has paid off and that it has still stuck.

Step Three: Give Constructive Criticism
The key is "constructive"--something that can be improved.  So, for me, comments on how I wish I were four inches taller are off the table. I, personally, like to pick out two things to critique (it helps keep the list down to something manageable and not emotionally self-destructive).

First, I pick one thing to work on right then.  For example, yesterday I was working on a slower piece and I was trying to incorporate dramatic pauses.  Watching the video, it was instantly apparent that the "pauses" were barely perceptible.  So, I made a note to make them longer, then ran the piece several more times, each time reviewing the tape to see how different lengths of pausing affected the piece.

Then, I pick one thing to remember to drill that week.  For example, I was pleased (Step Two) to note that my right hand no longer hangs around like a limp fish when I dance. However, it now occasionally flaps about like a fish tossed up on the dock to die.  Not pretty.  So, that will be my goal for my next few weeks.

Coming Down for  a Landing
After I'm done dancing for the day, I upload my videos and watch one or two again (preferably the ones I thought were the best--I like to end on a high note).  I'll make general mental notes, again positive first, and then notes to work on.   And, I try to remain positive about what I still need to work on.  I remind myself that, by addressing the problem, I will be able to solve it.  Whereas, if I'd never watched myself and realized there was even a problem, I would only be postponing the inevitable clash with reality.

Hope this helps.

Copyright and Choreography

Researching it for a posting of my own, and found this article.  Brief, but has some good info:  http://www.lawlawlandblog.com/2010/09/so_you_think_you_can_steal_my.html#more .

Review: My Favorite Instructional DVDs

I was chatting with some dancing friends the other night about dance DVDs, and I thought I should follow-up with a post on it.

Favorite Drilling DVD
Modern Tribal Belly Dance by Asharah (World Dance New York).  I love this DVD for drilling.  I actually own two copies.  There is a 45 minute "warm up", 55 minutes of isolation drills, 30 minutes of modern tribal movement ("pops and locks"), and a short choreography.  As a bonus, there are two performances by Asharah.  The isolation drills and popping section are sub-chaptered by movement, so you can easily jump around if you want to focus on a certain area.  The drills closely mirror my dance teacher's drills, which I assume is because both Gina and Asharah have trained with Suhaila Salimpour.  As such, this makes a perfect DVD for our summer class break.  The movements start slowly, then build speed, so beginner dancers can stay at a level comfortable for them, and advanced dancers can begin at full-speed for a challenge.  Asharah is my favorite tribal dancer, and her teaching on this DVD is perfect--enough description to really understand the movements, but not so much chatting that I go running for the Mute button.  The DVD is also well-produced and reasonably-priced.

Tribal Fusion - Yoga Isolations and Drills for Bellydance by Rachel Brice.  The DVD consists of three workouts--15, 30, or 45 minutes.  They begin with Sun Salutations and Locus Pose for warm-up, and then drill some core belly dance moves (locks on the up and the down, pelvic squares, umis, body waves, etc).  The workouts basically consist of the same movements, simply a few more of them as the workouts get longer.  As such, there is not a great deal of content on this DVD.  However, the content is does contain are core movements that every dancer should be drilling regularly, in convenient time segments.  If you already are disciplined about your home practice, this DVD may be too basic for you.
But, if you are looking to start a home practice regime, this is a great place to start.

Information
Bellydance Egyptian Style--Baladi and Taqasim: Improvisation Skills & Drills with Ranya Renee.  I absolutely love these DVDs.  The format is similar for both:  Ranya provides an indepth explanation for the baladi and the taqasim, including the instruments, the rhythms, and the musical structure.  Then, she explains a host of movements that can complement each section of the baladi and each instrument featured in a taqasim.  She also provides tips on posture, breathing techniques, musicality, and building an improvisational practice.  Then, she dances through several loops of a song.  You can chose an entire baladi or taqasim or loops of different sections, and you can try to follow along or do your own thing.  As a bonus, there are performances by Ranya.  These are perfect for me.  I can sit and listen to lecture after lecture on Arabic music, then watch dance after dance.  I can get up and follow her or turn away from the TV and do my own thing when inspiration strikes.

Practice
Hard Candy with Neon, Sarah Skinner, and Elisheva (World Dance New York).  Once you get past the silly name, this is a great idea for a belly dance practice.  I've also done Sensual Bellydance and Love Potion, which have a similar format (and are available through my local library and Netflix, respectively).  The DVDs have movement explanations and practices for beginners, which I haven't really watched.  The "workout" is 40 minutes of straight belly dance moves and is build on progression:  the dancers do a move for a few repetitions, then another move, then string those moves into a short combination, build another combination, then string those together into a longer combination.  As a result, this is a fun and effective way to instantly get up and dancing and learn some new moves without tedious stops for explanations. You just dance.  You can watch it with or without voice cues.  Granted, if you don't need all the beginner-features, there's only 40 minutes of content.  However, these DVDs are already reasonably priced through World Dance New York directly, and you can often find copies for under $10 through Amazon.  So, for the price of a belly dance class, you can get one that you can watch over and over at home.

Props
Learn Finger Cymbals with Ansuya.  This DVD taught me how to play zills while dancing.  Ansuya covers four rhythms: basic gallop, baladi, bolero, and chiftitelli.  She explains the rhythms as dom, teks, and kas, and also as right and left hand (with the right hand taking the doms and teks and the left the kas, like you were drumming).  She then turns away from the camera so you can follow her hands, and goes through each rhythm, slowly building speed.  Each rhythm is then taught with a dance movement, then all the movements and rhythms are strung together into a short practice flow.  (Adding a plug here that my copy is now for sale.  Email me).

Bellydance with Veil with Sarah Skinner (World Dance New York).  I have a longer review of this DVD in a previous post.

Choreography
Bellydance Egyptian Style--Modern Oriental with Ranya Renee and Masters of Egyptian Choreography: Volume I with Randa Kamel.  I used to not enjoy learning other dancer's choreographies, but these have completely changed my mind.  It's a great way to pick up a variety of combinations and movements in a compact, easy-to-practice format.  I reviewed Masters of Egyptian Choreography  in my last post, so I will focus on Modern Oriental.  This is a long choreography to "Layalina" by Yousry Sharif.  It is  divided into two sections (beginner and intermediate/advanced) with each section broken into smaller sections for instruction.  As she explains in the introduction, modern Egyptian dance often involves traveling movements, so this choreography highlights a wide-range of footwork and traveling patterns.  As a dancer who used to fear footwork, I love this focus.  The beginner choreography is just a couple of minutes to the song's finale.  The movements are basic and explained in detail, though it is hardly a simplistic or boring finale.  Then, there is a choreography to the entire song for intermediate/advanced dancers. Again, each movement is explained in detail, with tips and tricks given along the way (it took me a while to work through this whole choreography).  There is time to practice each section twice to music before moving on to the next section.  When Ranya comes to the finale section, she covers it more quickly and includes extra embellishments to it.  There are also practice loops of some of the more complex foot-work sections, which are very helpful.

American Tribal Style
Tribal Basics by Carolena Nericcio. If you want to learn American Tribal Style or understand the basic posture and movements underlying Tribal Fusion, these are must-haves.  For learning the movements, see Volumes 1, 6, and 7 (I have not see Volume 8: Floorwork yet).  For learning layers to add to these movements, try Volumes 2 and 4 (though the zill work in Volume 2 is very basic, so, if you are an experienced ziller, you can skip this). And, if you want to perform straight-up ATS, particularly in a troupe, see Volumes 5 and 6.

Review: Masters of Egyptian Choreography I

Masters of Egyptian Choreography, Volume One, Randa Kamel.  Available through http://natashasenkovich.com/dvds.php and through Amazon.


I admit that I balked at paying $35 for a DVD for a while.  It's not just that I'm cheap, but also that I tend to be hard on my DVD's, so having to pay for a second copy down the road also needs to be figured in.  But, after watching the preview again and again, I purchased this DVD several months back when my teacher, Gina, gave us a dance practice challenge for the month.  If I was going to commit to thirty minutes of practice a day, I might as well find something new to do, so I ordered the DVD.  And, wow, was it ever worth it!

I just finished working through the choreography this morning.  And that's simply marking it out.  I have yet to tackle smoothing out all the transitions and work on all the nuanced head and hand placements, let alone doing it in front of a mirror to see what I even look like.  And then there's the drum solo sections that I've similarly just scratched the surface on... I think I could work through this DVD for at least another month.

The Details: 


The DVD has two dance instructional sections.

1) Technique
First, there is an "Exercises" section (21 minutes long), in which Randa breaks down six moves/combinations.  The second "Tabla Technique" (six minutes) section consists of her demonstrating some of her favorite drum solo moves.  She does not provide any break down of these moves.  Some are fairly simple and she performs them several times.  Others are more complex.  Finally, there is a "Tabla Rhythms Demonstrated" section (one minute) which consists of her drummer playing several rhythms (Karachi, Maksoum, Jerk, Samba, Rhumba, Masmoudi).

2) Choreography
Second, there is the choreography section (48 minutes long).  The choreography, with is 4:30 minutes long, is performed to "El Toba" (the particular version used is available on CD through http://natashasenkovich.com/dvds.php).  There is a performance of the full choreography by Randa in costume and facing the camera.  There is also an option to watch the full choreography facing the mirror.  The choreography instruction is performed facing a mirror and accompanied by her drummer.

The choreography itself is broken down into eight sections.  When I first saw that, I was fearful that the sections would be long and difficult to remember.  However, the structure of the choreography is, in itself, basic.  Section Two repeats after every section, and each section contains repeats of its own elements.  And so, you are only learning one to three moves in a section, then stringing them together.  Discovering how a seemingly complex choreography breaks down into such logical sections of repetition was, in itself, enlightening.  The combinations are also fairly versatile, and I have already incorporated a few into my dance.

Each section is broken down in detail, right down to how Randa is holding her hands and tossing her hair.  She explains how each move being powered, for example, explaining when a hip movement is really coming solely from the force of her foot striking the floor or when a move should involve solely the abdominal muscles.  Again, having Randa explain in such detail what she considers the origination of each move is invaluable.

The moves themselves seem fairly straight-forwards, and so, when I first began to work through this DVD, I would have considered it an "intermediate" choreography.  However, with the level of detail to focus on and the challenge of transitioning between each section, I have now revised that to "Advanced."  Though the transitions between sections are explained, they are not broken down, and several I am still working on.  For example, Section Two repeats at least twice between each of the other seven sections, so I have performed this section countless times over the past few months.  And yet, I still have  difficultly getting my body and hands through the last turn and into position to be ready for the repeat.  As I love a good challenge, I consider this a bonus.

There is a note at the beginning of the DVD, apologizing for the poor film quality.  Though it is, in places, not as good as it could be, it is more than satisfactory.

Extras
There are several extras on this DVD.  There is an interview with Randa (12 minutes) and two live shows:  the Cairo Marriott (30 minutes) and the Nile Maxim ( 24 minutes).  Both shows are "home movie" quality, and the beginning of the Nile Maxim show is filmed from behind several tables, before the camera is later moved into a better position (and the sight of the banks of the Nile floating by in the background made me a little dizzy).  I suspect that other, non-dancing, sections of the show were edited out.  The shows are great, and I love having almost an hour of Randa's dancing in my home DVD collection.

Overall, I highly recommend this DVD, particular to a dancer seeking to add some Egyptian flavor to her dance or looking to enjoy a good challenge.

Photos: December 2010

Open Stage Night at the Luxor Cafe

December 2010

(First time performing again after baby)

Photographs by Brooke Anderson

Photos: January 2011

Open Stage Night at the Luxor Cafe

January 2011

Photographs by Dina Farmer

Georges Lammam Workshop, June 18th.

This workshop looks wonderful: http://raksgina.blogspot.com/2011/05/georges-lammam-musical-experience-you.html.

(Unfortunately, the Arizona Bar Convention is ending this same day, and I was hoping to volunteer at the Wills for Heros in the morning.  Don't think I'll have time to make the workshop.  I guess this is one of those sad times when I need to make a choice...)

Rhythm of the Week: Masmoudi Sahir

Masmoudi Sahir (4/4) ("small masmoudi", commonly called "beladi" here in the United States), 

I mentioned this in the "Rhythm of the Week: Saidi" last week, but, as I am practicing this and the saidi (and drilling home their differences), I will feature it this week.

 1       &           2      &          3         &          4        &
Dom  Dom      Tek-ka-tek   Dom    tek-ka   Tek    tek-ka

On labeling

Ah, the labeling dilemma.  The "What kind of dancer" are you.

I thought I had answered this question for myself, and that my style was now simply “Amy”.  All in-depth discussions on the finer points of this or that style were tossed happily aside, and my dance world was suddenly less compartmentalized and cluttered.  I felt free.

After all, I told myself, no one labels Randa Kamel.  In the interview with her on “Masters of Egyptian Choreography: Volume I”, Randa is asked about her influences and she runs off a list of her dance background, from ballet to folkloric.  Yet, I would not call her ballet- or folk-fusion.  She is simply Egyptian, because she is Egyptian and dances in Egypt. 

But then it was time to print up some business cards and “Amy style” is hardly a selling point. So, what am I?  Let the soul searching begin anew. 

If Randa is “Egyptian”, would that make me simply “American”, as I am American and dance in America?  For an American audience, I am working on my “cabaret” set (entrance, slow piece, party piece, drum solo, finale, always a prop thrown in the mix).  Yet, my favorite styles are Egyptian and tribal, in that order, and I would place American cabaret at the bottom of my belly dance preferences.   Would “American belly dance” conjure up images of fringe monster costumes and floor work? And what about the small pile of new Egyptian choreography DVDs to work through?  Does all that effort grant me the right to claim the label, or do I need to spend some time in Cairo for that honor?

In the end, I have decided that I am “Traditional to Tribal.”  Hopefully the public will find this simple and descriptive. 

And it fits nicely on a business card.  

But it has started some new thoughts for me on how I, personally, present different styles of dance.  I sense a new series of blog posts...

-----
It is hours after posting this and, unable to sleep, I am web surfing online and found this article on Randa Kamel:  http://www.gildedserpent.com/art44/yasminaranda.htm.  In it, the author contrasts Randa's style as not cabaret enough for Egyptians audiences (though the author does not find fault with this).  How ironic!  I also found her quote that "[s]ometimes I feel that foreigners understand the dance better. If I come on stage and I’m not in the mood to dance, they put me in the mood.” encouraging.  

Rhythm of the Week: Saidi

Saidi (4/4)

1         &      2      &        3         &     4
Dom   Tek          Dom   Dom           Tek

Filled in:

1               &             2      &        3          &             4
Dom    ka-tek-ka      Dom   Dom      Tek-ka-tek     Tek-ka


Since it's often confused with the masmoudi sahir ("small masmoudi", commonly called "beladi" here in the United States), here is that rhythm:

 1       &           2      &          3         &          4        &
Dom  Dom      Tek-ka-tek   Dom    tek-ka   Tek    tek-ka

So, a few Doms and Teks are swapped between the two:  Saidi is simply said "Dom-Tek (pause) Dom-Dom-Tek" while Beladi is "Dom-Dom (pause)  Tek-Dom-Tek".

I always remember that Saidi starts "Dom-Tek", giving is a light feel, while masmoudi starts "Dom-Dom", giving it a heavy feel.

Music Licenses: Part Two. The Nitty-Gritty

For background, I am an attorney, as well as a dancer, and I have studied copyright law.  However, the following information is for background purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  This is a brief introduction and is not exhaustive on the topic.  In addition, the details of your particular situation may have an impact on any legal steps you should take.  If you have any questions, contact an attorney who practices intellectual property law.

Copyright Protection Extends to Sound Recordings. 

Under 17 USC §102 (a)(7), sound recordings themselves are protected by copyright, along with the music and lyrics encompassed by them. 

Copyright includes, as it sounds, the right to make a copy.  However, it involves more than that.  Property rights, including intellectual property rights, are often described as "a bundle of sticks."  Each stick is a distinct right that can be asserted.   17 USC §106(6) states that such rights include “in the case of sound recordings, to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.

Public Performance

17 USC §102 defines a “perform” and “publically”:

To “perform” a work means to recite, render, play, dance, or act it, either directly or by means of any device or process or, in the case of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to show its images in any sequence or to make the sounds accompanying it audible. […]

To perform or display a work “publicly” means —

(1) to perform or display it at a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered; or

(2) to transmit or otherwise communicate a performance or display of the work to a place specified by clause (1) or to the public, by means of any device or process, whether the members of the public capable of receiving the performance or display receive it in the same place or in separate places and at the same time or at different times.

For the dancer, this means that any time she plays a sound recording at a place open to the public (e.g. at a restaurant) or at a place where a substantial number of non-family and friends are gathered (e.g. a large hafla at a private residence), she is engaging in copyright violation, unless she has permission from the copyright holder, or the public performance is covered by some exception under copyright law.

Exceptions

17 USC §110 provides several exceptions for the public performance of copyrighted works.  These include performances by teachers or students at nonprofit educational institutions, performances of a religious nature at a place of worship, charitable events; and charitable, private veterans’ or fraternal organizations.  These exceptions can be quite detailed, and so the relevant sections are included at the end of this post.

There is also an exception for “Fair Use”, which is often tossed about to defend any copyright violations.  However, this exception is limited to “criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research” and considers several factors in how the work was actually used.  See 17 USC §107. 

Licenses

A license is permission from the copyright holder to perform a work.  The music industry has created several performance rights societies as its solution to the difficulties and complexities of licenses. Copyright holders grant non-exclusive, non-dramatic right to license public performances of their works.  Users pay a set fee to the society in order to perform works from its catalogue.  The fee is based upon a number of factors, including venue, capacity, and admission charges.  Users who believe that the proposed fee is unreasonable may have a reasonable free determined by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. 

Practical Application

Now that you have been overwhelmed with the complexities of copyright law, it’s time to get practical.

It is the business, earning profit from the music being played, that is responsible for obtaining the license.  For most dancers, this means the restaurant that they are dancing for, the event that hired them, or the studio that they are teaching through.  In those cases, the dancers does not need to obtain his or her own license (If you are concerned, you can always state in your performance contracts that the person or organization hiring you is responsible for all licenses and will indemnify you in case of a suit.  I suggest speaking with an attorney to draft the correct language).

However, for those dancers who are organizing their own events or teaching their own classes, the following resources may be helpful.

Currently, three major organizations manage licenses for musical performers:  ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.  Chances are excellent that the song you wish to dance to is covered by one of these organizations. You can search their online databases to determine if your song is covered.

I contacted ASCAP and BMI directly, and found the information I sought on the SESAC website.  I am including it all below in hopes that you will find this a useful starting point in determining licensing fees.  As always, I suggest contacting the societies yourself in receive up-to-date information.  I also suggest that you send an email to the society, confirming any information you were told over the phone, to create a paper-trail of all information you were given by them.

ASCAP License:

Their website is http://www.ascap.com/ . 

Dance Studios

I did not have luck finding information on dance studio licenses through the website, so I called them at (615) 742-5008 and spoke with a representative who then emailed me a PDF copy of their dance studio licensing.  The PDF states that for “combination” (not strictly ballet or ballroom dance) dance instruction, the charges are:

Not more than 75 Students: $92.96

Not more than 150:                     $185.93

Not more than 300:                      $278.92

301 and over:                              $371.88

Note: Students taking less than five hours of instruction per week shall be counted as one student per week; students taking five or more hours of instruction per week shall be counted as two students per week.)

The representative stated that this fee is yearly, non-prorated, and includes one student recital a year.  However, I do not have written confirmation of this, and suggest calling to confirm this information.

Concerts

Other public performances would be covered under a concert license, generally $222 for the year. 

New Media

They also now offer a New Media license, covering internet broadcasts.  I was able to find information on their website regarding this.  In addition, their New Media Department can be reached at (212) 621-6271.

BMI License:

Their website is http://www.bmi.com/ . I also contacted their licensing department at (877) 264-2139.

Dance Studio

Information and pricing for dance instructors and studios can be found here:  http://www.bmi.com/forms/licensing/gl/40.pdf .  The representative I spoke with stated that the license covered all student recitals for the year.  He did not state any limitations on the number.

New Media

Like ASCAP, finding information regarding New Media licenses is highlighted on the BMI website.

Concert

The representative I spoke with stated that he would need specific details to determine what type of concert license would be needed for a particular event.

SESAC

I did not contact SESAC personally.  However, I was able to find general information on their website.

Dance Studio

http://www.sesac.com/Licensing/dancelicense.aspx

New Media

http://www.sesac.com/Licensing/internet.aspx

Concert licenses

http://www.sesac.com/Licensing/GenLicenseDL.aspx

Common Misconceptions

Here are some common copyright misconceptions that I have heard:

Good faith

“Well, I asked around and was told I didn’t need a license, so I’m all set if I’m wrong.”  Though good faith is a factor is a copyright suit, it is only one of several factors that the court will consider.  First, do you want to even be involved in a suit in the first place?  Then ask yourself how highly do you think a court will view your attempts to determine whether you needed a license?  Did you asked an attorney or called BMI or ASCAP directly, and can you document this?  Or did you post a general question on a message board on the internet and take “Snake Dancer’s” advice? 

Non-profit

“Well, I’m not charging/getting paid, so I’m all set.”  17 USC §110(4) does provide an exception if the performance is “without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage and without payment of any fee or other compensation for the performance to any of its performers, promoters, or organizers”.  Be careful of an “indirect commercial advantage.”  A free road-side show in which you are liberally promoting dance classes as well may cross this line.

Not licensed

“Well, the songs not listed on BMI or ASCAP, so I don’t need a licenses.” If the song is not under BMI or ASCAP, that does NOT mean that no licenses is necessary.  You always need license to perform a copyrighted work.  It does mean that ASCAP or BMI have not been retained to represent that particular work.  There are other smaller organizations, such as CCLI - Christian Copyright Licensing International.  It may even mean that the copyright holder/s intend to give the public a free license to perform that work.  But you cannot assume this.  Practically speaking, this will potentially increase your work in obtaining a license and potentially decrease your chances of “getting caught red-handed.” The prudent course of action would be to contact the record label.

Similarly,

“I checked that all my songs aren’t covered by BMI or ASCAP, so I can’t get the restaurant in trouble if they show up.”  First, read the previous section.  Then consider this: Did you ask the venue if they had a license through ASCAP or BMI?  If they do, then you just went out of your way to pick songs that are NOT covered by the licenses that they are already paying for, not to mention opening them to liability for the songs you are performing that they are not licensed for.

In public domain

“My song is in the public domain, so I don’t need a license.”  Even if the underlying song is in the public domain, the particular sound recording has its own copyright.  So, while you are free to hire musicians to perform the work, you may not play the actual recording without a license.

I own the CD

“I own the CD / I bought the song legally, so I’m all set.”  I have even heard dancers say that they bring all their original CDs with them in their dance bag, presumably as a defense if an society representative should show up.  Again, a “public performance” has nothing to do with how the song was obtained.  It is merely playing the song that causes the copyright violation.

Resources:

United States Copyright Statute: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/

17 USC §110:

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the following are not infringements of copyright:

(1) performance or display of a work by instructors or pupils in the course of face-to-face teaching activities of a nonprofit educational institution, […]

(3) performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work or of a dramatico-musical work of a religious nature, or display of a work, in the course of services at a place of worship or other religious assembly;

(4) performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work otherwise than in a transmission to the public, without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage and without payment of any fee or other compensation for the performance to any of its performers, promoters, or organizers, if—

(A) there is no direct or indirect admission charge; or

(B) the proceeds, after deducting the reasonable costs of producing the performance, are used exclusively for educational, religious, or charitable purposes and not for private financial gain, except where the copyright owner has served notice of objection to the performance under the following conditions:

(i) the notice shall be in writing and signed by the copyright owner or such owner’s duly authorized agent; and

(ii) the notice shall be served on the person responsible for the performance at least seven days before the date of the performance, and shall state the reasons for the objection; and

(iii) the notice shall comply, in form, content, and manner of service, with requirements that the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation; […]

6) performance of a nondramatic musical work by a governmental body or a nonprofit agricultural or horticultural organization, in the course of an annual agricultural or horticultural fair or exhibition conducted by such body or organization; the exemption provided by this clause shall extend to any liability for copyright infringement that would otherwise be imposed on such body or organization, under doctrines of vicarious liability or related infringement, for a performance by a concessionnaire,^[1] business establishment, or other person at such fair or exhibition, but shall not excuse any such person from liability for the performance; […]

(10) notwithstanding paragraph (4), the following is not an infringement of copyright: performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work in the course of a social function which is organized and promoted by a nonprofit veterans’ organization or a nonprofit fraternal organization to which the general public is not invited, but not including the invitees of the organizations, if the proceeds from the performance, after deducting the reasonable costs of producing the performance, are used exclusively for charitable purposes and not for financial gain. For purposes of this section the social functions of any college or university fraternity or sorority shall not be included unless the social function is held solely to raise funds for a specific charitable purpose; […]

Rhythm of the Week: Khaliji

Khaliji Rhythm:
2/4 Time

1           &      2            &  
Dom     ka     Dom      ka-tek-ka


To hear  and see the rhythm in action, watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd9vh7a18iI
demonstrating the rhythm on the zills.  From "Zills Drills" by Susa Pampanin and Zaina Zahesha.