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Belly Dance “Mad Libs” Tweet Tips
Last month, I did my fifth “tweet tips” series of daily tips for belly dancers. August’s theme was compositional skeletons. These are a set of instructions that you can plug your own moves into to create a combination. (Or you can look at it from the other direction: they are what would be left if you took a combination, and took away the specific moves.)
They’re sort of like Mad Libs, but instead of plugging in words to make funny stories, you plug in moves to make interesting combinations.
Now that the series is over, I thought I’d share the full series in one place.
The tips:
1) Travel forward, do something there. Retreat to your starting point, do something there.
2) Do a soft move slow-slow-quick-quick-quick-quick, then a sharp move in the same timing.
3) Show off a movement facing front, then side, then back, then the other side.
4) Repeat the same move, but decorate it with 4 different arm frames.
5) Do something in the hips, body wave to draw the eye up, then do something in the chest/shoulders.
6) Sink down in a level change with one move, then rise back up with a different move.
7) Trace circles in the plane of the floor, then the plane of the wall. (Same or different body parts)
8) Do anything to the rhythm of “twinkle twinkle little star” (shamelessly stolen from @TapDancingNews)
9) Go upstage center, turn your back on the audience, then do something bold. (A strong pose helps)
10) Do fancy footwork for 6 cts, then end the sentence with a turn on 7,8
11) Try accordion pleats: travel to the R, facing 1st fwd, then back, then fwd, then back
12) Take a soft move, and alternate movement qualities: smooth & light vs. sticky & gooey.
13) Do S-S-Q-Q-S timing pattern 4 times with 4 different moves. (Repeat w/ each move 2x if desired.)
14) Do something with arms in a low hip frame, lifting hair, in a V, then floating down your silhouette.
15) V pattern: go to the L front corner, do something, return to center, do something. Repeat to R.
16) Spiral out: circle a small body part, then a large one, turn in place, circle the stage. Then reverse.
17) Travel to the R, do something while turning, travel back to the L, do something while turning.
18) Schmooze: circle the stage & visit different audience members to show off a move (shimmy, etc.)
19) Face back, do something, twist to peek over R shoulder, do something. Repeat all to L.
20) Try the ABAB alternation pattern: alternate two ideas. Works with moves, mini-combos, & full combos.
21) Do sthg at 3/4 angle R, sthg at 3/4 angle L, sthg facing back, then take your time turning to front.
22) Build complexity: Start w/ a shape or idea. Repeat w/ a small decoration. Layer on a 3rd, then a 4th.
23) Define a space w/ a circle, then play w/ anything that fits inside it: slides crescents, 8s, etc.
24) Turn R, land in a pose, do something there. Turn L, land in a pose, do something different.
25) Do something big, then something tiny.
26) Triangle: do something at center, downstage L, downstage R, then at center (same thing or different)
27) Work with vertical space: draw their focus down your body, then up. (hips->head or floor->overhead)
28) Malfouf drum solo riff: shimmy on DTTx3, then for DDT accent R the 1st rep, L 2nd, up 3rd, turn 4th
29) Reach out to audience, draw back in, then do something in belly/hips while they have focus.
30) Do something above waist level, then something below, then something above, then something below.
31) Your turn! Create your own compositional skeleton & share it here. I can’t wait to see your ideas.
Your turn
Have you used any of these skeletons before in your combos?
Which are your favorites?
Did any of them give you trouble?
Do you have any other compositional skeletons to share?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
How to get more
I’ll be doing another set of daily tips next month too. September’s topic will be BLAH.
To get those, you can follow me on Twitter, like my page on Facebook, or search for the BLAH hashtag on Twitter.