The power of DRUM SOLO

Raqs Sharqi belly dancing consists of movements that are initiated by the feet and executed throughout the body. The focus of the dance is the pelvic and hip area. It is, fundamentally, a solo improvisational dance with its own unique dance vocabulary that is fluidly integrated with the music’s rhythm.

Raqs Sharqi dancers internalize and express the emotions evoked by the music. Appropriately, the music is integral to the dance. The most admired Raqs Sharqi dancers are those who can best project their emotions through dance, even if their dance is made up of simple movements. The dancer’s goal is to visually communicate to the audience the emotion and rhythm of the music. This is especially apparent during the drum solo portion of a performance. Many see Raqs Sharqi as a woman's dance, celebrating the sensuality and power of being a mature woman.

A drum solo is:

SHARP: Full of Locks, Pops, Drops, and Stops.

For example, practice your hip shimmies in the soft, relaxed style, working only through the knees. Then tighten your glutes, your quadriceps, even your abs when you move from side to side. This will give you crisp, punctuating hip movements. You should see the difference in your hip wrap: coins or beads will vibrate when doing soft shimmies, but should flip up when doing sharps.

HIPS: For me, hips are the foundation of a good drum solo performance.

ISOLATIONS: Isn't this dance all about controlling your body and isolating the different areas of your body? Really work on keeping your upper body still while your hips and legs move (and vice versa). Also, polish your slow movements. Contrary to what a drum solo initially tells you, it does not need to be all sharps and stops. A slinky undulation or rolling maias lay nicely over a soft drum roll.

MOVEMENT: Practice travelling steps that you can accomplish quickly like three-step-turns and short running steps. A good time to travel or turn is during pauses in the music or on drum rolls. Try also just moving to a different position-with your back to the audience, side to the audience, or on the diagonal.

MIND/BODY: Your mind must be actively involved not just in knowing your dance vocabulary, but in knowing the music inside and out.