How to Choreograph a Tribal Bellydance

If you've gotten into the tribal belllydance craze and started to take classes, you may already be thinking about performing. Whether you're planning for a student recital or making the leap to more professional gigs, you need to choreograph a tribal bellydance. There is plenty of room for creativity in this process, but there are also a few tricks that many dancers use to give their performances an exciting and distinctly tribal flavor.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose the music that you will use to choreograph a tribal bellydance. You can go with something traditional and Middle Eastern, or with almost any other style of music for a modern fusion feel. Pick a song you like, that is at a comfortable dancing tempo, and is not too long (especially for your first performance).

2. Make a dramatic entrance. Many dancers like to use songs with a slow, melodic introduction followed by a faster section, and they begin their dance with appropriately slow, graceful movements. Whether your introduction is fast or slow, decide how you will enter the performance area. For example, whether you will walk on before the music starts, dance out from the side of the stage, or stand behind a curtain that will be raised.

3. Invent combinations that flow well together and can easily be remembered and repeated. Whether they are performing alone or in groups, many tribal bellydancers use combinations as a refrain that is repeated several times during a dance. If you're trying to choreograph a tribal bellydance for more than one person, simple combinations can be especially important as a way of bringing the group together again occasionally (and in a group, these combinations can involve interactive moves such as switching places).

4. Leave room for improvisation, which is one of the distinctive features of tribal bellydance. Choreograph a little or a lot of your dance ahead of time, but leave at least a few seconds for spontaneous moves. If you're dancing in a group, try to give each dancer time for a short improvised solo. The other dancers can follow the soloists movements or step back and do subtler background moves.

5. End cleanly. Unless you will be dancing off the stage as the music plays, choose final moves that finish in a dramatic pose, but not so dramatic that it's difficult to pull off. It's important to really nail the end of your dance, because it will be the final impression that viewers leave with, so choose moves you feel very confident performing.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're terrified of improvisation, brainstorm ahead of time about your strengths and what moves you would really like to showcase. These are generally great for improvisation or solo time, especially in groups where each dancer may have different strengths and a unique style.
• Don't feel that every move has to be very difficult in order to impress. Audiences may not even be able to tell which moves require a lot of skill, but they can easily appreciate your confidence, creativity, well practiced moves, and enjoyment of what you are doing.