“Live On-line Classes are Here!”
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by Leyla Najma · 38 Comments
I know this is a long time coming and we (Daniel) have been working very hard on getting everything ready so we can make the classes as easy as possible for everybody. They are starting up next week on two different days; Tuesday the 25th and Thursday the 27th. These will be permanent days for the classes and you will have a chance to drop in a class or sign up for the 4 week series. There will be two different time frames for each day; 11:00am and 7:00pm Mountain Time. Adding to this I must say it was really interesting trying to figure out the classes in advance so that they would make sense. The class preparation took me awhile before I finalized what I was going to teach but I believe that the classes will be what everybody is hoping for. These “live” online classes are a dream come true for both Daniel and we are both thrilled that they are finally here!
Tuesday will be the type of drilling and dance class that I teach my students. We will go over hip work first with a variety of combinations, layering, accenting and pauses. I have taken the class into 4 weeks so that each class fits with the next one. The 4th class will be a review of the former 3 weeks so that questions can be answered in a way that makes it easier to demonstrate movements and explain any grey areas.
Thursday will be focused on the problems of small spaces in different venues like restaurants, parties and small dance floors. I will go over leg extensions, turns, sweeps and traveling steps that actually work in small spaces. I call these combinations, turns and extensions “In Place” movements. I’ll talk about working in close proximity with customers and how to work in all directions especially if you have tables all around you. Usage of space can make a difference in tips and making people feel more comfortable with your dance. This will also be a 4 week series with the 4th class being a review class for any questions.
You can drop into the classes at your leisure or you can sign up for the 4 weeks. We are leaving the choice up to you so this makes it easier for you to decide what you want to do.
So if the next question you may have is, “How do I sign up”? Here’s the link: Learn Belly Dancing From Home, and if you have any questions feel free to email me [email protected] or call me 505-459-8015.
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About Leyla Najma
Many of these combinations and cosmically inspired ideas that I consider real gems and I am confident that with the way I chapter and organize everything that you will get the help you need or at least feel free to take from my ideas.
The first online lesson Tuesday was awesome. I had a great time. It was everything I expected and more!
Was feeling it in my quads the next morning. hahaha
Thank you Leyla. Thank you Dan.
You are 100 percent welcome. As you can see we’re both up at a very early hour but it is for that kind of feedback that I burn and burn and burn and burn the early morning oil.
I signed up for both classes and I am so excited!!! Both classes were awesome!!
Hi Allison,
This is the kind of feedback that keeps me (and Leyla) going and going and going and going like the little energizer bunny to make these classes always exceed expectations. Would you be interested in participating in something like an affiliate program and earn some extra scratch? Moola? etc.
Thanks so much Allison for your support! YOU and women like you make it all worth while for Daniel and I. This past week was stressful more so for Daniel then me because he was crawling around under the camera making sure that everything was working properly. Sometimes it was hard not to laugh!
I must say you all are apart of a dream come true for us both. I find it amusing that in this dream of ours I never imagined the occasional bloopers that happened this past week. But since we are “live” there is no telling what each moment will bring. Thank you for being a part of it all and I am looking forward to being with you again next week……..via camera!
I can only imagine how stressful it was for you both. I would have had a hard time not to laugh!!! I am so glad I am a part of this amazing moment for you! I also want to know I love it live and the bloopers make it better because now I know that I am not the only one that does that in class! I have bloopers all the time with my class! I am looking so forward to next week! I sooooo wish you lived closer to me!!!!
OMG…. just because I make up the moves doesn’t mean I don’t mess up. It’s so funny when I booboo with my students in private classes because we spend about 5 minutes laughing hysterically! With any creative person, something is bound to happen but that is what life is about the unexpected. Like with the forward/side/back step…..I’ve done it a million times and still it messes me up. But it was alot of fun and I do wish I lived closer! I think you and I would have a ball dancing together!!
I would be interested in an affiliate program….tell me about it
Not totally put together but it would be not only for the live classes but for DVDS as well with a 20 percent payout, or so. I wanted to get it together before the start of classes but didn’t have the time. Basically affiliates get a unique link for a product and when they rrefer someone via any means using that link then a referral bonus is paid.
I find myself I sometimes get stuck on the left down piston. My left side is my weak side and sometimes I hit it sometimes I dont or I sometimes do the opposite hip. I know I have to pull back in to go down any other suggestions to make it easier. I think it may be the fact that when I pull back in all my weight is still on my left foot if I concentrate shifting my weight back to the right then it will be easier to go down correct? I
Remember the quick center I was talking about in class? I talked about it on Tuesday’s class. To do the right and left pistons you have to remember to go to center so that it allows you the ability to go down or up on the other side. Remember to concetrate on the glute of the side you are working on, the quad muscle and the obliques. Focusing on muscle changes will help as well. Keep your weight as even as possible. Because if you do a repetative right and left hip piston up and down you have to have your weight even so you can build up your speed. If I focus my weight on one side to do a piston in the beginning it can make the transition to the other side take longer and feel of center, or off weight meaning you will feel one side working more then the other. Let me know if this helped.
Leyla,
I hope you are having a awesome day today!!! Thanks so much!!! When I broke it down and realizing where my weight was actually oppose to were it should be helped tremendously!!! It is so much easier for me and I can actually now do it with so much more ease and faster before I bloop it up!!!
Leyla,
I really enjoyed class last night and I can not wait for tomorrow! On the homework for this week do you want just written text of what changes we did with the moves or send you a short video clip?
Good news my husband was able to get our lap top hooked up where we are staying and now have internet!!!! So I will be able to make next week classes and I can now practice!!
Allison
Leyla,
this is about last weeks Restuarant class. The Madam Boozey is that who you studied with? Can you tell me about her? I am wanting to learn as much as I can about other dancers. When I started dancing I was taught that move when I went to a workshop that Suzzana Del Vecchio had and she taught us the same move but it was more ballet like. I completly forgot about it until you came up with it.
Yes, it is more ballet and I was always in trouble for doing the move my way! I don’t know much about Madam Boozey except that she danced in Mahmoud Reda’s group. That’s all I know. I think it is common in Egypt but I like my version better……..it feels better. Look up the older dancers from Egypt around the 20′s, 30′s up to the 60′s. That’s a great start! Here’s a few names, Badia Masabni, Naima Akef, Taheya Carioca, Samia Gamaal, Zohair Saki and Nagua Fouad.
Yep, I have studied all of those dancers except for Naima Akef is one who I did not know about. The others I know about our Nadia Gamal, Jamila Salimpour and Suhaila Salimpour, Fifi Abdo. I think that is it so far…..are there any others that I should know about?
Let’s see there is Beba Ezz Eldin and Farida Fahmi (she performed in Mahmoud Reda’s troupe). Look up Helena Vlahos…..I met her at the Floralia dance workshop and she was just amazing. She’s been dancing for 46 years and is the Queen of rolling quarters on her stomach. She can roll 7 or 9 quarters on her stomach back and forth….a beautifu woman and one of the most respected dancers today. Also Alexandra King is another great dancer who has been dancing for years and she is one of the best!
Leyla,
I just got a chance to do the 2nd class of the recorded performance. I love the folkloric fan and I can not wait to do it with veil I think it will really look awesome!
I do have a question when it comes to combinine the challenger r side a left side together. I noticed that sometimes you do a full pivot and then a half pivot…..I was getting confused when do you do the full and then the half.
The Folkloric Fan will look great with skirts and veil…….so glad you like it. The Opposition Challenger move is harder. Remember if you work on the right side first or have the right side as your lead side the f/s/b/s step happens first and then it’s like a 3/4 pivot turn, not really a full. On the left you step forward and turn and that one is a half turn. If left is lead then the f/s/b/s step happens first and then the 3/4 pivot turn with the right side doing the step forward and half turn. It may be confusing at first but I bet this one will be a favorite……it always got the biggest applause when women could finally do it!
Leyla,
Thank you sooooo much that helped me!!! I kept watching the video and was getting confused!!!! And getting tripped up on the carpet did not help!! Lol! All I have to remember is lead side 3/4 turn and opposite side half pivot turn. I am going to try it later tonight with my practice music to see how it works out!!
The classes are fantastic!!! I am so pleased and happy with what I am learning and I am sooooo glad I found you! You are such a tremendous inspritation!!!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Allison
Leyla,
I was just able to do the playback for thurs class today and I did the playback for tuesdays class yesterday. Both were just awesome!!!! I really can not believe that next week will be our last class!!! The time has really flown by! I am going to be performing at a wedding in August and I hope I can put in some of the moves from the last combo of thurs. class. It is my first wedding I will be performing at and I am soooo excited!
I also wanted to know how do we order the dvds that are ready from the previous classes and what is the cost?
Hi Allison, the DVDS for week 1 and 2 will be available today. Check your email later in the afternoon. …..Dan
Gosh!!! What a wonderful 4 weeks!!!! But it went too Fast!!! Sad that it is over:(
Thanks Allison!!!
This evenings class was hysterical……….Daniel came in and I totally lost all and I mean all concentration!!
His bootyin the air as he crawls is just so funny!!
Thanks for supporting us and God Bless you and your family!!
Hey easy on giving away the family secrets.
Lol….:)
I’m sure you’d get a big laugh out of it. Maybe one of these times I’ll poke my knappy little head up and wave, or say high, but don’t expect me to dazzle you with a hip combination.
Sorry I missed that!! Lol! I was not able to log in to either the live classes because I was neck deep in taking finals yesterday your evening classes are what I usually login to. I am actually getting ready to play it now!
Thank you Leyla for everything!!! Thanks for being so dedicated and an awesome teacher!!! Both you and Dan are doing an awesome job!!! I can not wait for what is in store next!
God Bless both of you!!!!
Allison
Allison you are such a sweetheart and you made the classes so enjoyable……..If all students and dancers were like you, the dance world would be a better place!!
Awe…thanks Leyla, if there where more teachers like you the dance world would be a better place as well!!!
Thanks for making the classes fun and exciting!!
Allison,
We’re formulating plans for the next cycle and to hopefully make it 10 times better.
I am looking forward to it!!! I can not wait to see what you both come up with but I know one thing it will be absolutely awesome and wonderful like always!!!! The both of you ROCK!!!
Next time around I’m hoping for less bloopers but Daniel feels they make the classes stand out but I’m not sure in what way??!! I want to share a million things with everybody and there I think lyes my problem!!
I know what you mean about wanting to share so much with everyone. I feel the same way with my students that I have. My brain just runs a mile a minute that I bloop all the time!!!
Having bloopers….I think makes the students realize that it is ok to make mistakes and not everything runs perfectly and smooth all the time but it is what we make out of it. I like them because it makes me laugh and giggle! One of the most memorable was when zippy came in towards the very end of one of the evening classes! It was so cute and funny like he was saying ok class is over! I got a big kick out of it and it still makes me smile and laugh when I think about it! So keep the bloopers!!!
Hello! From reading this post, I missed a wonderful opportunity and some laughs
I hope that there will be another class soon. I look forward to joining and learning. Peace and wisdom to you and yours
The next round of classes will get started soon and we look forward to having you and thank you very much for your blessings.
Peace and wisdom to you as well.
Hello Padma,
Yes, it was a funny 4 weeks with bloopers and I have just accepted my fate as the blooper queen!
I would love for you to join us this up and coming 4 weeks and share in the fun and laughter!
Blessings,
Leyla