By Ishtar Dance on Monday, July, 8th, 2019 in Belly Dance & Pregnancy, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
Throughout my dance career I have seen and personally experienced the many benefits of dancing, and especially the positive impact that belly dancing can have on periods, pregnancy and mental wellbeing. Since my own pregnancy I’ve also discovered many links between how complementary therapies like acupuncture, reflexology, mediation and yoga tie in with the movements […]
By Ishtar Dance on Tuesday, July, 2nd, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
The beauty about Belly Dance is that it’s suitable for most people to try and enjoy, but at the same time a lot of people think you either need to be slim to do it, or that you’ll get a six pack from turning up to class every now and again. Neither is true, but […]
By Ishtar Dance on Monday, June, 10th, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
When looking for a dance class, or as a teacher organising one, you may wonder what level is best for you. Most dance schools have a structured and clear progression of classes starting from beginner and going up to advanced or professional. But how do you know when you’re ready to move from one to […]
By Ishtar Dance on Tuesday, May, 28th, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
This week I’ve been exploring the humble shifting hip circle – and discovered how difficult it can be to stick to just that move using a percussive rhythm! Check out my tutorial on how to limit yourself to gain range. The shifting hip circle is typically one of the first belly dance moves I teach […]
By Ishtar Dance on Tuesday, May, 21st, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
Who doesn’t like a snaky vertical figure of 8… Whether going up or down, this is one of my favourite smooth belly dance moves, because you can deconstruct the move and use it in so many ways. As part of my ‘Improvisation Station’ series, this post is therefore looking at fabulous vertical 8, and how […]
By Ishtar Dance on Monday, May, 6th, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
Oh how I love a good hip drop: one of the most versatile of belly dance moves, and although percussive and strong, it can also be gentle and soft. As part of my ‘Improvisation Station’ this post is looking at the humble hip drop and how to improvise with it. Check out my previous post […]
By Ishtar Dance on Monday, March, 25th, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body 1 Comment
Dancing allows us to use all our body to move, but the positioning and use of the head is more important than most people think – and I’m not only talking about what goes on inside! – but the actual physical positioning of the head. The average human head weighs around 5-6 kilos and it’s […]
By Ishtar Dance on Monday, March, 18th, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
Posture is the most important thing when dancing, yet many struggle to maintain it, not least when performing and the nerves or the pure joy of dancing starts kicking in! So how do you stay ‘zipped up’ as one dancer so appropriately called it. Well, it all starts with finding out and not least feeling […]
By Ishtar Dance on Monday, March, 11th, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
It’s pretty obvious why we have to breath whilst dancing, but surprisingly little emphasis is often being put on how to do this correctly and efficiently. Mastering this however will not only make your body function better, increase your stamina and therefore improve your overall performance, but it can also help you add extra power […]
By Ishtar Dance on Monday, February, 11th, 2019 in Dance Coaching, Dance Inspiration, Learning, Your Dance Body No Comments
Core strength is usually the one thing that lets most dancers down, because you need more than you think to maintain your ideal dance posture and not least execute those dance moves to perfection at the same time. But dropping down to do 50 stomach crunches is rarely the answer – nor necessarily what you […]
