Month: August 2017

For years on end, society has defined what beauty should look like.
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The thing is that, when it comes to beauty, there should be no mold. What makes us different is what makes us beautiful. Dance can embrace difference and showcase the beauty in it.

Dance and Body Positivity

Dance is able to capture the essence of beauty without regard for stereotypes. For the longest time, dance has been perceived as something only “certain kind of people” do. It’s almost as if, to be a dancer, you have to look a certain way. That is nothing but a lie. These days, it’s more and more common to see people break that mold and inspire the rest of the world to do the same.

As dancers have persisted in expanding definitions of who can perform and what people can dance about, audiences have embraced a diversity of body types on stages as well as an understanding of performances as sites that shift dominant ideologies about ideal bodies.

Source: dancersgroup

Uplifting and Empowering Women Through Dance

Dance is not just about moving to the beat of a song. It goes beyond that. It can be a healing experience, too.
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It’s supposed to be uplifting and empowering. It should be about learning to be confident in who you are.
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Honoring differences through dance can cultivate a sense of awareness and acceptance while reminding us that it is an art form that is not at all about perfection but about raw emotion, being human, being imperfect, and appreciating the beauty about it. Fortunately, there are people like the ladies of Pretty Big Movement and Lizzie Howel who remind us that stereotypes don’t define us. Dance is for every age, every body, and every background. Don’t let anything stop you from doing what you love.

Come dance with us at Bella Diva Dance. Pick a class, have fun, and embrace what makes you, you!

Dancing through space and time is great, but not enough. Energy is crucial in every movement of every dance to properly communicate the intention behind it.

Energy: The Fifth Element of Dance

Saying that a dance “has a lot of energy” is misleading. ALL dances use the element of energy, though in some instances it may be slow, supple, indirect energy – not the punchy, high speed energy of a fast tempo dance.

Source: Elements of Dance

We’ve gone over the elements of dance, but once we understand body, action, space and time, there’s still one thing missing: energy. Energy is all about how movement happens. It represents the qualities of movement. It’s because of energy that a dance can have so many nuances. It can be soft, strong, sharp, powerful, or rich. There’s also an emotional part involved. A dancer can communicate the meaning of a dance with the energy they put into it because it is energy that connects the emotion on the inside with those watching the performance.

3 Ways to Convey Energy

1. Weight: This translates into light movements; those that create the illusion of the body going upward, like ballet, or heavy movements, as if giving in to gravity.
2. Attack: Movement can be smooth and sustained, or sharp and sudden. The latter can be generated through energetic movements like in hip hop or Kathak, a type of Indian dance.
3. Flow: Some dances require a more laid-back type of energy to make them more “fluid,” which involves continuous, relaxed movements. On the other hand, a dance could also need “less fluidity,” which mostly refers to more muscle tension.

The energy that must be put into each dance is what makes world dances so unique and relevant. The energy needs to be performed and the energy that comes out are powerful and make each piece meaningful. Come let that energy shine through and be a part of our dance classes in Denver.

Dance is an artistic practice. In order to fully understand that concept and develop movement skills, there are four important concepts that are the base for any dance student.

The Foundational Concepts of Dance

Four elements compose the framework over which any movement is discussed. While every dance and every dancer have their own style and skill, these four concepts are a constant in any kind of dance.

Body

The body is the main instrument of dance. It is the tool that dancers use to express themselves through movement, and it’s the visual representation that others can witness.

The body is the conduit between the inner realm of intentions, ideas, emotions and identity and the outer realm of expression and communication. Whether watching dance or dancing ourselves, we shift back and forth between the inner/outer sense of body.

Source: Elements of Dance

Action

Action implies movement, whether it’s dancing, facial expressions, lifts, or dance steps. Streams of movement and pauses are what dancing is made of. Movement can be freestyled or choreographed.
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Space

Space is the canvas where the body generates movement. There’s a dynamic involvement of the space in each performance, even during solo performances, so much so that the space could be considered a partner in the dance. Dancers can intentionally move outward or inward.
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Spatial relationships between dancers or between dancers and objects are the basis for design concepts such as beside, in front of, over, through, around, near, or far.

Time

Human movement is rhythmic by nature. From our breathing to the conversations we have, they all have rhythm. When we talk about seconds, minutes, and hours, we’re referring to clock time, but there is also sensed time, which is basically how dancers pick up on each other’s timing.

Learn the Essence of Dance

At Bella Diva Dance, we offer several different types of dance for you to put to use the four concepts you just learned about. Join us today and get wrapped up in the beauty of different cultures through these dances.

Being flexible allows dancers to complete their movements with grace and ease as it improves the range of motion.
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That flexibility is essential in belly dance.
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Key Facts About Stretching for Belly Dance

We all know about it. Stretching is important for all kinds of physical activity. As a belly dancer, it is important that you dedicate time to stretching before dancing. This can keep you injury-free and gradually increase your flexibility, but there’s also more to stretching than just that. Here are some more facts about stretching that are worth knowing about.

Follow Your Instinct to Stretch

Did you know that stretching is actually an instinctive activity? Both animals and humans are likely to stretch after waking from sleep, or after spending inactive for long periods of time. So, why go against that instinct? Instead, follow it and take advantage of the positive impacts that stretching can have on your dancing.

Stretching Will Make You a Graceful Dancer

Your body’s posture and natural balance are stabilized when you stretch. Your joints are also aligned as a consequence, which improves your coordination. All this adds up and translates into graceful belly dance movements.
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Never Stretch Cold Muscles

Never skip your warm-up. Stretching cold muscles can easily lead to injury. Warming up prior to your stretching routine is essential, so take at least a couple of minutes to get your muscles ready for stretching, or try getting a massage. That will help your muscles relax into your stretches.

Gain Flexibility with PNF

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation is a technique that stretches a muscle to its limit and significantly improve your belly dancing. One way of doing it is to stretch the muscle for about 30 seconds, then flex it for about 15 seconds, and then stretch it again.

“PNF causes the brain to go ‘I don’t want that muscle to tear’ and sends a message to let the muscle relax a little more than it would normally,” says fasciologist Ashley Black.

Source: Healthline

Prevent Arthritis By Stretching

Stretching not only makes you dance more gracefully, it also lubricates the joints, and can also enhance and maintain range of motion, which greatly benefits those with arthritis and can even help prevent it.

Stretch It Out and Become a Graceful Belly Dancer in Denver

Belly dance can help you build strength, and improve posture and musicality. Complementing it with yoga can help you dance with more ease and grace, and will have a great impact on your overall belly dance ability. Give us a call to find out more.

Approximately 70% of the human body is made up of water. Throughout the day, we lose water due to physical activity. Increasing our fluid intake is essential in order to replace the water we’ve lost and maintain a good level of performance.

Why Dancers Should Stay Hydrated

Did you know that we only need to loose as little as 2% of water in our bodies in order for our performance to be significantly impaired?

Dancers are artistic athletes, and as athletes, it is essential to stay properly hydrated so that the body is prepared for physical activity.

Specifically to dancers, they will require more fluids per day due to the loss through dance classes and performances.

Source: Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing

Signs of Dehydration

Most of us put off drinking water until we are thirsty, and unfortunately, by then, we are already dehydrated or starting to be. It’s quite common to rely on caffeinated drinks instead. However, since caffeine acts as a diuretic, it can cause even more dehydration, which means dancers should minimize their intake of caffeine and even alcohol, as it also depletes the body of fluids. If you’re dehydrated, your symptoms may include:

• Fatigue
• Decreased performance
• Lethargy and tiredness
• Cramping
• Nausea and vomiting

Hydration Guidelines During Physical Activity

Everyone’s fluid needs are different, especially depending on the level of physical activity they endure. The average person should consume approximately two liters of water, which is about eight glasses of fluid daily.

Drink 500ml (2 – 3 glasses) of water 30 minutes to one hour before your physical activity
Drink 200ml (1 – 2 glasses) of water every 20 minutes during your physical activity
Drink at least 500ml (2 – 3 glasses) after your physical activity

Source: laurastanyer.blogspot.com

Stay Hydrated To Improve Performance on Your Next Bella Diva Dance Class

Some dances will make you break a sweat more than others. The more hydrated you stay, the better your body will be at keeping itself from overheating. If you help your body promote heat loss when dancing, you’ll see an improvement in your athletic performance. Drink enough water throughout the day, not just when you’re thirsty, and you might surprise yourself at your next world dance class. Sweat loss during performances tends to be significantly more than during a regular class or rehearsal, especially if you’re wearing heavy, hot costumes. So, drink up. Give your body what it needs so you can give the audience what they want.

There are so many cultures around the world. If we wanted to learn about any of them, the Internet has an easy access key to all of it. However, dance can provide a more personal understanding of a culture and its traditions.

Discovering A Culture Through Its Dance Traditions

Miriam Phillips, Assistant Professor of Dance in the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS), believes that dance, because it is a personal physical experience, can instill comprehension of an entire culture. The oppressed Andalusian people, including the Gypsies, who were socially and economically marginalized for centuries, channeled their emotional frustrations into the proud, passionate dance style known as flamenco.

Source: https://www.arhu.umd.edu

Dance Is A Physical Manifestation Of Culture

A great deal of a culture’s history and traditions is encapsulated in their dances. The movements they use and the music are meant to tell a story to the rest of the world – a story about their beliefs, the environment, their economy, or even their social values.
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A Million Stories Told Through Dance

Dancers from every culture use their bodies to paint a picture. They showcase their heritage through their movements.
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West African dances, for example, are usually performed barefoot, with bent knees and a forward-inclined torso. That body language is meant to tell us their culture has a strong connection with earth and nature.
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Indian folk dances tend to be simple and are meant to express joy, while Indian classical dances are usually done as a form of meditation and worship. Samba is thought to have gotten its name from the Kimbundu term “semba,” which means “invitation to dance,” and it also refers to the dance parties that slaves and former slaves had in certain rural areas of Rio.

Enrich Your Cultural Knowledge At Bella Diva Dance

We’re a Denver-based world dance company that strives to bring culturally authentic forms of dance to share with Denver community. We provide unique performance opportunities for our students while they learn of the wonderful cultural richness of different parts of the world where these dances emerged. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to visit another culture through dance.