Ok, well here goes for a two week update!

My internet was down for almost a week, so I never got to post what we had covered last week and now I need to do this week as well.


In Beginner, in the last two weeks we have learned:

Unweighted hip twist
Unweighted hip lift – aka Choochoo in group improv – cue is arm position – L arms to front
Unweighted hip drop
Hip Bump
Double lift hip walk
¾ shimmy (ghawazee in group improv)
Basic Egyptian – group improv and cabaret versions
Hip Bumps moving to side
Chassez/step ball change
Unweighted bicycle hip circles

We have also practicing the lead and follow of group improv using choochoo, basic Egyptian and ghawazee all of which can turn in a personal circle and travel forward and backward.

As requested the pattern for the ¾ shimmy on the up is:
Hip lift with the step on 1
Hip drop on 2
Hip lift on 3
Hold on 4

All of which happens during a single beat of music.



Also, as requested, the song we will be using for Shimmy Spectacular on October 23rd is Masmoudi Kebir 3 Dums by Guy Schalom from the Album Tabla Tastic!

And the final request, Masmoudi is written like this, with the D representing Dums, the T representing Teks and the K representing kas

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+-
D---D---____T---D---____T---T---
D---D---tktkT-tkD-tktkt-TktkT-tk
D---D---D---T---D---____T---T---


In Intermediate, in the last two weeks we have learned:
Tummy flutter
Hip Drop pivot turn
Drop kick pivot turn
Hip lift pivot turn
Hip twist pivot turn
Belly rolls
Ghoush w/ ¾ shimmy
Man’s step
Siadi Hop
Horsie step 1 (pawing the ground)
Horsie step 2 (knees bending heel striking the ground)
Group Improv combo Basic E hip twists
Group improv combo Abeda Deveka
Egyptian Shimmy
How to hold the cane
Forward swing dominant hand
Backward swing dominant hand
Forward swing non-dominant hand
Backward swing non-dominant hand
Twirling cane over head dominant hand
Twirling cane overhead non-dominant hand
Twirling cane figure 8 dominant hand
Twirling cane figure 8 non-dominant hand

And we have also started learning the cane choreography

In Advanced we have been concentrating on the Drum Solo choreography with conditioning exercises and a few new shimmies thrown in for spice.