It's the next chapter in the World Dance New York's Movement Catalog Series. ** THE MOVEMENT CATALOG SERIES: An encyclopedia of bellydance moves. Not a dance instruction DVD. Titles in the MOVEMENT CATALOG SERIES offer a reference source for use by choreographers. **
While bellydance is known primarily for isolations of the hips and upper body, solid footwork technique is essential for travel moves and turns, and to maintain a clean body line and ensure that transitions flow confidently and with grace and ease. Travel Steps, a Movement Catalog presentation, guides you through footwork as both a foundation and a finishing detail, illustrating how elements combine to transform weight changes into full lush bellydance movements.
The Movement Catalog series is not dance instruction: Each volume is an open-level resource for an entire system of particular moves - not just the few select steps that can be offered in a class or an instructional video. Organized in dictionary format, the program provides demonstrations of individual dance elements. Look up a particular move you’d like to see, or watch from start to finish to see not only movements, but how they evolve. The Movement Catalog will inspire you with new ideas and material for dance practice and performance.
Start at the absolute beginning with sections on terminology, concepts, and foundation positions and movements, or go straight to the extensive collection of layered variations. The foundation vocabulary presented in Travel Steps underlies movements in every genre of bellydance. To see style variations, jump to Combinations. Here you'll find examples of footwork styled for modern Egyptian Oriental dance and Reda-style Egyptian theatrical folkloric; American cabaret, with combinations for upbeat Turkish-American dancing and for veil; and contemporary belly dance, in lyrical and tribal fusion styles. A special section also shows vocabulary for Saidi dance.
Packed with information and inspiration to take your dancing to the next level, Travel Steps will both expand your dance vocabulary and strengthen it. Starting with the most basic timing units of ‘step’ and ‘hold,’ Travel Steps leads you through ball-change, step-ball-change, and other sequence variations that create traveling and time marking patterns. Layered variations include the nuances of accents and counter-twists; traditional hipwork and upper body isolations; and movements for the feet and legs—pivots, hops, heel lifts, knee lifts, arabesques and other leg extensions—danced with grounded bellydance technique that keeps a strong connection to the floor.
To go still deeper, download the Travel Steps Study Guide available at autumnward.com. This free companion booklet features detailed breakdowns, style pointers, lesson plans, and lecture notes.
