The practice has 5 parts:

- Gentle stretching to relax and prepare the body for movement.

- Dance movement preparation to strengthen the legs.

- An intense shoulder series with both strengthening and stretching segments to prepare for serpentine arm movements.

- Carriage and arm undulations and pathways. A short combination to illustrate the use of arms in dance and with torso movement and layering.

- Finishing poses to relax the spine and prepare you to re-enter your day.

This DVD features "Best of" performances from the most famous Tribal Bellydancers in the world including:

Rachel Brice,

Sharon Kihara,

Zoe Jakes,

Kami Liddle,

Fat Chance Bellydance,

Moria Chappell,

Mardi Love,

Sabrina Fox,

Elizabeth Strong,

Urban Tribal and Samantha.

Bonus Features include over 90 minutes of interview footage with:

Zoe Jakes,

Carolena Nerricio,

Kami Liddle,

Moria Chappell,

Sabrina Fox and Miles Copeland.

Kajira Djoumahna's BlackSheep BellyDance Format Level 1 for American Tribal Style Bellydance with cymbals and cues.

Essential for beginning dancers, to dancers familiar with other styles but who are new to American Tribal Style Bellydance, as well as aspiring new BlackSheep BellyDance Form

You Will Learn:

The tradition and meanings of the gestures used in the ATS Class "Prayer", Pranam, Centering Exercise or Moving Meditation
Belly Rolls with cue
ATS Posture
Takseem & Maya
Basis Egyptian with half and full turns
Hip Bump, Pivot Bumps, Shark and Arc Turn
Ribcage Circles with cue for direction change and how the body turns
Level Changes
¾, or Walking, Shimmy, both Full Time and Half Time, with diagonals and not
Pestle and Variations
Arabic, also with 8-count arms
Torso Twist
Turkish with ¼ and ½ turns
Circle Step
Ghawazee with ¼ and ½ turns
Body Waves - 3 sizes

ALL FAST MOVES are taught WITH FINGER CYMBALS to match the count of the music and your steps. You will learn how to find "The One" (or downbeat) and how that applies to your cymbals and dance moves.

PLUS
Both Slow and Fast Transition Practice through all moves learned, so you can follow along at home and get the idea of how this synchronized group improvisational style of dance works, and how to move from one step to another.

Learn the first half of Kajira's Level 2 BlackSheep BellyDance Format for American Tribal Style Bellydance! Nothing on this DVD has been previously recorded. Other BlackSheep BellyDancers assist throughout so you can see how the steps look on a body type closer to your own.

Any moves or combos with specific cymbal patterns are taught with those patterns. It is assumed you know your basic patterns already and can't wait for more!
* All steps and combos are taught with their cues, so you can learn to lead and follow.
* Everything is in the same order as any of my L2 Certified Teachers and I would teach it personally. This order has been fine-tuned for about 15 years, for a reason: it makes it easier and faster to learn this way, which is always more fun, too!

* Brief Review of the Class Prayer/Pranam, or Centering Exercise
* Horizontal Figure 8s
* Black Widow: in place, while turning with any number of dancers in a circle, and our famous duet pass-by!
* Down, Down, Up, Up: ¼ turns both directions and with optional ¾ shimmy overlay
* FCBD Camel
* Dawn's Camel Variation
* Old-Style Camel Walk, with optional ¼ turns
* Najla's Camel Walk Variation, with optional ¼ turns
* One, One and RockRose Variation, both directions with diagonal ½ turns
* Arabic with a Twist, a.k.a. Arabic 3 (brief review). In place and with ½ turns, both sides.
* How to do ¾ Shimmy Overlays on Turkish and Arabic steps and the info needed for layering over any other moves you desire!
* Axl Rose, or Side-to-Side Undulations