Workshop with Sadie

A short review of the Drum Solo choreography workshop with Sadie during the Oriental Pearl Bellydance Festival.

Sadie is definitely one of the most challenging belly dancers in the world, especialy when it comes to a drum solo choreography. The Oriental Pearl Festival 2013 in Akko (Israel) included 3 workshops with Sadie. I have been lucky to attend one of them where Sadie was teaching the Drum Solo choreography that she performed with at the festival's Gala Show a night before.

Despite the exhaustion after the intensive first day, full of workshops, shows and an energetic night Hafla party, dancers of all kinds and ages were crowding the class at 10 AM  trying to get the front line (I must say that during the workshop Sadie insisted to swich the lines from time to time so everyone can see).

Warming up

Every professional belly dancer has his own, sometimes unique, way to warm up before the workout. With Sadie I have discovered a very unusual way of stretching – upside down. We have found ourselves leaning on our hands and one leg against the floor while another leg is high above, straight or folding. Remaining in this pose we were changing the position of the upper body, combating the gravity, lengthening the front torso, stretching the back and improving flexibility.

Learning the choreography

As I expected, it was tough! Sadie explained the moves very clearly and answered all the questions. She also referred to the rhythm and how the choreography relates to the music, what makes it interesting for the audience, how the positions and the arms may affect the general impression that the dancer creates, etc.

Sometimes Sadie gave us a similar simple movement to practice before the final one used in the choreography. There were many repetitions, first slowly without the music, and then fast. And yes, sometimes "fast" turned into a synonym of "imposible" for us.