1.27.14
2 hours of class with Sarah Jezebel Wood

1st hour
warm-up:10 min
drills 3 min each
squares
umis
hip slides
mayas
taqsims
tummy undulation u2d
tummy undulation d2u
cooldown-5 min

2nd hour
choreo review
(no warm -up, everyone started warm from 1st class)
45 minutes reviewing combos from choreo
10 min learning formation
5 hours

1.29.14
5 min warm-up
3 min each of
down hip
up hip
double down
3/4 on the up
10 min cool down

1.30.14
2 hr rehearsal
Notes: all this rehearsing has left me feeling way less anxious than usual about tomorrows performance. Elmer says "Maybe you should be anxious about not being anxious!" Feh.
cool down at home: Neck and Shoulder practice from YFW

1.31.14
10 min zil drills 3-3-3; 3-3-7; 3-3-5; and 3-1-3-1-3
Hip Work and Level Changes from DO
15 min warm up
down ip review
up hip review
combo: many times!
did the fast one a few times with a smaller level change

I really like this video, I have found down and up hip practice tedious and frustrating--I feel like I've plateaued in skill level, and keep hoping for a breakthorough. My hipwork remains okay.


Notes on past month:
Keeping track of practice hit a button I didn't know I had. I feel guilty when I'm not practicing and anxious while I'm practicing. Trying to practice self-care, and will hopefully be setting up practice times with friends next month so I am less anxious. I believe that this is all good for me--that uncomfortable feeling is growth.

1/23/14
pinball#2 daily dose with RB
8min warm up
1 min down hip
1 min up hip
1 min 3/4 on the up
1 min 3/4 on the down
1 min chest circle while travelling
10 min drill pinball#2
3 min cooldown

2 hours rehearsal
drilling a Bevin combo for Circus Wheel
touch left (arms up)
touch right (arms down)
1/2 egyptian
crossover turn over left
chest lift x2

+marks for song.

1/25/14
pinball#2 daily dose with RB
8min warm up
1 min down hip
1 min up hip
1 min 3/4 on the up
1 min 3/4 on the down
1 min chest circle while travelling
10 min drill pinball#2
3 min cooldown

30 min reviewing choreo for Egypt Trip, Circus Wheel, and Cherambe

1/26/14
3 hours rehearsal
practicing the whole show with the live musicians and costume changes

Notes:
All this rehearsing with folks whose company I enjoy puts me in a productive, happy way. December was a tough month for me, and jumping back into the thick of it was a bit painful, but I'm happy to be rehearsing all the time. Already setting up projects and practice times for after this Saturday. Community is the best.

1/22/13
10 min warm up--gentle arm movements, hip circles, forward bends
10 min shimmy drill
5 min hip work on up
5 min hipwork on down
5 min umi practice from Sarah's class
10 min improv practice
10 min cool down--cat cow, forward bends, bridge

Notes: working with hips a lot. I spent the first 3 years as a bellydance student obsessed with armwork and getting them to look scary and gooey and tribal. I am closer to the arms I want, but my hips got neglected along the way. On the agenda, side bends to stretch hips out (lunge, forward fold, hands in prayer position and twist)

1/20/2013
2 hrs of class with Sarah Jezebel Wood!
1st class
10min warm up
15 min drills slow hip squares x4, quick hip squaresx2, then 2 umis
5min drill tucking lower belly while stepping forward (lower belly on r foot)
5 min drill tucking lower belly while stepping forward (lower belly on left foot)
10min drill belly undulation down to up, then up to down while walking forward and backward
5 min one legged 4/4 shimmy drills
10 min down up/up hip alternating drill travelling
10 min  drill
10 min cool down

2nd hour
20 min warm up
15 min drill combo: 3/4 shimmy on up, 3/4 shimmy on down hip for 2, pivot bump forward for 4, (coin drop hip on right side (forward, back forward, back) (coin drop hip on right side (forward, back forward, back)
20min drilling horizontal figure 8s front to back and back to front, with accompanying mardi arms (pushing and pulling)
20 min drilling combo with "cascading" (canon groups)
belly up to down with arms hips da da da
head shoulder hips (3), head chest hips
10 min cooldown

Notes:
Sarah has great hip drills that challenge me, but not so much that I get frustrated. Also her choreos are bomb as hell. <3

1/12 rehearsal

1/13 1 hr class with bevin
maya/ taxsim drill
snake arms

1/14
5 min shimmy drill
5 min ups
5 min downs
10 min improv practice
sacrum practice from yfw

1/15
2hr rehearsal w/ Aria
choreo, spins

1/16
rehearsal w/ Bevin

1/18
10min warm up
10 min zill
5 min double downs
5 min snake arms
5 min ups
5 min 3/4 shimmy on down
2 min shimmy
20 min reviewing choreo for tomorrow
cooldown practice for neck and shoulders from yfw

1/19
2 hour rehearsal with Bevin (20min warm up/stretching)
10min warmup at home (chest circles, neck stretches, folding over),
10 min shimmy practice -- 1/2 "lazy" oblique shimmies and 1/2 knee shimmy
5 min up hip drill
10 min choreo review for Charambe (combo consisting of sidewinder, mayas and taqseems)
cooldown: forward bending practice from YFW

Notes:
Throwing in improv practice and zill drills really helps my mood and motivation. Also I made a threee song shimmy drill playlist that really helps. Next week: layering abdominal undulations and getting started on refreshing ATS.

1/5
2 hrs of rehearsal--hipwork on the down, turns, level changes
15 min of zil practice (usual 4 patterns)

1/6
1 hr--class with Sarah Jezebel Wood
drills: mayas (10min), taxsims(10min), slow relaxed shimmies(10min)

1/8
15 min of zill practice
1.5 hrs RB's Slow and Sinous Phrases practice
cool-down-forward bed practice from YFW

1/9
rehearsal 2 hrs

1/11
5 min shimmy warm-up/5min hip circle drill
5min hips on up
5min hips on down
3min double downs
3min
3/4 shimmy on the up
10min improv practice
15min choreo review for rehearsal tomorrow
25min cool down-extension practice

Notes:
Tough week--winter has got me down! Regular practice helps, I am going to attempt more yoga practices. Improv is still delicious and my comfort zone--glad for it. Saturday practice was basically daily dose with a great big helping of improv for fun. So necessary.

Next week: more zilwork and starting ATS review

Okay! Back in the saddle after the holidays, plus playing catch-up with entries.

12/18

15min warmup
1.5 hours of floorwork with Zabel--lots of sitty core stuff, spins on the floor (butt, not knee), some improv
15 min cooldown

12/20
1 hour of Zoe Jakes floor drills (up through the 3/4 shimmy drill)- so 4/4 hip practice with arms, one-legged figure 8s
15 min cooldown--rando Yoga from YFW

12/22
2 hours rehearsal with Urban Nomad. Mostly staging stuff and drilling a little choreo bit.

....holidays....

12/31
2 hours of class with Sarah Jezebel Wood--arm drills, grapevine layering with umis, hipwork drills

1/1
15 min warmup
RB's Sinous and Smoky Phrases
25min reviewing choreo
10min cooldown

1/3
entire flow drills with Zoe Jakes on DO
15 zill practice 3-3-3; 3-3-7 (longa); 3-5-5(military; 1-2-3-1-1-2-3-1-1-2-3(beledi)
25 min cooldown --extension practice from YFW

Notes:
Lots of catching up to do on stamina, choreo remains tough, clacking on the 1 in the beledi zil pattern is fun.