#ozgen

[bellybollydance]

Ozgen

Hypnotic hips

[bellybollydance]

Ozgen   from Cyprus

well..I mean..his hands *_*

[metabellydance]

Feeling Hot with Tango & Spanish Workshops

When I heard that male belly dancer Ozgen (http://www.ozgen.co.uk) was going to be holding two workshops, one on Tango Fusion and the other on Spanish flair I knew I had to be there.

I have had the pleasure of attending previous workshops taught by him which include the Turkish Drum Solo, a Skirt workshop and a Fantasy Veil workshop.

(Myself and Ozgen at the Turkish Drum Solo Workshop 2012)

All have these have been very inspirational so I was excited to be learning two fusions I have always wanted to learn with a fantastic dancer and teacher.

So yesterday morning I got up early, put my hair in a bun including a flower clip, my bright red flared trousers and a black top and hip scarf and headed off to Rochester with anticipation. I love dressing up (hey I am a Belly Dancer after all) and I believe that to feel the part you need to dress the part so that's what I did.

The first two hour workshop was on the Tango Fusion. I haven't really done any Tango dancing so I was interested to learn what it entailed. The answer is earthy. The first interesting thing I learnt was the difference between walking in belly dance and walking in Tango. Instead of toe, heel it helps to do the reverse with a slight lean forward. I noticed a difference as soon as I tried it as it looked more dramatic. There were also a lot of quick head movements to the side to again add drama to some of the flicking moves. What I loved most about the Tango fusion was the fluidity and I found I picked it up pretty quick because of this. I could let my mind go and just trust my body to follow the music and flow.

After a break I will admit I was feeling tired and sore. I went bare footed for the first workshop as it was so hot but this ended up hurting my feet after two hours. I was also feeling it in my back although I didn’t feel we were doing any arches but others were a little sore in the back too.

Despite the discomfort I was still ready and raring for the second workshop. I had more of an idea about this dance since I discovered that it would be the same choreography as the one from a YouTube video I had recently been watching and wishing I could learn. Since this video was titled as Flamenco and the workshop was Spanish Flair I didn’t realise until the music started playing that it was the same one. So I was extra excited to learn this dance.

This workshop included stomping and clapping which added so much more power to belly dancing and I especially enjoyed when the music exploded with the Spanish feel. I think I even jumped and squealed after just due to the sheer enthusiasm and feeling I get from this type of music and dance.  

As a dancer who is quite small and sometimes quite introverted I loved the strength and power I got from both of these styles. Dance is a way for me to express my inner self that sometimes I have a hard job of doing in normal social situations. In my last blog post I spoke about losing my inspiration but I now feel invigorated and I shall be taking what I learnt from the two workshops and following through so I can feel that strength and pride again.

[metabellydance]

Inspiration Where Art Thou?

It happens in all professional dancers lives. You don't want to do the same old performances again and again but you are not sure how to get back your inspiration.

Lately this is how I have been feeling about my upcoming shows. I have about 3 performances to prepare for which are all just one song dances and I don't know what to perform . Two of the shows are outside which means that any dances with veils are out (since I learnt my lesson when trying to dance with a silk veil against the wind) and my next one is on grass which makes it hard to dance on.

When asking friends and researching about how to get back that exciting kick that Belly dance gives me here is the advice I recieved:

Go back to where your love of Belly Dance began so you are reminded of why you fell in love with it in the first place

Try other dance styles since they may help bring another aspect to your dancing

Watch great dancers on YouTube

Take an old dance and re work it into something new

Have a few days off from thinking about it so it can come to you naturally

I am going to try some of these tips and I shall be attending two exciting workshops this weekend with Ozgen learning some Spanish and Tango fusions. I love Spanish dances so I am hoping this shall be the thing to kick my inspiration back in gear.

[bellybollydance]

Ozgen   from Turkey

[dancingoracle]

Ozgen - Turkish Gypsy ( Romani )Dance-Improvisation (by oryantaloz)

Confidence is one of the sexiest traits a dancer can have.  Without it, even the most technically amazing dancer is uninteresting.

[michelle-deniz]

Kaleidoscope of Stars is a glittering festival in London featuring international Bellydance stars on 8th & 9th June. Competition, Gala Show, Bazaar & Workshops! Don't miss our special offer ending 28th May - book 2 workshops on 9th June & get FREE gala show ticket on 8th June! www.desertjasmin.com

[saraia]

Turkish Oryental and Turkish Romani workshops with Ozgen were amazing! This is Ozgen dancing Turkish Romani style to  the Roman Havasi song "Şukar Şukar" by Kardeş Türküler.