Happy Holi, the Spring Festival of Colors
Happy Holi, the Spring Festival of Colors Also known as the Festival of Love, the Festival of Colors, and the Festival of Spring, Holi is...
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231-313-5577
Amira Hamzar's School of Rak
"Rak'n Lives, One Step At A Time"
Celebrating 21 Years of Belly Dance!
Award-Winning & Certified
Professional Global Dance Instructor
Based in Northwestern Lower Michigan
African, Belly Dance, Cheer, Bollywood, Burlesque, Hip-Hop, & Hula
amirahamzar
- Feb 3
- 2 min
The Empress Tarot Card: The understanding of Wisdom, the Wisdom of understanding
For the 2023 Tarot-themed show, I chose the Empress card for my solo piece. Here is a little background regarding the card. Key Points:...
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amirahamzar
- Feb 2
- 5 min
You Cane Do It! What You Need to Know About Belly Dancing with a Stick.
The typical westerner would probably associate dancing with a cane with Jazz or some other modern dance style, but did you know that...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 31
- 2 min
The Meaning Behind the Three of Wands Tarot Card Routine
My student dance troupe, Ragnar Rak, has a routine in the upcoming online Tarot-themed showcase. For this show, we chose the Three of...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 13
- 2 min
Why You Should Learn to Play the Finger Cymbals
An important part of Middle Eastern Dance, Finger Cymbals are four small metal discs played by Belly Dancers worn "on each thumb and...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 13
- 2 min
Say What? How to Speak Drum in Plain Language For Better Finger Cymbal Playing
When I teach Finger Cymbals, I will alternate how I call out the rhythms: "by the numbers," right-and-left, or using the Middle Eastern...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 13
- 4 min
What's That Sound? How To Make Different Tones with Your Finger Cymbals
"When you first start out, it’s best to use just the basic sound, but as you advance, you can add different sounds." Choosing from the...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 12
- 2 min
Count On It: How to Count While Dancing
Most of my students are not what I call "counters." Instead, they are more intuitive when responding to music. However, it is valuable to...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 12
- 2 min
How to Find the Perfect Set of Finger Cymbals
"If you would like to try symbols, experiment to see which kinds work best for you. You should be comfortable using them. Symbols should...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 10
- 2 min
How to Add Elastic to Your Finger Cymbals
How to Add Elastic to Your Finger Cymbals Now that you have your set of Finger Cymbals, it's time to add the elastic so you can start...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 9
- 2 min
The Divine Evolution of Finger Cymbals
Turkish: Zills, Sil-Sil Arabic: Sagat, Sunouj Persian: Zang East Indian: Manjira or Manzira Farsi: Salasih The cymbal was an ancient...
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amirahamzar
- Dec 13, 2022
- 2 min
Evolution of Belly Dance: Mata Hari the "Femme Fatale"
Evolution of Belly Dance: Mata Hari the "Femme Fatale" Born in the Netherlands in 1876 as Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, the infamous...
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amirahamzar
- Oct 16, 2022
- 1 min
Tools For Emotional Wellness
October is Emotional Wellness Month. Mental or emotional health is absolutely vital to our overall wellness. Stress comes at us from all...
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amirahamzar
- Oct 10, 2022
- 2 min
Belly Dance Can Help Bladder Leaks
Belly Dance To Help Bladder Leaks The abdominal movements from Belly Dance strengthen the "core muscles," which are the muscles of the...
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amirahamzar
- Oct 3, 2022
- 2 min
The Music Behind Our Dance Part Two: Instruments
By Amira Hamzar (Originally published in Shimmy Magazine in 2010) Percussion instruments include: Dumbek: sometimes called a Tabla or...
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amirahamzar
- Sep 13, 2022
- 2 min
Happy National Cheerleading Day!
What Being a Cheerleader Brings to my Dance Teaching Today In honor of National Cheerleading Day, I wanted to share with you how Cheer...
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amirahamzar
- Sep 2, 2022
- 3 min
Amira’s Bellydance Journey: The Best Dollar I Ever Spent
After being in an abusive relationship for nine years, I was divorcing my husband. At this time, I joined a book club. This club let you...
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amirahamzar
- Sep 2, 2022
- 2 min
About Indian Dance: Bollywood
By Amira Hamzar © Amira Hamzar 2020 The term Bollywood refers to the booming Indian cinema industry. Bombay, the epicenter of the Indian...
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amirahamzar
- Sep 2, 2022
- 1 min
About Indian Dance: Masala Bhangra
About Indian Dance: Masala Bhangra By Amira Hamzar © Amira Hamzar 2020 Originally performed by men in the 14th century, Masala Bhangra is...
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amirahamzar
- Sep 2, 2022
- 4 min
Short History of Belly Dance
About Bellydance (Middle Eastern Dance) by Amira Hamzar Copyrite 2019 Middle Eastern Dance, better known as Bellydance, is an ancient...
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