Here at the Ginger City, we love to shimmy!
This Shimmy Clinic program includes exercises I've taught around the world, inspired by famous Egyptian dancers I've worked with (especially Fifi Abdou and Mona el Said) and well as experiences learning to shimmy from a folklore approach (first taught to me by master teacher Yousry Sharif in the mid-1990s) vs. an old-school awalem approach (that the wonderful Nelly Fouad shared with me in 2016).
In this short, practical on-demand program, I go over shimmy mechanics: including warmup, stretching, and technique practice.
We focus on shimmies using legs and hips:
the "old-school" hip and lower-back-generated shimmy as well as the more modern leg/knee generated shimmy.
I also show you how to practice in a "weird" way that enables you to work your shimmy in different positions for standing and traveling. And how to support your body well using quad and hamstring muscles.
...so you can SHAKE IT....
but not BREAK IT! 
Get your *lifetime* access now, for shimmy inspiration that will take your shimmy to the next level and beyond.
"With her fun inspiring personality, Ranya has a gift for breaking down even the seemingly simple moves to bring your awareness to muscles that you may not have considered using. The results are more luscious, and controlled movements, like Ranya's. If you teach, this programming is a plus. It will get you in touch with how to break down moves and add muscle activation explanations."
"I have worked with Ranya live at a festival, via her DVDs, through her first Baladi Salon series and through the Ginger City Community membership. I have learnt a great deal from her analysis and movement breakdown. Ranya’s material is informative and inspirational. Her studies in yoga, Pilates and neuropsychology enhance her gift for teaching in an approachable way.
Ranya’s depth of knowledge of Egyptian dance and baladi, in particular, is unparalleled. She brings to teaching her experience performing internationally, her research and work with key Egyptian artists such as Mona Said, Nelly Fouad and Nany and musicians such as Nabawy, who played in Samia Gamal’s band and for Fifi Abdou. I highly recommend working with Ranya. She has a lot to offer as a teacher and mentor; not only is Ranya incredibly knowledgeable, she is warm, open and great fun."
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This is my online video training on breathing well with different sections of the Egyptian baladi -- including the fast part where you can apply your shimmy!
You'll get LIFETIME ACCESS on the Ginger City members’ website.
Dance-along practice drills and demonstrations/explanations of how to breathe for different rhythms so you can stay calm, oxygenated, and comfortable through your baladi, for more natural feeling, facial expression and presence. It also addresses the transition from introverted to extroverted over the course of a baladi progression, where the speed of the music gradually increases.
The material in this compact 42-minute program applies not just to baladi, but to all your Egyptian dance breathing needs! Rhythm- and tempo-based, it's applicable to other dance styles too. Breathing the right way can help you stay calm even while using your abdominal muscles and doing faster steps. You can't hear how the famous Egyptian dancers are breathing on their YouTube videos, but they are breathing, and they look relaxed even while doing complicated movements. This short program puts you on that path too.
