This couldn't have been an easy instructional video to conceptualize. The number of videos that take up slow moves or taqsim or moves to the chiftitelli rhythm, can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Quite obviously none of them does a thorough job because everyone still keeps talking of wanting a taqsim instructional.
Another reason this will have been a difficult one to do is because everyone has very different expectations. Some just want the basic moves set to pretty, slow combinations or choreographies. Some want lots of sensual moves and tricks for use with slow chiftitelli. And some want pointers on how to improvise to taqsim, which loosely means improvised music segment here.
So, where does Sadie's Slow and Sultry fit in? It mostly fits in to give dancers a deeper understanding of what to do with the chiftitelli rhythm. And in that process, it gives you a whole technique as well as a small but rich repertoire of moves.
Sadie begins with an explanation and demonstration of the rhythm – both fast and slow, along with the accents to listen for. Then it's straight on to technique. There's no formal warm up on this video, but the moves in the first technique section could act as one.
There are 5 technique sections here and each of them has an accompanying combination to put the technique into action. In each of these technique sections, Sadie takes up some different aspect of dancing to chifti. That's really one of the most unique things about this video. It's these explorations that will also help push you in the direction of improvising to slow music.
We begin with snake arms. Here they're done with the rib cage moving freely with the arms, making it look smoother. Sadie also takes up a torso wave and torso sweep to loosen you up. Absolute beginners must watch out with this move though. If you haven't warmed up otherwise and unaccustomed to using these muscles, you could end up hurting something. We go on to some moves like undulations and other rib cage moves that experienced beginners up will know well, but this is still a good way to align with the way Sadie will do them here. Each collection of moves is speeded up and done to the music. There are also some breathing exercises and stomach basics. You also go through the basic all-directions moves of the hips and also circles, eights and mayas. This really big technique section opens it up to beginners.
Technique gives way to the first combination and it's the one that beginners can attempt most easily as it's the simplest one on this video. Made up of snake arms, undulations, hip circles and omis, mayas and eights, the combo is a nice one to begin a chifti piece with. The pace of instruction is really comfortable and very natural with everything that needs some breaking down being addressed and shown from different angles. It's finally practiced to music several times. This particular combo has become instantly ingrained for me and I use it or parts of it quite happily.
The second technique section takes up varying movement speed and accenting the rhythm. The movements used here are the more difficult ones though – pelvic rolls and controlled small undulations, interior hip circles, one-hip circles, and stomach pops. There are also some optional level changes and you also see how to use the demi point. Chest figure eights are brought in. Sadie shows you how to both dance the melody and dance the rhythm. This combination isn't that easy because it features moves in a controlled and slightly layered manner.
Angles, poses, eyes and where too look – that's the focus of the next technique section which takes up more demi point poses, body line and extension tips, and we also take up arabesques and the chiftitelli walk. The combination that goes with this section is very graceful and again, one that I really love doing – and it is doable, not Sadie-difficult. This combo is also possible with a veil. She also shows you easy ways to drop to the floor, though there's no floorwork taken up here, only graceful but to-the-floor level changes.
Technique 4 is all about accents. This is a very useful section because you can take away this learning and use it with many different movements. The moves here have more subtlety because they draw on small precise accents to add richness and texture. The difficulty level for this one is a bit higher. You could be combining a pelvic drop with a stomach pop, for instance, or tiny accents to the maya.
Technique 5 goes on to work with the faster 4x4 chiftitelli. Sadie show you here how to translate some of the moves learnt so far to faster rhythm. But then she goes on to take up moves that were inspired by the faster rhythm to begin with. This includes a fast chifti walk layered with eights. Alternating back chasse, and some hip work on top of that. This combination too is doable and nowhere near the difficulty level of her drum solo, even though it's a fast rhythm.
I've grown to love this video as I work with it – unhurriedly. I normally have a huge quarrel with IAMED for pricing their videos so high, but this one is every bit worth it. It's one of those videos that makes a difference fast and permanently.
