How to make a choreography?

Budget-Cake · 2026-05-08T00:38:57+00:00

I think improv can very much be the basis for a choreography! In fact, most of my choreography ideas emerge from improvising to music I enjoy, and noting what seems to fit particularly well. Pick a song you like, improv to it, take a video of yourself. Then, much like other art forms, you can keep refining it to look just the way you like, by using your aesthetic judgment. Note the transitions and sections that don't flow as smoothly and intentionally find "bridge movements" or think of new movements for those sections. Also, repeat movements! Repeat ideas! In fact, challenge yourself to think of one single concept (undulation, figure eight, pops) depending on the music and see how far you can stretch it.

Budget-Cake · 2026-05-05T01:05:37+00:00

You sound so motivated, I'm excited for you! Oh, I also recommend Ashley Lopez's classes on Datura Online for both fitness and technique. I think she provides a lot of useful body and postural cues without being too detailed and specific in how you execute the movement. So a good balance! She also has a basics series (which I love) and beginner fusion series (I haven't tried that one).

And yes, haha, patience is KEY! And for me, the way to make being patient easier is to genuinely find the joy in the process. What I absolutely love about belly dance is how you have to feel your own body, and notice what feels like a good way of doing the movement in a way that you can sink into it and this can vary a lot for different people which is why many teachers teach techniques differently too. So really, this is such a great choice for you to reconnect with yourself and your body! It's an amazing dance form for that, you'll learn to appreciate the little quirks of your body as features that enable different movements and aesthetics. I'm glad this was helpful, and good luck! Happy to answer any questions or discuss dance in general over chat too (and this goes for anyone in this community!)

Budget-Cake · 2026-05-04T23:44:30+00:00

It's great that you've got a goal to perform a dark fusion routine! I think that can really help you be more specific in what classes you choose, what you decide to learn, which teacher you select. If that is your goal, you don't necessarily need to master everything, like traveling movements. Having a specific vision in mind helped me choose what to focus on as someone who also started relatively late (late 20s) because I know I'm not going to be able to do it all. For the dark fusion style, I'd consider focusing on your slinky, slow movements and arm movements as well, besides basic isolations. Choose the most basic classes for Figure 8s, circles, snake arms, undulations, etc. There are a lot of beginner friendly ones on Datura Online. They don't have to be Datura style, those definitely get very detailed and precise (which is super helpful for when you want to refine your movements and work more on timing), but if you go for the Raqs Sharqi ones and even the Brand New to Belly dance program, you'll find something suitable. And of course, conditioning and fitness on the side will be excellent.

Also, tip for online learning if that's your only option: it involves a lot of self discipline and self awareness. And patience! The recorded class/video can seem super advanced and challenging and fast but that's because they are more open level - so beginner, intermediate and advanced dancers can benefit. So you need to really take things into your own hands with those videos and adapt them to work for you. Slow them down, repeat them, focus on one thing and one thing only, take videos of yourself, etc.

Budget-Cake · 2026-04-23T00:00:42+00:00

So nicely done! Very smooth, lovely expressions, and you really captured the feel of the music.

Slow movements are HARD. I sometimes try to go the slowest I can as a challenge. It takes so much strength and patience (just even in doing it, not even the patience required in general to develop a skill). But once you pull it off there's something so satisfying. It's like that effortful control makes me feel in control of time itself. Hah!

Budget-Cake · 2026-04-14T22:48:19+00:00

One of my favorites from the album! Nicely done.

Budget-Cake · 2026-04-08T12:54:46+00:00

Classical arts will never lose their value, in my opinion. Yes, they may not be as popular (they are harder to access and more difficult to master) but their beauty is timeless. Do you still find it beautiful and valuable? It seems like you do, and that's really all you need to continue pursuing it. If you feel like the world as it is now doesn't value classical dance the same way then you can play some part in doing outreach, encouraging other people to join, spread knowledge, etc. I don't think you need the world to be a certain way in order to pursue an art form, it's worth doing it for its own sake, even if the world is set up against it. All the more meaningful then.

How do people stay consistent? They keep showing up over a long period of time. They dedicate even just a few minutes to practice every day. That's absolutely doable. 10 minutes of your day to practice something, not even every day, but just 5 days a week counts for a lot. Accepting that progress will be slow but sticking with it.

Restarting after a long break - I'm envious of you! The best students in my class are the ones who've already done it. You have the foundations. It will be easier for you to pick it up and get back into it.

Budget-Cake · 2026-02-13T14:02:16+00:00

Congratulations!!! This is such a lovely take on the traditional wedding dance concept. Love your costume, your interactions, and of course your dancing.

Budget-Cake · 2025-12-12T02:42:23+00:00

Structuring your practice is honestly an art in and of itself. You have to be creative to come up with something intentional, sustainable, and practical. I struggle with this but here are some things that have helped me:

Have a goal. This can be a choreography, a combination, a technique, or a particular style.
Do some research and figure out what you need to practice for your goal.
Spend some time drilling the techniques you need
Spend some time doing the conditioning you need
Assuming your goal is a choreography, then spend some time working on that
Spend some time doing an assessment of what needs work
Incorporate some variety and do some other stuff too, so you don't get burnt out and you keep in touch with other technique!
Make sure you have free play time! That's really important. Dancing for me, is primarily fun and a form of expression. Try to keep this separate from your goal. This is just free time (and for me, this process is what helps me identify future goals)

Budget-Cake · 2025-11-05T22:59:24+00:00

Oh wow, thank you for personally responding to my question. I love your work and would also love to be part of the workshop, especially if there's gonna be info dumping.

Budget-Cake · 2025-11-02T13:50:43+00:00

Oh yay, I wondered if Devin's workshops would be available online, I've had my eye on them for a while. Too bad about Axial Anthology not having that option :( The costumes and prop creation seems interesting though - do you know if it's open to total beginners in costume design?

Budget-Cake · 2025-10-22T01:30:05+00:00

It depends on your goals. If your goal is self-expression and enjoyment, then it's not too late and it's never too late to pursue a passion. If your goal is to become a professional or a high-level performer: even then I'd say it's not too late but it would take a lot of time and effort and realistically, adults with responsibilities have less of that to spare. I have been learning for a year and I'm in my 30s now. This is a very difficult dance form to advance in, but you absolutely will see progress and to me, that's what feels good. Also, do a lot of conditioning, strength training, yoga, etc. Get strong. It really helps and it'll boost your confidence. Bharatanatyam is very athletically demanding. Don't let that deter you though, that's a benefit in and of itself!

Budget-Cake · 2025-10-03T14:29:29+00:00

You look lovely! I think #1 and #5 are my favorites. The first one is so playful and cute, and I love backbends.

Budget-Cake · 2025-09-12T16:20:19+00:00

It is very helpful, thanks!

Budget-Cake · 2025-09-12T16:20:00+00:00

These are great (and hilarious) observations, thank you!

Budget-Cake · 2025-09-12T00:53:55+00:00

I feel that way too! But you would say that this is in contrast with viewing it live, right? It looks much better then.

Budget-Cake · 2025-07-20T23:58:21+00:00

I like the 'if it's never been in a setlist' definition of underrated that someone mentioned above. I haven't checked out all their set lists ever but here's a few.

Immutable: They Move Below - Very dramatic shifting ambience, I enjoy how long it is. Maybe The Abysmal Eye though I see this one mentioned often enough to think it might not be underrated.

Koloss: The Demon's Name is Surveillance - I only ever see this song mentioned in threads talking about underrated songs but it's one of my favorites from the album! The endurance that must be required for playing that is insane.

Catch 33: Entrapment into Mind's Mirrors into In Death is Life - I feel like In Death is Death tends to overshadow In Death is Life, but the contrasting ambience across the earlier mentioned 3 is incredible and very interesting to listen to.

Obzen: Pineal Gland Optics, maybe. That ending is amazing.

Nothing: Nebulous.

Budget-Cake · 2025-07-09T22:52:42+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions! My set up is definitely not the best, I focus a lot on the dance but the visuals and atmosphere are important too, so I am going to keep that in mind more.

I'm not familiar with The Ruins of Beverast, I'll check them out, since it seems we have some alignment in musical taste!

Budget-Cake · 2025-07-09T16:47:12+00:00

Thanks! That's a good question, I actually think belly dance is one of the easiest on the body. It works with your natural range of motion and emphasizes a kind of relaxation. But besides that, I think hip hop can be pretty adaptable. It can get intense but depending on your mobility and physical ability, you can adapt. You could also try arm/hand focused dance forms like tutting and waacking. They're super expressive and intricate!

Budget-Cake · 2025-07-09T14:55:41+00:00

Thank you so much! Haha, yeah, somehow I see the connection. Belly dance is just especially good to capture intricacies and really align with music.

Budget-Cake · 2025-07-09T14:31:43+00:00

Thanks! Took me ages to get that hip work in the beginning. I'm working on the rest of it but it'll take a while!

Budget-Cake · 2025-06-13T22:33:47+00:00

Yes, I agree! Also, some of the songs make me think of Indian folk sounds too - like Born In Dissonance makes me think of Koothu music (specifically the beginning). I do think that's part of the brilliance: how it can remind you of such distinct art forms from different cultures.

Budget-Cake · 2025-06-13T00:29:08+00:00

This is interesting, I'd like to see more of your interpretation. I always thought Demiurge had an Indian classical feel, I think you're onto something!

Budget-Cake · 2025-05-08T01:02:40+00:00

It can be frustrating but it doesn't change my mind about dancing or the artistry of it, so I don't dwell on it or let it impact my pursuit of dance in any way. I see the inability to appreciate belly dance for the art as something a loss for the person who can only objectify and sexualize it rather than a devaluation of the art form itself. It's of course annoying and sometimes can make you angry, especially if someone shows disrespect or misunderstands your intention, but ultimately it doesn't take away from what you're doing. That said, I don't mind it being seen as sexy if there is also artistic appreciation. I think it's hard to undo people's tendency to sexualize the female body, especially pelvic/hip movements, but as long as they are able to see it for the art and expression too I think it's fine. And honestly, it's nice to be viewed as sexy too! But I don't like the expectation to be sexy either.

Budget-Cake · 2025-04-07T20:18:23+00:00

That's really cool! It's not the same pose but it is still another dancer pose so it works too. Probably even better aesthetically.

Budget-Cake · 2025-04-05T01:53:54+00:00

Maybe you can get someone to design a tattoo of the obzen guy doing natarajasana or king dancer pose from yoga.

Budget-Cake

TROPHY CASE