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Belly Dance Rhythms

Belly Dance Rhythms

5 hours of dance practice and music theory with dancer Iana Komarnytska and drummer Pedro Bonatto.

5 hours | 5 classes

Are you in that stage of your belly dance training where realize you need to learn more about the rhythms in Arabic music? Are you a bit confused about the difference between saidi and maksum, or unsure how to dance when a fast malfuf comes up in a song? Have you been telling yourself it’s time to finally learn belly dance rhythms but are not sure where to start?

In this online course, award-winning dancer Iana Komarnytska and drummer Pedro Bonatto take you on a journey exploring the most important belly dance rhythms with fun drills and step-by-step instructions to help you internalize the beats in Arabic music and take your dancing to a whole new level.


By the end of the course you will feel confident identifying and dancing to 21 popular belly dance rhythms, understanding their meaning and use in Arabic music, and feeling the beats in your body as soon as they come up.


When you sign up, you will have lifetime access to over 5 hours of training that you can download and watch on any device at any time you have time to practice.


This course was designed to improve your belly dance skills, and help you learn the most common rhythms at the same time, unlocking the next level of your belly dancing.

  • Over 5 hours of fun, step-by-step instructions

  • 21 belly dance rhythms covered

  • Drills designed to help you internalize rhythms

  • Cultural and historical references to help you take your belly dancing to the next level

  • Tips about the secret language between dancer and drummer

RHYTHMS INCLUDED IN THE CLASS

In this course you will get in-depth instructions and drills on some of the most used belly dance rhythms:

Maqsum, Masmudi Saghir, Saidi, Wahda, Malfuf, Fallahi, Ayyub, Sudani, Iskandarani, Khaliji, Samai, Zaffa, Karachi, Masmudi Kabir, Waltz, Bolero, Rumba, Foxtrot, Chiftetelli, Turkish Roma and Araq.

Get instant access to all courses at the Iana Dance Club and practice anytime, anywhere, at your own pace. As a member, you also have access to Technique Drills, Choreographies, Intensives and join a world-wide community of dancers.

Find out more about the Iana Dance Club HERE,
or click below to start your 7-day free trial today. 


* Courses are available for Full and VIP members.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

CLASS 1 - 47 MINS

The class is designed to introduce four major 4/4 belly dance rhythms, such as Maqsum, Masmudi Saghir, Saidi and Wahda, as well as basic theory about drum sounds and time signatures of the rhythms. Also, students will be showed differences between the basic structure of the rhythm and it's ornamented versions. The class finishes with a little demonstration of a drum solo performance.

CLASS 2 - 58 MIN

The class focuses on two groups of rhythms: intro/exit rhythms such as Malfuf, Fallahi and Ayyub, and Zar group of rhythms highlighting Ayyub and Sudani. This class also explains the common structure of the traditional Egyptian dance shows, purpose of intro/exit parts and it's influence of the use of rhythms, and meaning of Zar rituals. Also, students' attention is brought to the transitions between 2/4 and 4/4 rhythms, as well as differences between Malfuf and intro/exit version of Fallahi. At the end of the class Iana gives useful tips on how to memorize rhythms.

CLASS 3 - 65 MIN

In Class 3 of this series you will practice some folkloric rhythms commonly used in belly dance songs, such as Saidi, Iskandarani, Khaliji, Samai, Zaffa and Karachi, as well as be introduced to historical and cultural references about these rhythms. Additionally, at the end of the class Pedro will explain some music cues that could help to predict an upcoming rhythm and it's tempo, as well as transition from one rhythm to another.

CLASS 4 - 61 MIN

This class starts with Masmudi Kabir rhythms and it's differences from Masmudi Saghir, and then continues with the rhythms which are borrowed from Western music, or which share the same name as popular Western rhythms such as Waltz, Bolero, Rumba and Foxtrot. At the end of the class Pedro explains the concerp of 'arbas' in Arabic music.

CLASS 5 - 60 MIN

Class 5 is the final class of this series. It focuses on some of the Turkish rhythms, such as Chiftetelli, Turkish Roma and Araq, as well as their use in Egyptian music. Also, Iana and Pedro review rhythms from the previous classes by putting them together in one long combination, and adding some elements of dancing to tremelos and showing a common finale part of a belly dance show.

Wow! Iana thanks to you and Pedro for that package of rhythms. I am very happy because I have learned a lot!!! From you as a dancer and from Pedro as a drummer with those precious indications at the end of the classes. Thanks!!!

Antonella Sgueglia

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Iana Komarnytska and Pedro Bonatto
Meet your instructor

Iana Komarnytska and Pedro Bonatto

Iana Komarnytska is an award-winning dancer and choreographer, specializing in Middle Eastern and Central Asian dance styles. Her multiple awards include Cairo by Cyprus 2015, Star Bellydancer Canada 2014, Spark Dance Competition (Canada, 2012), and many others. Over the last few years Iana has taught and performed in dozens of countries including Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Ukraine, USA, Cyprus, Hungary and others. 

Pedro Bonatto is a Brazilian musician with over 15 years of experience playing Arabic percussion for dancers all over the world. His band, The Blue Dot Ensemble, is one of Canada’s top world music groups exploring traditions from the Middle East, Central Asia and Balkans, always accompanied by belly dance.

I’m really grateful to practice belly dance here with everyone and learn from our great teacher Iana. I feel lucky finding this platform, and I felt that my belly dance skills got improved a lot since I joined this club.
It works great for me to practice by following the drills. I normally practice three times every week, and two drills each time. I just finished practicing all the posted drills so far, and I’m about to start adding choreographies into my weekly practice.
The most valuable aspect of this platform for me is that I got to find an amazing belly dance teacher and constantly practice with her. I feel like I’m engaged in class every time when I practice the drills.
I couldn’t find a good belly dance studio where I live, and this is the only good belly dance classes I could find online, so this platform is extremely important to me. I really appreciate that Iana made my passion for belly dance keep going.

Jasmine H.

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This course is available exclusively at the Iana Dance Club. 

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