Candle Tray: Contrast

Detail from the cover of "The Elements of Typographic Style" by Robert BringhurstDancing for a living was simply not an option when I was growing up. It was reserved for a different breed of humans — those mythical creatures that lived in big cities, had skinny bodies, perfect postures and were "born dancers" (whatever that meant). It sounds ridiculous now, but that idea was somehow embedded in my mind.

And so I went to college to study another great passion of mine: Graphic Design. After graduation, I only worked as a visual artist for a couple of years, because the call of dance was too great. At first, I regretted the fact that I wasn't a full-time dance student in college. But now

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Candle Tray: Musicality

Painting by Osman Hamdi BeyThe most popular rhythm for a Candle Tray routine is slow Chiftetelli. You can use your tray with other types of music but for this workshop I will be focusing on this rhythm. 

Slow Chiftetelli is a most sensual, mysterious and hypnotic rhythm with an 8/4 time signature. In the video below you will learn where its main accents fall. The video also includes one of the musicality exercises I teach my students in class.

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Candle Tray Dance Workshop

photo by moiPerforming with a candle tray during a segment of your show is a wonderful way to engage and mesmerize your audience. The fire, the mystery, the sensuous music and the suspense of such balancing act can take your audience's breath away and get you more work.

But the candle tray dance is indeed a balancing act. Just because an experienced performer can make it look easy, it doesn't mean that it is. You need lots of practice, a strong dance foundation and at least a basic knowledge of composition, showmanship and musicality for it to be effective. Oh, and very important:

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Beauty and the Geek

"You are probably going to be a very successful computer person. But you're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole." 
- Erica Albright to Mark Zuckerberg in the film The Social Network

Wow. The Social Network. What a great movie. Interesting that this great writer, Jeff Jarvis, didn't like it. These days I'm used to people who "get" this sort of movie so it was a big contrast to find someone who thinks the way I did some years ago. 

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Playlist 3: Maqsum Classics

In today's playlist you will not only listen to several Maqsum songs but you will also hear this rhythm played back to back with Baladi.

After you study this video, you will understand and feel the difference between the two, and you will begin to notice how each rhythm gives us a clue as to which steps and emotional energy to use. 

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