Free Mini Tutorials

Sahina occasionally posts short instructional videos on youtube. Join the newsletter via the signup form in the footer of the website to get them delivered to your inbox as they are released!

5 minute shimmy drill
5 minute shimmy drill with zills
Bint al shalabiya veil combination
Star Wars Rey's theme combination (apologies for the audio synchronization issues on this one!)
5 Minute Veil Combination to the Bolero Rhythm
5 Minute Chiftetelli Combination
Chiftetelli 2
Sahina interviewed Alia Thabit on her book Midnight at the Crossroads: Has Bellydance Sold It's Soul. Check it out here.

Mentoring

Sahina provides mentoring to long-term dance students looking to transition to the professional realm by teaching, gigging, or both. Current and former mentees include the following amazing dancers:
DropIt! Theatrical Fusion Bellydance
Aralia and Avienn also work collaboratively under the name Eidetic.
Sahina was featured on Nadira Jamal's Belly Dance Geek Clubhouse episode 38 to speak about a topic dear to her heart, mentoring. The episode features discussions of:
  • What to expect from a mentoring relationship
  • How to approach your teacher
  • Finding a mentor who is right for you
  • Steps to take on the road to going pro (teaching and/or performing)
  • The story of how Sahina took up her teacher’s mantle when she retired
Download the recording here.

Practice Tips

Sahina, Nadira Jamal, Rosa Noreen, Amity Alize, and more were contributors to Julie Eason's book of practice prompts. It contains over 100 tips to help you guide your practice.  Here is a snippet from Sahina's segment:
Pretend you are moving in water. Envision the resistance you feel moving your arms underwater. This will help your arm work to have a quality of strength and a soft tension. Try opening your arms and closing them as if you are pushing through the water. Then try reaching up and pushing down. Think of how it feels to try and push down on water and the feeling of resistance. This will help you to not only add strength to your motions but to ensure that you are not rushing.

Helpful Links

Bellydance at Any Size
Bellydance Geek Clubhouse
Belly Dance New England
Saroyan Finger Cymbals Check out this video to hear me demonstrate the sounds of several Saroyan Zills.
Shira