Module Three: Persian

Snake Arms: Your shoulders should be relaxed and down, with your arms at your side. This is a 4 part movement that is best thought of as a series of isolations to begin with. Lift your right shoulder up (without hunching), raise your elbow until just below shoulder level and is almost pointing to the ceiling. Leading with the back of your hand, raise your wrist and then uncurl your fingers so that your fingertips point towards the right wall. To reverse this, drop your right shoulder back and down into your start position, let your elbow rotate back slightly as your draw it towards you, dip your wrist towards the floor enabling the palm of your hand to rise slightly with your fingertips pointing diagonally upwards. Remember: Shoulder, elbow, wrist, fingers! Repeat this on your left side, and when you feel comfortable, smooth the movement out and use alternating arms as one flowing serpentine movement.

Port de Bras: There are two basic positions for the arms: in one, the dancer keeps the fingers of both arms almost touching to form an oval shape; in the other, the arms are extended laterally with the elbows slightly bent. These positions may be combined to give other positions; the nomenclature for the position of the arms differs according to the method followed. The following descriptions apply to the 'rounded' positions of the arms; the corresponding allongés positions are obtained by stretching the elbows and rotating the palms of the hands downwards.

Bras bas (or preparatory position): both arms are rounded with the fingers almost touching, with both hands just in front of the dancer's hips.

First position: maintaining this curved oval shape, the arms are brought up so that the tips of the fingers are in line with the navel, and no higher than the sternum.

Second position: the arms are stretched out to the side, however there is an angle of the arms down and forward, and the palms are facing forward. The elbow is slightly lower than the shoulder and the wrist is level with the elbow.

Third position: the arms are as in the first position, but just above and slightly forward of the dancer's head.

Persian Arms: Bring the palms of both hands together and in front of you at shoulder level. Interlock your fingers, keeping your thumbs uppermost. Extend both index fingers and point them forward. This movement is typically used in a pulsating movement towards the audience and is a mark of joy and respect.

’S’ Arms: Place one arm above your head, palm curved downward; and bring your other arm down to your side, palm curved inward, framing your hips and making the shape of the letter ‘S’. Now switch arms. This is a wonderful arm position for accentuating movements such as hip drops as your lower arms frames that part of the body that’s moving.

Pyramid Arms: Bring the back of your right hand to your right temple, keeping the elbow at a right angle to the floor. Join the fingertips of your left hand to your right elbow, keeping your left elbow almost pointing forwards. Repeat on your left side.

Hip Work

Hip Rolls: Start with your feet together and your knees slightly bent. Now, push off the floor with your left foot and step out to the right with your right foot. This should cause your left hip to go up. Then slide the left foot in next to the right. When you slide the left foot in next to the right you should roll the hip smoothly back into centre. Repeat on the other side.

Hip Circles: Standing with your knees soft and feet slightly more than hip width apart, push your hips way out to the left and then bring them around to the back leaning forward with your upper body. Now, bring your hips out to the right and then to the front leaning slightly back with the upper body to help with balance.

Mayas: Standing with your knees soft and feet underneath your hips and without tilting, lift your right hip up and step your right foot out to the side just beyond hip distance. Lift your left hip up and step your left foot out to the side. Repeat.

Horizontal Figure 8: With your knees bent and feet hip width apart, push your left hip forward to your left diagonal and draw it out and backwards on the left creating a semi-circle. When your hip is centred again, take the right hip forward to the right diagonal and draw it backwards on the right to create a semi-circle. With practice you will be able to isolate this movement so that it stays below the waist.

Travelling Step

Karslimars: Using a 3 / 4 count, step your right foot forward and slightly across your left foot, balance on the left and step back on the ball of your right foot. This step is generally used with a full skirt and is accentuated by taking hold of the hem of the skirt in your right hand and swooping the skirt in front of you as you step forward on the right. Try adding a ¼ or ½ turn, or using this step to travel forward and back.

Arabian Horse - Pushes: Start with your feet together and your knees slightly bent. Now, push off the floor with your left foot and step out to the right with your right foot. Then slide the left foot in next to the right and repeat the process again. This step is used for moving to the side, and in these particular instructions, to the right.