Travel Steps Study Guide 1.1: Using the Guide

 Travel Steps is part of World Dance New York’s “Movement Catalog” series of belly dance DVDs.  Unlike traditional how-to programs that include step-by-step instructions and follow-along dance segments, Movement Catalog DVDs are intended as an open-level reference demonstrating belly dance movement vocabulary.

Using Travel Steps and the Travel Steps Study Guide

Although Travel Steps runs in a DVD player as a continuous presentation, the program is a literal catalog of terms, concepts, and movements, containing hundreds of discrete entries.  Because these entries fly by, and because breakdowns and dance-along content were outside the scope of the DVD portion of this project, some dancers may wish for a slower, step-by-step reference.  I created the study guide for these users; I hope the supplemental materials presented here will help you take ownership of the Travel Steps material and incorporate it into your own practice.

The main section of this study guide is a time-indexed listing of the DVD’s contents that highlights key terminology, shows movement categories and the organizational framework of the presentation, and itemizes layering movements.  For Combinations, the listing in this guide also contains choreography notation and some additional information about learning and using the material on the DVD.  I’ve also included a short essay, “Using Footwork in Your Dance,” with some ideas about applying the material in Travel Steps, and some lesson plans to help structure independent study.  

I suggest dancers begin with the “Catalog of Steps” sections of the DVD (Layers and Timing Variations for Steps, Layers and Timing Variations for Step-Hold, and Combinations with Style Variations).  Analytical thinkers may find that following along with the content listing in the guide makes it easier to keep track of movements and layering possibilities.

Musically-sensitive dancers may see a few instances where my footfalls seem slightly off the beat.  Having been asked to develop material for the DVD in “dictionary format,” I anticipated that viewers would see a series of individual segments rather than a continuous presentation synchronized to a continuous audio track, and didn’t take care to ignore the melodic cues I heard in the music that was playing while I filmed.  The editing work is outstanding, but can’t totally make up for the fact that I danced for the camera in a stop-and-start fashion.  If you have trouble seeing the rhythm of the footfalls in any movement, I suggest muting the sound for a moment. 

For more information, or to start at the absolute beginning, read section two of the guide, Foundation Concepts and Terminology.  (While this information is also included on the DVD, a production decision was made that this section would release in “lecture format” without keywords highlighted in annotation.  As such, I believe the information is easier to follow and appreciate in print.)

For the truly detail-oriented, “Foundation Positions and Movements” are included on the DVD and indexed in the guide.   You’ll see that a production decision was made to present this section in a no-frills way.  Rather than settling down to watch this entire segment, I suggest users start with the guide’s list of moves and then consult the DVD as necessary.  

→ Next in the Travel Steps Study Guide: Organizational Methodology, Style and Nomenclature 

↑      Travel Steps Study Guide Table of Contents 
↑↑    Travel Steps
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