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Belly dance in Ellicott City, Baltimore Maryland–and Online!

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Welcome!

My name is Mariza and I’m a bellydance artist and instructor in the Ellicott City, Maryland area. I teach online so you can dance with me from anywhere!

marizadance

Weekly dance combos! Join an online class or watch a free live stream. 💫

This is a different type of physique update but a

This is a different type of physique update but a physique update nonetheless; so, I Must Flex. 😄 But the point is I'm pregnant! 🤩 That is 21 weeks on the right and 22 on the left. Don't worry, this won't become a belly progress gram--I just feel like I really popped out this week. 😝 It's a girl and you know what that means: matching costumes!!!
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The first trimester was really crummy and I had to pause all physical activities. In an effort to maintain my gym habit I made a deal with myself that I just had to go in there and do "a few reps of anything." There was one day I did like three dumbbell rows, decided that was enough, and then went back upstairs to stare into space until bedtime. 🥴
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I'm feeling a lot better now but haven't had the second trimester energy boost some people report (that could be the pandemic fatigue talking). My energy levels are still really variable so I just take it day by day. I didn't realize how much of my self image was wrapped up in being strong and active until I couldn't do those things; it's been pretty frustrating. I'm trying to use it as an opportunity to be kinder to myself...and when that doesn't work I just remind myself that "creating another human life" is probably a good reason to let myself coast a little. 🙂
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I get winded way more easily and sometimes have a weird tightness in my torso. Undulations and some chest work can be uncomfortable so I just take it easy. Other than that I'm basically doing all the same stuff (including strength training) just with less intensity. My body regulates that pretty well because I get tired fast. 😆
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I'm still dancing--although sometimes I miss class because I don't feel up to it--and hope to do it throughout. I'm definitely gonna do some more live streams before baby arrives but I'll probably do them as pop-ups. Adding a weekly obligation to my schedule is very unappealing to me right now. 😛

Marizas Perform an Original Drum & Cymbal Piece. I

Marizas Perform an Original Drum & Cymbal Piece. I'm pretty happy with how this turned out!! It's my first time composing a drum/cymbal piece and certainly my first time choreographing two of my...selves. 😄 I wrote a little blog post about the process of making it and it's on YouTube too (link in bio for both).
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Many thanks to my drum teacher Josephine Dow/@therhythmswithin and to April Rose/@aprilrosedance for introducing me to frame drum in the first place (you can also hear a @dancecohesion finger cymbal loop in there). 🤩
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And of course thanks to the @artofthebellyfestival team for their work putting on this great event! 💖
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#framedrum #drumanddance #fingercymbals #sagat #womenwhodrum

In typical "I don't know how to social media" fash

In typical "I don't know how to social media" fashion, I forgot to take a class picture after my @artofthebellyfestival workshop. 😜 We learned combos designed to go with beledi, maqsum, saidi, and chiftitelli. The class even indulged me in my drum playing (although I discovered the hard way that "talking" is one layer too many! 😆) At the end we made an 8-count saidi combo together. Many thanks to my fearless TA @aliceanna.dance who played cymbals along with combos we had not previously rehearsed. 😘 It was so fun and I'm so grateful to the students for their time and to the AOTB team for putting this event together! 💖💖 #artofthebelly2021 #aotb #artofthebelly

I realized I hadn't updated my site since August s

I realized I hadn't updated my site since August so I went in there and found an ancient blog post I had started about my impressions and observations about teaching online (and a little about performing online too). I added some stuff to it and finally hit publish. It's not technical and it's a pretty rambly brain dump but link in bio if you're into that kind of thing. 😄 Probably the biggest update is I got a real chair to sit on.
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I am still on a bit of an unplanned hiatus but will probably be back to teaching soon. In the meantime, I'm teaching a workshop at @artofthebellyfestival on March 19! (Ohhhhh look at that seamless transition into self-promotion. 💯)

Hello friends! I haven't posted in a couple months

Hello friends! I haven't posted in a couple months because I haven't felt like it (#realtalk). But there's nothing like a deadline to get your ass in gear and I'm working on something really fun for the @artofthebellyfestival show in March. It's uhh aspirational but I think it'll be fine. Probably.
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I will be teaching a workshop where we learn a few rhythms and pair them with extremely literal combos that mirror the structure of the rhythms. A fun way to learn them while also trying out some wacky movement patterns. AOTB is online this year so you can logon from anywhere! 🌠

Today's combo is a choreography bit from "Rooh Ya

Today's combo is a choreography bit from "Rooh Ya Shater," one of Lazuli's last choreographies. 🥰⁠
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And that's a wrap--that's my last stream of the year! I'll be back in 2021. I might even get around to making a new playlist but no guarantees.
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"Rooh Ya Shater" by Nancy Ajram

Another choreography chunk combo! It's fun and wei

Another choreography chunk combo! It's fun and weird to go back to these. They're like little time capsules: check out that lil rock back step with "Betty Boop" arms that I basically threw into every damn thing in that time period. I taught this workshop-style for a dance showcase (not one of my own) and it was probably a little too complicated for the class. But this was before I learned how to adjust to class levels...sort of. I still have a habit of being a little too dense, both choreographically and mentally. 🤪⁠ PS: next Saturday is my last stream of the year!
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🎵 "Ana Gayyah" by Sandy, still one of my favorite songs.

This week's combo is also cannibalized choreograph

This week's combo is also cannibalized choreography: this is from "Just a Dream," one of my favorites if I can say so about my own stuff. 🙂 You can view the whole thing on my YouTube under "Student Performances," and you should because my students are SO CUTE!!!111 😭⁠
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🎵 "Just a Dream (Coke Studio Fusion Mix)" Nelly feat. Shereen

This week's "combo" is actually a snippet from my

This week's "combo" is actually a snippet from my olddd "Dirty Funky Gawazi" choreography (2012).⁠
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I got a little worried watching this one again because I thought I had accidentally stolen Suhaila's choreo. I can't find her group doing her choreo on YouTube anymore, but I found another group doing it. I think the choreos are distinct* but I was just so heavily influenced by Suhaila the time--plus that was the year we were also learning her Cymbal Dance, so it makes sense there would be a lot of stylistic similarities. So....I stole honestly. 😆⁠
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*I feel very confident that making Naaja and Amy/@irishpiratess fall on the floor and roll around and also making Amy do a push-up was something dumb I came up with all by myself.⁠
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🎵 "Gawazi (Dirty Funky Remix)" by Manko Eponymous

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