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How to Learn to Tassel Dance

Various forms of dancing with tassels have originated from very different traditions. Dancers in North Africa wear tassels to dance folkloric styles. Some Western dance styles have taken inspiration from such traditions to create a contemporary fusion style of Arabic dance while wearing tasseled costumes. While dancing, tassels exaggerate the look of movement and isolation. Twentieth century forms of tassel burlesque/striptease moves celebrate a lighter side of sensuality and exotic dance. Few established dance traditions feature tasseled costuming. Many tassel dances performed in the 20th and 21st centuries are the product of the creativity and imagination of the dancers themselves.

Instructions

    • 1
      Tunisian dancers shake their hips while balancing a pot on their heads.

      Twist your hips in the Tunisian style. Tunisian folkloric dancers wear a belt with a large tassel on each hip bone. Dancers' hips move in a front-to-back motion, reminiscent of the "washing machine" dance from the 1950s. The large tassels provide more movement and create the illusion of isolation with the hips and upper body. When learning this dance, always practice with the tassel belt. Stay on your toes with your knees slightly bent and move your hips independently of your upper body. You will feel your abdominal muscles moving a lot during this move. Tunisian dancers make this move look all the more impressive by balancing a large jug on their heads as they twist. It's a good idea to practice with a book first before attempting something like a ceramic pot. Though the front-to-back twist is the basic, iconic move, dancers also flip their hip on one side to make the tassel go around in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion.

    • 2

      Experiment with the tribal fusion technique. Tasseled costumes are very common for tribal fusion belly dancers. Tribal fusion is a conglomeration of styles from Middle Eastern, Indian, Spanish and African dances. As a fusion form, the costumes and choreography of this dance form allows for complete creativity. Create your own choreography and technique. For your costume, you can use large tassels or many small ones. Put on your costume and experiment with making the tassels move. Tribal fusion companies Fat Chance Belly Dance and Black Swan Tribe can offer costume inspiration, or design your own.

    • 3

      Focus on the shoulder and chest moves for the classic burlesque tassel twirl. You can get bras, pasties or a bustier with tassels hanging from the nipples. Make sure to choose a tasseled garment made especially for dancing and not just for fashion. A good quality tasseled garment will have tassels that stay on and are the right weight and length to twirl correctly. Once you get the proper attire, experiment with the moves. Though this style originated as an improvised dance form as a fun, sassy dance of seduction, you can find studios and classes which offer formal study of burlesque technique. If you can't find a studio that offers burlesque classes, many such classes are available on DVD or YouTube.

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