Like everything else as technology broadens it changes everything; including music then and now.  Our world has changed how we listen to music as well as how we purchase it.  I am not going to lie; this was one of the hardest blogs I have written.  I started out one way but then ended up completely different.  I have had numerous redrafts too many to count!

I am first going to talk about the then.  Growing up there where only several ways I could listen to music; on the radio, albums, 8 track tapes, cassette tapes or what about going to a live concert?  Now for the Now.   Today, we have our phones where we can download apps to play music but one of the most widely used is YouTube.  You may be wondering what this has to do with belly dance and I will answer that very soon but, here is my question to you:  You are surfing YouTube in search of a song you want to dance to.  Lets say you find this particular song; you have fallen in love with it, your connecting to it, your even dancing to it so what do you do?  Do you find out where to purchase it or do you just use the music off YouTube?  This all comes down to an ethical question is it OK just to use the song over and over again off YouTube or any other downloadable site without ever paying for it and giving credit to the artist where credit is due.  I am by no means attacking YouTube it is there for a reason to share but at what point does sharing hurt these artists?  In fact, YouTube does have a licensing but it only covers you in certain areas and not on everything.  Here is the information I gathered below:

YouTube Licensing

Most of us that perform whether we are professional or a student take video and then put it up on YouTube for viewing.  To a point we may or may not be covered.  If we are dancing in our home and post the video on YouTube and the music we are using is copy righted then YouTube takes care of the licence which is known as “User generated content”.  If we have a video for commercial use or any type of monetary gain we may not be fully covered or even if we are performing out in public we may not be fully covered.

YouTube has a  content Management system known as CMS.  ” CMS is YouTube’s Content Management System. It’s the system on the YouTube web-site into which you upload your video. CMS tracks the ownership of various types of Assets supplied to it by content owners, including Video Assets, Composition Assets and Sound Recording Assets.” Taken directly from YouTube.

What happens to video with music used in it?  “At some time after the upload of your video, CMS may notify you that your video may contain music owned by a third party. This will indicate that CMS believes that your video contains either Composition(s) and/or Sound Recording(s) that are controlled by Music Publishers and/or Record Labels. Assuming that you agree that you do not control the rights to the Composition(s) and/or Sound Recordings, you can Acknowledge the third party’s ownership within CMS.” From YouTube FAQ.

Here is a screen shot below of my YouTube Channel and of one of my most recent video’s.  Notice on the bottom right hand corner you will see the album, name of the song and where you can buy it.  This is how YouTube matches and approves the content of music that is copy righted.  What this is for if someone watches my video and they like and want to buy the music they can with just one click!

When I started out belly dancing my teacher made a CD of music for us; initially I thought this was great because I had music I could use at home and I thought my teacher was doing me a favor by sharing her music.  When I first started teaching I did the same thing but I stopped because I realized first of all this was wrong and second I was not really helping my students learn what music was out there.  I was not educating my students and this was totally wrong of me.  Today, when a student asks me what music I listen to in class I will let them know what cd it is off of and where to get it.  Choreography class is the same way I will make sure students know what the music is so they can purchase it this is the right way and the ethical way.

Belly Dancing, Performing and Music

When it comes to Belly Dancing and performing always use music that has been purchased!  It does not matter whether you are a student or a professional use music that you have paid for support the artist for their work.  Realize though just because you purchased it does not necessarily mean you have the rights to use it outside of your home.  Most of the time you will not get in trouble for using music, but know it does and can happen and you just need to be prepared.  There are numerous sites other then YouTube where you can listen to music such as Spotify, Pandora and YouTube to find out what is out their and if you like it enough to purchase it.  They all have licensing which covers you the listener in your home, but not always outside of the home.  Purchase your music and support the musicians.

A few weeks ago my mobile app Belly Dancing By Najla went live!!  I am very excited about this and it was all possible due to Daniel Lamtrimurti and all of his hard work and dedication to get it going and live.  I am so grateful and I cannot thank him enough from the bottom of my heart!  Technology continues to advance and so it was important for me to have a mobile app.  It is also important to know that all websites are not mobile friendly which means that you cannot get the full content of the website on your phone.  The Belly Dancing by Najla Mobile App allows you to now take me wherever you go!  The mobile app is quick, convenient and one of my students; Watseka told me,  “I like it, very easy to use.”  That is really the whole point of a mobile app you want it accessible and user friendly.

If you have not checked out my mobile app yet here are things that you can do:

• Here are some screen shots that you will see from your phone; the first shot is my home page where you can contact me, go to my YouTube Channel or just need directions to all my classes it is right there at your fingertips!  On my home screen you will also find an article tab; these are all articles I have written myself over the last 2 to 3 years.  Notice on the far bottom right of the home screen you will find a tab that says “more”  Click on that and it will even give you  more options.  The screen shots underneath are what you would see if you were needing directions, YouTube Channel or the article section.  On the article section just click on the arrow of the  article you want to read and it will take you to that article! You can also share articles that you find interesting via Facebook, Twitter or Google! Want to come to a class and check it out?  Wondering when my classes are we have you covered! This is all very cool and allows you to be interactive while keeping up to date!

The More tab holds Class Schedules so you can check if when my classes are when you are out and about and what is even better you can even sign up for a class and pay by your phone!  I am one of the few that you can actually do this with this is a big thing and it really makes it easy and convenient for you the student!  By doing this it gives you more time to relax before class and really enjoy the moment rather then standing inline waiting to pay for your class!  As of right now I only have 2 options which is the drop in rate or 4 week session but we will be adding more to it soon!  I also want to point out that the transaction is very secure just add the item you want to your order and to cart, confirm your payment and your done!  It is so cool I am tempted to buy a class myself!  I honestly do not know how it can get any easier!  Also notice on the menu choices the Fan Wall.  I want to talk about this a little to you.  The fan wall is a place where you can go to comment on your experience with Najla.  Did you come to class and have a good time or have a good work out, made new friends?  This is is the place to do that!  What if you just want to tell people you love belly dancing or just love class! Was there a move or combination that you loved or did you learn something new or challenging? This is where you would go!  You may ask why would I want to comment?  The more people see that you are having fun it will bring more students into class which will make it more fun for you and give your more opportunities!  Find me on social media by clicking the arrow and from there you can go to my Facebook, Google or twitter page!  You will never be without me.

• Do you want to keep up to date on what Najla is doing?  Do you have a special celebration coming up and are looking to hire a professional belly dancer?  Do you want to know more about Najla and how she got started and who inspires her and what she has been up to?  To Keep up to date you can go to her booking page this will show you where she is performing as well as some information on packages.  Do not see what you are needing? Contact her and she will come up with a very unique package just for you!  Get to know her by going to her about me page.  As you can see Belly Dancing By Najla is truly at your finger tips at a moments notice!  It is very easy to use and to navigate and it will keep you up to date on everything you need to know!  Tell me what you think I would really love to know!  Please feel free to comment and share!

>This week we are going to focus on Belly Dance Village and Leyla Najma.  Leyla Najma has over 25 years of experience in Middle Eastern Dance and even got the chance to study in Egypt. She has traveled literally around the world with her dancing this has given  her a big advantage and edge as she has a wealth of knowledge under her belt and she shares her knowledge openly with other dancers.  Leyla has over 17 years of experience in teaching belly dance; nowadays it is hard to find a teacher with that much experience; she is a definite gem in the belly dance community.  If a dancer asks me who are some of the teachers I should work with Leyla Najma is at the top of my list!  I have been working with Leyla Najma since 2008 and she has given me so much invaluable information and has taught me so much in regards to the dance!  I truly believe that if I did not come across her website back then I would not be where I am today! Through Leyla’s curriculum, guidance and her love not only to the dance but her students she has helped me really grow as a dancer.  Leyla has given me advice, confidence and sometimes a swift kick in the butt when I needed it.  Everything a aspiring student needs in order to succeed in this dance.  Belly Dance Village was one of the very first to come out with online training and they are still going strong and there are a number of reasons why!

Belly Dance Village offers the best training, curriculum and support then any other online training has. They have been very successful and still continue to grow.  Belly Dance Village  is a husband and wife team which of course includes Leyla and the belly dance husband, Dan.  Leyla and Dan are both very passionate, dedicated and have  a wealth of knowledge that truly shows throughout the website.  When they say never get stuck; they truly mean it.  I have talked with Leyla countless of times over the phone on numerous issues that I was stuck on with her help I was able to always get the creative juices flowing again.  That is not all though; both Leyla and Dan have been there for me when a situation arises and I need their advice on dance or if my personal life comes crashing down they have been there for me too.  Belly Dance Village is a community just like you would get in a real live class, but it is online!  I have made several friendships just through being a member and I cannot say this with any other online training.  Belly Dance Village is very personal; wanting to hear and help  their students!

Leyla is such an inspiration to all of her students she has such passion and commitment and has dedicated herself 101%!  Dan is the tech guy and if you ever have an issue on the website he usually has it taken care of within minutes!  Dan is also who designed my website and I am constantly calling or emailing him with issues or problems I may have.  He is so on top of things it amazes me!

Belly Dance Village offers tons of videos from Beginner to Intermediate and advanced focusing on anywhere from soft movement to sharp, layering, transitions, speed, drilling, choreography, shimmies, traveling steps and so much more! She has tons of articles and also has interviews with other dancers! You get free music to download to use for practicing! Right now she is offering 10 days access to 35 videos for just $1.00!! After that is is just 17.00 a month!! That is truly the best bargain!! Leyla really makes everything easy to understand! Click on the link below and check her out! Leyla is a true gem in the belly dance community and I am so lucky to have her in my life and that I have been given the opportunity to be a member of belly dance village! I have learned so much from her and she amazes me each day!

Click on the link below and check it out better yet sign up today!

Online training is it for you?  We are in the 3rd part of this discussion and I hope by the time I am finished I have given you enough information so you can decide for yourself if online training is a good fit for you.  This week we will be talking about Datura Online.  Datura is the brain child of the one and only Rachel Brice.  The link to the website is here:  http://daturaonline.com/.  I am currently a member of her online training for at least a few months now.  Datura has not been up and running very long but they already have over 100 videos to choose from.  Datura features just a few of the best dancers some of which reside in Portland.  Datura offers a variety of styles from Cabaret, Egyptian, Tribal Fusion, ATS.  The website also offers things such as yoga, pilates and strength training!  It is literally a one stop for most of your needs.

Datura offers online classes with not only Rachel Brice, herself but other instructors as follows:

• Rachel Brice the owner of Datura is a Tribal Fusion Dancer and I have always been captivated by the way she moves!  I love her classes she focuses on strong hip work, yoga and all of the other elements that goes into tribal fusion.
• Sedona Soulfire is one of my favorites and she is an American Cabaret Dancer I love her simplicity, style and how she explains things.
• Amy Sigil is another teacher and she has her own style her focus is on Improvisational Tribal Style she is a her classes are very challenging and in her classes you will get an introduction and breakdown of her style that she has been very hard at creating.
• Zoe Jakes is a tribal fusion dancer and I have dabbled in a few of her classes; she focuses on strong technique and is a motivator.
• Collette Todorov is an ATS dancer American Tribal Style I have taken quite a few classes and she breaks everything down easily and tells you how to work as a group and what the standard signals are with ATS.  She gives you a good understanding of ATS style.
• Henna is one of the newest ones featured on Datura and she is an American Cabaret Dancer, but also teaches Egyptian.  I have taken a few of her videos and I have come away with something new each and every time.

Datura online offers an unlimited subscription to watch all videos as much as you want for a monthly payment of 35.00 a month and can be cancelled at anytime if you choose to do so.  Datura also offers being able to rent videos on an individual basis for 1.99 which is how I started out before I realized I was spending more then the monthly fee so it was to my benefit to sign up for that.

Datura does not offer a free trial but on each video you do get to preview any where from a minute to 2 minutes.  There individual pricing is so low that just buying one or two would give you an idea if it would be a good fit for you without putting to much money up front.  With each video they tell you what music is being used and if you want to purchase the music you can also download it.

The website is very easy to get around and they have at least one/two new videos uploaded quite often and the library already has about 100 videos to choose from.

What I like about Datura online is that they offer different styles from different teachers so you get a really good perspective  of all styles, it is like having my own workshop right in my home.  This being said though, online teaching is a great tool to use, but cannot replace what you can get from a live teacher.  There is something to be said about going to a belly dance class with other students and having a teacher in front of you telling you what you are doing wrong and helping in correcting your technique or movement. This is one thing that online training cannot do for you so if you are a brand new student with not experience at all with belly dance then how do you know you are doing it right?  Well, you don’t know, you can only guess.   Online for me is just another tool for me, but does not replace learning from what I call live teachers.

I also wanted to tell you that none of these teachers have asked me to write about there online training.  As a teacher myself, I feel it is my job to let you know what is out there and try and give you as much information so you can get the best for your money.

This ends the third part of online training.  Next time I will focus on Belly Dance Village and Leyla Najma.  I have known Leyla for about 6 years now and she was one of the first to do online training.  That is all for now and stay tuned as we talk about Belly Dance Village and Leyla Najma!!