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!!

Online training is in demand more today then ever, but it makes me wonder in other dance forms is there such a high demand for online training?  Why is it with Belly Dance that the demand seems higher?  Is it the fact, that belly dance is not taken seriously? Self Esteem Issues? These are just a few things that come to mind and we will talk about these issues at a later date.

Last week was the first part of our online training and I went into depth with what Suhaila Salimpour offers.  This week the focus will be on Karen Barbee Adkisson.  Her online classes are called Belly Dance for Fun via:  http://www.karavansa.com/purchase-online-classes.  I was a member of her online classes and even though at the time there were not many videos I found value with each of them.  Karen is a fitness guru and she talks a lot about muscle and technique.  She has about 25 years experience in the field and therefore has a lot of knowledge under her belt.  Karen really knows her stuff!   She explains the movement and breaks it down very well.   Karen has a great sense of humor and there were times I found myself laughing with her.

Karen offers two different types of online subscription a basic and premier package.  The basic package cost 24.99 a month and is limited. You will get the core basic videos which focus on technique and movement, her most recent Khoreography classes.  The premier package is a cost of 44.99 which involves everything she has to offer this will get you to all technique and Khoreography videos, improvisation, Belly Dance talk and any other special videos.  This equals out to about 100 videos in the library.

Belly Dance for Fun offers a free 30 day trial for the basic package.  This is nice so you can see if you are going to like her classes before you decide to spend the money.  You can log in as many times as you want as to their is no limit and watch the videos as many times as you need to as well.

At this point and time I am not a member any longer but, I did find her classes of value and I always took something away from her classes.  Her classes are challenging which is one of the  many things that I liked about her classes.  I even was able to attend some of her live online classes and her Belly Dance talk live classes and I really felt I was there a part of class.  The classes where very informative and I always looked forward to being able to learn from Karen.

This concludes part 2 of the online training in the next few weeks we will talk about Rachel Brice’s Datura Online classes and last but not least, Leyla Najma “Belly Dance Village.”  I know some of you have heard me talk about Leyla and she will be the last piece of the puzzle on my online training.

I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!!  Please feel free to share!