Il Hilm Choreography

Il Hilm Choreography Notes
Music by Maryem Tollar
Choreography by Roula Said

SECTION A1, 0:22
Walk in a large clockwise circle with veil.  The audience is at 12:00, you start at 6:00.
Arms are in second position throughout.  Swivel your torso away from the extended leg at the end of each triple step.
-Step RLR, extend L leg at 9:00.
-Step LRL, extend R leg at 12:00.
-Step RLR, extend L leg at 3:00.  Back is to the audience, look over R shoulder.
-Step LRL, extend R leg at 6:00.

Walk in a large CCW circle, starting from 6:00.
Whenever you extend the foot across, sweep the same arm up overhead, then out to the side.
-Step RLR, extend left leg across at 3:00.
-Step LRL, extend R leg across at 12:00.
-Step RLR, extend L leg across at 9:00.
-Step LRL. Bring feet together at 12:00.  Bring both arms up into 5th position.

Hag bumps:
RR_L_R
LL_R_L
RR_L_R

CCW hip circle while wrapping the veil around you.

SECTION B1, 0:55
-Step back onto your L foot and open the veil.  L arm in 5th position, R arm in first.
-R hip twists BF, BBF (back, forward_back, back, forward).
-Quick step back, put weight onto R foot.
-L hip twists BF_BBF
-Step back onto L foot, then walk forward RLR with shoulder rolls.
-Turn twice CCW, stepping LR, LRL.  Speed up on the second turn and raise arms.

-Quickly step R foot back.
-L hip twists BF, BBF.
-Quickly step L foot back
-R hip BF, BBF.
-Step back on right, walk forward LRL.
-Turn twice CW, step RL, RLR.  Speed up on second turn.




SECTION C1: “Stormy Seas”, 1:17
-Wavily bend all the way over and come back up. Veil is behind your body.
-Wavily bend down and flip the veil overhead,
 then throw veil above and behind you, hands together overhead, as you come back up.
--Shimmy as you open your arms. (“earth shaking under our feet.”
-top-down side wave (fish), as you snake your arms up (RLRL) (“The ropes of our dreams...”)

REPEAT from start of C1 section but reverse the lead side

Hag bumps:
LL_R_L
RR_L_R
LL_R_L

CW hip circle as you wrap veil around you. 

SECTION A2, 1:50
Open veil and walk forward.
-Step RLR, then draw your L foot up to the top of your R calf (passe).
Hands touch overhead (“bird”)
-Repeat on other side.
-Step R and push into R hip flexor.  Walk back while facing backwards (step LRL).
-Turn CW, stepping RL.  End by facing the R diagonal.  Then turn toward R diagonal (step RLR)
-L arm descends as you shimmy in place.
-Turn CCW. Step LRL and throw away the veil.

SECTION B2, 2:12
-2 hip kicks on R hip while facing the L diagonal.
-2 CW walking hip circles to the R. (step RLRL)
-Crossover step pushing hip flexor, facing forward RLRL.
-Big crossover step in a V, twisting to face left, then right. (Step RLR, touch on L foot)
-REPEAT on other side but touch last R to prepare for next section.

SECTION C2: “Deaf and Blind”, 2:34
-Big side wave pushing off R foot.  L hand in third, R arm in second.
-Maya RLR
-Head circle (push head into L hand and back)
-Body wave bottom to top to release arms up and forward.
-Shimmy as arms reach forward and down to 6th position.
-Push arms to 7th position and do diagonal undulations R_LR.

REPEAT entire sequence to the other side.


TAQSIM, 2:57

2 slow/quick/quick omis with arms rising to 5th
2 slow/quick/quick diagonal undulations LRL RLR
undulate down then up to catch violin with shoulder rolls (RLRL)
again undulate down then up to catch violin with shoulder rolls (RLRL)
backward 8 LR then double the time and add shimmy LRLR
quick omi roll up to chest shimmies with small back 8s (RLRL)
3 slow fish RLR
6 fast maya with level change LRLRLR
undulate down for 2
one side omis with weight on L (slow/quick/prepare)


SECTION B3, 3:46
-Hip kick variation (Back_release_back_back_ release) on R hip.
-Repeat hip kick variation on L hip.
-2 triple back walks (Step LRL, RLR). Arms in 6th position, hands face up, then down.
-Walk forward with shoulder rolls (step LRL).  Step back onto R foot.
-Repeat sequence on other side.  Turn CW at the end on beats 3 and 4.

REPEAT SECTION C2, 4:08

ENDING, 4:30
-Step R, extend and touch L as you twist body to the R
-Step L, extend R and touch as you twist body to the L
-2 slow turns CW (arms open in second) to pose with weight on R foot.  L foot extended and arms in temple pose, eyes gazing to L diagonal (turn RLRL, step on R, touch L, pose)

***
Abbreviations
R: right
L: left
B: back
F: forward
CW: clockwise
CCW: counterclockwise

Music Recommendations

Here are the songs currently used in Om Laila class choreographies, available via eMusic, iTunes, and music stores:
Choreography Song: We Daret El Ayam
Artist: Mahmoud Fadl
Album: Oum Kalthoum 7000

Choreography Song: Al-eyn Mulayyati - Ya Hawa
Artist: Kardes Turkulfer
Album: Bahar

Choreography song: Al Hilm
Artist: Maryem Tollar
Album: Cairo to Toronto (on sale at the studio!)

Other music suggestions:
Song: Lirrili
Artist: Amina
Album: Nomad-Best of Amina

Song: Mestane Aih
Artist: Amal Hijazi
Album: Betdawar A'albi

And for some gorgeous listening, check out Rima Khcheich's CD Falak.

Zyll Patterns

Here are some basic zyll patterns for you to practice at home.

Basic Longa (in 4/4 time)
Play odd numbers on your right, or dominant hand.  Play even numbers on your left, or non-dominant hand.

123  123  123  123
+a1  +a2  +a3  +a4  (and a one, and a two...  Step on each numbered beat.)

Variations (in 4/4 time)
123  123  1234567

123  1234567  123

123  12345  12345

12345  123  12345

12345  123  1  123

123  1  123  12345

123  1  123  1  123  (Baladi etc.)

Sonic texture
Ring (R)      Clack (C)

RRR  CCC  RRR  CCC

(CC)R  R  CCC  R  CCC (Baladi)

(CC)R  C  CCR  R  CCC  (Saidi)

Moving while playing zylls:
-Step in place on each beat.  Practice stepping onto a flat foot, on the balls of your feet, and alternating between the two.
-Step, touch, step, touch.
-Practice playing zylls while walking forward, backward, and side to side. 
-Add a hip bump or other accent on each step.

Chanting while playing zylls:
123                123                      1234567
I love shoes,  I love shoes,        I love really comfy shoes (on flat feet)

123                123                      1234567
I love shoes,  I love shoes,        I love really slutty shoes (on balls of feet)
   
123                    12345                             12345
I love shoes,      I love comfy shoes,        I love comfy shoes.

Holiday Stress?

Here are some juicy movement morsels to help you unwind:

OM LAILA SEATED SERIES

Bring your awareness to your breath anytime you remember - breathing like you are blowing up a balloon in the low belly is ideal.  Breathe through your nose for this work.

Sitting exercises with legs extended in front of you and arms supporting:

• Open your heart and ground through your sitting bones - keep your shoulders gently away from your ears.  Move your torso in wavey ways and make space in your heart centre.  Open the skin all around your ribs, especially in between your shoulder blades
• Seated shimmy - alternating from one leg to the other, or one leg at a time.
• Push your feet away like pedals, then draw them back in. Engage from your dan tien (the area beneath your bellybutton).
• Twirl your ankles in both directions.  Connect and power the movement from your dan tien.
• Alternating your weight from one sitting bone to the other.  Walk on your sitting bones: forward, back, side to side

HIP OPENERS

• Diamond pose (knees bent with bottoms of feet touching.  Legs are about 18" away from body): press the soles of the feet together and lengthen the knees away from the feet and away from the hips - let the legs soften open as you wave yourself onto your sitting bones, or gently alternate a bounce from one side to the other.  Use the arms behind you for support.  Staying with the breath and the internal waves, bend forward without rounding the back, aiming the forehead for the arches of the feet.

• Second position (legs open out in as wide a V as possible, feet open, knees drawn into thighs)  Do a wave series here.  Use the waves to help you side bend, twist and forward bend).  Draw the legs back together in front of you using the dan tien.

Easy Pose Wave Series:
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position (this works really well on a chair or with the sitting bones up on a meditation cushion of yoga block!) and do the following waves. Concentrate on the 3 weights of the body (head, torso, pelvis).
side - bottom-up and top-down
forward - bottom-up and top-down
circles - both directions
figure eights both directions - lead from head and let the movement trickle down through the ribs and pelvis
omi or tilting circle - lead from head and/or ribs



ABDOMINAL WORK:

Slow Roll Back
Sit up on your sitting bones with your knees bent and your feet on the ground.  Start with your back "straight" and then concsiously round your back connecting into your dan tien and opening the skin of your back.  Deepen this rounding and back-opening as you slooowly roll back.  Continue to engage the dan tien and use waves as a way to soften and release elsewhere in your body.  Let your muscles feel heavy, luscious and draping.  Be sure your neck is free and your throat is relaxed.  Let your head touch down last and only release the dan tien when it does.  Let the head completely reat into the floor and release all effort in the neck.  Let your head roll side to side. 

Wavy Crunches
Take the full weight of your head in your hands and lift it slightly above the ground. Send the weight of your head to the dan tien and do waves in this position:  bottom up circle (eyes look up, forward, down and back), lateral circle (omi) , side-wave.  Later add figure eights and top-down circle.

MORE TO COME...Stay Tuned