[Nessani Kemenlo]

"The last isolated movements we will learn will be for the extremities - your head and your hands. The next time we meet, we will work on full body movements and putting them all together into a dance. Tomorrow is my brightening off, however, and even you will not interfere with that. You are welcome to come practice, if you wish, and indeed, I encourage it.

"What we do today is like honey on the cake.

"First, put your hands on your shoulders." The teacher waited for her student to oblige before moving on. "Now, get a sense of the muscles that control your head. Move it from side to side, turn it about. Just get a feel for your body."

Nessani's head bobbed and slid, moving like it was possessed. Her hands held her shoulders steady as she learned to isolate the muscles above.

"Now, try to move your head from side to side, without moving your shoulders."

The rotation ceased and Nessani's head began the back and forth movement, as if it was visiting one shoulder and then the next.

"Remove your hands and continue, again, without moving your shoulders."

Now that she had a sense of which muscles were to be activated, Nessani had better control as her hands fell down to her sides. Her head still continued it's back and forth trek, spending no more time on one side than the other.

"What you are doing is a 4/4 head slide. Each left is met with a right. You can also do it in 3/4. Right. Left. Right. Then pause before moving Left. Right. Left."

Nessani tried it, feeling like some image of an exotic gaje god. Her head moved with three beats, left, right, left and then paused before reversing the rotation. Her teacher nodded and moved on.

"A third variation is to look in the direction that you are moving. If your 3/4 is mostly left, look over your left shoulder. The same for the right."

The gypsy girl's sapphire gaze shifted to look over her left shoulder, her face moving forward as if in a strut. Her head reversed course, going backwards and then forward again before pausing for the fourth beat.

"Precisely. These aren't hard to learn, but they add another layer to the dances you'll be putting together. The other way to move your head is in a circle, much like the hip or rib circle."

With the necessary muscles already isolated and in motion, Nessani had little trouble shifting into a circular motion. If she had tried it cold, it might have been more difficult, but she was already in touch with that area of her body.

"Very good. But you can also relax your neck and let the circle move your head around."

Her cool hands came again to Nessani's skin, this time along the spine of her neck. "Roll more than circle. This is called the 'Sufi circle'. You can do just half of the circle or the complete round."

The gypsy's head rolled around on the axis of her neck. The movement felt more like a warm up than a dance move. A muscle relaxant. Nessani made a mental note to do these when she was preparing for a performance.

"Fine. Now you may stop. We will finish the day with your hands. They do not just hang off of your arms helplessly. The face may be seen as the center for expression, but do not underestimate what can be expressed in your hands. They can be a subtle way to draw someone in. Seduction can be seen in the curve of a wrist.

"Start with a hand circle. After all of the other circles you've done, this should be simple."

The gypsy's hands circled around her wrists.

"Now, an undulation, starting at the wrist." Nahara's wrist pushed down, followed by her palm and then her fingers. Nessani followed suit, moving both hands in echoing motion.

"And a flutter." Four hands fluttered, shifting one direction and the next in quick succession. "These aren't difficult, but they are the garnish to your feast. You have enough to practice between now and when I see you again. I wish to see perfect rib circles and belly rolls after our brightening of rest."

Nessani nodded her understanding and reached again for the towel before following Nahara out of the door.