Learn an Iconic Piece of Finger Cymbal History
Shashkin
John Compton’s legendary finger cymbal choreography
Ready for a finger cymbal challenge?
This choreography is going to ask your hands, your feet, and your brain to do some wonderfully weird things together 😂—and that is exactly what makes it so much fun.
I’m teaching one of the most memorable finger cymbal choreographies I have ever learned: an iconic piece created by American belly dance legend John Compton.
Originally developed as a finger cymbal drill for his troupe, Hahb’Ru Dance Company, the choreography combines foundational tribal belly dance footwork and arm patterns with wonderfully unusual zill riffs that will challenge your coordination, expand your finger cymbal vocabulary and introduce your hands to combinations they may have never played before.
But this series is about more than learning some really cool zill patterns.
It is also a chance to learn a little piece of belly dance history and help keep it dancing.
The choreography that completely changed the way I thought about zills
I first learned this choreography directly from John at Tribal Fest in the early 2000s. And it blew my mind.
Until then, I had never really understood just how expressive these tiny instruments could be. John’s finger cymbal playing opened my eyes to possibilities I hadn’t even considered. The patterns were unexpected, challenging and unlike anything I had played before.
Years later, in 2008, I had the incredible honor of traveling through Taiwan with John and teaching alongside him at festivals there. He was an extraordinary performer and showman, founder of the legendary Hahb’Ru Dance Company, and was known for his famous tea tray dance, phenomenal finger cymbal playing, magnetic personality, kind heart and those electric blue eyes.
John passed away far too soon in 2012, but the mark he left on belly dance is undeniable. And it lives in pieces like this one, passed from dancer to dancer and generation to generation.
I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to pass this choreography along to you.
Come challenge your zilling
This choreography began as a finger cymbal drill, and you will understand why once we get into it!
John paired relatively foundational movement vocabulary with zill riffs that are anything but ordinary. You’ll encounter unusual combinations and pattern changes that require your hands to think differently while your body keeps right on dancing.
Over our nine weeks together, we’ll break everything down piece by piece so you can build the coordination gradually instead of throwing your hands into the deep end and hoping they figure it out. 😝
By the end of this 9-week series, you will:
- Stretch your manual dexterity with intricate finger movement.
- Challenge your musical brain with unexpected pattern shifts.
- Expand your zill vocabulary beyond standard rhythms.
- Build confidence playing complex finger cymbals while layered over dance.
One class. Three ways to learn.
Join me in the studio in Houston
Wednesdays • 7:45–9:00 PM
Come dance with me in person! We meet at 7636 Harwin Drive Unit 115.
Join us LIVE on Zoom
Wednesdays • Live Interactive Stream
Not in Houston? Log in and take the exact same class alongside us from wherever you are.
Learn from the recordings
On-Demand • Access Anytime
Every class is recorded in its entirety and added to your online classroom. Miss a week? Need to slow down a particularly mind-bendy zill riff? Want to review the choreography 47 more times until your fingers finally cooperate? You can! 😉
Your registration includes one full year of access to all nine class recordings, so you have plenty of time to learn, review, and revisit the material.
And then…we perform it!
Learning it is only half the adventure.
Everyone registered for the series will be invited to perform the choreography with us in one of our December student showcases.
Online Showcase
Saturday, December 12 at 1:00 PM Central
Perform with us LIVE via Zoom from anywhere in the world.
Houston Student Showcase
Sunday, December 13 at 5:00 PM Central
Join us onstage for our in-person Houston performance.
You can choose the performance opportunity that works for you. And if performing isn’t your thing, that’s okay too. You are absolutely welcome to take the series simply for the challenge and the joy of learning the choreography.
Want to take it to Austin?
We are also planning to showcase this choreography at the Migrations Dance Festival in Austin in January 2027.
Dancers who complete the series and are interested in joining the Migrations performance will have the opportunity to apply to perform. Additional participation details and requirements will be available from Sahira during the series.
So if you’ve been itching to get your zills back onstage, there are some pretty fabulous reasons to learn this one.
Your 9-Week Series
Wednesdays | 7:45–9:00 PM Central
- September: 23 & 30
- October: 14, 21 & 28 (No class Oct 7)
- November: 4, 11 & 18
- December: 2
Your Registration Includes:
- Nine 75-minute choreography classes
- In-person Houston or live Zoom participation
- Complete recordings of every class
- One full year of online access to recordings
- Step-by-step instruction in John Compton’s choreography
- Invitations to December online & Houston showcases
- Opportunity to apply for Migrations 2027 in Austin
This one is for the zill nerds. 💜
It’s for the dancer who hears an unusual finger cymbal riff and immediately thinks, “WAIT. What was THAT?!”
It’s for the dancer who wants something challenging enough to make her brain hurt just a little.
It’s for the dancer who wants to become more dexterous, musical and expressive with their finger cymbals.
John’s choreography changed the way I thought about finger cymbals more than 20 years ago.
Now I get to share it with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Come learn an iconic piece of belly dance history.