Monthly Specialty Workshop Class Series

Sundays unless otherwise noted, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. (2 hours), Instructors vary.                Studio: Rhythm and Shoes

One workshop scheduled each month beginning September, 2007.

Advanced registration is recommended for some classes to ensure space and materials. Please see specific workshop class descriptions below.

***Click here for registration form*** 

Single class/workshop

$20

5-class Workshop Card

$80 ($16 per workshop)

8-class Workshop Card

$120 ($15 per workshop)

Khaleegy Women's Dance with Amina

Khaleegy women's dance is a social dance of the Arabian Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, recognizable by the beautifully adorned costumed (thobe nasal) and hair tossing. It's also great fun and a delight for women's parties! In this workshop, you'll learn the basic steps, how to toss your hair without giving yourself whiplash (or wounding your friends or audience!), plus a short choreography by Amina. Amina has studied the Khaleegy women's dance with experts on this dance form and has taught this form in other classes and workshops. This short choreography is lively and fun-you won't want to miss it! (Suitable for all levels.)

Dancing with Isis Wings: Creating Drama, Interest and Flow with Mirah Ammal

Big, bold and beautiful, Isis wings are an exciting addition to belly dance fusion! In this workshop class you'll learn techniques and tips for using Isis wings to make your spins, turns, swoops and swishes look fantastic. Plus, learn to look beyond the obvious and find creative ways to use your wings to build drama, create visual tableaus, emphasize your dancing, and the music.

Important notes: For this class it is recommended that students either have or borrow a set of Isis Wings. (Mirah is working on an agreement with a vendor to allow workshop participants to order a set of wings at a discount to receive them in time for this workshop-if you're interested, contact her at mirah@mirahammal.com.) Due to space considerations, enrollment will be limited to 14 people.

Beautiful and Dramatic Veil Dance with Mirah Ammal

Whether you use it for a dramatic entrance or for a complete piece, veil work can add beauty, grace, drama, and mystery to your performances. This workshop will address basic techniques, but will also introduce more complex veil techniques and help dancers improve their grace and presentation with veil. You'll learn techniques and combinations you can use in your own pieces, plus a short choreography. Appropriate for all levels.

Important notes: Some additional veils will be available for students to borrow, but if you have your own, please bring it. For space reasons, this class may be limited to 16 students.

October 14

Ballet Basics for Belly Dancers with Becky Stanchfield (not a ballet class)

No it's not some crazy tutus-tangled-in-coin-wraps fusion workshop--it's all about the power of placement! Master dancers from Cairo to Canada strongly recommend ballet as cross-training for their Middle Eastern and fusion belly dance students. Certain foundational elements found in ballet are common across all dance forms, and are essential to a dancer's presentation through lines, grace, steady footwork, and healthy movement. In this class, we'll work with posture, graceful arm position and movements, intention-movement technique, stage presence, and footwork and turn patterns common to both ballet and belly dance. If belly dance is the first form of dance you've studied, this class is an absolute must! If you have prior dance experience in other forms, this class will be a wonderful refresher with a highly-qualified professional.

Becky Stanchfield teaches ballet through Macalester College and Zenon Dance Company. She is also a massage therapist and posture/movement expert.

Zambra Mora with Toha

A cousin of both Orientale and Flamenco, Zambra Mora is a beautiful, passionate dance that originates from the Rom peoples of Andalusia, Spain. Zambra Mora often combines precise footwork, beautiful hand movements, and certain stylized skirt movements of Flamenco with the softness and femininity of Orientale dance. This is a workshop you won't want to miss!

Middle Eastern Drumming Fundamentals for Dancers and Non-Dancers with Dr. Dave Lake

"The rhythm of the drums is at the heartbeat of the music and of the people."  ~Unknown.

Drums are the most basic building block behind Arabic and belly dance music. As a dancer, learning these rhythms and developing at least a rudimentary skill playing them yourself is invaluable! This workshop class is designed for dancers who want to learn more about drumming and rhythm, but also for drummers who want to work more effectively with dancers, and for world music enthusiasts who would like to learn the basics of Arabic rhythms. No previous drum experience is necessary.

Mysterious Moves: Neo-Tribal Dance with Tara

Check one of the hottest trends in American belly dance. Neo-tribal includes sinuous moves, soulful music, and unique stylization popularized by dancers like Rachel Brice, Sharon Kihara and others. Learn some of the most commonly-used tribal fusion techniques plus combinations you can use in your own dancing, regardless of your primary dance style!

Rock Your Raks Assaya! Cane and Saidi Dance with Mirah Ammal

Explore the beautiful, earthy style of raks assaya and Saidi dance in a fun, lively workshop! Today cane is often incorporated into folkloric, Orientale, and even fusion style performances. Learning to spin and hold cane is one part of the picture. Understanding elements of Saidi style (and what makes it look different from "Orientale" dance)  makes a big difference in performance too! This workshop will cover cane technique, and address, combinations, stylization, and Saidi "feel" that you can incorporate into your own dance style and your own performances.

         Important notes: Bring a cane if you have one. The instructor will have canes and sticks available for students to borrow.

Persian Dance

Another cousin of Orientale/Arabic dance, the dances and music of Persia (Iran) are truly a unique dance form separate from Arabic dance. Beautiful, graceful, and subtle, Persian dance concentrates in movements of the upper body, graceful arms, and subtle hip and torso movements.