The PiperMethod™ School of Belly Dance

a comprehensive, structured, and detailed Oriental dance training curriculum

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BellyPalooza 2010

Workshop Schedule


Pre-register, and find great on-line only deals HERE!


 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21st

Room 1

Room 2

Room 3

9:00 am

E: Rhea - Ancient Greek to modern Chiftitelli + Cymbals

E: Soulfire - FANtastic Fan Veils

E: Lisa Zahiya - Workout with Locks and Isolations

10:30 am

E: Rhea - Classic Cabaret + Kicks and Spins

E: Latifa - Khaleegy Spice

E: Piper - Sharp Shimmies and Clean Layering

noon

A: Shems - Sword Science

E: Soul Fire - Double Trouble - partnering and duets - no partner needed

A: Piper’s Favorite Combos

1:15-2pm Lunch & Shopping!

2:00 pm

E: Artemis: Turkish Romany

E: Piper - Circular Veil

E: Lotus - Ultimate Technique

3:30 pm

E: Artemis: Turkish Oriental

E: Melina - Coming Down to Earth

A: Naima - K.O. Drum Solo

7:30pm

Belly Dance Magic at Shriver Theater, just behind the Mattin Center

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22nd

 

Room 1

Room 2

Room 3

9:00 am

E: Rhea - Chakras and Arms

E: Latifa - Expressions Back by Popular Demand!

E: Naima - Liquid Combos

10:30 am

E: Rhea - Move your Hips a Million Ways

E: Sara Sathya - Basics of Odissi

E: Piper - cane + combos to “Talakik”

E: Special Workshop with Sedona of Soul Fire: Stage Presence & Overcoming Stage Fright

noon

E: Melina - Gypsy Flamenco Combos

E: Soul Fire - Passionate and Inspired Dancing

E: Lotus - “Raks Modern" (Modern Cairo/Classical Style)

1:15-2pm Lunch & Shopping!

2:00 pm

E: Lisa Zahiya - BellyFunk

A: Melina - ZenBelly Balance

A: Sara Sathya - Indian Fusion Choreography

E: Special Lecture with Artemis: The 14 Rhythms Every Dancer Should Know

3:30pm

A: Lisa Zahiya - Hip Hop Fusion

A: Shems - The Art of Improvisation

E: Melina - "Not-So Veiled Emotions"

E: Special Workshop with Artemis: Finger Cymbals A to Z

E = everyone:Beginners can focus on hipwork or foot patterns, while advanced dancers can put it all together with posture, arms, transitions, etc.

A = advanced: designed for intermediate to professional dancers. Beginners may attend with the understanding that basic topics will NOT be covered.


9am Saturday

1. Rhea: Ancient Greek Belly Dance to Modern Chiftetelli + Cymbals - all levels. Dancers began playing cymbals tied to their fingertips not in the Middle East but in Ancient Greece! Rhea will teach the precepts of Ancient Greek Dance, including graceful arm movements, fluid weight changes and powerful posturing, and then utilize them all in her unique movement combos that are guaranteed to get you dancing and playing in no time. Finish up with some smokin' hot modern Chifitelli.

2. Soulfire: FANtastic Fan Veils - all levels. Learn to perform with Belly Dancing's Latest and Greatest New Prop. In this workshop Sedona of Soulfire will cover some Fan Veil basics and teach and fun and flirty mini choreography.

3. Lisa - Workout with Locks and Isolations - all levels. Drill, Drill, Drill! Wake up and sweat with Lisa's workout for dancers. Get your energy pumped and ready for a full weekend of dancing + work on locks and isolations. Bring a yoga mat.


10:30am Saturday

1. Rhea: Classic Cabaret + Rhea's Riveting Spins, Kicks and Turns - all levels. Rhea is an original master of a style that is variously called Retro Oriental, Classic Cabaret, or even AmCab. Back in the day, it was just the hottest show on Broadway! Learn the fundamentals of this entertaining style, then spice them up with spotting, whirling, flamenco-style kicks, and Greco-Turkish leap turns.

2. Latifa: Khaleegy Spice - all levels. Many oriental entrance pieces contain a Khaleegy/Gulf/Saudi section. Learn how to shine by interpreting the music in an authentic way that is appropriate for restaurant or hafla performance. Latifa will teach the traditional steps and movements of this subtle and lovely African-nuanced folk dance, and then show students how to adapt these movements to provide variety in an oriental performance. Please bring a thobe if you have one. If you don't have one, bring a veil.

3. Piper: Foundations - all levels. Do shimmies make you tense up and shake all over? Or, maybe your shimmies are great, but you can't travel or layer with them? PiperMethod techniques for utilizing specific and SEPARATE muscle groups for each movement you want to layer will allow you to take your dancing to the next level.


Noon Saturday

1. Shems: Sword Science - intermediate to advanced. Shems will teach the technique, method and discipline of creating dramatic sword dance compositions for performance. Learn sword care, safety tips, balancing tips, choreographic compositional structure and ways to create strong visual lines. Some floor work and spinning will be included with easier variations provided where possible. Participants should bring their own weapon of choice. Open to all levels, but some very advanced material will be covered as well.

2. Soul Fire: Double Trouble, Partnering and Duets- all levels. Sedona and Claudia will share their tips and secrets on how to dance and choreograph as a duet. Then they will teach you one of their award-winning duet choreographies. No partner need, but will be more fun if you've got one!!

3. Piper's Favorite Combos - intermediate to advanced. Learn Piper's techniques for dynamic, swoopy traveling steps, others for razor sharp hipwork and stop-on-a-dime transitions. Crisp isolations, fluid transitions, and bold utilization of stage space are yours for the taking! Beginners may attend this class for ideas, but technique for included ¾ Shimmies, Body Rolls, and 3D Figure 8s will not be covered.


Break for lunch and shopping: 1:15 to 2pm


2pm Saturday

1. Artemis: Turkish Romany – all levels. Turkish "Gypsy" dance with hand gestures. Learn emphasis and accentuation for different 9/8 rhythms, from evocative slow 9s to the lightning fast, exciting karsilama.

2. Piper: Circular Veil - all levels. A circular veil makes a dynamic and exciting addition to your dance, while rectangular veils tend to be more romantic and lyrical. Handholds and fingertip/wrist/arm techniques taught apply to all veils. The moves in this workshop look best with circular veils, but can be practiced with any veil.

3. Lotus Niraja: Ultimate Technique - all levels. Lotus takes basic, foundational isolations and movements and teaches you to turn up the volume and intensity for sharp, high power dancing, or to turn it down for slow, ooey-goey movement. Learn to control the movements, yet keep them powerful and strong. Sharpen your own technique & control your body. Refresh your shimmy, undulations, circles, figure eights, hip and stomach movements and more!


3:30pm Saturday

1. Artemis: Turkish Oriental – all levels. Cabaret Dancing in the flamboyant Istanbul style. Artemis is a performer, writer, master instructor, and dance historian. Learn from the best!

2. Melina: Coming Down to Earth - all levels. Unlock your body's most exquisite and precise isolations and strengthen core and thighs to empower your overall dance. In this workshop Melina will share her favorite floor work and slow work exercises. Slowing down is the ultimate challenge - when you rush movements or layer without control you can easily miss areas you need to work on. Powerful floorwork moves tap into your sacred goddess who can carry herself like a queen and move like a snake. Melina will loan out her magic wands to help participants test their snaky mettle. This workshop is the not for the faint of back or knees. Bring knee pads, thick tube socks and a yoga mat to this workshop.

3. Naimah: K.O. - intermediate to advanced. A knock out heavy metal drum solo workshop. This high intensity workshop will include a warm up and drills that are guaranteed to make you sweat. Followed by a high energy drum solo choreography to menacing beats. Resistance is futile. Please bring a yoga mat.

7:30pm Saturday - Belly Dance Magic at Shriver Theater, just behind the Mattin Center


9am Sunday

1. Rhea: Chakra Power + Graceful Arms and Hand Gestures - all levels. Find your inner snake and learn those fluid torso, hip and abdominal movements with the help of the chakras (energy centers of the body). Complete the look with lovely stylings seen in Rhea's Graceful Arms and Hand Gestures DVD.

2. Latifa: Expressions - all levels. If you want to be a more expressive performer and make better connections with your audiences, then this workshop is for you. Learn to look confident, create moods, and convey emotions with "Latifa's toolbox of expressions", plus brand new ideas to use your own life experiences to create looks that are genuine and just right for YOU!

3. Naimah: Liquid Combos - all levels. Fluid movements drilled and arranged into flowing combinations and put to elegantly esoteric tunes. Please bring a yoga mat.


10:30am Sunday

1. Rhea: Move Your Hips a Million Ways - all levels. Rhea is known for the fastest hips in the West! She will teach you how to move in every way imaginable. Maximize every step you take.

2. Sara Sathya: Basics of Odissi - all levels. A classical dance from the East Indian temples of Orissa, Odissi is known for its statuesque poses, rhythmic footwork, fluidity, grace and prayerful intention. This class will introduce stepping techniques in the masculine (choka) and feminine (tribunga) postures, use of mudras (hand gestures), and short dance sequences. Guaranteed to cultivate focus, presence and strength for dancers of any style.

3. Piper: Cane - all levels. Cane doesn't have to be fancy or complex to be fun! Learn basic techniques to frame or accentuate your moves with the cane, then favorite folkloric and classic moves. Finish up with sweet combos to "Talakik" by Hakim. Loaner canes will be available.

4. Sedona of Soulfire: Stage Presence & Overcoming Stage Fright - all levels. Captivate, Connect, SHINE!!! Tips, techniques and theories to help you to own your stage, overcome stage fright, connect with the audience, and make the most of every movement.


Noon Sunday

1. Melina: Gypsy Flamenco Combos - all levels. Leaps, spins, turns and hip flourishes with flamenco fusion arms for pure dancing fun! Propel yourself across space with earthy verve and lift.

2. Claudia of Soul Fire: Making the Most of your Movement - Passionate and Inspired Dancing - all levels. Move beyond 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 dancing! Iin this explorative workshop, Claudia of Soulfire will lead you through techniques, exercises and combinations to help you present passionate and inspired movement.

3. Lotus Niraja: "Raks Modern" (Modern Cairo/Classical Style) - all levels. We are all inspired by great Egyptian dancers. Currently in Cairo, movements that are being featured are modern, chic, and urban with a classical base. This class will feature a mixture of classical steps mixed with the fresh, current stylings of modern Egypt. You will enjoy the segment on "Slow & Luscious" Bellydance Moves combined with "Step up your Shimmy!". Milk your technique for all that its worth.


2pm Sunday

1. Lisa: BellyFunk - all levels. Explore Lisa's signature fun & funky bellydance style. Learn how to add spice to your performances by working on movement, combinations, patterns and expression. Finish up with a fun, short choreography.

2. Melina: ZenBelly Balance - intermediate to advanced. Melina presents her technique for balancing on top of objects while belly dancing. Yoga postures, breath awareness, circus skills, clean dance lines and powerful personal presence will come into play as we slowly, artfully and playfully dance atop our objects. Learn styling, stage presentation, and music selection, plus tips to improve your control for dancing while balancing on water glasses or whatever you can imagine. Bring sturdy water glasses (no stems), tumblers, or other solid items (yoga blocks work well) to balance, plus a veil or small rug to place items on. Melina will check your objects for safety and also have objects available for borrowing.

3. Sara Sathya: Indian Fusion Choreography - intermediate to advanced. Sara will teach a fun and challenging choreography which draws from Odissi, Kathak, and North Indian folk movements. This fusion style is not based on belly dance, but participants will learn a variety of movements that can incorporated into belly dance routines for an Indian flavor.

4. Artemis: The 14 Rhythms Every Dancer Should Know – all levels. In this lecture format workshop, you will learn fun and easy techniques to help you to remember each of these rhythms. All rhythms will be taught in terms of dums and teks, counting, and with funny pneumonic sayings that will stick in your mind forever. Once you know these rhythms, you will be able to create the perfect show for each ethnic population. The 14 rhythms covered are: Ayoub, Masmoudi sagir (Belady), Masmoudi kabir, Ciftitelli (two versions), Saidi, Maqsoum, the universal 6/8, Saudi, Malfouf, Rhumba, Cabaret 9/8 Karsilama, Romany 9/8 (Agir Roman slow), Tulum 9/8, Zuffa. An instructional CD will be available for sale to bolster your practice at home.


3:30pm Sunday

1. Lisa Zahiya: Hip Hop Fusion - intermediate to advanced. Start with basic hip hop movements and techniques, plus ideas on how to effectively fuse them with bellydance, then move on to fun combos. Learn the style that won Lisa the title of Tribal Fusion Belly Dancer of the Universe! Be prepared to get funky and sweat.

2. Shems: The Art of Improvisation - intermediate to advanced. Improvisation can be so much more than just dancing without choreography. Learn practices that help you add structure and emotional dynamics to your performances on the fly. Learn to break free from monotony and mush and instead embrace the advantages of being totally in the moment and conversing with your music. Shems's will take your through several topic focused improvisational exercises as well as teaching some technique and combinations to aid in your practice and understanding.

3. Melina: "Not So Veiled Emotions" - all levels. In this expressive dance we play with all aspects of the veil: as physical material that hides and reveals us, as spiritual fabric that both gives us refuge or contains our passionate anguish, as a womb from which we birth ourselves again and again. Featuring veil wraps, unwraps, twists, frames, tosses and flicks, with an emphasis on clean, dramatic body lines and a loving attention to slow detail. Bring a long rectangular veil, preferably not silk. Circular veils will not work for this choreography. Melina will have some veils available for participants to borrow.

4. Artemis: Finger Cymbals A to Z – all levels. After all that dancing, take a seat, and learn to master your Zills from the Zill Master herself – Artemis! Let’s demystify this powerful and ancient instrument. Whether you are “zill virgin" or an accomplished musician, you will find lots to learn. We will cover finger cymbals A to Z, the three 3 most important sounds you can make with finger cymbals, the 4 ways to play them to best accompany your music and your dance, plus lots of fun and interesting patterns. Break away from the same old same old and learn to play them like the dancing musicians that you are meant to be. An instructional CD will be available for sale to bolster your practice at home.

  • Specials will only be available through August 15th.
  • Advance price on-line sales close at 2pm on August 20th. Cash and check only sales at $30/workshop or show ticket will be available at the registration desk beginning at 8am on August 21st.
  • Refund Policy: 90% refunds are available through August 13th, 2010. 50% refunds are available through noon August 20th. We regret that no refunds are available for any reason after that time.


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