WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
TRACK 1 - COMPETITION TRACK SATURDAY, November 20th, 2010 9:00am - 4:00pm (Room 1)
AMARTIA - Competing Basics: Everything & the Kitchen Sink! (9:00am - 10:30am)
LOTUS NIRAJA - Own the Stage! Push your Competition Piece to the Next Level (10:30am-12:00pm)
RANYA RENEE - Embrace Your Mistakes (1:00pm-2:30pm)
LISA ZAHIYA - Presentation of Fusion for Competition and Stage (2:30pm-4:00pm)
"Competing Basics: Everything & the Kitchen Sink!" (Amartia) Learn what pitfalls to avoid when preparing for a competition. How to tweak your dance to meet the expectations of the judges, without letting go of your personal style. How to overcome stage-fright, prepare your costuming, music, dance and ego to handle the unpredictability of the world of competitions. Giving yourself a pep-talk before hitting the stage, dealing with wining, losing and everything that goes in-between. Amartia will share her experiences at competitions both on and off the stage from 4 years of being on the competition circuit.
"Own the Stage! Push your Competition Piece to the Next Level" (Lotus Niraja) - Lotus Niraja has served as a judge for several national belly dance competitions and as both a judge and organizer of the Belly Dance Nationals Competition. She is well acquainted with what it takes to grab a judge's attention and earn her vote.Well-known for her dynamic stage presence and her expressive dance stylings, let Lotus show you how to make your personality speak onstage. Lotus will help you produce maximum results on stage. She will not teach you what to dance - she will teach you how to dance it!
"Embrace your Mistakes!" (Ranya Renee) -Your performance can be compelling even when it isn’t “perfect”….and finding ways of accepting yourself while transforming your mistakes into opportunities can create an even more interesting and personal performance! If we learn how to welcome our mistakes, they lose their embarrassing qualities and instead become vehicles for originality and passion, part of the seamless fabric of a dynamic show. The result is that an audience (or even a judge) might not be aware of your mistakes, and you finish your show seeming as confident as ever. Come away with more tips and tricks and have more fun when dancing. Develop self-confidence and a sense of personal strength, even in the tough times!
"Presentation of Fusion for Competition and Stage" (Lisa Zahiya) This Workshop will start with the question "What is Fusion?" and will evolve in a roundtable discussion facilitated by Lisa. The discussion will address fusion, what is is and how to successfully do it. Particpants will watch videos of bellydance and non-bellydance fusion. Participants are encouraged to bring fusion ideas to the group, which will be explored through discussion and movement.
TRACK 2 - TALENT & TECHNIQUE TRACK SATURDAY, November 20th, 2010 9:00am - 4:00pm (Room 2)
Ranya Renee - Shimmy Clinic! (9:00-10:30am)
Zahra Zuhair -" Exciting Oriental Entrances" (10:30am-12:00pm)
Roxxanne - "Ooey Gooey Juicy Couture Movements" (1:00-2:30pm)
Ebony- Layer Cake! (2:30-4:00pm)
"Shimmy Clinic" (Ranya Renee) - Ranya the "Shimmy Doctor" welcomes you to her Clinic! To help diagnose whatever might be getting in the way of your free and powerful shimmy, and lead you through exercises and drills across the range of shimmy options! We'll work with points of origination of the shimmy in the body, hips, legs, use of butt and pelvic floor muscles, shimmying on flat feet, up on toes, weighted, unweighted, weight shifting, layering movements over shimmies, and adding a touch of shimmy to spice up your movements. We'll use music that complements shimmies, with guidance on how to apply shimmies and vibrations to accompany different instruments and rhythmic tempos. You'll learn techniques to free your shimmy through breathwork, stretching, and mental relaxation training. The Doctor knows that the shimmy experience is not the same for all body types, so she'll give pointers for working with what you've got, whether you are tight or loose, slim or juicy, or somewhere in between. This workshop lays the groundwork so you can build your personal shimmy practice with no shame and no apologies! Be prepared for a fun combination of shimmy workout and shimmy spa relaxation.
"Exciting Oriental Entrances" (Zahra Zuhair) - Capture your audience the moment you hit the stage! This class will focus on technique, dance dynamics, and combinations, leading into levels of exciting oriental entrances.
"Juicy Ooey Gooey Couture! Movements" (Roxxanne) -Enhance your dance with "juicy ooey-gooey" movements that will maximize your torso and hip work. Enrich your dance with the focus on timing, undulations and layering to capitalize on the richness of the music.
"Layer Cake!" (Ebony) - Get ready to multitask! Start by drilling basic undulations, accents and shimmies with an emphasis on isolating these movements. Then, embellish those basics by layering them one piece at a time. Kick it up a notch with traveling steps to create clean layers along with strong and controlled movement. Learn powerful, yet graceful combinations that can be used in choreography or improvisation!
TRACK 3 - PROFESSIONAL CAREER TRACK SUNDAY, November 21st, 2010 9:00am - 4:00pm (Room 1)
Michelle Joyce - I Can Belly Dance! Now What? (9:00am-10:30am)
Faten Salama - Egyptian Technique & Introduction to Certification (10:30am-12:00pm)
Aradia - "Becoming a Professional Dancer, Lecture and Dance" (12:00pm-1:30pm)
"I Can Belly Dance, Now What?"(Michelle Joyce) - Beyond the Bubble: If you have ever asked yourself “how do I get international exposure?”, this workshop is geared toward you. Don’t be known as your local community’s “best kept secret”. Burst out onto the international stage! Stop sitting around waiting to be discovered and learn practical strategies for increasing your exposure and propelling your dance career forward. Michelle Joyce, Executive Producer of Cheeky Girls Productions, will share her secrets to successful marketing. Everything from winning competitions to filming DVDs will be discussed in this one-of-a-kind seminar. Michelle will also share insider information about working with workshop sponsors, photographers, DVD producers, and event organizers.
"Egyptian Technique & Introduction to Certification" (Faten Salama) - This intensive introduction course taught by the world-renowned native Egyptian instructor & choreographer, Faten Salama, is a great opportunity to experience Egyptian folkloric dance. Learn about the origins of folkloric dance, its influence on oriental dance and how to incorporate this into your performances. Learn the true Egyptian style from a Native Egyptian Master Instructor with 35+ years of experience!
"Becoming a Professional Dancer" (Aradia) - Aradia shares her 29 years of experience in ME dance and 18 yeas of working restaurants and night clubs, to help the new professional dancers, as well as a brush up course for the seasoned professional.
