Workshop

Date & Time

Duration & Cost

1. Amira’s “Dance Your Belly” workshop for beginners.
 

Belly Dance 101

The Dance Your Belly™ Basic workshop is intended for dancers of every level but is mostly welcoming dancers with less than 1 year of experience and especially first-timers.
No experience is needed, it is suitable for people in every age, shape or size. This workshop is to motivate and inspire women to find the most exciting way towards better health and self-confidence.
Also, this basic workshop is perfect for any seasoned dancer to repeat and define their basic technique, or especially useful for any dancer wanting to become a bellydance teacher.

Seven Good Things You Can Expect From My Dance Your Belly!™ Basics Workshop
1. You will have fun & feel welcomed!
We bellydance to celebrate and be joyful. I remind my students to smile as often as I remind them about the benefits of great posture. There’s lot’s of laughter and lightening-up in my classes.
Bellydance is about YOUR self-expression. There is no comparison, no judgment, and no competition in my workshops. I value and respect everyone’s unique personality and encourage my students to put your own touch and expression into your dance. We’re all meant to look different and be beautiful in our own way.
2. You will feel great mentally, physically, and emotionally!
Learning the variety of rhythms and movements in bellydance is a fun way to stimulate mental activity and increase concentration and sharpness.
You’ll feel boosted with positive energy and endorphins as you discover your body and your self.
And, that positive feeling stays with you when you leave the classroom. When you feel good physically and emotionally, you feel good in general, in your life, and out in your world.
3. You Will Isolate and Move Distinct Parts of Your Body.
In ballet, you first learn to turn out your feet before you dance. In bellydance, you begin by learning to isolate your head, shoulders, chest, abs, and hips.
You’ll practice moving isolated body parts independently and develop a foundation for unlimited creativity in your dance.
4. You Will Learn What Correct Posture Is – And Why It’s Important.
Bellydance is a wonderful way to increase muscle strength, flexibility, and skeletal alignment – and all of that begins with posture.
I emphasize correct posture repeatedly in my classes to help my students develop good habits from the beginning of their bellydance practice.
Good posture protects your lower back, encourages you to keep your knees bent – which gives fluidity to your movement and allows your chest to move more, and increases your breathing capacity and circulation. All of which is good for you all the time, whether you’re dancing or not.
5. You Will Combine Movements and Practice a Choreographed Dance.
In the workshop, you’ll learn a series of combinations of the isolated movements we practice. This combination becomes your own unique dance as you add your self-expression and personality.
I’ve designed the workshop and my Bellydance 101 DVD  to work in concert as you develop your dance. The combinations you learn in the workshop match those on the DVD, so your practice at home builds naturally on what you learn in the workshop.
6. You Will Enjoy a Great Workout In A Relaxed Atmosphere.
The workshop is a deliberately intense 2-hour session where you learn and practice a lot of movements. My intention is to teach you the basics while we have fun. Our practice is not goal-oriented but designed to combine physical and mental exercise with self-expression and joy.
7. You Will Get It – No Matter Your Age, Shape, Size, or Experience!
 

20th Feb 2010

9.30 AM- 12 PM

(2 hr 30 min)

 Rs. 1500/-

Veil is Amira’s favorite prop for belly dancing. 
In your workshop with Amira you will learn everything from how to hold your veil, all about the different materials, how long and thick they should be to actually learning simple techniques.
At the end you will learn simple combinations with your veil.
Includes a special warm-up for opening and flexing your shoulders which  is crucial for smooth veil dance.
Bring your own 3 meter veil (silk or chiffon) or purchase one at the workshop.

Brief History of the Veil as a Bellydance accessory

Veil was originally NOT part of belly dance. It became more famous thank to Salome’s “Seven Veil Dance” and dancers in 1940s in Hollywood adopted it and made it more mainstream. Today, veil has made its way to dancers heart and there is rarely a belly dancer who would not use a veil as an accessory to their costume or dance.
In the middle-east dancers use veils mostly for entrances only, they drop it on the floor soon after and continue dancing without it.
In the western world veil has being used throughout the entire dance and veil dance has evolved into rather technical and even complicated but still breathtakingly beautiful form of expression.
 

20th Feb 2010

12 PM - 2 PM

(2 hr)

Bellydance Shopping time!

Buy DVDs, T-shirts, Veils, Zills and much more!

Zills (Zagat) are a serious musical instrument.

They are called "zils" or "zills" in Turkey and "sagat" or "zagat" in Arabic. Playing zills while belly dancing is a fun way to entertain a crowd or make an entrance.

In this workshop you will learn how to place them on your hands, how to care for them, where to find them, basically anything related to zills and of course how to dance with them. You will be introduced to basic Arabic rhythms, and different playing methods (from restaurant style playing to more sophisticated ambidextrous style). Find ease and loose the intimidation sometimes associated with zill playing.

Musicians and dancers alike are welcome to this workshop. Bring your own (set of 4) or zills can be purchased in the beginning of the workshop. 

Amira has studied zills with world famous drummer and dancer Karim Nagi, Morocco, Roula Said to name just a few and polished her zill skill playing 8 years in restaurants and corporate and private parties.

21st Feb 2010

9.30 AM - 11.30 AM

(2 hr)

Rs. 1100/-

Raqs Al Assaya is an Arabic term for cane dance.

Raqs=dance, assaya=cane. 
 

In this workshop you will learn the basics – how to hold, maneuver and even twirl your cane (it is not as hard as it looks) concluding with a short choreography.
It will be fun and you’ll burn calories.
Canes will be available for purchase.

Brief History of the Cane as a Bellydance accessory

This dance originated in southern Egypt, in the region known as the Said or Upper Egypt. Traditionally, in the Said, men carried long sticks with them which they used as weapons, and eventually they evolved a dance in which they feigned fighting with these sticks. Women then began dancing with canes as a way of playfully imitating this men's dance, and eventually raqs al assaya developed into a distinct women's dance. This dance is earthy, happy, full of parody and humor.  The men do a dance called tahtib, much like a martial art, with large sticks. The women dance with smaller sticks or canes, just for fun. 
Saidi is very popular rhythm and style of music and dance, very much adopted and appreciated in bellydance world today. 

It is important for a modern western bellydancer (pro or amateur) to study and understand Egypt’s folkloric saidi dance as it brings one back to the roots of where it all began. 
 

Amira has studied cane dance in both the US and Egypt, and she is the director of the troupe Raqaseen in Las Vegas famed for their elaborate assaya dances. 
 

21st Feb 2010

11.30 AM - 1.30 AM

(2 hr)

Rs. 1100/-

An Introduction

Amira brings the ancient arts of Yoga and Bellydance together in a modern world, with a program that teaches gentle and effective techniques to help every woman on the path to one of life's most profound experiences - Motherhood.

21st Feb 2010

2 PM - 2.45 PM

(45 min)

Rs. 300/-

What has made Shakira so popular? Why is belly dance gone main stream? The secret is in using basic belly dance moves to club music in your jeans or any outfit!
 

Learn how to tastefully incorporate belly dance in your night out at the night club.
Dance belly dance to any music.
Amira will even teach you a little choreography to a popular hit song!
Don’t have to “dress to kill” for this workshop, he-he, wear your regular comfortable clothes, you’ll be sweating!
 

21st Feb 2010

3 PM - 5 PM

(2 hr)

Rs. 1100/-