Workshops
Belladonna
BATS with a Blade
BATS stands for Boho Articulate Travel and Synchronise, it is the Bohemian Belly Dance language of compound moves and combinations used in solo and group improv as well as combos that work great for sequencing and flow. In BATS with a Blade we dive into Boho vocab with a Blade. Dancers will be introduced or review held and balanced moves from the Bohemian Belly Dance and Blade lexicon. Tons of fun and open to all levels
Double Swords
Join Belladonna for an all new double sword workshop. Dive into some juicy combos and some sweet shapes to help you bring your badass to the forefront! Belladonna is a master sword dancer and the founder and creator of the groundbreaking Boho Blade technique.
Belladonna has been an influencer of modern sword dance for over 20 years, introducing grip changes, sword philosophy, plane technique and a truly unique approach to double sword to the world of bellydance. She founded the first sword dancing certification in 2014 and double sword certification in 2020. Her style and technique continue to grow.
In this workshop you will learn Power Poses, Carving Space and Holding attention. How to take over the room and keep them wanting more. A wonderful companion to your Boho Blade certification training or for dancers new to Boho Blade. Open to all levels.
Please have 2 swords appropriate for bellydance. Open handled swords are recommended.
Sword History for Dancers (Lecture)
Don't miss the chance to delve into sword mythology, philosophy, history, and power! No experience necessary! We will have a Powerpoint presentation and lots of inspiring information, for the novice and professional alike!
More than just a dance prop, swords are a weapon. They are a symbol representational of different things in different cultures. Swords are laced with a long history and lots of mystery that surrounds them. In this lecture, Belladonna will discuss the history, iconography, and evolution of swords in our society today, as well as their role as a partner in belly dance.
What are You Wearing? (Lecture)
Ethnographic Jewelry lecture
Many of us enjoy adoring ourselves with beautiful ethnographic bits and baubles. Some of which even have come to have special significance to us. Often though we do not know where these antique pieces came from, who made them and what they symbolize to their culture. In this lecture Belladonna will explore and discuss some of the most popular “tribal” jewelry styles and pieces and their origins and significance. Dancers will gain an introduction to the Bedouin, Amazigh, Kuchi, Tuareg, Maio and more.
50% of the proceeds from this lecture will be donated to Rain for the Sahel and Sahara organization to help some of the tribes whose creations we wear.
Angel Belly Dance
Choreography Construction (Lecture)
Having a short amount of time to create, clean, and perfect a stage-worthy choreography is quite challenging for many dancers when juggling a second job, family, and/or other basic life responsibilities. This workshop is a deep dive into numerous tips, guidelines and technique on how to effectively put together an elite choreography piece when faced with a short amount of time while also dealing with the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced life. Angel will also share names of apps and computer programs which could be very useful and help with time efficiency. We will also discuss helpful tips on keeping realistic time schedules or time management routines for not only choreographing, but also music editing, music selection, costume decisions, successfully working around injuries, preventing injuries, and how to work around the “brain block” and “over thinking.” It is Angel‘s pleasure to share all of her tips and tricks after learning through trial and error over the last three decades.
Say it with Your Chest!
Are you ready to expand your range of chest movements? Are you seeking more technique and drills to get there? Are you looking for more variety of chest movements to add to your dance repertoire? Then this is the workshop for you!
As bellydancers, we often spend more time on our hip movements rather than other body movements. Executing fluent, bold and proper chest movements is an important and critical subject to learn for all bellydancers. This training will provide tools for excellent chest combos and posture as well as to assist us to look and feel more powerful on stage.
As a bonus, Angel will also share a few belly fluttering techniques and costume choices which will assist your new chest movement techniques. Bring a towel, water and wear your best bra!!!! HAHA!!!
Benjamin Alderson
"Beginner-mediate" Tabla Technique
Benjamin will cover tabla technique from beginner through fairly advanced, depending on the class skill level. Whether you're simply "tabla curious" or have been playing for years, you'll walk away with some new skills and something to work on in your practice time! Boost your playing to the next level and bring your questions and challenges as this class is part workshop, part group therapy, part jam session!
Dawn Xiana Moon
Unleashing Your Inner Evil Queen
Unlock your inner badass and move with intention, truth, and power.
Command attention and exude confidence whether you're in front of a thousand people or ten. Learn how to appear larger than life and connect with an audience, turning them from strangers into friends (or minions who will do exactly what you want them to). Create compelling, unforgettable performances.
Be so fierce they can't look away.
Doholla Boheme
Achromatics
Are you ready for fight training? Afro KE’s lead staffer is here with Doholla Boheme to put you through an exhilarating experience with learning the Bo Staff! You will learn how to use the staff as an extension of yourself. Through Bojutsu and Zulu stick fighting methods, you will be become an unwavering warrior.
Kae Montgomery
Group Improv (ATS) Fusion Drum Solo Choreography
Mesmerize your audience with Kae's thrilling drum solo choreography! Don't worry if you're new to ATS – in just two hours, you'll confidently walk away with some of the coolest ATS moves to add to your dance routine. This choreography is versatile and perfect for you solo performances or seamlessly modified for any group size! All levels and styles are welcomed! Your registration includes choreography notes and edited music to enhance your experience.
Power of Two
Enhance your duet performance with elegant Group Improv (ATS) Fusion moves designed for pairs. New to ATS? No problem! Kae will break down each step thoroughly, allowing you to drill them with your dance partner and craft a breathtaking duet performance. Join with your current dance partner or connect with new friends for an enriching experience! All levels and styles are welcomed.
Karina
The Opulent Jellyfish
Do you feel like stuck and staggered in your arm and leg pathways while improvising or writing choreography?
Well this workshop is for you! Come learn some weird and unusual ways to extend your body to break out of
your dance bubble and add a little noodly goodness to your next performance! This workshop will focus heavily
on body posture, creating pathways and getting out ofour comfort zones.
Lisa Jean
Perfect Your Practice
So you want to improve your dancing and you know that you need to practice.
At home.
On your own.
But how the heck do you go about it?
Where do you start?
How do you know what to do without a teacher right there telling you?
Never fear! Using my 20 years of experience dancing and teaching, I've broken down how to go about creating a sustainable and effective at-home dance practice. This workshop will take you from feeling lost and overwhelmed when thinking about practicing, to in-control and empowered.
Dance is for more than just winning awards and getting paid gigs (although those are awesome, too!). You can use it as a means to keep your body happy and healthy. Nobody NEEDS to backbend or do the splits. But you do need to protect your joints and keep your muscles supple so you can keep movin’ and groovin’ when you’re 80+!
Let me help you get a regular dance practice going so you can reach your own unique goals in a way that works for YOUR body.
Liz Azi
Intro Magranhat
Mahraganat has been soaring in popularity in Egypt nightclubs and has since caught on in the rest of the belly dance world. Learn a little bit about the history and cultural context of this fun, upbeat music and dance craze in Egypt as well as some combos to a current Egyptian club hit.
Antolian Funk
Anatolian Rock and Funk was a music craze in Turkey from the 1960s to the 80s that combined elements of traditional folk music, rock and roll, and psychedelica. Come learn all about this incredible genre of music as well as how it impacted dance! In this class we will learn some funky combos to some classic Anatolian Rock music that are inspired by the sounds and dances of the 70s in Turkey.
Luna Poumian
Active Transitions and Precision
Based on a multidisciplinary training, we will work on turns, displacements and transitions oriented to enhance your style. Scenic trajectory along with movement exploration.
The Mystique in Emotional Projection
Wondering how to use your body to project emotions and feelings? Luna will guide you and share some tools and tips to help you feel confident and secure portraying feelings on stage.
Monali
Belly Bollywood
In this workshop you will learn how to combine the fluid grace of the Middle East with the charm and expressions of Bollywood, in the Bollywood-Belly dance fusion class! You will be introduced to graceful hip and arm movements, and body isolations that make belly dance so beautiful, set appropriately to the addictive and romantic music of Bollywood.
Naimah
Dance Otherworldly: Slinky Choreography with Emphasis on Arms
Naimah is known for her unique brand of dance she calls Multiversal Movement where the focus is on making art beyond just dance. In this workshop we will move through smooth transitions with extra attention to arm layering to add drama and create otherworldly-like shapes. You will be able to take these movements with you to enhance your technique and presence on stage.
Sal El Sayed
Raqs in Love
Classic Egyptian Dancing is not about memorizing steps, but rather a connection between oneself, the music, and one’s audience. In this workshop, we will talk about a few key elements to developing and maintaining that connection: 1) knowing and understanding the music from a cultural perspective, 2) importance of dynamics in dance, and 3) being present on stage. Keeping these elements in mind, we will dive into a classic Arabic love song, Sal-style
Tanoura Folklore 101
Introduction into Tanoura folklore dance and technique. Learn about the history, the how-to's of dervish spinning and how to avoid dizzy spells, and incorporate arm and hand positioning to express from within. The end result of this workshop is simple - spin, emote, connect.
**Loaner skirts for spinning will be available for use and to share**
Sarah-
Sage & Steam Fusion
The Eyes Have It Make Up Primer
The eyes are the windows to the soul or in this case your audience's focus!
Bring your kit and lets get ready for stage! Sarah will show you tried and true make up techniques for dramatic eyes with out the fuss so you can stay focused on the dance.
Make up novice to adventurous beginner friendly.
Silvia Salamanca
Contemporary Dance for Bellydancers
Everything Ballet Can Do for Your Dance Without the Injuries! (all levels)
Become a more well-rounded dancer, and expand your dance vocabulary with true Modern Dance Technique. Modern Dance is known for its fluid and organic nature, yet requires incredible strength and balance to master.
In this workshop, you will go through several modern dance drills that will start you on a path towards a stronger, more balanced bellydance style (it is great for spins and turns, as well as creative floor work!). We will use these drills to build a short combination that fuses belly dance technique with your new modern dance ideas.
Next Stop on the Nomad Road: Tambourine!!
With more passion than ever before, we will incorporate a tambourine into our
fiery Roma- and zingar-inspired bellydance! In this workshop you will learn the
basics of dancing with a tambourine, infuse your hip moves with the flavor of the
eastern European Romani and come out with a new routine ready to set
the room on fire! Opa!!
Vida Ixchel
Contemporary Dance with Folklorico Flair
"Contemporary Dance with Folklorico Flair" is a class that briefly reviews steps and skirt movements used in folkloric dance from various regions of Mexico and Latin America and fuses them with contemporary moves and music. The musical piece excerpts represent a message, an idea, or a state of mind. This class is meant to enable dancers to understand inserting cultural dance with more modern music to create pieces that may not be represented in other areas. For individuals with folklorico, flamenco, or other percussive/cultural dance history, please bring your shoes and double-circle (doble vuelo) practice skirts. Vida will be bringing additional practice skirts for attendees. Note: some music selections may have strong themes.
Walky Ardaat
Tamarind Skirt FCBD Style
​Give your FCBD Style a fun twist to your language now with the skirt element. Combos with skirt to take your group performance to a fiery, fun and explosive level. FCBD Style Classic, Modern & New Style bases are required.
WildCard Belly Dance
Do you want to give your FCBD Style a different, playful and wild twist? What you want is to explore in this seminar the rhythmic and slow combos, a group movement that gives Wild Card Belly Dance its particular flavor. Friendly with different improvisation formats, but FCBD Style Classic, Modern bases are preferred.
