MEDANZ Festival 2018 Workshops

Confirmed workshops. This will be updated as teachers come on board.

For all workshops at a glance check out the timetable.

For a list of tutors check out the tutor page.

| Friday | Saturday | Sunday |

Friday Workshops

9:00am-10:30am

Teachers' Forum

A series of Q&A on topics that interest teachers. If you have a question for the forum to consider please contact the MEDANZ Committee.

10:45am-12:45pm

Teaching Belly Dance to Adults

Curriculum creation, pacing, leading drills, keeping difficult students under control, and other essential things to avoid and things to include to keep your students coming back. Whether you are an experienced instructor or new to teaching the art, we cover important concepts and discuss the biggest problems.

Tutor: Saqra

Prerequisites:

Please bring:

Saturday Workshops

8:00am-8:30am

Morning Wake Up for Body and Mind – TribalDiva Style!

Join Tracey & the TribalDiva Belly Dance Company team for a fun warm up designed to wake up your body with movement sequences aimed at gradually increasing the heart rate followed by some funky foot patterns and isolations to make sure your mind is ready for the day of dancing ahead – we’ll set you off with a smile!

Prerequisites: None

Please bring: Water bottle

8:45am-10:45am

Pop, Snap, Whack

Lock, Pop, & Drop technique, plus tasty power combos for your drum solo work! Clean and crisp percussive accent movements and the ability to both create and learn combos PLUS how to create them on the spot!

Tutor: Saqra

Prerequisites:

Please bring:

Shimmy Madness

There are SOOOOOO many shimmies and so little time!

From soft ripples flowing across rows of beading, to sharp syncopated pulses moving heavy layers of fabric.

From complex layered movements moving across the floor, to focused intense accents fixing you to the spot.

Shimmies in all their multi layered, multi-faceted glory ... how to do them, when to do them and how to play with them.

This workshop is about getting your shimmy on, keeping your shimmy going, travelling your shimmy, working your shimmy, hard shimmies, soft shimmy’s, constant shimmies, interrupted and accented shimmies …..

If you are already a shimmy queen and want a chance to get your shimmy on, or if you are working your way to up the shimmy ranks and want some new tricks and techniques - come a long, leave the rest of the world behind and enjoy a SHIMMY FEST.

Warm up and cool down are included in workshop

Tutor: Tanya

Prerequisites:

Intermediate level and beyond. Participants should be able to execute:

  • Basic, constant rocking hip shimmy and be able to hold a single leg hip shimmy (or be prepared to work on it independent of other participants)
  • Basic Shoulder shimmy (any style)
  • Be able to perform a simple chest lift
  • Be able to perform a simple pelvic drop (the tilt part of a tuck and tilt)

All level of dancers are welcome to come along, enjoy and give it a go; however, there will be no specific breakdowns of these movements in this workshop.

Please bring:

  • Wear comfortable dance or exercise wear, preferably fitted so your leg and body lines are visible; a hip scarf, belt or pant line is also useful for seeing technique.
  • No noisy belts, save your sparkles and coins for your dance performances
  • Bring water or small (quiet and tidy) snack per your personal requirements
  • Bring a pen and paper if you are a note taker
  • No video’s or photo’s please unless specifically discussed and agreed by Tanya and everyone who may be in the image/video 

Silk Fan Technique and Creative Combos (aka “fan veils”): 

Dancing with silk fans is more than just doing cool party tricks (although we will learn some of those too)! This workshop will include technique, and some options for how to dance creatively with silk fans.

We will make short combinations based on participants’ favourite fan moves taught in the class. All genres of belly dance are welcome.

If time allows, we will discuss context for fan dancing such as improv vs choreo, solo vs group, and fans for entrance/mid-song/finale.

Tutor: Setsuna

Prerequisites: Dance level: Beginner and up, in any belly dance genre. Prop level: No fan experience necessary, but beginner fan or intermediate veil and up is helpful

Please bring: Bring your own silk fans. 1.5m length ideal, but any length will work. People without fans are welcome, though may not get as much out of the workshop.

11:00am-12:30pm

Classical Persian

Genres of Persian dance vary depending on the area, culture and language of the local people, As Iran’s population is comprised of many ethnic groups including Kurdish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Lor, Khorasani and Georgian)

What is recognized as classic Persian dance is a reconstruction of Safavid or Qajar court dances. In this workshop we will learn a classical routine. It is characterized by delicate, graceful movements of the hands and arms, neck and shoulders, simple footwork, many varieties of turns and beautiful traveling steps.  While in belly dance wrist circles are limited to transition between moves, in classical Persian dance, they accompany almost every step. This is great practice towards building supple arms and hands that translate well into other styles.

Tutor: Aida Oryantal

Prerequisites: Suits all level

ITS (Improv Tribal Style) a 90 min Taster

ITS by Amy Sigil and Unmata is a fast improv tribal style that uses common movements with a cue to allow dancers to perform together with no choreography.

In this 90 min taster workshop we will look at some of the core movements and combinations, we will jump straight to the fun fast combos like Egyptian Tumbleweed, Grapies, Arabic with Twist in a Half Turn, Egyptian Twistback and Caravan Droppings, along with the essential fast moves.

This is a great workshop for any level or type of dancer, oriental, beginner, folk, advance, come one come all and try something a little different. 

Pip has spent over 60 hours in workshops studying ITS with Amy herself.

Tutor: Pip

Prerequisties: a travelling ¾ shimmy will help, but you will be given a regression if you haven’t mastered this yet.

Please bring: a pad/towel/mat for knee padding for lying on the floor during wamup/cooldown

Millayah LaffShakeelah in a millayah

So what is a Millayah Laff? Where and what does this dance style originate from? What types of movement would you expect to use in this style of dance and how should you represent this dance style on stage? This workshop will cover some history and development of this quintessential Egyptian dance style, the wrapping and manipulation of the Millayah Laff, then apply this knowledge to a short choreography created especially for this MEDANZ workshop.

Tutor: Angela Mott

Prerequisties: Beyond Beginners +

Please bring: Millayah Laff (if you have one) or a large veil (not silk), notepad and pen

 

2:00pm-4:00pm

Musicality

Explore seven different ways to expand your approach and help you find the key to being the visual representation of the music. Really hear what the music contains and use that to BE the music.

Tutor: Saqra

Prerequisites:

Please bring:

25 yard skirtGlam, Electro-Swing  – Tribal/Fusion 25yrd Skirt Choreography

In this workshop dancers will learn a selection of fun Tribal Style Belly Dance moves which use a 25yrd skirt as a prop, we’ll then put them together in a funky choreography to a fun electro-swing style track that will be sure to get your toes tapping! This workshop is suitable for dancers from all backgrounds, as although we will learn moves used in an improvised tribal format we will be using them in a choreography so knowledge of tribal cues is not required.

Tutor: Tracey

Prerequisites: None

Please bring: A 25yrd skirt! There will be a couple available to borrow, please advise in advance if you would like to borrow one.

 

 

A Short History of Belly Dance Props: 

Over the years belly dancers have employed a range of props. Some are traditional and have been documented for centuries. Others have been around for just decades. This once over lightly will look at a range of props and their individual histories. Everything from cane and tray to snakes and voi.

A chance to deepen your understanding of the dance through a multi-media lecture with talk, photos, videos, and live demonstrations.

Tutor: Kashmir

Prerequisites: None

Please bring: Yourself and a pen and paper (notes of the highlights only will be handed out)

Sunday Workshops

8:00am-8:30am

Morning Wake Up for Body and Mind – TribalDiva Style!

Join Tracey & the TribalDiva Belly Dance Company team for a fun warm up designed to wake up your body with movement sequences aimed at gradually increasing the heart rate followed by some funky foot patterns and isolations to make sure your mind is ready for the day of dancing ahead – we’ll set you off with a smile!

Prerequisites: None

Please bring: Water bottle

8:45am-10:15am

Sword Moves and Combos for Tribal Style Belly Dance

The addition of swords to a tribal style performance provides variety and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser! Swords can be used in both fast and slow pieces, either held by the dancers, or balanced on the head. This workshop will cover creative ways that a sword can be incorporated into a Tribal Style Belly Dance performance using slow and fast moves, along with dynamic start and finish poses and shapes, and some tips and tricks for balancing and handling swords during a performance. Notes will be provided.

Tutor: Tracey

Prerequisites: Tribal Style Belly Dance experience would be useful, but if you are new to the style come along anyway & we will buddy you up with one of the TribalDiva dancers for any extra help required.

Please bring: A sword! There will be a couple available to borrow, please advise in advance if you would like to borrow one.

TanyaTanya's Belly Dance Drills: 

I love training and drilling dance. Just putting on music and losing myself in movement is one of my favourite ways to spend time. And these drills are created to allow me to do just that. Join me in exploring my favourite personal drills developed over almost 30 years of learning, performing and teaching Belly Dance.

My drills are aimed at providing basic Belly Dance strength and fitness training, as well as technique development. They are building blocks for developing and maintaining a Belly Dance skill base suitable for any style or flavour of Belly Dance … Egyptian, folk, fusions, vintage, Lebanese, orientale, tribal, Turkish, …. ANY form of Belly Dance.

They are Belly Dance specific! So, this is not a simple exercise class that uses Belly Dance movement as a vehicle to keep fit, this is drilling designed specifically improve your Belly Dance.

The drills are suitable for all levels, from beginner to advanced. You do not need to be a dance machine, but if you are, they will give you a chance to stretch your Belly Dance body and brain. The drills utilise handy little Belly Dance layers to allow you to work at a level that is comfortable or challenging for you, it’s your workshop so  your call. All dancers in my classes and workshops (beginner to advanced), do their version of these drills. They equate to bar and floor work for Ballet.

Warm up and cool down are included in workshop

Tutor: Tanya

Prerequisites:  Be prepared to work at your personal level of ability and fitness.

Knowledge of, and the ability to execute the following basic Belly Dance movements will make the workshop and workout more effective as they will be used as part of the drills; however, breakdowns and explanations will be limited to assuring safety rather than “how to” technique. The drills are still fun and effective without them, but you will have to be prepared to limit some of your drills to simplified versions.

This is a learning workshop rather than a regular workout session, so the aim is to get something to take away with you. Participating in and “achieving” every exercise is not necessary to get the most out of this workshop.

  • Basic “hip” shimmy; on both legs and single leg
  • Basic hip drop
  • Basic hip slide (flat)
  • Basic shoulder shimmy (any form)
  • Basic Chest Lift and side slid

Please bring:

  • Wear comfortable dance or exercise wear, preferably fitted so your leg and body lines are visible; a hip scarf, belt or pant line is also useful for seeing technique.
  • No noisy belts, save your sparkles and coins for your dance performances
  • Bring water or small (quiet and tidy) snack per your personal requirements
  • Bring a pen and paper if you are a note taker
  • No video’s or photo’s please unless specifically discussed and agreed by Tanya and everyone who may be in the image/video

10:30am-12:30pm

SaqraDouble Veil

This is something Saqra is known for internationally. Information, technique, steps and combos for two veils. Spinning and non-spinning moves to help you master the presentation of this specialty.

Tutor: Saqra

Prerequisites:

Please bring: Two matching half-circle veils would be optimal to bring for class, but rectangular veils will work for this workshop.

Lyrical Tribal Fusion Style Choreography – Strunk

Strunk is a lyrical group tribal fusion choreography that can be performed as a solo;  Lyrical means that some movement goes with the timing of the lyrics and some with the timing of the music.  It is aimed at intermediate/advanced dancers, but will come with appropriate regressions for more beginner levels, also if your body does not permit the movement you will also be given an appropriate alternative or regression.

This is a 6/8, that’s right a non 4/4 choreography for tribal fusion.  It includes familiar moves like undulations, hip drops, levels and snake arms, and more advanced moves like lateral side extension bends, showgirl rolls, sidewinders, shanae turns and laybacks (all advanced moves are optional and come with regressions).  There will Pip’s signature upper body isolations, fluid belly work and optional floorwork.

Tribal Fusion is a stylistic choice and can be layered with all belly dance technique from oriental to tribal.

Tutor: Pip

Prequisites: technique like undulations, umis, chest circles, snake arms, basic turns and safe body posture; also ability to count to 6 :)  

Please come to this workshop already warmed with some light cardio ie with a light sweat from a quick walk, if you can.

All dancers enrolled will receive a video link and a written choreography with the workshop and this will be available after your enrolment on request.  You will also be given the name and artist of the music and are encouraged to find and listen to this track before the workshop.

Please bring: a pad/towel/mat for knee padding for lying on the floor during wamup/cooldown

1:30pm-3:30pm

Floorwork

Information, steps and structure to create a memorable floor dancing performance with or without props. Safety, costuming, assessing appropriateness to a venue. How to strategically get around strength issues, and more.

Tutor: Saqra

Prerequisites:

Please bring: A yoga mat would be suggested, but not required, for this workshop.

Modern Baladi

Baladi, meaning “country”, can be smooth, sensual, playful, strong, and humble. Whatever form it takes, it is always associated with the grounded pride of the working class people. This workshop will include some useful combinations that will be joined together to create a short dance. We will practice the combinations to other baladi or baladi style songs, to give dancers a sense of the signature baladi sound.

Tutor: Aida Oryantal

Prerequisites: Beyond beginner (1-1.5 years dance experience)