Amanda proudly presents
a unique opportunity to study several styles of Eastern dance in depth, with a master teacher, choreographer, and dance ethnologist...


Anar Dana:
Bay Area Intensive
Training Project,
2012-2013


with 

Helene Eriksen
Helene_Afghani2
Helene Eriksen is a teacher and choreographer of traditional dances of the Balkans and Islamic Orient. She lectures and publishes on dance ethnology and costume studies. In order to do this she has conducted many research projects in Bulgaria, ex-Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Egypt, the ex-USSR, Tunisia and Morocco as well as with immigrants in Germany, Canada and the USA. She speaks several languages. She is an active member of the Study Group on Ethnochoreology (ICTM/UNESCO). For many years she has been leading dance and culture study tours and now she is the director of her own travel agency Window on the World Voyages.

Helene studied Dance Ethnology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and was later a doctoral candidate in Folklore, Slavistics and Turcology at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany. In Los Angeles she performed with AVAZ International Dance Theater, Gypsy Dance Company and Jasna Planina Ensemble. After a year at the Folkdance Academy in Plovdiv, Bulgaria she was a guest of the Turkish State Folkdance Ensemble in Ankara. She directed her own ensemble Raqs-e Hilal for several years in Germany and is currently directing her new project, Helene Eriksen's Traditional Dance Theater, in Seattle. As a dancer she is in demand internationally with performances in Germany, Austria, England, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, France, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey, Russia, Canada, Norway, the USA, Pakistan, Algeria, Slovenia, and Mexico.


Anar Dana - Bay Area Intensive Training Project, 2012-2013

Learn Technique, Choreography, Dance Notation, Yoga, Music Analysis, Staging, Costuming, Stage
Make-up, Historical and Cultural backgrounds for seven different styles of women's dance from the
regions spanning North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Iran, and Central Asia.


Helene_ArmenianThe specific styles we will study are...Helene_Afghani

Moroccan Sheikat Dance
Sama'i - Classical Arabic Music stylization
Hungarian Roma folk dance
Turkish Roman (Gypsy) dance
Armenian dance
Kurdish folk dance
Afghani dance: Lori
The project covers 9 weekends through 2012 and early 2013 (dates below), culminating in a recital weekend in April 2013 to present the styles we learn. Helene will cover aspects of all seven styles throughout every weekend of the project -- starting with technique and cultural information and moving to choreography, costuming, and performance readiness.

During Weekend #1, Helene will provide an introduction to all seven styles and to the Project format as well. You can attend Weekend #1, without further obligation, to become acquainted with these styles and the Project format before deciding to take part in the remainder of the project.
(Attendees of the Introductory weekend in October must join the Project to attend any additional weekends.)
when (Weekend #1):
Helene_SheikatSaturday Feb. 25 and Sunday Feb. 26
11am-2pm and 3pm-6pm (both days)

where:  
Saturday: Danzhaus Studio
1275 Connecticut Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Sunday: Dance Effects Studio
58 E Campbell Ave, Campbell, CA 95008
[NOTE: although locations differ on Sat/Sun, the workshop and fee cover both days; locations were chosen to be fair to both North Bay and South Bay residents who attend]

cost (one Weekend only):
through Feb. 15: $175
after Feb. 15: $200


Helene_Samai

Dates for the Bay Area Training Project will be:
February 25-26, 2012
April 28-29, 2012
June 23-24, 2012
September 29-30, 2012
November 10-11, 2012
December 8-9, 2012
February 23-24, 2013
March 23-24, 2013
April 13-14, 2013
with Dress rehearsal and Recitals on April 19-21, 2013




Dancers who did not attend the Introductory Weekend can register just for Weekend #1 or for the entire Project at this time. (Dancers who attended the Introductory Weekend must sign the full Project Contract in order to attend additional Weekend.) Payments may be made weekend-by-weekend or for the full Project up front (which would allow a 10% off the total Project cost).

NOTE: Participants should bring the following items to class:
  • yoga mat
  • water
  • food for potluck (participants will enjoy communal potluck lunches to get to know each other)
  • large notebook
  • comfortable dance clothes where Helene can see their movement (no jingles, no costumes)


Registration instructions below


for more information about the Training Project, please review the FAQ
(You can also take a glimpse at Helene's Training Project in Seattle and get an idea what another Project group will be doing -- including some very exciting performance opportunities -- here, and watch an extended video about the 2008 Seattle Project here)


for more information about Helene Eriksen, please visit www.helene-eriksen.de


for more information about registration and logistics,
please contact Amanda at 408-807-4140 or email amandadancer<at>earthlink<dot>net

Registration

Before registering, please review Registration Policies:

  • Participants may register for Weekend #1 only or the entire Project. If committing to the full Project, you can pay either weekend-by-weekend (payment due 10 days prior to each weekend) or for the full project up front (with a 10% discount). Details on the Project Contract.
  • Please include an email address with your payment. Amanda will send you an email to verify receipt of your payment and send you final information about the weekend a few days beforehand. If you don't have an email address or prefer not to supply one, please include your phone number so Amanda can confirm receipt of your payment and contact you with workshop information.  Any payments not received before the workshop weekend cannot be verified and cannot be honored as pre-payments.
  • Payments are refundable through Jan. 25 only. Thereafter, payments are non-refundable and may be refunded only in the event the project is canceled for insufficient enrollment. To request a refund, please contact Amanda no later than midnight of Jan. 25.
  • Registration is transferable to another student for Weekend #1 only, but you must inform Amanda (preferably by phone) of this arrangement prior to that weekend. 

Payment with personal check or money order...

Please download and fill out Weekend #1 Registration Form OR Project Contract and send with personal check or money order to

Amanda Baer 
1062 Lincoln Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125

Please include an email address with your payment. Amanda will send you an email note to verify receipt of your payment and your name will be added to a list at the door. Payment must be received by Thursday, Feb. 23. Any payments not received before the workshop cannot be verified and cannot be honored as pre-payments. If you don't have an email address, please include a phone number so Amanda may confirm recent of your payment and contact you with workshop information.

Payment with Credit Card...

To pay for Weekend #1 Only with Credit Card, please use PayPal, with the button provided below (PayPal account is not required). If you are paying for another person, please note the name of the attendee(s) under Instructions when checking out.
Pay $200:
This payment option will be available until midnight on Friday, Feb. 24. Thereafter, all payments must be made at the door. Note that the payment cost goes to $200 after Feb. 15.

If you wish to pay for the entire Project with a credit card, please contact Amanda. Because of PayPal fees, an additional charge will be required to pay for the entire Project via PayPal.

Frequently Asked Questions
last updated Feb. 8, 2012
About Weekend #1

What will Helene cover during Project Weekend #1?
Helene will present introductory technique and cultural information for all seven styles of dance covered in the Training Project during the first weekend of the Project.

I can't make it to Weekend #1 on Feb. 25/26, but I am still interested in joining the Training Project. Is it possible to join the Training Project if I can't attend the first weekend? 
Yes, it is possible to join the Project even if you can't make to Weekend #1, but Weekend #2 is the absolute last chance to join the Project. Since we need a minimum number of attendees for the Project to go forward, please be sure to let Amanda know that you plan to join the Project. She will send you the registration materials for the entire project.

I can't make both days of the weekend. Can I come just one day and pay less?
Half-weekend payments are not possible; attendees must pay for the whole weekend, regardless if you attend only one day. In addition, it is strongly recommended to attend both days of the weekend, in order to learn the material most effectively.

Do I have to join the full Project to attend Weekend #1?
No, you are welcome to attend just Weekend #1 as a "try-out" for the Project, with no further committments. (Note: this statement does not, however, apply to attendees of the Introductory Weekend in October, 2011. If you attended the Intro Weekend, you have already had a "try-out" weekend and must commit to the whole Project in order to attend Weekend #1.)
About the Training Project

What will be covered during the Training Project?
The specific topics were determined during the Introductory weekend in October and are listed here. Within those styles, the Training Project will cover Technique, Choreography, Dance Notation, Yoga, Music Analysis, Staging, Costuming, Stage Make-up, Historical and Cultural background. Helene will cover all seven topics during each Project weekend -- starting with technique and cultural backgrounds in the first three to four weekends and progressing to choreography and additional topics in subsequent weekends. At the end of the Project, attendees will present a recital of what they have learned in a weekend of performances (and there may be opportunities for additional performances, depending on circumstances).

How long will the Training Project last? 
The Training Project will cover 9 weekends, plus a performance weekend, ranging throughout 2012 and into early 2013 -- dates here.

Will Project weekends always be on Saturday and Sunday?
Each weekend will always cover a full weekend: Saturday and Sunday, 11am-6pm both days.

Will all weekends be held at the same location?
Not necessarily. Once we have a group of dedicated participants for the Project, Amanda will try to find a location (or locations) that would work well for everyone, based on our geographic distribution, and we may vary locations depending on availability. Input from participants for finding locations will be appreciated.

Will there be performance opportunities after the Training Project?
There will definitely be a recital show at the end of the Project -- possibly more than one, depending on circumstances. Details will be determined at a later date.

If I choose to join the Training Project, do I have to complete the entire Project?
Project participants will sign a contract commiting to complete and pay for the entire project. Payments can be made weekend by weekend, and will be due 10 days prior to each weekend workshop. (A 10% discount is offered if the full sum is paid in advance). Project participants will agree to attend all scheduled dates to the best of their ability and to attend extra rehearsals with other workshop participants outside the official workshop schedule (to be decided upon within the Project group as needed). Upon completion of the program, participants will perform in the final recital weekend and receive a certificate of participation.

I may unexpectedly have to miss one or more weekends during the Project. Is that a problem for continuity, and do I have to pay for the missed weekend(s)?
It is ok to miss one or two weekends, but Project Participants are still financially responsible for the whole project, and they will have to catch up on missed information with other participants in the Project.

If I have to miss a project weekend, can I transfer/sell my spot to someone else just for that weekend? 
Only for the very first project weekend (Feb. 25-26, 2012). After that, the way we work will not allow transfers to be possible.

Will there be additional expenses for costuming?
Because of the particular styles we will be studying, the expected costuming expenses for each participant will not be great. Helene will be able to provide most of the costumes needed for performances. The one full costume (for Hungarian Roma dance) which each participant will need to put together herself should be easily assembled from thrift store finds. Also, participants will need to have character shoes, Chinese red velvet shoes, and accessories for their costumes. Helene will provide specific details for the costuming needs during the Project.

I would like to sign up for the entire Project. Do I have to send money with my registration to secure my spot?
You can sign up for the project anytime by sending the Project Contract to Amanda, as long as you provide payment for the first weekend (or the entire project) no later than Feb. 15.  Please be aware that signing the Project Contract entails a financial and time commitment to attend and pay for the entire project. 

I would very much like to join the Project, but the cost is prohibitive for me at this time. Are there any discount options?
There may be work-study opportunities, depending on your skill set. Please contact Helene directly to discuss this option.

I would like to study only some of styles on the list. Would it possible to attend just those weekends?
No, because Helene will cover all seven styles every weekend through the Project. There is no single weekend covering a single style. Except for the first weekend, Project participants are required to commit to the entire project -- both in attendance and financially. Please review the Project Contract for details of this commitment.

If I choose to join the Project after taking Weekend #1, can I still get the 10% discount for full-payment on the rest of the Project?
Yes, if you join the Project after Weekend #1 and elect to pay the total cost in advance, you would get a 10% discount off the total cost of the remaining 8 weeks.

this page last updated Feb. 19. 2012