Fridays:
Near Eastern Dance - Choreography: Fridays 6:30pm-7:30pm Karavansaray Dance Company Rehearsal: Fridays 7:30pm-8:30pm Saturdays: Bellydance Basics: Saturdays 9:30am-10:30amBellydance & Beyond - Intermediate/Advanced: Saturdays 10:30am-11:45am |
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BELLYDANCE BASICS: Saturdays 9:30am-10:30am Learn and master basic moves for the beautiful artform of Bellydance. We will break down three or
four new movements each class,
forming them into combinations. Key Near Eastern rhythms -- a new
rhythm
each month -- provide the basis for the movements and combinations so
students will become familiar with the rhythms that underlie
Bellydance. Each class begins with a thorough warm-up and workout to prepare the body for dance, as well as drills to improve isolations.
Perfect for Beginners to Bellydance, as well as Intermediate students who want to improve dance technique. No prior dance experience needed. Current Session Information:
New students should check here for useful information prior to attending classes. Class time: Saturdays 9:30am-10:30am Class fees: $12/class for single class
$10/class for 3+ classes pre-paid
Tuition Policy: Advance class payments are valid for 6 weeks from date of purchase. Cash or Check only, please. | ||
| BELLYDANCE & BEYOND - INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED: Saturdays, 10:30am-11:45am Expand your knowledge of
Bellydance... and Beyond: Oriental Dance (Bellydance) technique. Near
Eastern rhythms. Finger Cymbal technique.
Taqsim. Veil work. Drum Solo. Turkish and Egyptian Oriental dance
styles. Upper Egyptian Folkloric styles. Turkish Romani dance. Khaliji
dance. Sword dance. Folk dances of Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, and
Armenia. Classical dance influences from Armenia,
Persia, Central Asia, and Western ballet. Cultural context and
awareness.
Classes begin with Finger Cymbal practice to learn rhythms covered in that class. After a thorough warm-up and workout, Amanda teaches steps and combinations or a choreography. Amanda also teaches a Near Eastern folk dance in most classes. The goal of this class is to deepen each student's understanding of Near Eastern dance -- Bellydance as well as Folkloric and Classical styles, improve each student's technical abilities, and train dancers who are excellent performers as well as knowledgable students of Near Eastern dance. Intermediate/Advanced students only. Recommended: at least one year of Bellydance classes and familiarity with basic Bellydance movements. New sessions begin every two months. Students may begin any time during a session, but regular attendance is encouraged in order to progress in each subject. Current Session Information:
New students should check here for useful information prior to attending classes. Class times: Saturdays, 10:30am-11:45am Class fees: $12/class for single class
Tuition Policy: Advance class payments are valid for 6 weeks from date of purchase. Cash or Check only, please.$10/class for 3+ classes pre-paid |
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| NEAR EASTERN DANCE -
CHOREOGRAPHY: Fridays, 6:30pm-7:30pm Learn and polish choreographies of
traditional Bellydance and Near Eastern folkloric and classical dance
styles, including dances from the growing repertoire of Amanda's Karavansaray Dance Company.
Hone your dance and
performance skills by working on the
details that make a good performance. Performance is not required, but
opportunities will arise for presenting choreographies learned in this
class. Prior dance experience is recommended.
Current Session Information:
Class time: Fridays, 6:30pm-7:30pm Class fees: $12/class for single class
Tuition Policy: Advance class payments are valid for 6 weeks from date of purchase. Cash or Check only, please.$10/class for 3+ classes pre-paid |
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| Karavansaray Dance Company Rehearsal: Fridays, 7:30pm-8:30pm Prepare for troupe performances of
traditional Bellydance and Near Eastern folkloric dance
styles with Amanda's Karavansaray Dance Company.
Prior dance experience is recommended. Troupe membership is open to all
interested students, but please contact Amanda for approval to join
Karavansaray. Attendance of the Choreography class is strongly recommended, as most company dances will be taught initially in the Choregraphy class. Note: no rehearsal on July 16. Class time: Fridays, 7:30pm-8:30pm Class fees: Free if attending same-day Choreography class (6:30pm-7:30pm)
Tuition Policy: Advance class payments are valid for 6 weeks from date of purchase. Cash or Check only, please.for Rehearsal Only: $12/class for single class
$10/class for 3+ classes pre-paid | ||
All Classes held at Halanda Studio, 1062 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125 Registration: in class or through www.Halanda.com. For more information, please contact Amanda. New students should check here for useful information prior to attending classes. |
| Notes for New Students |
Welcome to Near Eastern Dance: Bellydance and Beyond!
We will have a great time exploring this beautiful artform and
taking this cultural journey together! If you are new to Bellydance,
the following information is intended to help you prepare for your
first class. If you have taken Bellydance but are new to Amanda's
classes, this information will give you an idea of what to expect when
taking Amanda's classes.What to wear: Comfortable, movable, breathable workout wear: e.g. yoga pants and leotard or t-shirt OR unitard
skirts or loose pants (AKA harem pants or shalwar) are also okay clothes are preferably close-fitting so instructor can see body movements more clearly
Shoes: optional -- some students prefer
bare feet -- but light ballet slippers or jazz shoes are very good to
have, particularly for the folk dance sections; also good are "Hermes"
or "Grecian" sandals
Hip Scarf: also optional, but fun to wear and very common in Bellydance classes
preferably no small beads as these often end up on the floor and will embed into bare feet (ouch!) What to bring: Finger Cymbals, AKA Zills or Sagat available at Adira's Dance (Willow Glen) or Lunatic Fringe (Sunnyvale) [tell them Amanda says Hi!]
Amanda will also have some sets to borrow Props (e.g., veil, cane, etc.), if needed for the session topic (details above) OPTIONAL -- Amanda will have any relevant props available to borrow in class
Patience, Perserverance, and a Positive Attitude You
will discover muscles you did not know you had,
develop new connections between mind and body, explore movement "isolations," and work toward "multi-tasking" body
movements. Depending on your backgound and intensity of study,
mastering basic Bellydance technique can take months or years, so be patient
with yourself. Use yourself alone as a metric; every student progresses
at her own pace, so celebrate your own breakthroughs as they come. And
be sure to smile!
: - ) What to expect in Amanda's classes: Bellydance Basics In the Bellydance Basics class, Amanda's goal is to introduce basic Near Eastern movements and rhythms to students new to Bellydance and/or Dance in general. Amanda gears the Basics class specifically towards Beginners, while Intermediate students will also benefit from the opportunity to drill and refine basic dance moves and become familiar with basic rhythms. Each class begins with a thorough warm-up to prepare the body for dance movement. Then, Amanda will breakdown three or four basic movements: traveling steps and/or turns, percussive movements, and undulatory movements. Once students are comfortable with the new movements, we combine them into short practice combinations to become comfortable dancing and making transitions between movements. Each month will focus on a specific rhythm, and the combinations will work in that rhythm. While Amanda will introduce and use various key rhythms, this class does not include finger cymbal work so students can focus on getting the movements into their bodies and hearing the rhythms as they dance. Throughout the class, Amanda emphasizes proper posture for safe and effective movement. Bellydance & Beyond - Intermediate/Advanced The Intermediate/Advanced class begins with a 10 to 15 minute Finger Cymbal practice to learn and drill rhythms covered in that class. Then Amanda leads thorough a warm-up intended to get the blood flowing, lubricate the joints, stretch and strengthen the muscles, and prepare the body in general for the physical demands of Near Eastern dance. She also drills basic Bellydance technique, including shimmies and other isolations. After the warm-up, Amanda teaches steps and combinations and/or a choreography relevant to the topic of the session, and incorporates finger cymbals when appropriate. Throughout class, Amanda emphasizes proper posture and mindful movement to execute the moves correctly and to avoid injury. Amanda also teaches the basics of a Near Eastern folk dance in most Technique classes. The folk dance changes each session and ranges throughout the Near East -- e.g., Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Armenia, and beyond. Amanda firmly believes that folk dances are a critical aspect of Near Eastern dance and even dancers who are interested primarily in Bellydance will benefit from learning these dances. Learning folk dances and the associated music both deepens the student's appreciation of Near Eastern cultures and also introduces traditional folkloric steps which may be incorporated in Oriental dance presentations and thereby delight "native" audiences. Near Eastern Dance - Choreography Choreographies presented in this class arise from and add to the Karavansaray Dance Company repertoire. Students in this class are not required to perform with the company, but may join the company with Amanda's approval. Rehearasals for the Company follow immediately after the Choreography class. Karavansaray Dance Company Rehearsal Karavansaray Dance Company members are expected to know the dances thoroughly prior to any performance, and Amanda will focus on polishing performance pieces in rehearsal prior to any upcoming shows. Performers are also expected to attend rehearsal regularly to support everyone in the Company, particularly in advance of a show. Regular attendance at the Choreography class is also strongly recommended, as most new company dances will be first taught the Choreography class. General In all classes, Amanda emphasizes understanding the rhythms and music of each style as the basis for expressive interpretation and improvisation. Her dance style is traditional, but often includes modern music and always a sense of fun. Amanda takes the teaching and learning of these beautiful dance forms very seriously. Her goal is give each student both a thorough grounding in dance technique and an appreciation of the cultural context of the dances and music. Amanda's ultimate goal is for each student to become comfortable with the movements, music, and rhythms and thereby be able to perform improvisationally. Just as important is that the student enjoys the experience, because above all, these dances are about Joy. Therefore, Amanda keeps the tone light and encourages smiling and projecting enjoyment even as students focus on difficult movements. So, let's work hard and have fun together! |