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Classes with Amanda

Near Eastern Dance: Bellydance and Beyond
Classes in Traditional Bellydance and Folk Dance of Turkey, the Middle East, and beyond.

classes held at Halanda Studio:

Near Eastern Dance - Technique: Fridays 6:15pm-7:30pm
Near Eastern Dance - Choreography: Fridays 7:30pm-9:00pm
Bellydance Basics: Saturdays 9:30am-10:30am

Download a Class Flier Here

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 which will build into a choreography throughout each month-long session. 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 (March): Chiftitelli rhythm with Veil Work


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 paid in advance
Tuition Policy: Advance class payments are valid for 6 weeks from date of purchase. Cash or Check only, please.

NEAR EASTERN DANCE - TECHNIQUE: Fridays, 6:15pm-7:30pm
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.

In all subjects, 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.

Classes begin with Finger Cymbal practice to learn and drill rhythms covered in that class. After a thorough warm-up and workout, Amanda teaches steps and combinations and/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.

All levels welcome.


New 6-week sessions begin every other month, and one or two Special Topic classes may be offered between sessions. Students may drop in any time during a session, but regular attendance is encouraged in order to progress in the choreographies. For questions about any class, please contact Amanda.

Current Session Information:
March/April Session 2010

Session Dates: March 5 through April 9  (6 weeks) [tentative dates]
Session Topic: Zill (Finger Cymbal) Technique and Choreography

We will work on zill basics, with the goal of becoming comfortable playing cymbals while dancing.  Tonal variations to play cymbals like a musical instrument. Accenting the music. Key rhythms. Special variations for improvisation. We will also build a choreography incorporating multiple finger cymbal patterns with the movements.
Folk dance: TBA.


Bring zills (finger cymbals) if you have them. A few sets will be available to borrow.


Special Topic Classes: April 16 to 30  [tentative dates]
Session Topic: TBA


New students should check here for useful information prior to attending classes.

Class times: Fridays, 6:15pm-7:30pm
Class fees:
$12/class for single class
$10/class for 3+ classes paid in advance (extendable*)
$55 for Full 6-week Series ($9.17/class)
Tuition Policy:
No carry-overs between sessions. Classes missed in one 6-week session may not be carried over to the next session, but students may use the Special Topic class(es) as a make-up for any Technique class missed during the prior 6-week session. Students may also take Special Topic classes independently of the 6-week sessions. Students may also take a make-up class in any of Amanda's other classes during the same session. *Students paying 3 or more classes in advance may also add classes at the same rate within a session on or before the end of the last purchased class. Cash or Check only, please.

NEAR EASTERN DANCE - CHOREOGRAPHY: Fridays, 7:30pm-9:00pm
Learn, review, and polish performance choreographies. Work toward troupe performances of traditional Bellydance and Near Eastern folkloric and classical dance styles with Amanda's Karavansaray Dance Company. Hone your dance and performance skills by working on the details that make a good performance. Prior or concurrent attendance of the Technique class is not required, nor is performing, but both are encouraged. Students in this class are not required to perform with the company, but are welcome to do so.
7:30pm-8:30pm: Learn and polish new dances.
8:30pm-9:00pm: Review current Karavansaray Dance Company repertoire (geared towards company members, but all students are welcome to join in).

Prior dance experience is recommended.  

Current Session Information:
Please note: Choreography class on March 5 and 12 will be fully dedicated to Karavansaray Dance Company rehearsal for our Rakkasah performance. (Come see us: Saturday March 13, 5pm, on the Cabaret stage!)

Next Session Dates: Mar. 19 through April 30
Choreography: a high-energy dance, based in the folk traditions of the Black Sea and Laz regions or Northeast Turkey (tentative) 

Class time: Fridays, 7:30pm-9:00pm
Class fees:
$5/class if attending same-day Technique class (6:15pm-7:30pm)
$10/class for Choreography class Only
Tuition Policy:
No carry-overs between sessions. Sessions follow same dates as Technique class, plus any interim Special Topic classes. Students may make-up any missed classes in any of Amanda's other classes during the same session. Cash or Check only, please.


Classes held at
Halanda Studio, 1062 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125
Registration: in class.
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 connections between mind and body, take on the challenge of "isolating" various body parts, and work toward "multi-tasking" body movements. Depending on your backgound and intensity of study, mastering basic Bellydance technique can take 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.

Near Eastern Dance - Technique
In all her classes, Amanda emphasizes understanding Near Eastern rhythms and music as the basis for expressive interpretation and improvisation of Near Eastern dance styles. Therefore, the Friday Technique class usually 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. 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.

As this class is Open to All Levels, Amanda usually offers two or three variations on each step or combination so that beginning, intermediate, and advanced students can all work at the same time, each at her/his own level. Also, Amanda seeks to accomodate all ability levels by providing individual attention and corrections when possible. All students -- beginning students, in particular -- are encouraged not to compare themselves to other students in the class, but rather to seek improvement of their own abilities. Everyone learns at a different pace and comes to the classes with different movement experience, and what each student gains from this class will likewise be different.
Beginning students will master new steps by doing sufficient correct repetitions until the body "understands" the step in muscle memory -- and the number of repetitions needed to master a step will vary from student to student and step to step. Similarly, more advanced students should challenge themselves with added difficulty -- for example, with layering techniques -- to keep improving their technique. Finally, Amanda strongly encourages all students to ask questions, seek clarifications, and request repetitions whenever needed. Amanda firmly believes that in dance, there are no stupid questions.


Near Eastern Dance - Choreography
In the Friday Choreography class, Amanda leads a shorter warm-up -- depending on how many students carry over from the Technique class that evening -- so students attending only the Choreography class may wish to arrive a little early to begin their warm-up or join the cool-down for the Technique class. 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 are welcome to do so. The first hour of each class is devoted to learning and polishing new dances, while the last half-hour is given to reviewing prior dances and preparing for upcoming performances when needed.

Karavansaray Dance Company members are expected to know the dances thoroughly prior to any performance, and Amanda will focus on polishing performance pieces in class prior to any upcoming shows. Performers are also expected to attend regularly to support everyone in the Company, particularly in advance of a show.


General
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!




This page last updated Mar. 3, 2010. 
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