|
Workshop
Schedule:
Workshops are 90 minutes long with a 15 minute break in between!
Saturday
Workshops (December 15th) - classes held at Veterans Memorial
Building (main show location)
9:00am - Zoe Jakes: Kicks & Spins
10:45am - Dave Hall: Drum Ensemble
12:30pm - Tempest: The Ultimate Foundation for Gothic Bellydance
2:15pm - Kajira Djoumahna: Moroccan Guedra Blessing Ritual
4:00pm - Heather Stants: Urban Tribal Technique & Combos
5:45pm - Blue Damsel: Milk & Honey
Sunday
Workshops (December 16th) - classes held at Veterans Memorial
Building (main show location)
9:00am - Jeremiah Soto: Rhythm Composition
10:45am - Frederique: Gooey Pops
12:30pm - Sabrina Fox: Smooth stylized Fan Combos
2:15pm - Kajira Djoumahna: Odissi Temple Dance Basics from India
4:00pm - Tempest: Strange Presence: Dance Drama
5:45pm - Zoe Jakes: Sultry Moves
Tuition:
$30 for one, or $25 each for 3 or more before December 1st, $35
each after, if still available. Please note that show admission
is not included in the workshop price.
Register NOW!
See
below for instructor bios and their workshop description (in order
by workshop schedule)
|
Zoe
Jakes
Zoe is a proud member of The Indigo, and is currently touring
with the new Miles Copeland bellydance project, Le Serpent
Rouge, with Rachel Brice and Mardi
Love. She began touring with Bellydance Superstars in the
fall of 2005, and can be seen performing on the new tribal
solos DVD, out this summer. Zoe has
studied with many of the incredibly talented performers
in Northern California, Jill Parker, Rachel Brice, Frederique,
and performed with the Suhaila Dance Company in 2003. Her
other talents include music producing, and she is co-creating
a tribal
bellydance album with David Satori and Sidecar Tommy, coming
out April 10th, under Miles Copelands label CIA records.
When not with the Indigo, she tours with The Yard Dogs Roag
Show, a cartoon circus sideshow of wacky dimension, and
has been seen tearing it up with the Extra Action Marching
Band. An innovative dancer, Zoe has been said to have her
own unique take on Tribal bellydance. She takes her influence
from Art Nouveaux, tango, hip hop, and indian classical
dance. She loves unicorns and has never once doubted their
existence.
Saturday class:
Kicks
and Spins class - where I show the students how to incorporate
other elements into their tribal basics, drawing from tango
and Classical indan Kathak, for leg extensions and stomping.
I focus on quick spins as well, showing basic exercises
for turning techniques, and how to train yourself to stop
on a dime, which always looks impressive. Spotting basics,
as well as non spotted turns, are covered, and techniques
for using legs and arms to initiate a turn are also covered.
Sunday class:
Sultry
moves with an old timey sensibility! Zoe will be incorporating
a touch of her burlesque influence into a slow and playful
choreography she will be teaching. All that ooey gooey stuff
that is so fun and delicious to watch and do will be focused
on in this class. If Mata Hari was around today, she might
have done a few of these moves.....
|
|
Dave
Hall
David
Hall graduated from The Musician's Institute "P.I.T."
in Hollywood, CA. in 1988 and has studied with some of LosAngeles'
top studio drummers including Chuck Flores, Ralph Humphrey,
and Joe Porcaro. Since then David has been working as a
freelance musician in orchestras, musical theater, jazz
ensembles, rock bands, and world music. He has worked with
the South Coast Symphony, Downey Symphony, San Bernardino
Symphony, Orange County Symphony, Laguna Playhouse Theater,
International City Theater, Saddleback Civic Light Opera,
Fullerton Civic Light Opera, Tibbies Dinner Theater, and
the Marc Seal band "A.S.R." as well as playing
with strolling bands at Knott's Berry Farm and The Queen
Mary. Currently David is playing with world music groups
"Solace" and "Knossos" of EMP records
as well as playing with "The Contemporary Artists Percussion
Ensemble". David has also been teaching privately for
the last 18 years and owns his own teaching studio, "The
Music Stand", located in South Orange County. He has
been the drumline instructor at Fountain Valley, Huntington
Beach, Edison, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, and
Oceanview High Schools and has taught workshops on hand
drumming around the country. David has also written his
own drum method book titled "Rock Beats in 4/4 Time".
Saturday workshops:
Drum Ensemble Workshop
In this class, you will learn how to perform the basic Middle
Eastern rhythms in a group setting. We will explore drum
ensemble etiquette, creativity with the rhythms and how
to make your drum ensemble sound like it's performing songs
instead of rhythms. This class is for all ability levels
and any type of percussion instrument you have. So bring
what you have!
|
|
Tempest
Tempest is an artist, designer, dancer, and writer recently
relocated from Bay Area of California to the Jersey Shore.
Although she enjoys studying what tradition has to offer,
Tempest loves exploring the dance through unusual music
and creative costuming, pulling on her visual arts background
to "paint a picture" with the dance; engaging
the audience through dramatic embodied storytelling, passionate
expression, and sensuous, mesmerizing movement.
She
finds inspiration for her dances in many eras, places, and
faces, from ancient cultures and spiritual myths worldwide,
to the work of silent film star and original vamp Theda
Bara, and turn-of-the-century dance goddess Ruth St. Denis.
She is most well-known for her Gothic Belly Dance performances
and instruction, and is featured on the first ever GBD performance
DVD produced by WorldDanceNewYork entitled "The Darker
Side of Fusion", it's sequel "Gothic Belly Dance:
Revelations", and Hollywood Music Center's "Bellydance
Underworld". She also has an instructional DVD geared
towards the alternatively-minded entitled "Bellydance
for Beautiful Freaks" produced by WorldDanceNewYork.
Websites:
-Med'Devi Ink (art, design, the original corset belt...)
www.meddevi.com
-Tempest's Nouveau Noir Dance: www.darklydramatic.com
-The Gothic Bellydance Resource: www.gothicbellydance.com
Saturday class:
Dancing Darkly: The Ultimate Foundation for the Art of
Gothic Bellydance: Gothic Bellydance is the union of
Middle Eastern Dance with the aesthetic, sound, and emotion
of the Gothic subculture. More than just a look or a sojourn
into alternative music, discover the theatrical elegance
and drama that truly gives "Raks Gothique" its
soul essence, from Tempest - creator of the Gothic Belly
Dance Resource (www.gothicbellydance.com). We'll discuss
and illustrate the concepts that create the foundation for
this dance, and focus on key elements for performance, including
movement, attitude, aesthetic, and presentation. All levels
welcome.
Sunday workshop:
Strange Presence: Dance Drama: it's all about bleeding
your soul out to audience, serving it to them on a platter,
and then eating THEM for lunch instead. A truly successful
performance does more than show how well you can do the
moves-it should really speak to your audience and exude
expression. You CAN learn how to have a stronger personality
on stage and channel that energy for a more dynamic performance.
Discover the key aspects of capturing your audience with
your stage presence and develop your own onstage drama!
We'll particularly focus on improvisational technique, character
development, and learning to be more "in the moment."
This class is especially for any dancer who is ready to
perform or is considering it.
|
|
Kajira
Djoumahna
Kajira
has devoted her career to the proliferation of American
Tribal Style (ATS) BellyDance. Though skilled in many other
traditional dance forms, this specialty chose her due to
its "no borders" sense of creativity, its modern
approach to ancient ways and its capacity to bring dancers
together nearly psychically through its unique structured
group improvisational dancing. After 8 years under the tutelage
of Carolena Nericcio (creatrix of the form and director
of FatChanceBellyDance), Kajira went on to develop her own
particular format for the ATS Style that sets it apart from
that of her teacher's and others in the genre. Kajira has
enjoyed teaching in Germany and England and looks forward
to more confirmed dates in Austria, Germany and Taiwan for
2007. She has taught for many years across the U.S. and
in HI where her ongoing classes were held. She is author
of The Tribal Bible, writes an ongoing tribal Q-&-A
column in the int'l. bellydance magazine "Zaghareet!"
and has 2 instructional DVDs. Besides ATS, Kajira performs
Tribal Fusion Belly Dance, Moroccan Guedra, Turkish Romani
and Romani-Oriental Dance, American Classical Belly Dance,
Gothic Belly Dance and theatrical dance. She has been the
recipient of numerous awards, including 2 for Instruction
and 2 for Event Production. Kajira is the producer of the
first and largest Tribal BellyDance festival in the world,
Tribal Fest (held in the Northern SF Bay Area of CA each
May), as well as the Maui Intensives (held on Maui, HI each
July). Kajira oversees BlackSheep BellyDance - CA and -
HI. Currently she studies a classical East Indian dance
form, Odissi, with Sarala Dandekar. Her goal in life is
to HAVE FUN and to spread JOY and INSPIRATION through Dance!
Saturday workshop:
Title: Moroccan Guedra Blessing Ritual
Type of Class: Traditional Trance Blessing Ritual
Skill Level: Open to Everyone
This ritual comes from the branch of Tuareg Berbers known
as The Guedra, who are also one of the several Tuareg branches
known as "The Blue People" or "Kel Tagelmous".
Guedra tribes inhabit parts of Mauritania, Morocco and the
High/Upper Atlas Mountains. This group of people are unique
in that they are matrilineal and councils are egalitarian.
In this unique Berber branch, the men veil but the women
do not (the reason will be revealed in class). The word
"Guedra" has many meanings as well and handouts
will be provided, as well as supporting material passed
around. Your handouts will include one of the many chants
with translations, which are sung in a language called Hassanic
Berber, a mix of Arabic and Berber dialects.
You will listen to actual field recordings, learn call-and-response
chants as well as claps and counter-claps. You will learn
the meanings behind the gestures and the movements that
go with T'bal (the optional standing portion) as well as
Guedra (done kneeling). A CDR of these field recordings
will be available for purchase before and after class for
a low fee.
It is important to know that Guedra is not at all like Hadra
or Zar, as is not an "exorcism" or a "dance"
but an actual ritual used only for blessing purposes.
If time allows, we may have a Guedra circle in which at
least some of the participants will be able to come out
for a few minutes and try it while being supported by your
tribe of classmates who will be clapping and chanting for
you, creating the possibility of a light trance state. You
will have the tools to go deeper with your friends outside
of the busy classroom setting by the time you leave, to
try on your own!
Please bring: An open heart and inquisitive mind! A non-slippery
dark opaque piece of cloth or textured veil (not silk).
Any shade of blue or black are preferred. This cloth need
be only large enough to cover your head and can be larger.
The remainder of the costume for this ritual will be discussed,
photos passed around and components talked about in class.
Bring kneepads. People with knee, back or neck problems
will be asked to take it easy and know your personal limitations.
You can still do the T'Bal (standing) section, which is
done traditionally as well.
Sunday
workshop:
Title: Odissi Temple Dance Basics from India
Type of Class: Classical East Indian Odissi Dance
Skill Level: Open to Everyone
Odissi Dance is consciously spiritual and done with purpose
for The Divine. You may be amazed by how similar - and dissimiliar
- the 2 forms's Sacred Geometry are, even though the concept
is used much more consciously in Odissi than in BellyDance,
both forms use deliberate ancient movements to create a
Sacred Dance. The difference is that BellyDance can also
be done for "mundane" purposes, while Odissi Dance
is always for The Divine. In essence, this Dance form is
Yoga, which means "Union" (of Body, Mind &
Spirit) in Sanskrit.
In our time together, we will work on a few of the 10 Basic
Steps used for creating the Odissi Dance repertoire in both
Chowka and Tribungi, the 2 basic positions used in this
Classical Form. If time allows, we will work with walks,
poses and their meanings (such as Shiva Nataraj and Uma),
perhaps a pranam (class prayer), mudras/hastas (hand gestures)
and their meanings, and maybe a bit of Abhinaya (Storytelling).
I will work with the class as to how to best structure this
short introductory class by getting and giving feedback
from the students as we go. Be prepared to sweat as this
form will use muscles not used in bellydance (as well as
some that are), so bring a hand towel just in case. You
will be guided in a careful, safe manner by Kajira precisely
how to get into both basic positions and what not to do
as well as what to do to keep safe. You may leave with some
shaky thighs, but they will thank you for the healthy workout!
Of course I will warm you up thoroughly and quickly as well
as cool you down with some great stretches before and after
class. Drink lots of water that day as well, your muscles
will thank you! East Indian Dance is very popular these
days to fuse with and to perform separately by BellyDancers
everywhere! Even by just learning the 2 basic positions
and a couple of steps or poses, you may find a base from
which you can add an authentic Indian "flavor"
to your own Fusion BellyDance presentations.
|
Heather
Stants
Heather Stants is a lifelong artist and dance enthusiast with
a degree in photography and fine arts. Her explorations in
tribal bellydance began over eleven years ago when she became
the assistant director of Read My Hips* (www.readmyhips.com)
in Chicago, Illinois. In 1999 Heather moved to San Diego,
California and formed Urban Tribal Dance Company.
Heather's
diverse movement and arts background feeds her creativity
and her innovative approach to choreography. Urban Tribal
Dance Company is known for it's contemporary dance style,
a pared down costume emphasizing body movements over ornamentation,
athleticism and the use of the dance form as a means of
personal expression and interpretation. Their creativity
has twice earned them the title of "Troupe of the Year"
in Zaghareet! Magazine's Golden Belly Awards. In addition
to teaching several weekly classes in San Diego since 1999,
Heather Stants and Urban Tribal Dance Company have been
touring
extensively since 2004 sharing their love of modern tribal
bellydance with dancers in the U.S. and abroad.
Read
more about Heather and Urban Tribal on their site: www.urbantribaldance.com
and on their tribe: http://urbantribaldance.tribe.net
|
Blue
Damsel: Rachel Soto, & Politti
Saturday workshop:
"Milk and Honey" with Blue Damsel
Tribal Fusion meets the Far East with more Oooey Gooey combos
and dramatic slow precision assembled into two mini-choreographies
performed to "Ashes to Phoenix" from Balance by
Solace. |
|
Jeremiah
Soto
Jeremiah M. Soto describes his musical endeavors "Solace,"
meaning comfort. In 1992, Jeremiah first experimented with
the doumbek and realized his fascination and talent for
Middle Eastern drum rhythms. To better his knowledge, Jeremiah
attended classes in Frame Drum, Conga, and African poly-rhythms
by world-renowned percussionist Ronnie Engle, and later
studied Classical Arabic Style with master percussionist,
Souhail Kaspar. In 1995, Jeremiah released the first Solace
album Rhythm of the Dance. Sha'waza (eve 03) came into the
world; catapulting Jeremiah's music and popularity to the
forefront of the Middle-Eastern Dance Music genre. In 1998,
Sha'waza was nominated for a IAMED Award for Best Belly
Dance Music. Since then Jeremiah as released seven Solace
albums, including his newest release, Nagari. Jeremiah also
has expanded Eventide Music Productions, his independent
record label to include Tim Rayborn, Dann Torres' Knossos,
Ruben van Rompaey, and Maduro.
Jeremiah
hopes to break the confines of typical Middle Eastern Dance
Music and inspire others through his unique compositional
style and love of Arabic rhythms and music. Solace music
is not just great belly dance music; it is a journey into
the heart and mind, where others may fear to tread. www.empcds.com
www.soundofsolace.com
Sunday
workshop:
Rhythm Composition
Utilizing various Arabic rhythms students will learn to
combine patterns to create interesting compositions. Basic
drum technique will be covered. This class is suitable for
dumbek, frame drum, and riqq students.
|
|
Frèdèrique
Frèdèrique began studying American Tribal
Style belly dance in February of 1997 with Jill Parker of
Ultra Gypsy. After performing as a core member of Ultra
Gypsy for almost 3 years, Frèdèrique steered
her endeavors in a new direction and founded 'Romani - Urban
Tribal Belly Dance' in January of 2000. Romani was the first
professional belly dance cooperative that pioneered and
popularized the underground electronic Middle-Eastern /
Indian flavored music used by most tribal fusion belly dancers
today. In December of 2003, Romani disbanded and Frèdèrique
reserved the name Belly Groove with the vision for a future
dance collaborative meanwhile focusing on redefining and
fine tuning herself as an Artist while performing and teaching
workshops around the U.S. As well as her dancing ability,
Frédérique is known for pushing musical boundaries
by arranging music to enhance her conceptual narrative.
She is also known for reinventing herself from one show
to the next; her core focus being to improvise every performance
in concept, narrative, costume, and dance resulting in a
unique performance every time. Her style, referred to in
the belly dance community as 'Tribal Remixed' and 'Avant
Garde' to the public, is a compilation of dance forms, life
experiences, and passion all integrated and filtered through
her imagination to share with you.
Sunday workshops:
Gooey Pops
Wanna
learn the fundamentals in pop 'n lock with the gooey-groove
in effect?
This class will guide and drill you through your Gooiest
moments how to pop 'n lock then flow right back into your
groove. These exercises will build muscle memory in order
to apply the nuances, details, tempo change and most importantly,
control you need for the deed.
|
Sabrina Fox
Sunday workshop
Smooth stylized Fan Combos for improvisational dance.
Three technique packed combos will be taught in this workshop
that can be easily intermixed. A clear breakdown of technique
within the combos Giving grace and clear Smooth expression,
allowing the dancer to dance using Fan props with ease.
The combos can be used without fans as well and is in fact
instructed without the need for them. The use of silk or fire
fans within the combos is added in after the combos are clearly
understood. Attend with or without fans, I will bring extra
sets to loan. If you would like to bring your fans along preferably
short silk, aluminum fire or Mulan TaiChi fans used by Atash
Maya since 2002 and seen in earlier photos on Tribe.net. The
Mulan fans can be purchased at most online Martial arts stores
in advance and are the preferable tool for the combos that
will be instructed.
|
|