CLASSES
Class Descriptions
Faten
Learn Learn Egyptian folkloric dance and its influence on oriental dance.
Faten is among the world’s leading experts in authentic Egyptian folkloric dance and its influence on oriental dance. She will show you how to transform the steps and Egyptian feeling into modern-era dance without losing its authenticity. You will learn to build your own choreography by drawing upon Egyptian style and adapting it to your modern oriental style.
To truly learn and appreciate oriental dance, it is important to learn its origins in folkloric Egyptian dances. . Likewise, oriental music incorporates the folkloric rhythms such as saidi and baladi. Faten can answer your questions about Egyptian dance, culture, and art.
Yes, you’ll be in France, but during the retreat, Faten will take you on a virtual dance tour of Egypt, region by region. She will explain each region and the steps and rhythms we know and love that originated there.
Northern Egypt, the Alexandria region, gives us hagala and iskanderani and the malaya.
The Delta region has it’s own unique style and steps.
You’ll learn about Cairo and its famous baladi, awalem, and andalusian with shamadan.
And southern Egypt contributed to the world of dance the styles and rhythms of saidi, ghawazee, and nubian.
Faten will teach you all of these, as well as devote 2 sessions specifically to music: classical Egyptian and shaabi and how to incorporate the steps you learn into the respective music genres.
Victoria Teel
Victoria Teel will be offering a variety of classes to help you finesse your dance technique as well as look at how the classical styles have transformed into modern oriental belly dance. The topics include:
CONCEPTUAL & TECHNQIUE CLASSES
Fluidity Concepts: Learn how to transform your dance from 1-2-3-4 counts into a seamless combination of movements. Victoria explains how to combine your belly dance technique in order to create an endlessly flowing and exciting performance.
Adding Bellydance into Traveling, Turns, & Arm Paths: Fluid traveling steps, turns, and arm movements can enhance any performance. Learn through drills and combos how to balance the juicy motif of belly dance with these lyrical movements to maintain your dance identity as a belly dancer with beautiful lines.
Graceful Hands & Arms: Beautiful arm paths and hand movements frame a dancer and their hard-earned technique. Victoria will work with students on the best arm position for their body and dance style to best frame their choreographies and combos.
Go Big or Go Home: Who doesn’t love a juicy undulation or heavy hip accent? Victoria has always been fascinated with mega-sized movement and how to train the body for this. Over the years, she has created a method to increase movements’ size by balancing strength & flexibility. In this workshop, students will learn drills they can use at home to increase the range of motion of shimmies, accents, and undulation
Improv/Choreography Feedback: Students who wish to participate in this class will have the opportunity to perform either a piece of improvisation or choreography in front of Victoria. She will provide constructive feedback to help these students learn their strengths and weaknesses as well as provide ways to work through them.
PROP CLASSES
Veil Technique & Combos: Don’t let your veil drag you down! Learn Victoria’s unique veil technique that is internationally recognized. She covers concepts of how to effectively incorporate your veil into your dance, how to prevent veil malfunctions, and how to enter and exit with the veil. Make sure to bring your veil.
Teel Fan Method: Victoria will introduce a new method and variation on the ancient Asian-influenced prop, flutter fan, in this workshop. Inspired by the breathless and elegance of Chinese silk, the Teel Fan method presents techniques & combinations used to create beautiful fan dancing. No prior experience with fan veil is required or necessary. For those who are experienced with Teel Fan will also have the opportunity to work on their finesse with the prop.
STYLISTC CLASSES
Modern Oriental Combos: Through combinations, learn how classic styles of belly dance have transformed into modern oriental dance. To list just a few styles covered, Victoria will demonstrate entrance styles, taqsim, saidi, and more.
Power & Play Drum Solo: Learn one of Victoria’s favorite short modern drum solos that encompasses the contrast of strength and fun. See how clean technique mixed with flair movements creates an exciting dynamic piece. This piece is filled with powerful technique mixed into playful combinations.
Lebanese Simon
Oriental Technique and Combos: Learn dance technique and combinations infused with Simon’s unique flair.
Oriental Pop Choreography: Simon will lead you through a pop choreography set to a modern Lebanese pop song.
Dabke Technique and Combos: Explore the many styles of Lebanese folkloric dabke. Through energizing movements, rhythms and combinations learn its history, practitioners and current practice.
Dabke Pop Choreography: Apply your dabke tech and drill combos to complete an exciting choreography.