In March, we’ll explore the essential elements of Turkish “oryantal” and Romany dance, and Asharah will break down how to count the quintessential Turkish musical meter: the 9/8.  Asharah will talk about the differences between Turkish Romany (gypsy) dance and Turkish oryantal (cabaret), and how they have both influenced American Cabaret-style belly dance.  Then, we’ll blend Turkish oryantal dance moves and make them more “tribal” through changes in stylization, posture, and intent.  Bring your finger cymbals!

2:00pm-5:00pm at the Center for Dance Education, ground floor of Lexington’s Old Mill, 711 E. Main Street, Lexington, SC.

$45 pre-registration (PayPal) / $55 at the door (cash or check only)

March 12, 2-5:30pm (one 30-min break): Tribal Fusion Belly Dance: Old School to New School. This workshop will give your dancing a little boost with vintage and modern tribal-style movement, pulling from the Jamila Salimpour format, American Tribal Style, and contemporary fusion styles.

March 13, 2-5:30pm (one 30-min break): Modern Bellydance Combinations Two to three short combinations in Asharah’s signature fusion of oriental and tribal styles for every dancer wanting some more movements in her dance vocabulary.

Saturday or Sunday only: $75 before March 1; $90 after March 1
Both Days: $130 before March 1; $160 after March 1

Registration and more information at the Saffron Dance website.

TribalCon is three and a half days, of live music parties, more than 30 hours of dance AND music instruction, and two, yes, two all-star performances.  This year, the event runs Thursday through Sunday, February 24-27, 2011. Day passes to the event are still available, but this event always sells out, so register soon.  For more information about TribalCon, visit the website.

Asharah teaching at TribalCon VI

First off, the not-so-great news. Lack of attendance and my crazy travel schedule have made me decide to cancel my Thursday night classes. I am still teaching Suhaila Salimpour-format drills on Wednesday night at 8:15pm in Lexington, SC.

Good news, though! I am announcing a monthly workshop series in Columbia, SC. The exact location is still to be determined. Many dancers in the wider South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia areas have expressed interest in my weekly instruction, but have lamented that it’s too far to drive on a weeknight. My travel schedule does not allow me to commit to weekly weekend classes, but monthly workshops will fit in just nicely. Workshops will be $45 for pre-registration and $50 at the door. Topics will range from perfecting technique, theater and stagecraft, constructing a dance set, playing finger cymbals, old-school bellydance a la Jamila Salimpour, working with odd meter in Middle Eastern music, and more…

Tentative dates:

November 14, 2pm-5pm
December 12, 2pm-5pm
January 16, 2pm-5pm
February 13, 2pm-5pm
March 20, 2pm-5pm

I hope that this helps those of you who are farther afield. Thank you for reading, and for all of your support. I couldn’t do any of this without you!

The circus, Columbia Alternacirque, is gearing up to put on a reprise of our summer production, A Midsummer Night’s Cirque, on July 23rd… and on the morning of the 24th, Natalie Brown and I head to Atlanta, Georgia, to teach the first running of our joint intensive, The Devil in the Details. On Saturday we are teaching two low-key workshops: Mine, a workshop on hair and makeup for dark fusion dance, and Natalie’s a workshop on flattering and appropriate costuming for fusion performance.  Then, we get all dolled up and perform along side some of the Southeast’s best belly dancers.  Then, on Sunday, we teach our pairing of my “Pops, Locks, and Tick Tocks” and Natalie’s “Elegant Extension and Poses.”  To register for this weekend of dancing, head on over to Beledi Boutique.

Weekly classes are ongoing:  Wednesday nights I’m teaching Suhaila Salimpour format bellydance at the Old Mill in Lexington, and on Thursdays I’m teaching my mash-up of old and new belly dance at Gyrotonic Vista in downtown Columbia.  More information on my classes page.

And during the days, working on new solos, preparing for the Level 3 weeklong workshop in Berkeley, California, with Suhaila, and trying to keep cool in the summer heat…

June 7th: Bloomington, Indiana. Workshops with Asharah and Tempest, followed by Motif ritual gathering.  Register at Dark Drummer Productions.

June 9th: Cincinnati, Ohio. Workshops with Asharah, Tempest, and Tim Rayborn; followed by a Medieval hafla.  Register at Zahara’s Tangled Web.

June 10th: Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Workshops with Asharah and Tempest.  Register at Unveiled’s website.

June 14th: Woodstock, New York. Workshops with Asharah and Tempest, followed by an evening show featuring Asharah, Tempest, Tim Rayborn, Willow, Shivati, and other performers.  Register at Willow’s website.

June 15th: Boston, Massachusetts. Workshops with Asharah and Tempest.  Register at Badriya’s website.

The Cymbalist Movement: Integrating Finger Cymbals into Your Dance

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
$65 Online Registration | $75 At Door

Finger cymbals are an integral part of American Tribal Style bellydance, and can be a lovely accompaniment to a solo performance. However, many dancers often feel daunted by cymbal playing and have been using them less and less… Finger cymbals aren’t scary, and this workshop will help you approach cymbals as an instrument and as a way to enhance your performance. With the right exercises, anyone can play cymbals and dance! Asharah will lead you through an intense warm up, teach drills that layer movements and cymbal playing, introduce common cymbal patterns found in Middle Eastern music, and teach a short dance combination focusing on the playing of your cymbals with the music and your movements.

Register now!

Schedule:

9:30am: Registration
10am-noon: Pops Locks Ticks and Tocks
1-3: Danse Mècanique

8pm: Solstice Hafla. Free admission with workshop attendance!

Full Day: $70 before May 15, $80 after, $90 at the door
Individual Classes: $45 each

Register now!

I’m honored to be teaching along side some of my biggest inpirations and dearest friends in the belly dance community. Seriously… this event is going to kick some major gluteus max!

This year’s line-up includes: Myself (Asharah), Mira Betz (CA), Elizabeth Strong (CA), Natalie Brown (SC), Romka (DC), Shakra (DC), Sooz Hall (CA), Dave Hall (CA), Rose Harden (CA), and Urban Gypsy (TX).

Check it all out on the Tribal Alchemy website.  Hope to see you there!

Check it out now at Gothla UK