Classes:

I am so sorry to report that classes on Tuesday nights at Joy of Motion Atlas have been canceled for the fall session.  But… keep reading – there’s good news ahead!

New classes at Saffron Dance:

I’m currently working with Saffron Dance to add a Suhaila-format drills class on Thursday nights.  This will be the only class of its kind offered in the Washington, DC area.  Details coming soon!

Weekend Intensive:

Yes.  You read that right!  I’m working with Saphira and Saffron Dance to hold my first-ever weekend intensive in the Washington, DC, area.  Three days of dancing, drilling, and developing yourself as an artist and performer.  Registration will be posted soon.

Hope your autumn is beautiful!

Happy August, everyone!

This fall my teaching schedule will be changing slightly, adding a performance class at Saffron Dance, and a Tribal Belly Dance class at Joy of Motion’s Atlas.  For those of you who are taking my “Skills and Technique” class at Atlas, I’m working with the studio to bring back that class so that you can still get your drills on every week with me.

Tuesdays: Tribal Belly Dance (please bring finger cymbals)
Joy of Motion Atlas, 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC
7:30 – 8:30pm, $195 for 13 weeks
Session begins September 15, 2009
Register at: http://www.joyofmotion.org/adult_schedules.php

Wednesdays: Modern Tribal Belly Dance
Saffron Studios, 3260 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia
Session begins September 9, 2009

Tribal 2: 6:15 – 7:15pm, $225 for 14 weeks
Modern Tribal Performance Class: 7:15 – 8:15pm, $250 for 14 weeks
Tribal 3: 8:15 – 9:15pm (please bring finger cymbals), $225 for 14 weeks

Register at http://saffrondance.com/classes/index.html

If you have any questions about the class material, what level is appropriate for you, or anything else that comes to mind, just send me an e-mail, or comment on this post.  See you in class!

Come out and support your local bellydancers!  We’d love to see you.

August 1, Adams Morgan, Washington, DC

Performance at Queen’s Cafe and Hookah

Performances at 11pm to recorded music at the Queens Cafe in Adams Morgan. Come out for a shisha, Turkish coffee, or mezza. 2405 18th St NW, Washington, DC.  $2 cover at the door.

August 8th, Arlington, VA

Asharah’s students perform solos at Salla Saffron show

Three of Asharah’s students will present their solo performance pieces on which they’ve been working so hard this summer!  Hailed as a favorite event among Saffron students and fans, Salla Saffron offers an intimate evening of nosh, Saffrontinis, and Oriental & Tribal Belly dance featuring student soloists. Performers include: Nikki, Jayme, Becky, Katherine, Keely, Jemina, Jackie, Candita, and Leslie.

7 PM Saffrontinis, Spirits & Lite Fare; 8 PM Show.  Saffron Studios, 3260 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201.  Online Ticket Price: $20.00; At Door: $30.00.  Buy your tickets today at Saffron Dance’s website.

August 22 and 23, Washington, DC

Asharah’s Joy of Motion students perform an original choreography in the Studio to Stage show

Studio to Stage Performance Class Showcase, featuring Asharah’s tribal fusion performance students. My students have worked so hard on this funky, urban, and sassy choreography to Maduro’s song “Situational Mythos”. Come out and support us!

Saturday, August 22, 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 23, 7:00 p.m.  The Jack Guidone Theater @ JOMDC Friendship Heights, 5207 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015. Tickets: $15 General admission, $12 Child (12 & under), $ Senior (w/ID). Buy your tickets today!

I have finally posted my Tribal Fest 9 performance on YouTube!

Featuring Samantha Hegre on cello. Three movements from Bach’s cello suite in D minor. Enjoy!

Just for fun, here are my photos from the Durga Tour…. from Bloomington, Indiana, to Providence, Rhode Island.

Thank you to everyone who supported the tour, took workshops, and came to the performances. We couldn’t have done this without you!

You asked for them, so here they are!  Asharah shirts for women and men!  They feature an image of Asharah on the front, and a rendering of her “star” tattoo on the upper back.

We have men’s t-shirts, women’s babydoll t-shirts, and women’s spaghetti strap tanks.  All shirts are $20 plus shipping and handling.

Shirts are available on the Merchandise page! Order yours today!

(Please note that shirts will not ship until after June 17th, because I, Asharah, am on the Durga Tour with Tempest and Tim Rayborn until then.)

The summer session of Saffron Dance classes are beginning soon!  I’ve added a new class to the schedule: Developing a solo, duet, or trio. Students will present their works at the Sala Saffron show in August.  I’ll still be teaching Modern Tribal 2 and 3, but with some schedule changes.  All of my classes will take place on Wednesday nights.

Register now!

6:15 – 7:15 :: Tribal 2: Modern Tribal

7:15 – 8:15 :: Developing a Tribal Solo, Duet, or Trio

8:15 – 7:15 :: Tribal 3: Modern Tribal.  *Bring finger cymbals!

Hope to see some of you in class!

Registration for my stops on the Durga Tour with gothic bellydance innovator Tempest and man of a thousand instruments Tim Rayborn are opening, so reserve your workshop spaces and show tickets now!

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.

Registration is now up for my finger cymbal workshop at Saffron Dance, this Sunday, April 19th.  Even if you’re a beginner dancer and you’ve never played finger cymbals (also known as zills or sagat) before, this workshop will help you integrate these lovely instruments into your dance.  Details below, or just register now at Saffron Dance’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!