—

Belly Dance Drills and Technique. Wednesdays, 8:15pm-9:30pm

Join us at the Old Mill in Lexington we’ll be drilling, working, and learning hardcore technique in a fun and supportive environment. $15 drop-in, $125 for a ten class card.

Lexington Old Mill, First Floor at the Center for Dance Education
711 East Main Street
Lexington, SC

So you want to be a belly dancer? Core Bellydance Fundamentals. Thursdays, 8:15pm – 9:15pm

We’re kickin’ it old school at the beautiful Gyrotonic Vista Studio and learning the fundamentals of belly dance. With a focus on safe execution of movement and muscular isolation, this class offers challenging yet accessible material for dancers of all skill levels. And I mean that – all skill levels! Bring your finger cymbals. $15 drop-in, $125 for a ten-class card.

Gyrotonic Vista
911 Lady St., Suite H
Columbia, SC

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!

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!

Thank you, Tracey! I have no idea who you are, but thank you so much for the review.

There is still room in my other workshop at Tribal Fest 9, Progressive Raqs, Wednesday May 13th, from 10:15am – 12:15pm.  We’ll be geeking out over technique, musicality, and artistic integrity.  Check it out.

In this workshop, Asharah will teach some of her signature technical movements while emphasizing grace, fluidity, power, and presence. A self-described geek, she’ll explain the muscles and physiology behind each movement and how each movement can fit in to the larger picture of your dance. She’ll also talk about her sense of artistic and creative integrity, giving you advice and tips for pursuing your own uncompromising path as an artist and dancer. Asharah likes to push herself and her students physically and mentally, so come prepared with water and an open mind.*

*Progressive Raqs, a pun on the term Progressive Rock, a music genre that emerged in the early 1970s with bands like Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson taking their experimental cues from the later music of the Beatles. These musicians and bands aimed to lift their music to a higher artistic level, blending classical instrumentation, science fiction and fantasy themes, and virtuoso technicality. Prog rock, as it is often called, has influenced Asharah tremendously as an artist and dancer, as she herself tries to blend her intellectual side with her artistic side through bellydance. She continually strives to challenge herself technically and emotionally in her dance, and, like many prog rock musicians, eschews convention for the sake of her own artistic expression. For more information about this much maligned and often misunderstood music genre, visit: wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_rock

Hope to see some of you there!

Classes at Joy of Motion: Changes ahead!

1. Big change number one is that nearly all of the classes there are changing to a drop-in format, which means you’ll no longer have to pay for a semester of classes at time. Drop-in classes are great for students who want to continue their dance education, but whose schedules are too busy to commit to a weekly class.
2. Big change number two is that I will now be teaching “Skills and Technique” for all styles of belly dance. This class is aimed to refine students’ technique; build strength, stamina, and flexibility; and expand students’ movement vocabulary through drills.
3. Big change number three is that my classes at Joy of Motion Atlas are moving from Monday nights to Tuesday nights, from 7:30pm – 8:30pm. This gives you plenty of time to get to arrive on time and ready to move!

So, to sum up: Tuesday nights, drop-in class, 7:30pm-8:30pm, Skills and Technique. Joy of Motion Atlas, 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC. Bring water and a yoga mat.

For more information, visit www.joyofmotion.org

Classes at Saffron Dance: Modern Tribal Style

I’ll continue to teach two levels of Modern Tribal Style bellydance at Saffron Dance in Arlington, Virginia. Wednesday nights, beginning January 7th. Saffron Dance is located at 3260 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA, just a 3 minute walk from Clarendon Metro.

• Tribal 2: For students who have completed Saffron’s Tribal 1, or have my permission to join. 7:00pm – 8:00pm
• Tribal 3: For students who have completed Tribal 2 with me AND have my permission to join. 8:00pm – 9:00pm

For more information and registration, visit the Saffron Dance website.

Have a very happy holiday season…  Hope to see you in class!