“She is so smooth” Let’s learn to move like a dancer. While clean and sharp technique is an important part of a belly dancer’s performance, grace and elegance are equally, if not more important for conveying expression and feeling from the performer to the audience. It is fluidity and an elegant stage presence that make the dancer look so smooth, we will take steps and arm work you already know and layer on the smooth and precise movement, the posture and stage presence that help create the feeling of grace and elegance. All levels 1-3 hour session.at's this item about? What makes it interesting? Write a catchy description to grab your audience's attention...

they may not remember what steps you used but your emotion is unforgettable

Ahh… the shimmy! No other movement quite captures the essence of bellydance so well as the hip shimmy. Shahravar brings many of its forms, from 3/4 shimmies, small vibrations, traveling shimmies, to shimmies with layers. In this workshop, we’ll break down the mechanics of each shimmy variation and how you can use them in your own performance style. Shahravar will share tips and techniques for keeping your shimmies beautiful, and steady. Perfect for 1-2 hours.

no matter how you shake it we all love the shimmy

I love veils, in this workshop, Shahravar will teach technique and short combinations (roughly one minute each) to music that combine the fluidity and grace of oriental (cabaret) bellydance with the strength and poise of tribal style. Veil movement, frames with the veil and veil wraps. Then we use our combinations, a great way to put together your technique and veil work, preparing for the stage. 1-3 hour class for all levels

delicate, diaphanous, furious and mysterious

An introduction or intermediate to advanced level workshop learning double veil work, technique wraps and frames. Bring a double veil set and be prepared for a good amount of spinning. 1-2 hours

performing with two veils

We will explore the history and mythology of this famed dance and how you can create a beautiful performance while wrangling seven full size veils. Bring seven veils to this workshop and your notebook too. 2-3 hours.

the myth and the performance behind the seven veils

We use concepts from both Oriental and Western dance styles, this workshop explores not only traveling movements for belly dance, but also concepts for stage placement, creating floor patterns through performance and owning your space. We’ll play with combining hip work, foot work, entrances and exits, and how your place on the stage affects your performance. You will want your note book for this. This dynamic session is fit for all levels 1-3 hours.

traveling moves

Egyptian drum solos that inspire us to accent the percussive feelings of the drummer. In this workshop, Shahravar leads students through warm up and into traditional bellydance movements such as step hips, figure-8s, shoulder rolls, rib locks, down hips and more techniques to help break down then rebuild these basic movements helping the dancer be the rhythm. 1-3 hours.

precision and the fun with staccato movement

Finger cymbals are an important and ancient instrument of the belly dancer. From folkloric to American Tribal Style belly dance, finger cymbals–also called zills, sagat, and silsil–can be a lovely accompaniment to any performance. However, many dancers often feel daunted by cymbal playing and have been playing them less… Finger cymbals are wonderful, and this workshop can help you approach cymbals as an instrument and as an enhancement to your performance. With practice, anyone can play cymbals and dance! Shahravar will lead you through warm up, drills and layering movements and cymbal playing, introduction to common cymbal patterns found in Middle Eastern music. 1-3 hour workshop. Bring your cymbals!

basic and advanced zill work

Don’t let those chicken wings, tyrannosaurs rex, saggy, sloppy, busy arms distract the audience from your wonderful performance. We will create elegant combinations to frame your hip and rib work. We pull from Indian mudras, Egyptian art, Raqs sharqie, Ballet and more to create a beautiful frame for all that fancy foot work. Great 1-2 hour session for all levels.

beautiful arm work for a beautiful performance

From 3/4 to 5/4 to 10/8 to 13/8, odd time signatures are the basis of Middle Eastern music, such as in the Turkish Karsilama (9/8) and the Egyptian Samai (10/8). Shahravar will take students through exercises to help find the downbeat in these unusual meters but also how to count them, and basic steps and combinations for dancing to these rhythms and a bit about the region from each derives

how to dance with unusual time signatures in bellydance

TIn this workshop we will explore the basics of creating dances that tell your own story. Using techniques from theater, music composition and of course dance, Shahravar will help open the door to your own creative process and give students tools to work through their trouble spots & build a foundation for unique and expressive dance creation. Bring your notebook. 2-3 hours

technique to help dancers find their inner voice

TDance is storytelling, not a series of drills… but how do we incorporate our technique into our performances? In this workshop, we will play with familiar belly dance drills by adding personalities, characters, textures, and visualization, drawing from goddess archetypes, fairy tales, and mythology. Students are encouraged to bring these exercises home and make them their own. Be prepared to move and be creative! 1-3 hours for this workshop.

adding expression to your daily dance

This workshop is aimed at pushing the dancer to keep moving. This is a valuable skill set to push past the 5 minute block. Helping dancers with improvisation and restaurant style shows also helping to open new realms of movement and musical expression.  Layering is the next step in technical belly dance proficiency. We will work movements in both standing and traveling drills. Be prepared to sweat, think, and be inspired! We will take a basic movement and build it up and layer it on the next step. This workshop can be taught as a 1-3 hour series.

experience level: all levels

Since the Bronze age the gleam of a blade has had a certain draw upon us.Join Shahravar on a journey to explore the dynamics for a great Raksat al sayef performance. After warm-ups we begin with basic sword handling as well as tips and safety. Highlighting important points along the way. Please feel free to bring a cotton head scarf/headband to cushion the blade. Can be taught as a 1-3 hour workshop.

stay sharp with great technique

Lets work on our entrance, how to hold them and how to work with two swords at one time, frames, movement and spins. Each dancer must be proficient with a single sword. Intermediate-advanced levels 1-3 hour workshop.

no matter how you slice it two are twice as nice

With so many facets to bellydance it is folk dances that are roots of so much that we love and enjoy: From Saudi Arabian Kallji with the thobe nashal. Lebanese debke and Berber line dancing, Romani-Balkan and American Ghawazii “Gypsy” including skirts, Egyptian Basket and Tunisan Jug. Oriental and Flamenco single and double fan work also silk veil fan technique. Tahtib & Assaya: traditional and cabaret cane and stick dance seen throughout the Middle East. Beginning through advanced 1-3 hour sessions.

find your own jewel of bellydance