Belly Dance-The Fundamentals of "Cabaret"
taught by Sonya & Lisha
...Teaches you a wide vocabulary of basic cabaret movements (such as hip figure-eights & body undulations) as well as traveling steps & turns common to Oriental dance & where in the music they are best used. We work on basic technique with full break-downs & step-combinations that can improve posture, flexibility, balance/grace & muscle isolation/control. Each week putting these new moves into combinations that can be strung together in a dance routine, you finish a "dedicated" session with a choreography & a strong sense of body awareness.
This class is your 1st year of learning, but you will always come away with something new from week-to-week, session-to-session, year-to-year. See Class Attire here -- sorry, but no skirts, as the instructress needs to see knee & lower back position. Drop-ins are always encouraged during a buffet session (February, May, August & November) or during the first three weeks of a dedicated session (Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall). No prior dance experience necessary for this class.

Tribal Fusion Bellydance Fundamentals
taught by Marci Ann
...This class will emphasize body conditioning for strong posture, flexibly, muscle control and isolation to achieve the serpentine movements and fierce speed that characterize tribal fusion bellydance, which is the mixture of cabaret-style isolations with a tribal posture and aesthetic. By the end of each 10-week "dedicated" session students will have learned a tribal fusion choreography will be taught in such a way that the individual will be able to incorporate their own ideas, creating a piece that is unique to them. The 3-week Buffet Session includes all technique & combinations; Please dress comfortably & bring a Yoga mat! This class is open to anyone/any level, no experience needed.

Tribal Bellydance Fundamentals
taught by Jessy
...This American-born fusion references many world dances including Flamenco, Indian, folkloric Mid-Eastern & of course, Bellydance. Warming up, learning a few moves & combos then jamming together is where we're at in this class, especially offered for those who want to learn the basics of synchronized group improvisational bellydance (ITS). Class will encompass both a slow and fast vocabulary of moves while emphasizing strong technique and the particular flavor that makes tribal different. Wear comfy clothes, barefooted or socks/ballet/jazz slippers. This class is open to anyone/any level, no experience needed.

Beginner Tribal Fusion
taught by Mae
...This class is an introduction to the tribal fusion style of bellydance in which we will explore many basic bellydance movements with other ethnic influences including Flamenco, American B-girls, and middle eastern folkloric dances, to name a few. Concentrating on posture, we will break down key movements and drill them with repetition into your muscle memory. We will also explore individual stretches and core strengthening excercizes that you can take home and practice. Working with combinations learned in class, you will come to identify the relationship these movements have to the music, and ignite your ability to one day create your own choreography. Wear comfortable/stretchy clothing (no skirts please) and bare feet, socks or soft dance slippers. There is no previous dance or bellydance experience necessary.

Yoga & Drills for Belly Dance
taught by Marci Ann
...ALL LEVELS WELCOME! This class can be dropped in on or started anytime & is designed to improve not just the strength but also the flexibility of all dance students, both Tribal & Orientale. We will be reviewing dance techniques that can benefit any level dancer as well as ways to incorporate it into your personal practice. For the first half of class there will be a yoga warm-up focusing on back flexibility, opening up the chest to provide a wider range in movements, tranquility and improved posture. The second half will break down movements into isolations & drill them through repetition, activating our "muscle memory" and creating body awareness/control to achieve a polished refinement and fluidity. Please dress comfortably & bring a Yoga mat!

Goth / Rock Tribal Fusion Belly Dance
taught by Mae
...This is a tribal fusion class that will build upon your basic belly dance knowledge, both cabaret and tribal, & express this vocabulary through rock and gothic influenced music. Concentrating on posture, we will explore arm movement, shimmies, undulations, locks and other Oriental dance techniques. A focus on expression, composure, and all around 'bad girl attitude' will be incorporated into slow movements, appearing to be "swimming through honey". But we will not leave out the lightning fast sudden movements that will make your heart quicken! You will learn a repertoire of spooky/bad girl combinations, breakdowns of level changes, and fundamentals of eye contact and posturing. We will also explore stretches and core streghthening drills that you can take home and practice. This will be a high intensity intermediate class (or very experienced beginner), complete with warm up and cool down.

Fast Track Tribal
taught by Eliza
...No doubt about it, Tribal Bellydance is all the rage. With a look & feel all its own, come see what makes this American-born fusion of many world dances including Flamenco, Indian Katak, North African Ghawazee and our beloved Bellydance so different. This class is for any intermediate bellydance student who has a strong understanding of the fundamentals of bellydance and wants a quick route to the experience of tribal group improv dancing. Learn moves and combinations unique to improvisational tribal style (ITS) bellydance that will broaden and enhance your existing repetoire. Emphasis on actual dance technique as well as on group improvisation skills that will make any performance more dynamic and exciting.

Belly Dance-Technique Drills!
taught by Sonya
...Technique, Technique, Technique - a challenge to the early intermediate dancer building stamina, a large dance vocabulary & refining the way the movements look on your body! Warm-up encourages increased balance followed by free dancing at a heart-pumping rate, incorporating all of the Fundamental moves & their variations, increasing your overall dance stamina. Combinations will be taught with an emphasis on building strong dance technique, shimmies are taken in travel, arms are utilized & sweat is welcome. Cool-down works softer movements, changing the atmosphere from frenzy to fluid, learning to 'take it down a notch' while returning your heart rate to normal & finishing with floor stretches for increased flexibility. No choreography here, just wonderful combos and transitional moves that help you learn to build dance phrases of your own, move up a level in ability or perhaps to make up a missed class. Drop-ins always encouraged on a space available basis - literally start anytime & always come away with something new.

Belly Dancing with Finger Cymbals
taught by Sonya
..."Big-Girl" Zils Class - This class mission is to learn the basics of playing finger cymbals (zils or sagat) for a strong foundation that can be embellished easily, learning the lead hand theory, full speed. Class format includes learning footwork combos & the different Arabic rhythms, then putting them together to practice our most versatile cymbal patterns & 3 different ring types, even adding arm movements as the patterns become more familiar. We then finish the class with combining the movements & patterns of the day to a song, giving you lots to practice over the week but not often requiring the memorization of a single choreography. A mastery of basic belly dance moves is helpful & having your finger cymbals is a requirement.

Howto Choreograph Belly Dance
taught by Naomi
...learn intermediate choreography (and fast drills too!), we will be listening to a variety of music and learning how to "see" the dance and interpret the music -- less focus on the specific technique of steps and more about the overall design of steps without just stacking moves. Long-time Beginners welcome but a basic grasp of the fundamental steps and their execution is needed for this class for the intermediate dancer.

Belly Dance-Layers & Traveling
taught by Sonya
...For the dancer who is very comfortable with ALL the Fundamental movements & their variations, we offer a myriad of combinations with the moves you already know, new moves you've never seen, transitions from one move to the next, a "volume knob" approach to speed as well as layering movements simultaneously while traveling with them. Longer, more difficult combinations stretch the mind & muscle memory, where the content of a 10-week 'dedicated' session includes a challenging choreography with a new focus week-to-week on dance technique, prop skill & special "tips & tricks."
Choreographies learned in this class have the opportunity to be performed locally or at national dance productions as Sonya's troupe Ro-He. If interested in this class please see Sonya for approval. New students accepted thru the buffet sessions. A mastery of basic belly dance moves is expected in this fast-paced class for very experienced students.

Semi-Pro Advanced Soloist Training
taught by Sonya
...Learning choreography is not enough if you take your dancing seriously. For the high-level student with serious intentions we offer a 90+ minute class focused on developing you as a knowledgeable soloist and expert of your field, Arabian Dance Arts. Over a year we'll explore the stylistic influences of Mid-East folkloric dances to our popular cabaret-style, get to know the famous names/dancers, scores and composers of the Golden Era of belly dance, all while studying facial comportment, stage presence, body awareness, musicality, and methods of self-assessment designed to foster teaching skills (as well as performance skills) of your own. You will create your own solo dance through week-to-week "homework" & mentor/peer evaluations, which when completed will enable you greater performance opportunities as well as fostering both your choreographic and improvisational skills, helping your dance excel to new heights. Only offered to a limit of 10, students will be lead thru the basics of stretching/warming up (yourself & others), building combos that serve a purpose & how to recognize, identify & teach others the 8 most usual Arabic drum rhythms (always be prepared with veil & your zills). Emphasizing professionalism & dance community standards, this mentorship with Sonya completes each year with a certificate. This class runs during the 10 week dedicated sessions only & is not a drop-in class; Pre-Payment for full session ($110) is expected by the 1st day of class session.
Class Pre-Requisites: Must have been through a minimum of 6 months of Layers & Traveling (int./advanced choreography class) having a mastery of the basic belly dance movements & their variations, and you are still expected to attend Layers & Traveling while a semi-pro student.
Note - Building a good music library is key to understanding & becoming familiar with Mid-Eastern and Arabic music structure. For this class you will need to buy the CD that will be focused on musically for the lesson plan. You should have this by the 1st day of class, which is available online at Hollywood Music Center. The Fall 2008 session CD is:
"10 Songs Every Bellydancer Should Know" A Compilation CD by Various Artists HMC 1379