“Putting Yourself out There” Performance Skills and Technique; Mixing Pleasure with Business

Intermediate/Advanced Belly Dance class for Performance with Adira. FULL!

This will be a small tightly knit group of dancers to allow for direct attention of the instructor. Please talk with Adira before registering 207 415 7204

Stage? Hafli? Restaurant? Party? Professional? Just for fun? Solo? Duet? Small and Large group?

Do you currently perform? Or do you want to? This class will get you ready for all the different aspects of performing with a focus on confidence and attitude.

So you’ve taken a bunch of classes, and now you’d like to strut your stuff. Or you are already strutting your stuff, and would like add a few things. In this class, you will hone or develop skills in many areas. Some topics we may address include the following, but there will always be room for requests and tangents…

Dance technique: Moves, drills and skills to refine your dance. Levels, speeds and stillness are all part of a confident dancer’s vocabulary, as is dancing in front of each other, as well as accepting and giving constructive feedback.  Gotta get used to it sometime…

Costuming; What is the right style for your body? Buy it or make it? We’ll critique some styles online and define costuming for your body type and dance personality.

Attitude: How do you present yourself on stage? Or in life for that matter ? (as all the world’s a stage…) Eye contact, a dance name, courage and creativity, audience interaction, attraction and captivation…

Business: How do you present as a professional business person? Interaction with owners of venues, tips for creating fliers, advertising, websites and other means of putting yourself out there.

Paperwork: What do you personally need in a working contract? Why would you need this? What else do you need for performance? Creating your own safety net and trusting your gut instincts.

Music: How to select canned music for particular venues and audiences, and working with musicians and live music.

Drum solos with Live Drummers: Working frequently with percussionist Shawn Russell will be part of this class. You will develop confidence  and skills to wordlessly communicate and create an improvised interaction with the drummer during a drum solo.

Stage Craft and Dynamics: How to fill the floor with YOU! You are more than enough!

Zils and Rhythms: You need to know, play and dance to lots of rhythms. We’ll cover many of the most frequently encountered and deepen the work with those you already know. How to play in different venues to different audiences.

Props: dancing with objects, using them traditionally and creatively

Balancing: One of the coolest tricks is to balance various things on your body: trays, swords, canes, candles… it’s also excellent for posture and equilibrium.

Improvisation: Finding inspiration within, and letting it out.

Group Choreography: Creating as a team, and looking cohesive.
Performance:As a class, we will select music, create choreography, costume, design the set, market, advertise and perform the piece at the end of the session hopefully more than once!

Solo Piece: By the end of this class you will be working individually on your own solo to your choice of music. We’ll all participate in making it fabulous and beautiful. You’ll have opportunities to perform it if you like at haflis and other events.

Field Trips to venues in Bangor, New Hampshire, Massachusetts (the Middle East Restaurant Open Mic night and others; Layaleena, the Athenian Corner). Watching other dancers is one of the best ways to learn about costuming, music, how to handle venues, musicians, what to do and what NOT to do…

You’ll need; zils (I have them for purchase) a china silk veil (ask me for sources if you need one), at least two semesters of belly dance class experience, sense of humor and adventure, willingness to try completely new things…

New session:  January 25th - April 5th FULL!

Mondays 7:15 – 8:30 pm (no class Monday Feb 15th (Prez Day)

Portland Location TBA upon registration
$12 per class for entire session: $120   ($15 drop in per class if space allows)

payment plans available - please inquire
FMI: Adira 207.415.7204
adira@emmaholder.com

To register: send part or all of the $120.00 class fee to:

Emma Holder

222 St. John st. Suite 204

Portland ME 04102

You can also use the “send money” feature of paypal if you have an account, and send all or any part of the fee to adira@emmaholder.com.

or use the paypal button below: (be aware that this paypal feature assesses a fee reflected in the slightly higher amount of $124)