COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Beginner Belly Dance
Level 1 – Beginner Belly Dance (The Fundamentals)
Beginner is a fun, sweaty, dance-filled experience! As you dance the hour away, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of posture, isolations, steps, shimmies, and accents of belly dance. As well, you will start dancing with the elegant and ethereal veil.
This level includes:
1. Isolations
2. Shimmies
3. Posture and Arms
4. Sets of Moves – in each module
5. Introduction to Veil
6. Fitness and Fun
This level has 2 modules and we recommend that dancers take each module at least 2 times before moving on to Continuing Beginner level.
Continuing Beginners
Level 2 – Continuing Beginners (Refining and Building)
Beginners with the fundamentals move on to Continuing Beginner. Using the foundation from beginner, you will start exploring the more complicated basic belly dance movements as well as refining and combining all of the fundamentals. This level introduces the important concept of layering body movements and isolations over a shimmy.
If you are a returning student and are not sure whether you should take continuing beginner or intermediate, please talk to your teacher.
In this level, the finger cymbals (Zills) are introduced.
This level includes:
1. Sets of Moves – in each module
2. Basic Layering of moves introduced in Beginner Level
3. Posture and Arms
4. Introduction to Finger Cymbals (Zills) and Rhythms
5. Introduction to Veil
6. Strengthening Exercises
7. Fitness and Fun
This level has 4 modules and we recommend that dancers take each module at least 2 times before moving on to Bridge to Intermediate.
It is normal for Students take continuing beginner level classes for at least six months.
CAIRO CARDIO
Cardio Workout – Improve your Belly Dance Endurance
Cairo Cardio is an aerobic fitness program featuring movements based on Egyptian Folklore and Egyptian Belly Dance.
It is a fitness program that combines Belly Dance moves with aerobic activity and resistance training by alternating fast and slow Egyptian rhythms. Classes are 45 minutes long on which a person can burn up to 600 calories, depending on the energy put forth.
Egyptian Dance Academy exclusivity, created by our Egyptian star and artistic director Nada El Masriya.
Bridge to Intermediate
Level 3 – Bridge to Intermediate (Perfecting and Preparing)
This level is a transition and preparation for our advanced levels of Belly Dance. Some students feel they are ready to move to Intermediate but want to be fully prepared for the challenge that awaits. In this level we perfect the Continuing Beginner movements and elaborate upon them while introducing bits of the Intermediate curriculum.
This level includes:
1. Drilling all Continuing Beginner Moves
2. Posture and Arms Development
3. Introducing a few Intermediate Level moves
4. Introduction to Intermediate Level Layering
5. Strengthening Exercises
Although this level has only 1 module, we recommend that dancers repeat it until they feel ready for the Level Evaluation to enter the Intermediate level.
Intermediate
Level 4 – Intermediate (Multi-Layered and Complex)
Students who have completed all the beginner levels and the Bridge to Intermediate class can take the Level Evaluation to move to Intermediate Level.
Intermediate belly dance covers intense multi-layered shimmies, complex combinations, Egyptian rhythm identification, Arabic Music appreciation, cultural understanding, basic finger cymbal use as a prop, challenging advanced movements, fantastic steps, an introduction to Egyptian Folklore as well as an introduction to Belly Dance Choreographies.
Veil and finger cymbals are required for this class.
This level includes:
1. Hipwork (Module 1)
2. Complex Combinations
3. Travelling Steps (Module 2)
4. Challenging Advanced Movements
5. All About Shimmies (Module 3)
6. Basic Finger Cymbal and Veil use as a prop
7. All About Bellywork (Module 4)
8. Introduction to Egyptian Folklore
9. Egyptian rhythm identification and Arabic Music appreciation
10. Super Strengthening Exercises
This level has 4 modules ands we recommend as much repetition as needed to make you feel comfortable with all the amazing content.
Intermediate students stay in this level for an average of one year or longer.
Bridge to Advanced
Bridge to Advanced (Perfecting and Preparing)
Although not a level, Bridge to Advanced is similar to Bridge to Intermediate. This is a preparation for the Advanced Belly dance Level.
This class includes:
1. Complex Combinations
2. Intense Multi-Layered Shimmies
3. Challenging Advanced Movements
4. Basic Finger Cymbal and Veil use as a prop
5. Super Strengthening Exercises
It is not necessary to take Bridge to Advanced to take the Level Evaluation for the Advanced Level.
This level has only 1 module, although we recommend that dancers repeat it until they feel ready to enter the Advanced level.
Advanced
Level 6 – Advanced (Looking Easy and Natural)
Students who have completed all the Intermediate modules can take the Level Evaluation to move on to the Advanced Level.
If you thought you met the limits of Belly Dance, this level lets you know that everything until now was only the beginning. At the advanced level, every move will be integrated, explored and expanded in great detail. Advanced belly dance puts together every skill you have learned so far while adding even more challenging and physically demanding movements. Also, in every class you will learn sets of moves with complex dynamics, as well as making fundamental moves part of your everyday movement vocabulary.
You will learn about the instruments, rhythms, music, culture and the feelings attached to the sounds of Egyptian Music.
In advanced belly dance, we also put an emphasis on developing and identifying style through props, improvisation and choreography.
Upon completion of our Advanced level, students should be able to perform Classical Oriental, Folklore, Modern Pop Belly Dance and use Props in a belly dance show.
Every Session will address specific topics in detail such as:
1. Level Change Movements
2. Complex Multi-Level Combinations
3. Ornamentative Travelling Steps
4. Introduction on how to build Choreographies
5. Combinations of Advanced Movements
6. Complex Hipwork
7. Advanced Egyptian Shimmies
8. Finger Cymbal and Veil use as a prop
9. Basic Improvisation
10. Egyptian Folklore
This level is for on-going and continuous development. Every session will concentrate on different subjects. You can do the advanced class indefinitely as new material is always being introduced and the moves have so much depth. Students take the Advanced level class for an average of one year or more.
Egyptian Folklore (The Origins)
Starting from our Continuing Beginner level we recommend our students to take our Egyptian Folklore Class. All modern belly dance has it’s roots and vitality set in Egyptian Folklore.
This class will soften and enhance your moves and technique. It will return your belly dance to it’s earthy origins. A professional belly dancer is only considered a professional in Egypt when she has mastered folklore.
There are many styles of Egyptian Folklore. Every city in Egypt has it’s own style of Belly Dancing. Baladi, Shabbi, Simsimayya, Alexandrian, Saidi, Gawazi, Siwi, Bedaun, Hagalla, Felahi, Andalusia, and Mambouti just to name the most common.
This class runs continuously, teaching the many techniques and styles of Egyptian Folklore. This class can be taken again and again to your hearts content, and many do.
E.A.S.T. “Egyptian Academy Student Troupe”
You may take this class by invitation only. This class was created to give our advanced students and high intermediates opportunities to learn choreographies and perform live at events.
This is a great way to develop your musical understanding, enhance your stage presence and build your confidence.
This class is fun and for on-going development. It is an important step to becoming a professional dancer and to be able to apprentice in the professional dance company The Egyptian Dance Company.
W.O.W.
W.O.W. stands for “Women of the World”. It is a fun-filled, choreography based class aim to empower students who love to perform in addition to the Student Gala. Choreography will include Orientale Raq Sharqi and Fusion style dances.
W.O.W. dancers will also learn to perform with props which may include but not limited to silk veil, fan veil, tambourine,Tunisian jar, basket, hand candle and others.
It is recommended that you possess the following qualities:
1. Attitude and Stage Presence (a must!). If you do not have this quality, not to worry. You will learn them!;
2. Performance Commitment (which may include street festivals and charity events);
3. Technical ability of higher Bridge and beyond.