NWBD: Bellydance Technique with Zanbaka
Thursday, August 28th, 2008Hi dancers, Here’s a quick update with my Fall 2008 teaching
schedule and events: Group classes at BBC Studio, Special New
Class Offerings, and my Fall Workshops on October 25th. Contact
me with questions anytime!
<mailto:Zanbaka@hotmail.com> Zanbaka@hotmail.com Best, ~Z
Group Instruction with Zanbaka ::: Technique, Conditioning, &
Drills for Bellydance
- Sharpen staccato isolations and shimmies for drum solo
technique
- Purify smooth and fluid isolations
- Refine arm/hand movements and precision of turns
- Improve your body’s synchronization with rhythm and tempo
- Clarify movement definition to expand your bellydance
vocabulary
Tuesdays
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Beginning Technique: 7:30-8:30pm
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Intermediate Technique & Combos: 8:30-9:30pm
Belltown Ballet and Conditioning Studio is located at 2306 4th
Avenue between Bell and Battery, on the East side of the street.
Free Street Parking Available in the Vicinity. Intermediate
students, please bring a veil and finger cymbals. 4-Week Session,
$50 (Cash, Check or Paypal). If your schedule cannot accommodate
all 4 classes in session, Drop-In fee is $15/class. (Cash, Check
or Paypal). No make-ups or refunds on full session payments,
please. To register for the full session or to rsvp as a drop-in,
contact me at: <mailto:zanbaka@hotmail.com>
zanbaka@hotmail.com
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Next Session Dates
Current: August 26th, September 2nd, 9th, & 16th
Next: September 23rd & 30th (Special Two Week Session)
Looking Ahead: October 21st, 28th, November 4th, & 11th
November 18th, 25th, December 2nd and 9th
Winter Break: December 16th-30th (New Year Classes start on
January 6th, 2009)
Special Class Offerings
The following class offerings are open to
<http://zanbaka.com/classdescriptions.htm> Intermediate Level
students and above. These are small classes (2-3 students) in
the Capitol Hill area, so you must RSVP if you’d like to attend.
Intermediate/Advanced Technique & Combos: Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm
More drills, technique, and moving from the core. Explore layering,
dozens of shimmy variations, and clarify isolation definition
to expand your dance vocabulary. Please bring your Finger
Cymbals, Veil, and knee-pads for Floorwork. Props (sword, basket,
urn, candles) will also be used occasionally.
Zanbaka’s Repertoire for Tribal Group Improvisation: Mondays,
6:30-7:30pm Tribal Basics, Tribal Variations, Advanced Combos.
Zanbaka’s signature repertoire for Tribal Group Improvisation.
A unique departure from the standards, her repertoire is based
on the improvisational concepts of Gypsy Caravan and
FatChanceBellyDance, infused with more elements of Middle
Eastern Folkloric, Flamenco, West African, and East Indian
Orissi Dance and is also taught from a right/left, even sided
approach.
Orientale Dance Technique and Combos: Tuesdays, 5:00-6:00pm
Explore various facets of Orientale Dance, from the Seven Part
Westernized Nightclub routine to Classical and Modern Egyptian
nuances. Learn combos for Drum Solo, Taqsim, Folkloric elements,
Floorwork, Veil, and short pieces to the great musical standards
of the bellydance world. Please bring your Finger Cymbals.
World Fusion Bellydance: Tuesdays, 6:00-7:00pm
Blending tradition and innovation, expand your horizons with
short pieces of Zanbaka’s choreographies, influenced my a
variety of genres: East Indian, Flamenco, North African, Turkish
Rom, Tribal Fusion, Funky Modern, and more.
Barefoot Flamenco for Bellydancers: Sundays, 4:30-5:30pm
This is a great class for dancers who love Flamenco, but can’t
do footwork due to physical limitations. Technique for Hands,
Arms, Upper Body, Turns, Low-Impact Foot Patterns, Hand Clapping
(palmas), Castanets, and props Fan, Manton (Spanish Shawl), and
Skirt maneuvers.
_____
Class Descriptions and Level Breakdowns
With an emphasis on moving from the core muscles, Zanbaka’s
approach to belly dance offers students the vocabulary, skills,
and freedom to pursue whatever style they prefer. The Beginning
Class is appropriate for those who have never taken a dance
class in their life and for more experienced dancers who want
to perfect the basics. This class includes:
1) A multitasking warm-up utilizing common foot-patterns and
arm movements while raising heart-rate, lubricating joints,
increasing blood flow/oxygen to all parts of the body, and
sharpening our alertness.
2) Slow finger cymbal rhythms combined with simple foot
patterns/arm movements
3) Conditioning to strengthen muscle groups used in bellydance
and to improve alignment and control
4) “Light” stretches to open up areas of the body that may have
become stagnant or tight during the course of the day
5) Technique exercises for postural alignment, beginning turns,
and arm positions
6) Various isolation drills for the head, shoulders, arms,
wrists, hands, ribcage, abdominals, and hips. In addition to
developing muscle memory, our goal with the weekly drills is to
build speed, clarity, and precision, since they are the basis
for so many advanced movements in bellydance.
7) Combinations to strengthen transitions between movements.
8) A cool-down with deeper stretches and relaxation
For students interested in advancing to the Intermediate Class,
I recommend that you be intimately familiar, have a firm
understanding, and possess the ability to independently execute
each of the following technique items as guideline. For students
with basic bellydance experience, please bear in mind that the
content and intensity of beginning classes can vary immensely
from instructor to instructor. I ask that new students start out
with the Beginning Class, regardless of experience. I’m always
happy to discuss your dance goals and threshold for individual
critique and feedback in class, so please
<mailto:zanbaka@hotmail.com?subject=Class%20Referrals> Email me
anytime!
Beginning Technique (This material is cycled through
approximately every Ten Weeks)
Foot Patterns, Finger Cymbal 3’s at Full Time, Soft and Strong
Arm Positions, Floreos, Wrist Isolations, Hand Undulations, Low
Arm Undulations, Shoulder Isolations (Forward, Up, Back Down)
Figure Eights PTM (U2D, D2U), Hip Twist (PTF, Up, Raised),
Figure Eights (F2B and B2F versions of Basic, PTF, PTM/PTF), Head
Isolations, Up Hips, Side Hips, Down Hips, Raised Up Hip and
Timing Variations, Ribcage Variations (Slides, Tilt, Twist,
Diagonal, Vertical, Diamonds, Squares, Figure Eights), Hip
Diamond Variations (Up, PTF, Side-Up), Lower Body Undulation,
Abdominal Isolations, Full Body Undulation, Leg Shimmy, Weight
Shifting Shimmy, Quiver Shimmy, Up 3/4 Shimmies, Down 3/4
Shimmies, Basic Turns, 4/4 Rhythms.
Intermediate Technique
Complex Foot Patterns, Wrist and Elbow Leading Soft Arm Series,
Floreos Layered on Dynamic Strong Arms Positions, Leg Shimmy with
Layering Variations, Traveling and Changing Levels with
Beginning Technique Isolations, Traveling Up 3/4 Shimmy 1,
Traveling Up 3/4 Shimmy 2, Traveling Down 3/4 Shimmy 1, Traveling
Down 3/4 Shimmy 2, 3/4 Shimmy Variations, Raised Up Hip
Variations and Shapes, Working with Degree of Range and
Crispness, Layering Combos, Turns (Paddle, Barrel, 2 Step, 3
Step, Slow Pivot), complex 4/4 Finger Cymbal Patterns at Full
Time, Basic Veil work, Combos to drill transitions and
explore musicality.
_____
Saturday, October 25th, 2008 - Zanbaka’s Fall Workshop -
Seattle, WA Fall Bellydance Workshop with Zanbaka at BBC Studio
in Seattle’s Belltown Neighborhood. Sharpen staccato isolations
and shimmies, purify smooth and fluid isolations, refine arm/
hand movements and precision of turns, improve your body’s
synchronization with rhythm and tempo, clarify movement
definition to expand your bellydance vocabulary with Technique
and Drills for Bellydance from 1:00-3:00pm, which will roughly
follow the material from Zanbaka’s book, Foundations (Vol. I) of
Bellydance for the Versatile Dancer. From 3:30-5:30pm,
technique, transition practice, and musicality will be put into
context with Tribal Fusion Combos, where several short pieces of
Zanbaka’s inspiring choreography will be presented. All levels
welcome in the technique class, the 2nd class will go at a
swifter pace appropriate for experienced bellydance students.
Please bring your finger cymbals and a veil. BBC Studio is
located at 2306 4th Avenue between Bell and Battery, on the East
side of the street.
Workshops fees:
Single Class…
$40 before October 1st, 2008 / $45 after October 1st, 2008
Both Classes…
$70 before October 1st, 2008 / $85 after October 1st, 2008
To Pre-Register or for more info contact Zanbaka: 206.321.2912
<mailto:zanbaka@hotmail.com> zanbaka@hotmail.com
www.zanbaka.com
_____
Zanbaka
Performer, Choreographer, & Instructor
Orientale, Folkloric, Tribal, & Fusion Bellydance
<mailto:zanbaka@hotmail.com> zanbaka@hotmail.com Ph. 206-321-2912
<http://www.zanbaka.com> http://www.zanbaka.com
Zamani Flamenco <http://www.zamaniflamenco.com>
http://www.zamaniflamenco.com
Zanbaka’s Designs - Custom Headdresses and Costume Accessories
<http://www.zanbaka.com/bazaar.htm> http://www.zanbaka.com/bazaar.htm
Volume I: Foundations, Bellydance for the Versatile Dancer Book Series
<http://www.zanbaka.com/versatiledancerseries.htm>
http://www.zanbaka.com/versatiledancerseries.htm
Pre-Order Volume II: Shapes, Patterns and Layers, Bellydance for the
Versatile Dancer Book Series
http://zanbaka.com/VolumeIIPreOrder.htm