Workshops
I have a strong interest in keeping Turkish Oryantal style alive and well. You'll notice several of my workshops are on aspects of Turkish Oryantal dance - it's my goal to continue to develop and offer workshops beyond the "introduction to Turkish" that is often the only Turkish material dancers are exposed to. Please check this page again or join my mailing list (see upper right of this page) to hear about new workshops as I develop them.
Please contact me if you're interested in having me come to your area to teach one of the workshops listed below.
What people are saying
"The workshop helped me gain a feel for the 9/8 rhythm and take a little bit of 'mystery' away from it."
-attendee, Dokuz Sekiz workshop
"It was a great way to gain confidence in my abilities and to know that all the techniques I had been learning fit together. It was also very instructive to be exposed to a drummer in a non-pressure situation."
-attendee, Drum Solo Survial workshop
Workshops I currently have developed and ready to teach:
New! 9/8 Footwork
There's a lot going on in a Turkish-style performance to 9/8, and it can be tough to pick up footwork, arms, hips, and torso all at once. In this workshop we'll lay a solid foundation with the lowest layer - feet. You'll learn footwork patterns for 9/8s both fast and slow, Oryantal and Romani style. We'll cover some variations and touch on what's going on with those hands and hips, but the focus will be making sure you leave with your footwork down cold.
Turkish Oryantal: dancing with an accent
Have you learned a few Turkish moves but wonder why you still don't look like the Turkish dancers? Do your hops look too springy and your hip punches awkward instead of sassy? Come explore the changes in posture and muscle engagement, the musical interpretation, and the details of movement that give your dance that Turkish accent.
Turkish Romany 102: beyond skirt and tambourine
Go beyond the myths - come study the rhythms common to Turkish Romany dance, the subtle changes in posture and movement that give the dance its "accent", footwork, pelvic moves, gestures, and attitude! Learn to feel the 9/8 rhythm, examine the differences between Turkish Oryantal and Turkish Rom, and find your inner sass.
Dokuz Sekiz: gaining a feel for 9/8
To the western ear the Turkish 9/8 rhythms can be an enigma. In this workshop you'll learn to feel them rather than count them, gaining an understanding of the ebbs and flows and how to respond to them. Rather than learning specific steps and patterns, you'll be freed up to dance with passion and spontaneity.
Veilwork: from mediocre to magnificent
Improvement isn't always about learning more new moves - come deepen the technique you already have, and learn the fine details that take common veil moves from ordinary to elegant.
Drum Solo Survival: what to do when your drummer is completely insane
We've all been there - you're suddenly hit with a recorded drum solo you've never heard before, or find yourself dancing with a drummer who doesn't even look at you. In this workshop you'll learn what you can do when finding and hitting the accents is not an option. If you're new to improvisation or live drum solos, these skills can also help build a safety net while you learn to hear those accents and let yourself go.
Line Dancing for Belly Dancers
Do you long to join the line but are a bit too intimidated to dive in without knowing the steps? This workshop will not only cover some of the most popular Greek and Armenian line dances you'll encounter in restaurants and clubs, but will also build a vocabulary of common line dance elements, enabling you to pick up new line dances with ease and confidence.