Workshops by Sherezzah Bint al-Waha

I am available to teach workshops on Middle Eastern dance. My troupe and I are noted for doing an eclectic variety of Middle Eastern dance styles, and my international folk dance experience can provide a somewhat different perspective. So if there's anything special you're interested in, just let me know. Workshops can be customized to fit your needs and interests.

Note: I always provide written notes (handouts) with my workshops.

The following are just some of the available subjects.

• Oriental dance topics
• Middle Eastern folklore and fusion
• Folk dance and miscellaneous topics

Egyptian style

My "normal" style of dance is probably best described as Egyptian. I have several choreographies I can teach that I consider to represent this style pretty well. Some examples where I'm pretty certain that the music is available as of this writing: "Mona" by the Sultans, and "Touam Rohi" by Setrak Sarkissian. Most of these incorporate minimal veil work (in the Egyptian tradition). 3-4 hours.

Veil dances

I've often been complimented on my veil choreographies, and there are several different ones that I can teach, in addition to basic veil technique. For example, I have one that was designed for photography, with lots of nice poses in it; I have another that was created especially for silk, and works well with the longer veils. About 3-4 hours.

Double Veil

So much of the double veil work we see relies on lots and lots of spinning. For something a little different, especially for the turning-impaired, I have a double-veil choreography that doesn't require spinning. About 2-2.5 hours.

Arabic pop

Pop music tends to be simpler than classical Arabic music, but sometimes that can make it more fun. I have a cute choreography to "Washwashih" by Moustafa Amar. About 3 hours.

Cane dances (Raks Assaya)

I have several different cane choreographies that I can teach. They each use various techniques with the cane, such as spinning, and are suitable for either solo or troupe work. For example, one uses older Lebanese music, and another uses Egyptian Saidi music. About 2-3 hours, or more, depending on the choreography.

Khaleegy

Also known as Saudi women's dance, this style of dance is often done as group improvisation, and so has some similarity to Fat Chance's "American Tribal Style". This is a women-only dance, done in the various countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. Although this dance is not "belly dance," the rhythms associated with this style often appear in regular bellydance music, and many of its movements can be incorporated into a bellydance routine. Workshop about 1 to 1.5 hours for basic technique and improvisational exercises; add another hour for a choreography.

Ghawazee

The dance style of these professional dancers of Upper Egypt. This workshop includes a number of basic techniques in this style along with a short choreography using the techniques. The style should be performed with finger cymbals, but the cymbal techniques are basic. This can include some cane techniques as well as some partnering movements. About 1.5-2 hours.

Folklore fusion: "Ish Allamak"

This choreography has a folkloric "feel" to it. It's not "authentic" or specific to any particular region; instead it include elements of several different (related to Middle Eastern dance, but not necessarily to each other) folk styles, including debke and khaleegy. The choreography was designed as a troupe dance, and so there are also some interesting considerations about group interactions. Plus, the dance includes finger cymbal patterns, one of which is rather unusual and interesting. About 3-4 hours.

Making a Choreography

I share some methodologies and approaches to creating choreographies, with practical applications. I facilitate so that the students, as a group, actually create their own choreography to a moderately simple song over the course of the class. About 3-4 hours.

Greek Dances Every Belly Dancer Should Know

These are the 3 basic dances that are commonly done at Greek festivals and restaurants: the fast Hassapikos ("Greek Hora"), Syrtos, and Tsamikos. I include the basic steps, along with some common variations. 1-2 hours.

Miserlou Intensive

Miserlou is another fairly common Greek folk dance, which is somewhat more complex than the 3 basic Greek dances. There are also several somewhat less well-known variations on its basic step. The song title, "Miserlou", means "Egyptian Girl". In folk dance circles, the dance is often done to the song "Never on Sunday" as well. In addition to teaching the folk dance and variations, I can include 2 belly dance choreographies to different versions of the song: one with veil to George Abdo's version, and one that works kind of like a drum solo to Dick Dale's "surf guitar" version. Time: .5 to 4 hours, maybe more, depending on how much you want.

A Bit of International Folk Dance for the Belly Dancer

Besides the Greek dances mentioned above, there are many other folk dances that have some connection to the Middle East. Even though they are not strictly "Belly Dance", learning them may be useful to add some folk "flavor" to your dance shows. These include a number of Turkish dances, as well as various Balkan dances (with influence from the Ottoman period). Dances with Debke and Yemenite stylings can also be interesting. 1-2 or more hours, depending on how much you want.

A Bit of Belly Dance for the International Folk / Line Dancer

I came up with this idea when I noticed myself occasionally putting "Belly Dance" styling into international folk dances, and had people asking about it. I teach a few bellydance basics, along with a choreography that is basically a line dance with belly dance styling layered on top. About .5-1 hr for the line dance, can add more by including some specific styling ideas for some specific folk dances.

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