Tribal Fest 11 Detailed Workshop Schedule –

Friday May 20, 2011

* Please be aware that there are 4 different classrooms with classes held simultaneously on Friday, and 2 classrooms on Saturday and Sunday. Read carefully to avoid signing up for two classes that overlap. *

BOLSHOI ROOM – Maximum capacity 24 people

10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Teacher: Rachel Brice – Day 3 of 3-Day Intensive (See Wednesday’s Schedule for info.)

RUSSIAN ROOM – Maximum capacity 24 people

9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Teacher: Daniela

Class Title: Belly Love

Description:
Learn to love your belly! This workshop is designed to concentrate on isolating the abdomen for those creepy inhuman-looking undulations. Students will be working on the hard versus soft muscle contractions in the stomach muscles, along with layering other movements.

Learn how to make your belly rolls excruciatingly smooth and defined and then create variations by locking them in different areas. Students will also be working on engaging the diaphragm and putting it all together with transitions and incorporating arms.

Then experience what you have learned not only in combinations, but also improvisation, so that you can incorporate these concepts in your everyday practice and performance.

Skill Level: Open

What to bring: Water

What to Wear: Dance wear

Daniela’s Bio:

Daniela is an innovative fusion bellydance artist mixing delicate feminine sensibilities with an impressive display of core strength and muscle isolation. She maintains the fluidity and grace of traditional belly dance while introducing an experimental fusion flair. Her unique
style is influenced by various dances such as Tribal, Flamenco, Tango, Modern and Hip Hop. She is known internationally for her imaginative and thoroughly captivating fusion style. Find out more information about Daniela at www.bellydancebydaniela.com or email her at
daniela@bellydancebydaniela.com

YOUTH ANNEX, LARGE ROOM – Max capacity 36 dancers

9:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. * Special 4-hour Intensive! *

Teacher: Samantha Hasthorpe, a.k.a. Vagabond Princess

Class Title: Octopus Hypothesis

Description:

In this workshop we will consider many water based concepts, for example: A significant fraction of the human body is water, over half our total weight and Elaine Morgans Aquatic Ape Hypothesis that "humans evolved from primitive ancestors who dwelt in watery habitats". 

An introduction to creative character development in a dance using Sea creature imagery: the shock of the electric eel vs. the undulating beauty of the octopus. Mixed media will be shown to aid imagery exercises.

We will wake up the synovial fluids with a cardio warm up then flow through rippling circular and wavelike Yoga and Pilates based strengthening sequences. Dance based drills will help us dive deeper into what makes Tribal Fusion so otherworldly.

Tap into your internal reservoirs and move in a more dynamic way with both solo improvisation and partner work exercises culminating in creating your own combinations to add to a short original choreography, putting it all together.

Join Samantha on an under water expedition using typical tribal fusion movements and not so typical hip hop undulatory breakdowns.

This workshop features some floor work, bring knee pads. 

Skill Level: Open 

What to Bring: Water, light snack, Yoga Mat, Knee Pads

What to Wear: Comfy Dance workout clothes

Samantha’s Bio:

Samantha Hasthorpe aka Vagabond Princess (of the UK) First time teaching at Tribal Fest!

True to the original spirit of American Tribal Style, her improvised Tribal Fusion routines combine skills gleaned from her studies with the creators of the genre here in the USA with that of her own self taught background in the UK. Elegant and classic, strong in carriage: Fusing Victorian costume aesthetics, dance movement strangeness, a respectful modern take on World Folk dances and a professional versatility.

She started her dance journey in 2005 thanks to Carolena Nericcio and Rachel Brice. She joined The Bellydance Superstars in 2007 touring internationally full-time and also featuring on several BDSS DVDs. 

She continues to travel globally, instructing intensive workshops and enjoying collaborative and solo performances. Samantha is a committed teacher as well as performer. Her accessible teaching style reflects the fact that she considers herself to be a beginner student, always hungry for more training and new ideas. She is fast becoming known for her fun, engaging performance style, making audiences the world over smile. She is based in the UK with husband Oscar and hound Spindle. www.vagabondprincess.com

2:15 – 4:15 p.m.

Teacher: Carolena Nericcio – Day 3 of 3-Day Intensive (See Wednesday’s Schedule for info.)

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Teacher: Kathy Stahlman

Class Title: Cues & Transitions for Dynamic Duets – ATS Style

Description: The dynamic flow and powerful precision of ATS comes from giving and reading cues to seamlessly transition from movement to movement. What’s your Cue IQ? Are cues driving you crazy? Do transitions feel less than smooth?  Are you spending hours on YouTube trying to figure out ‘how did they do that’? 

This fun and informative workshop will help to transform your understanding and ability to read and give clear cues for flawless transitions. Practicing in duet formations, you’ll learn, review and drill simple and complex cues to create dynamic duets. Don’t have a dance partner? Don’t worry. ATS is all about connecting with your fellow dancers via visual cues and logical transitions.

Led by Kathy Stahlman, former member of FatChanceBellyDance and director of Tribal Moon, this workshop is suitable for mixed levels from advanced beginners to advanced dancers with ATS training.

Skill Level: Knowledge of ATS basic steps is recommended 

What to bring: Cymbals

What to Wear: Dance attire or ATS wear

Kathy’s Bio:

Kathy Stahlman is a former member of FatChanceBellyDance and director of Tribal Moon Belly Dance. She has been teaching American Tribal Style (ATS) belly dance since 2002 and has taught workshops worldwide. She has built a reputation as a compassionate and skilled teacher, dedicated to infusing the world with her love of ATS.

Kathy is part of the footage in four FatChanceBellyDance DVDs: 'Advanced Steps', 'Cues & Transitions', the performance video of the FatChance 'The Gypsy Trail', and in ‘The 20 Year Retrospective, Director’s Cut’.

For more information on Tribal Moon ATS classes in Central Oregon or to learn more about Tribal Moon visit www.tribalmoonbellydance.com

6:45 – 8:45 p.m.
Teacher: Onça

Class Title: Raqs Vaudevillia: Love the Big Stick

Description:
It's all how you handle the big stick. Cane, or 'Raks Assaya', is a traditional woman's dance art that offers tremendous creative expression to Fusion, Burlesque, and Vaudeville artists. Building on the bellydance vocabulary, we drill sustainable cane technique and explore combos with attitude. Great for developing both troupe precision and the theatrical face of fusion.

Skill Level: Open

What to bring: A dance cane, stick or long dowel

What to Wear: Dance class attire

Onça’s Bio:

Onça is a career entertainer, and one half of the Mezmer Society. If the greatest expression of Rebellion is Joy, the Mezmer Society is the party band for the militia of merriment. The Mezmers defy genre, blending Balkan party music, bellydance antics, comedy, torchy vocal duets, and a touch of sulfur. Madame Onça delivers character-driven performance and will do just about anything to spread the gospel of Luscious Cabaret & Balkan Ruckus.

A singer, dancer, instructor and event producer, Onça is also a long-standing member of the Accidental Circus, led by Jester of England, Paolo Garbanzo.

She also produces several annual festivals - ABSfest: the Americana Burlesque & Sideshow Festival, and the utterly unique, full-immersion, family-friendly, whole-foods-catered, award-nominated TribOriginal: Tribal Dance, Music & Culture Camp, now in its 6th year.

Under her given name of Lauren O'Leary, Onça also illustrated and co-authored the World Spirit Tarot, which has been translated into Spanish and was declared an instant classic in its field.
www.hardestworkingwomaninshowbusiness.org

Onça’s photo by Micah MacKenzie

YOUTH ANNEX, SMALL ROOM – max capacity 19 dancers

9:45 – 11:45 a.m.

Teacher: Anaar

Class Title: Fundamentals of Floorwork

Description:
This workshop will cover all the basics of floorwork, from stretches and pelvic imaging that specifically enhance your performance, to costuming restrictions.  There is enough to get even the beginner started! 

Topics to be covered include: the balance of movement from standing position to the floor, and back to standing posture with grace; a popular traveling step; adapting hip movements to the floor; and levels. 

The technical aspects of both fast and slow movements will be covered.

Skill Level:  Beginners are welcome but some fundamental knowledge and experience with belly dance is necessary
What to Bring:  Knee pads
What to Wear:  Comfy dance workout clothes

Anaar’s Bio:

Anaar has a Masters degree in Arts and Consciousness and has spent nearly two decades studying the relationship between The Sacred and its expression through the Arts. She is known for her intense and passionate improvisational themes and for storytelling through dance.   

Her unique handcrafted costumes and dance accessories not only pushes the boundaries, but have also won awards, and earned a permanent home in the Textile Research Centre in Leiden, The Netherlands. 

She teaches internationally and has released her first DVD, Dark Imaginations. Currently, work has commenced on a documentary of Anaar’s life and work.

For more information or questions, visit either: http://www.anaar.info or http://www.tombostudio.com

12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Teacher: TerriAnne

Class Title: The Performer-Audience Connection 

Description:

“The function of dance is communication. It comes from the depths of man’s inner nature, the unconscious, where memory dwells.”
Martha Graham - American dancer and choreographer 

We have all seen performances that have moved us. This is often because the dancer has been able to connect to the observer with their emotion. When we start out leaning to dance the first thing we must learn is technique. This is like learning alphabet, grammar and spelling for proper writing. The next step is perfecting the Performer-Audience Connection...these things combined form the solid foundation upon which creativity may be built.

Take your dancing to the next level (and have a fantastic time doing it) while TerriAnne teaches you ways to develop and strengthen your Performer-Audience Connection!

Skill Level: Open

What to bring: Water

What to Wear: Dance clothes

TerriAnne’s Bio:

TerriAnne Gutierrez is the director/choreographer for Troupe Joweh. Recently voted best Performing dance Company in Sonoma County, these highly skilled performers are trained in various dance styles and tomfoolery and have been causing quite a stir in the belly dance community with their RAW (Random American World) dance.

Is it bellydance? Is it Modern dance? Hip Hop? Vaudeville? The blending of who-knows-what with impeccable talent and technique create performances not easily forgotten.

TerriAnne has had a long dance career, from owning her own dance schools, to performing for 2 years at the top San Francisco Middle Eastern Club, (both Fridays and Saturdays and never, ever missed one night!) to having the honor of being invited to perform many places around the world.

Her fanatical devotion to her art has brought her technique to polished perfection, and her musical ability and flair for the theatre have made her a successful choreographer and director, as well as a respected performer and musician.  

2:15 – 4:15 p.m.

Teacher: Jill Parker

Class Title: Hipnotique - Hip work galore!

Description: Hipnotique is a workshop based on drills to increase the clarity, punch and timing of your hip and pelvis movements. Have you ever wondered how Jill creates such dynamic movement while on stage? This is the fundamental practice that has helped Jill maintain her unique, groundbreaking style for many years. Start your new practice regimen today with this icon of tribal fusion dance. You are gonna sweat, so get ready!

Skill Level: Open, but knowing basic bellydance is recommended

What to bring: Water

What to Wear: Dance wear

Jill’s Bio:

Jill Parker, Mamma of the modern tribal fusion bellydance movement is an award winning teacher/choreographer, founder of Ultra Gypsy Dance Theater, and director of the Foxglove Sweethearts. She's an original member of FatChanceBellyDance, and with over two decades of experience, has trained the top bellydancers in the genre. Jill's big heart and deep love for this intoxicating form shine through in her classes and performances. She's an exceptional teacher with a knack for demystifying this sensuous dance, making it accessible to new dancers while offering insight for refinement and subtlety to the most advanced dancers.

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Teacher: Tree

Class Title: The Dance of Khali Ma

Description:

The invoking of Khali (a ritual piece) with the use of Thai fingers as a prop, for dark and dramatic moves and working with partners.

We will start by warming up using yoga stretching. We will also work on hand and finger exercises for fluid movement, drills for locking and really slow snaky moves and travelling across the stage.

Also entrance for drama, working with partners, the ritual invoking of Khali Ma choreography, using the Thai fingers, then the cool down.

Note: this is not a Thai dance workshop, it is just for the use of using Thai fingers as a prop.

Skill Level: Open

What to bring: A yoga mat, loose clothing, water, and of course some Thai fingers if you have them. I am hoping to bring some on the day to sell.

What to Wear: Comfy dance wear

Tree’s Bio:

Tree has been dancing for 11 years. She started dancing at ritual pagan celebrations and it seemed natural for her to develop towards the tribal belly dance fusion style after being inspired by The Indigo Dance Company from the States some years ago.

She has continued to acquire training over the years often travelling to the States and to Europe to take workshops and lessons with some of the finest in the tribal belly dance field.

Tree is constantly looking for new ways to make her dancing more creative and challenging. To this end, she continues to push the barriers sometimes including her circus school skills into which she incorporates fire fans, fire sword and the occasional live snake into her choreography!

Tree is also a hair and makeup artist and designs and makes bespoke costumes and jewelry. She teaches in southwest London and performs solo as well as with her troupe Spiral Tribe.