SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2007

YOUTH ANNEX, LARGE CLASSROOM - This room holds 36 dancers maximum. It has sprung bamboo floors (so NO street shoes!, bare feet preferred even over dance shoes) and mirrors.

Time: 10:00 a.m. - Noon
Class Title: Prop Usage and Costuming for Gothic Tribal Fusion Bellydance
Instructor: Sashi
Type of Class: Gothic Tribal Fusion with Elements of ATS / Group Improvisation: Props and Costuming
Skill Level: Open to All
Description: In this workshop, you will learn how to use props and/or costuming in Gothic Tribal Fusion Bellydance. Topics such as choosing props, prop suitability, origin and proper use, costuming, functionality, creation and incorporation of themes which meld the Gothic/Industrial subculture and Tribal Fusion Bellydance. These props include, shamadan/candelabra (originally used for “procession of the bride” wedding ritual Zeffat al ‘Arusa), votive candles, swords, daggers, wings, cape, veils, and cane (Raks al Assaya the women’s playful dance form inspired by the traditional Tahtib: originally a martial art form with sticks done on horseback or foot by Saidi men). Once we have established and learned the proper usage of the props listed above, you will learn a short choreography, which incorporates the traditional Raks al Assaya/cane dance with the Vampire/Jack the Ripper/Droog looks and personas found in the Gothic/Industrial subculture. Please bring a cane or appropriate sized dowel if you have one. Props, such as canes and other materials such as DVDs and CDs may be purchased but will be in limited supply. Bring water and yoga mat. Dress prepared to dance. Previous experience with Gothic Bellydance is helpful. All levels welcome.

Bio: Sashi is an internationally recognized performer, instructor and choreographer based in Orange County, California. Sashi has been a student of dance for seventeen years and began studying African Haitian and West African dance while a student at San Francisco State University. In the years following, Sashi found Middle Eastern dance to be the style she was most drawn to as it spoke to her Semitic roots and aesthetic interests. She has studied many forms of Middle Eastern dance including American Tribal Style Bellydance, Tribal Fusion Bellydance, Gothic Bellydance, Egyptian and Lebanese Cabaret Bellydance, Israeli and Turkish Debke, Saidi, and Nubian Folkloric dances. She is most recognized for her alluring and dynamic performances of Gothic Tribal Fusion Bellydance and Improvisational Tribal Fusion Bellydance. Inspired by the "Spirit of the Dance", Sashi views bellydance as the honoring of the divine feminine by creating spiritual and physical unions through movement. This is evident as her ability to cultivate the energy that the dance evokes is translated to each audience member with a look, a gesture, a presence that is unmistakably unique to Sashi. You can see her perform solo or in collaboration with internationally acclaimed performance troupes in many venues, settings and shows. Information on her upcoming performances, workshops, tour dates and collaborations can be found at www.ascendtribaldance.com

Time: 12:15 - 2:15 p.m.
Class Title: Dynamic Duets ATS Style
Instructor: Kathy Stahlman
Type of Class: ATS / Group Improvisation
Skill Level: From advanced beginner to all higher levels
Description: Learn the magic, beauty and power of performing duets American Tribal Style! Don't have a dance partner? Don't worry. Traditional ATS is all about connecting with your fellow dancers by using visual cues and logical transitions to create dynamic performances that electrify the audience. The unique uniformity and precision displayed in ATS belly dance comes from the technique of leading and following.
During this workshop you will learn slow and mid-tempo movements and combinations specifically designed to increase the drama and excitement of duets. This workshop will transform your understanding and ability to create true ATS dynamic duets. The workshop will be led by Kathy Stahlman, former member of FatChanceBellyDance and director of Tribal Moon. She will be assisted in class by her long-time student (and Producers's daughter!), Noelle "Noey" Lehnhard.

Bio: Kathy Stahlman has been performing American Tribal Style (ATS) for more than a decade and has been teaching ATS in San Jose, CA since 2003. Kathy's roots in Tribal style belly dance started in 1992, studying and performing as a principal dancer with FatChance BellyDance. In 2005 Kathy formed Tribal Moon, an ATS troupe based in San Jose, CA.
Kathy's performance experience includes performing at Tribal Fest, Tribal Fusion Faire, the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Cabrillo Music Festival, Luna Gitana, and the Rakkasah and Dessert Dance festivals. While with FatChanceBellyDance, Kathy spent several years performing weekly shows at Cafe Istanbul, Amira and Khan Zaman restaurants in San Francisco. Kathy is also in three FatChanceBellyDance instructional videos: "Advanced Steps",
"Cues & Transitions", and in the performance video of the FatChance production, "The Gypsy Trail", performed at Theatre Artaud in San Francisco. Kathy's classes and troupe remain true to classic ATS. Information on her classes and on Tribal Moon can be found at www.sanjosetribaldance.com or email her: sanjosetribaldance@yahoo.com

Time: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Class Title: Bollywood Form & Attitude: Mitwa **This class is SOLD OUT**
Instructor: Samantha Riggs
Type of Class: Traditional Bollywood, with Elements of Tribal Fusion and ATS Improv
Skill Level: Everyone is Welcome
Description: Bollywood Dance is the spectacular style and choreography of the Indian movie musical industry! As one of the world's most popular dance genres, the Bollywood (or "Hindi Movie") style fuses Indian classical and folk forms with hip-hop and modern movement. Samantha Riggs, originator of the Bollywood tribal style and director/choreographer for Boom Boom Bollywood (Tempe, Arizona - USA), will teach both original combos and the hottest moves straight out of Hindi ("Bollywood") movies. The classes combine fitness with an acquisition of grace, revelations in stage presence and fun, fun, fun! This class will cover the dynamic and exuberant choreography of the song "Mitwa" from the film Lagaan. Samantha will also be incorporating her signature Bollywood tribal style combos - made popular by Boom Boom Bollywood - which can be adapted for use in any choreography or tribal dance form. You will learn the basics of Indian dance posture, footwork and hand positions plus develop physical acting skills and have a blast pretending you are on the set of an actual Bollywood movie! Women should be sure to wear a support or sports bra. If you wear a skirt, be sure to wear something under it as we will be jumping and spinning!

Bio: Samantha Riggs is the Founder, Director, CEO and lead dancer of Boom Boom Bollywood Productions in Tempe, Arizona. She was also an enthusiastic, long-time member and the assistant director of DOMBA! Tribal Fusion Dance Troupe (winners of the 2006 Zaghareet "Best Troupe" award) up until their dissolution in October of this year. She has traveled the world teaching Bollywood style dance and Tribal style bellydance. She is seriously obsessed with Bollywood movies and has (somehow) managed to infect others with this fanaticism... leading to the much higher goal of East / West connection and understanding. Samantha has a long history on stage with various forms of theatre arts including fire arts (with Fyrae), stage combat (past stints as a Fight Choreographer with the Arizona Renaissance Festival and the Arizona Shakespeare Festival), acting, singing, guitar-ing, drumming, concertina-ing and English folk dancing (as the founder of Bedlam Bells Morris dance troupe in 1992).

In January of this year, Samantha's 2-hour dance production extravaganza, Bollywood Love Rules: A Tribute to Hindi Cinema, opened to an enthusiastic audience of 600+ at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts in Arizona. Samantha plans to take this 2-hour dance revue, which honors some of the most famous choreographies in Bollywood movie history, all over the world - hopefully one day to India! Excerpts and previews of Bollywood Love Rules have also been performed to rave reviews at: the Metro Theater in Oakland, CA (Oct. 2005); the Discover India Diwali Festival in Phoenix, AZ (Nov. 2004 - 2006); Worldly South Asian Music/Dance Festival in San Francisco, CA (April 2006); Tribal Fest International Bellydance Festival in Sebastopol, CA (May 2005 & 2006); The Unity Theater in Liverpool, England (June 2006)¼ and numerous other venues in the US and beyond.

In connection with Boom Boom Bollywood, Samantha and her dancers have taught workshops all over the known world - from San Diego to Liverpool. She also teaches weekly classes at the Mystic Jewell World Dance Studio in Tempe, AZ.
While on her UK Tour this past summer (2006), she was interviewed on the Nikki Bedi show on BBC Asian Network Radio, and was the subject of a documentary titled "Desperately Seeking Shahrukh" - about her #1 dance inspiration, Indian movie star Shahrukh Khan. This can be viewed on Google videos - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-839861326041149625&hl=en-GB You can also read a feature article about Samantha in the Phoenix New Times archives at - http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2006-02-09/news/feature.html
Her dream is to someday dance alongside Shahrukh Khan.
Highlights include: teaching at TribalFest in Sebastopol, CA; Tribal Quest NorthWest in Portland, OR; Badriya's Guest Instructor Program in Indianapolis, IN; Tribal Ford Festival in Ford Castle, England; Dublin International Dance Workshops in Dublin, Ireland; Bellynut Dance Workshops in Leicester, England; Scotland Tribal Dance Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland; Guedra Dance Festival in Liverpool, England; VideoWallah-sponsored workshops in London; The Bellydance Cruise workshops and performances, teaching at Tribal Cafe in Redlands, CA; Fuzefest in Philadelphia, PA; Tribal Dreams Festival in Lincoln, NE; Sword and Scarab Festival in Rochester, and Tribal Style San Diego in San Diego, CA - and playing the bhangra and tango-dancing Cheshire Cat in Unmata's Dark Alice in Wonderland show (Sacramento, CA).
Samantha has also taught tribal style and tribal fusion bellydance at the Domba Studio (now the Mystic Jewell World Dance Studio) in Tempe, AZ since it opened in September 2002. Her bellydance specialties include Tribal Style for Solos, Tribal Fan, Tribal Skirt, Formations, Stage Presence, and teaching beginners the basics and body confidence. She traveled extensively with Domba teaching tribal bellydance and continues to do workshops on her own, utilizing Domba's format and unique style and combinations.
Samantha's past and current dance instructors (who are also constant sources of inspiration) include Heidi Alexander, Helena Vlahos, Carolena Nericcio, Ava Fleming, Ellisha Tash, Haven Heffner, Joanna 23, Jill Parker, Colleen Mathis, Valerie Pruitt, Jason Adajian, Kevin Hughes, Alex Bernstein, Kami Liddle, Abhinav Puri, Tarun Chopra, Gurminder Sheera, Gagandeep Sandhu, Phuljit Singh Sodhi, Vicky Virk, Paulette Rees-Denis, Heather Stants, Rachel Brice, Colleena (and
although they don't know it, the following stars teach her every day): Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Saroj Khan, Farah Khan, Ganesh Hegde and of course... Shahrukh Khan.

Web sites featuring Samantha: www.boomboombollywood.com, www.domba.com (as "Drazsica") www.fyrae.com (as "Flammoria") http://boomboombolly.tribe.net http://people.tribe.net/glaistig and www.mysticjewell.com