Next Term
When: 3:00 – 4:30 Saturdays - Commencing 27 August 2011 for 8 weeks
Where: TBA, Weston Creek area, Canberra ACT, Australia
Who: Laura – also known as Souhair
Price: $120 per term
Level: This is a mixed level class. Beginner to advanced dancers welcome
How to register: email using the link at the bottom of the page
Classes are open to women and children over the age of 12. Students under 15 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Age is no limit.
Tips for New Students
- Give yourself permission to be a beginner. Don’t expect to do every move perfectly every time.
- It helps to practice.
- Remember it is supposed to be fun.
- Please be on time to class. Not only is it a courtesy for your fellow classmates and your teacher, it also means that you can warm up. Preparing the body (warming up) is crucial to resist the risk of injury, so please do your best to be on time.
- If you are pregnant or have any physical challenges - please ask your doctor's advice before enrolling. Please talk to the instructor regarding any physical challenges.
- Remember, just because you have a dance background or have been brought up with the music, doesn't mean you will find the technique any easier than anyone else. Middle Eastern Dance is a sophisticated dance form in its own right and is challenging.
What to Wear to Class
It's easier to learn a dance form if you practice in clothes that fit the movements because it makes it easier to feel it when you're doing it right and it makes it look better in the mirror! So here are some recommendations to help you get the most out of class:- Tank top, sports bra, or crop top with hip-height leggings or yoga pants and an inexpensive shawl or scarf tied around the hips.
- Unitard with an inexpensive shawl or scarf tied around the hips.
- Leotard with either tights or yoga pants and an inexpensive shawl or scarf tied around the hips.
- I don’t recommend wearing full skirts or pantaloons to class. You need to be able to move freely and the teacher needs to be able to see your feet and knees to ensure that you are doing moves correctly and won’t hurt yourself.
- Bring a scarf that you can tie around your hips. When you begin it doesn’t need to be fancy. Culturally, Middle Eastern Dance is a social dance that people do for the fun of it at family celebrations such as weddings. At these occasions, people don't wear performance costumes--they just wear their regular party clothes. However, when a woman gets up to dance, she grabs a long, rectangular scarf and ties it at her hips. She keeps it on the whole time she's dancing. So, tying a scarf or shawl around your hips will help you discover what the dance is supposed to feel like!
- When you have been dancing a little while you may wish to invest in a coined or beaded hipscarf. They add some weight to the hip, allowing you to feel the movement better and they look fantastic. Check out the links page for my favourite suppliers.
- Recommended footwear includes bare feet, jiffy slippers, ballet slippers, split soled jazz shoes, Hermes sandals, Scottish ghillies, or lyrical shoes. Avoid sneakers or other shoes with non-skid surfaces because they grip the floor too much and can torque the knees.
- Bare feet are fine, but bear in mind that some moves taught in class involve pivoting which can cause painful blisters or torque the knee if done barefoot over long practice periods.
Terms and conditions for classes
If you have an enquiry regarding our classes or our terms and conditions, please contact us via email using the contact link below.Class passes
A term pass is $120 for 8 classes. Payment may be made in person, through paypal or through direct deposit. I’m not able to take credit cards directly.The class passes are only for use in the term, style and level in which they are purchased. They cannot be used for any other term.
If you miss a class during the term you may participate in a make up class during that term (only available when multiple classes are running), however, you must email or ring ahead to check if there are any places available in your chosen class. Please do not just turn up, as classes are often full. There are no refunds on class passes should your circumstances change.
Class passes can only be used for the term dates mentioned on the pass. We are not able to offer credit for other terms.