What's your dream workshop?

[Sara]

Heyas,

Here's mine. One that I would teach if I could, the second one I would love to take. You can of course have more than one...

Teach:- Romani dance and the people: which would look at the dances I have learnt from the different sides of my family, and look at the people, symbolism and attitude.

Go to:- A day long workshop about improvising and how to improvise to live music.

So what bout you lot? I might add some later as I think of them.

 

[slinks]

oh yeah Sara, you said .. a workshop about improvising .. though I know I can dance, I sometimes feel I need more help to interpret the music, especially the bits I can't hear too well ..

 

[Sara]

I can hear the music quite well, when I'm in my room I can improvise, but I always feel when I'm in public I don't utilise all my body, and I'd really like to. I end up repeating things and stuff, so I feel like I'm not really getting anywhere.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dream workshop

Heyas,

Here's mine. One that I would teach if I could, the second one I would love to take. You can of course have more than one...

Teach:- Romani dance and the people: which would look at the dances I have learnt from the different sides of my family, and look at the people, symbolism and attitude.

Go to:- A day long workshop about improvising and how to improvise to live music.

So what bout you lot? I might add some later as I think of them.

Dear Sara,
I get to teach my dream workshop frequently. Sedonia Sipes is an example of one of my favorite people to be sponsored by. She is fabulous at creating a dream workshop because she always understands the importance of a good venue with good sound, mirrors and light. She also understands the necessity of keeping workshops to a length that is beneficial to the students as opposed to our pocketbooks, AND she is the perfect hostess. She totally understands the necessity of both coffee and chocolate!!

Taking a workshop, my dream workshop would star Shareen el Safy because she is the very best teacher I have ever met for the way that I learn. She could teach whatever she wants and I will be there. The room should have all the stuff I cited above and I should be able to hang out with Shareen as long as I want. AND there should be coffee and chocolate. The other star would be Jennet, from whom I want to study Turkish Rom in depth, and all other stuff applies that I have already said.

Regards,
A'isha

 

[Kharmine]

I'd love to take a workshop from Aisha Ali! She's studied authentic Middle Eastern dance in depth, and her presentations on dvd are fascinating to me. Or from Dahlena, one of the earliest belly dance teachers in the States -- I'll bet she has great stories!

I don't want to take a class or workshop larger than about a dozen people, however. There's little time for personal attention with so many students, and I'd feel reluctant to ask questions and take up time.

 

[janaki]

My ideal workshops are as follows


Randa Kamel or any egyptian for that matter - just for modern egyptian fix

A'isha Azar - Chill out and listen to her experiencse and knowledge about this dance. Talk a little, dance a little and learn a little. It can't get any better than this. Definitely this is my ideal workshop(I can sit through 8hrs, no break, if A'isha is willing :lol::lol.

Chryssanthi and Maria Aya - you can't get any better than these two greek goddesses!!! I am looking forward to Chrysaanthi coming to HK. How about you Maria and A'isha???

I admire all your posts ladies!!

I can keep going, I have so many!! I will wait for reply and write some more later on.

 

[Shanazel]

Dream workshop: taught by Maria Aya, who would teach Om Kalthoum.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Workshop

Dear Janaki,
Thank you!! And I feel in very good company with Aya and Cryssanthi!!
I would love to teach in Hong Kong and if the opportunity arises, I am THERE!!
Regards,
A'isha

My ideal workshops are as follows


Randa Kamel or any egyptian for that matter - just for modern egyptian fix

A'isha Azar - Chill out and listen to her experiencse and knowledge about this dance. Talk a little, dance a little and learn a little. It can't get any better than this. Definitely this is my ideal workshop(I can sit through 8hrs, no break, if A'isha is willing :lol::lol.

Chryssanthi and Maria Aya - you can't get any better than these two greek goddesses!!! I am looking forward to Chrysaanthi coming to HK. How about you Maria and A'isha???

I admire all your posts ladies!!

I can keep going, I have so many!! I will wait for reply and write some more later on.

 

[Aniseteph]

Woooh, I'd go to any of these. Wouldn't it be cool to have a forum festival with workshops from all the teachers here?! :dance: :dance: :dance:

 

[Suhad]

Ooh, I'm with Aisha on Shareen el Safy!!

I bought three of her videos at Aisha's recommendation and I am sooooo impressed. I haven't even gotten to the learning the choreographies yet, but I've watched them and practiced specific moves multiple times. The cultural knowledge, the roots knowledge, her crediting of where she got the moves, the 'essence' teaching has been fabulous. I have FINALLY learned to do some of those moves that I recognize when I see them but haven't been able to understand how they're done. Not only that, but I'm getting a much better understanding of the context, simply because she explains so well.

This probably should have gone into the DVD recommendations section but I can't wait to have the money and time to go to a weeklong retreat with Shareen. That's my goal for my birthday next year!

 

[Aisha Azar]

Workshop

Ooh, I'm with Aisha on Shareen el Safy!!

I bought three of her videos at Aisha's recommendation and I am sooooo impressed. I haven't even gotten to the learning the choreographies yet, but I've watched them and practiced specific moves multiple times. The cultural knowledge, the roots knowledge, her crediting of where she got the moves, the 'essence' teaching has been fabulous. I have FINALLY learned to do some of those moves that I recognize when I see them but haven't been able to understand how they're done. Not only that, but I'm getting a much better understanding of the context, simply because she explains so well.

This probably should have gone into the DVD recommendations section but I can't wait to have the money and time to go to a weeklong retreat with Shareen. That's my goal for my birthday next year!

Dear Suhad,
The amazing part is that she and I disagree strongly over the posture that she teaches. She feels that this is THE posture in belly dance and I feel that it is ONE of the postures used in the dance. In spite of this huge difference in the way we see the dance, I still think Shareen is the best teacher I have ever studied with. She CARES deeply about the dance, she has empathy for students and can walk into a room of 60 students and see them all as individuals ( I can manage about 30, so I set my class size limit at that number.) She really WANTS people to walk away better dancers than when they came into the class, on a lot of different levels. She never denies about the dance what many other people do not want to see; its cultural aspects and its place within those cultures. She does not even try to dress it up pretty for company. She is honest and real about it, and she is a fantastic dancer, humble student herself and one of the most inspiring instructors out there.
She danced on the Egyptian circuit for several years and was sponsored by Nagwa Fouad, who thinks the world of her and should. She opened for Suheir Zaki in one of the hotels for some time.
We once had a knock down drag out argument about posture and I still can not say enough good things about her so I will shut up now.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Maria_Aya]

Wow thanks Janaki and Aisha and all for the good words.

My dream workshop to teach is one that i do teach regular in Greece and all students from all levels apreciate it.
The title is quite funny "Spices in oriental dance" but actually its about the art of improvisation.
Its a mind, musical and trick workshop and not teqnic one, thats why all levels can benefit, and we work everytime at different style of music, example Classical Arabic songs, or shabby, or pop arabic.
Also my second fav, is the "Understanding Oum Kolthoum" workshop which is 3 hours, video's, history, music, top songs, lyrics, understanding how arabic nation feels about her etc. Usually i'm asked to connect these 2 workshops.

Now my dream workshop to have... I guess i'm too much of a team spirit, cause my dream workshop is a week with other teachers, and students, and all of us teach eachother what we know, lectures, huge conversations about the art of middle east dances, laughts and alot of dance. Well i guess i'm romantic, cause I think all this to a price that would be affortable for the average student also, and not to something that its exprensive.

Maria Aya

 

[slinks]

Now my dream workshop to have... I guess i'm too much of a team spirit, cause my dream workshop is a week with other teachers, and students, and all of us teach eachother what we know, lectures, huge conversations about the art of middle east dances, laughts and alot of dance. Well i guess i'm romantic, cause I think all this to a price that would be affortable for the average student also, and not to something that its exprensive.

Maria Aya

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: I love that .. I'd be there in a flash ..

 

[Nat242]

Ooh, I like the collaborative workshop idea!

I would love to go to an Orit workshop where she taught - if such a thing can be taught - stage presence.

I would also love to go to a workshop on nothing but the rhythms and instruments of middle eastern music, how pieces of music are put together, what instruments work in tandem, the history and traditions of music...all that. My instructor teaches music interpretation but I need more in depth info and I need it (sorry for the pun) drummed into me.

I would love to teach walking and carriage...I taught this to a group of middle aged women from a country town, the idea that they could walk regally into a room, with confidence in their carriage, veils trailing - it was beautiful to watch them get the hang of it. It was like something awoke in them they had forgotten about, though it's something that sounds outrageously simple...walking!!

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dance, etc.

Dear Group,
Many instructors do not care for co-teaching because it means less $$ in their pockets a lot of times. I have done a lot of co-teaching and I like it very much. One of the biggest reasons is that I get to take the parts of the workshops that I am not teaching, and it gives me a sort of sampler of what the other teachers are offering. It also gives me a chance to say stuff like "Hey, you want to learn American style veil?? Go see So and So. She/he is a great teacher and dancer in that style."
It also gives me time to get to know my fellow dancers. For example, I might never have run into Shakira of Ohio if I had not been co-teaching, because we live very far apart. She is an excellent teacher and now if someone asks, I can tell them so.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Kharmine]

I think co-teaching would be especially helpful with a large class -- when the dance retreat session I signed up for recently had to cancel because it didn't have enough people to offset the lodge's cost I declined to be put in another session because it was already over-full and I knew I'd be lucky to get any personal attention.

What do you teachers think is the ideal class/workshop size, or does that depend on what you're teaching?

 

[Maria_Aya]

My ideal weekly class is 6 students, this is the number i feel i can take full notice of everyone and correct etc.
But unfortunately for economic reasons and for lack of time other way i close my class to 10 students.
Once I've done a class with 75 students and i remember it with horror !!

For workshops because we suppose that its not beginers and the workshop many times give more another way of thinking and tricks and tips (and choreo but i dont like to teach choreo unless its a root one at workshops) can allow up to 25 and thats it.

Maria Aya

 

[Aisha Azar]

Workshiop, etc.

Dear Group,
I'm supposed to be working REALLY hard on three costumes for our upcoming performance with Mark, but I just had to take a moment to gush one more time over Shareen Safy.
I was thinking how many professional dancers never seem to give compliments to other professional dancers. I talk long and loud about dancers that I think are wonderful and Shareen is one of those about whom I speak. I got to thinking about how Shareen and A'isha Ali are very generous with compliments to their peers. Both have at one time or another told me they think I am a good dancer. They have each also taken time in the class room situation to point out dancers of quality that they admire. I LOVED that because in most workshops I have taken, teachers seem to go out of their way not to mention any other professional dancers unless they are good friends.... its kind of weird...
Anyway, one more reason for singing the praises of Shareen!
Now, back to the sewing room for A'isha.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[sedoniaraqs]

I haven't been able to keep up here lately, and I just saw this.

Wow, I'm blushing :redface:

And A'isha is one of my favorite people to host also! I have to tell this: the first time I hosted her I was a graduate student in Utah, and president of a university dance club with next to no funds. I lived in an old rental house, and my husband and I really were too naive to know how poor we were. Looking back with much embarrassment I realize the spare room I put A'isha in was really, really ratty (figuratively, not literally) and in a partially finished, low-ceiling basement -- you had to walk through our laundry room to get to it. She didn't complain; what a gracious lady!!

Sedonia

Dear Sara,
I get to teach my dream workshop frequently. Sedonia Sipes is an example of one of my favorite people to be sponsored by. She is fabulous at creating a dream workshop because she always understands the importance of a good venue with good sound, mirrors and light. She also understands the necessity of keeping workshops to a length that is beneficial to the students as opposed to our pocketbooks, AND she is the perfect hostess. She totally understands the necessity of both coffee and chocolate!!

Taking a workshop, my dream workshop would star Shareen el Safy because she is the very best teacher I have ever met for the way that I learn. She could teach whatever she wants and I will be there. The room should have all the stuff I cited above and I should be able to hang out with Shareen as long as I want. AND there should be coffee and chocolate. The other star would be Jennet, from whom I want to study Turkish Rom in depth, and all other stuff applies that I have already said.

Regards,
A'isha

 

[Aisha Azar]

Workshop

I haven't been able to keep up here lately, and I just saw this.

Wow, I'm blushing :redface:

And A'isha is one of my favorite people to host also! I have to tell this: the first time I hosted her I was a graduate student in Utah, and president of a university dance club with next to no funds. I lived in an old rental house, and my husband and I really were too naive to know how poor we were. Looking back with much embarrassment I realize the spare room I put A'isha in was really, really ratty (figuratively, not literally) and in a partially finished, low-ceiling basement -- you had to walk through our laundry room to get to it. She didn't complain; what a gracious lady!!

Sedonia

Dear Group,
What Sedonia is not saying is that the room was spotlessly clean, had cozy blankets on the comfy bed, had a lamp near the bed so I could read. She also did not mention that she made this soup I beg for now, when she sponsors me. ( She says its a "family" soup and it is too good to believe!!)
Nor did she talk about the sinfully chocolate party we had after dinner. She did not mention that she took me to teach on a beautiful old campus in Logan, Utah, with the most wonderful room for learning dance, full of light and wood and warmth and a wall full of mirrors. She did not mention how organized the event was, how dedicated the dancers to learning what I was teaching, or what great care she took to make sure everything was perfect. It was one of my favorite teaching experiences ever! Last time she sponsored me in Illinois, I had just as wonderful a time. I slept in a beautiful room in her beautiful house where she now lives, but in reality, the other room meant just as much, because of the care she took.
Blush away, Sweetie!!
Regards,
A'isha