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Weekly Beginner/Mixed Levels Belly Dance Classes with Nashwa Ahlam in Palo Alto and Menlo Park, California
Sequoia Adult School Group Classes in Menlo Park and Redwood City
Private Instruction by Appointment Email Nashwa directly for more information. A great opportunity to work one on one with Nashwa (or bring a friend or two). Nashwa will spend time with you to review only the middle eastern dance styles or movements that you would like to perfect, or you may want to spend an hour learning about how to obtain the most current music, where to find good songs, learn the "classic" belly dance songs, performance etiquette, or how to make a performance cd. Nashwa believes the most important thing about learning to belly dance is to have fun. Nashwa's classes are light-hearted and sometimes silly. Nashwa truly believes that all women, of any size, shape, or age, can become beautiful belly dancers. The classes are perfect for women just looking for a fun exercise class or for those who want to perform. Classes are appropriate for beginners as well as more advanced students because Nashwa will vary the speed and tempo of the class and provide several different layers of complexity for each movement. This allows the class to all be working together while each student performs at their particular level. Nashwa will teach basic belly dance moves with multiple levels of complexity, Modern Egyptian Style and folkloric styles of belly dance, veil work, Raks Al Assaya (Saidi Cane Dancing), Egyptian Beledy, the various "attitudes" and facial expressions of belly dance, muscle strength, using finger cymbals (on beat! :)), a short choreography, bits of history, some Arabic words and song meanings, and perhaps some insights into current Middle Eastern culture. What to Wear and What to Bring Wear whatever you feel most comfortable in! However, you may find it easier to see what your body is doing if you wear something fitted. Nashwa recommends a skirt and short, fitted top. You may also choose to wear some kind of stretch pants so that you can see your hips and knees better. Just make sure you don't wear pants that are too long because you will be moving and it won't do to have anyone tripping on their long yoga pants. You don't have to show your belly, but bellies of all sizes and in all conditions are welcome! Bring a hip scarf to tie around your hips. If you don't have one, there are several places where you can buy one. Check out the links section, or ask me during class. There are a few people Nashwa knows that import directly from Egypt and can get you the best prices. Eventually you will want your own set of sagat (finger cymbals) because the ones Nashwa has to loan in class are not fitted to your individual fingers-- and that makes playing more difficult than it needs to be! You will also probably want to buy a veil, because they are fun and pretty and unfortunately Nashwa doesn't have enough to share at this point. :) | ||||||
