September 2012: New Term

If you'd like to come and dance with me this term, here's what you need to know.

• Beginners are very welcome.
• Beginners classes aim to teach you the basic building blocks of Middle Eastern dance, and give you a guide to the various styles of dance and music. Improvers classes are more specifically in modern Egyptian style bellydance.
• We usually dance in bare feet, but dance shoes (not trainers) are fine too. Wear something that doesn't restrict your movement, and makes you feel comfortable and confident.
• You might like to wear a scarf or something similar around your hips.
• To book for classes at Dancebase, Grassmarket, please get in touch with Dancebase directly. These classes are on Wednesday evenings, at 6.30pm for beginners and 7.30pm for improvers. Classes begin on Wednesday 12th September. Terms costs £78.
• If you'd like to come to Thursday evening classes at The Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh, just come along and join in. Beginners class is at 7.30pm, and at 8.30pm it's improvers and performers with performance troupe The Helwa Hurdies.  Classes begin on Thursday 6 September. Term costs £64 or £55 concessions (unemployed, over 60).

Get in touch if you want any more information. I hope to see you soon!

Summer term 2012

Get dancing with me this term!

 
Classes will resume in the week beginning 16th April. New students are welcome at classes at Dancebase and at the Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh!

Wednesday evenings, 6.30 for beginners, 7.30 for improvers at Dancebase on Grassmarket, Edinburgh. Please book through Dancebase for these classes.

Some of  Fisherrow Improvers, aka the Helwa Hurdies

Thursday evenings 7.30pm for beginners and 8.30pm for improvers/performers at The Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh. There are only 8 weeks of classes in Musselburgh so the term costs £38 (£35 concessions).

This term we have two haflas (belly dance parties) coming up so there's lots to work towards (although nobody *has* to perform if they don't want to, but it *is* fun!). On Thursday 3 May we will be raising money for The Moonwalk at The Meadows Hotel, and on Thursday 28 June it's the annual Musselburgh Hafla at Musselburgh Rugby Club.

Club Bellydance - get your tickets now!

There's no class at Musselburgh on Thurday 24 May because I will be performing in Club Bellydance at The Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, along with other local teachers and some of the Bellydance Superstars. I hope you can come along, support me and enjoy the show!

The albums I've chosen for this term are available on iTunes. Students will not need to buy these, but if you'd like to practice or get into Middle Eastern music, these will be the tunes I'll be using in class.


10 Songs Every Bellydancer Should Know - Various Artists
Virginia Presents Khan Al Khalili - Al-Ahram Orchestra
Now That's What I Call Arabia 13 - Various Artists

If you're new to bellydance, have a look at my About Belly Dance section. In class we wear comfy clothes - leggings or joggers are fine - and dance in bare feet, dance shoes, or non-slip socks. Sparkles and sequins are very welcome too, as is wearing a scarf around your hips.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Autumn Term 2010

Autumn term at The Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh, starts on Thursday 2nd September (not 27th August as previously advertised - that's what I get for trying to be organised and tell you the dates before the end of last term!)

7.30pm- 8.30pm Beginners/open level.
This will be a moderately energetic class, teaching you the basic belly dance moves. We'll use lots of Egyptian pop music (funky, catchy and fun), there will be lots of dancing and not too much talking, with routines focussing on getting to grips with basic technique. If you've not danced before, it will give you detail on the moves. If you've done a term or two already, it will give you practice in the moves, help you listen to the music and get you moving, improving your muscle memory.

8.30pm - 9.30pm Improvers/performance level.
If you're ready to move on from the basic moves and want to get to grips with 'dancing' rather than 'practicing', this is the class for you. We'll learn combinations and put them together to music. We'll learn entire choreographies with a view to performing them, and we will polish choreographies the class has learned in previous terms. Nobody will ever be pressured to perform if they don't want to. This class is the home of the Helwa Hurdies.

• All women are welcome to each of the classes. They are fun and friendly. 
• Please wear something comfy (joggers and a t-shirt is fine, but please don't wear anything too baggy  - I want to be able to see your moves so I can help you improve - and or too tight - which might impair your movement or your breathing! 
• We dance in bare feet or dance shoes, or else non-slip socks (like Toasties) if you feel the cold.
• Autumn Term lasts for 14 weeks, with a holiday on Thursday 21 October, and the last class is on Thursday 9th December. 
• The cost for the term is £63, or £53 concessionary rate (senior citizens, students and income support). 
• If you've never come to the classes before, you can try before you buy, and pay for the term in week 2 instead of week 1 (ie, if you try it *in week 1* and don't like it, it was a free class).

Autumn Term at Dancebase, Leith
I will be teaching Bellydance for Beginners at the new Dancebase centre in Leith (formerly the Thomas Morton Halls), on Friday evenings, 5.30-6.30pm. This class has to be booked through Dancebase. All the details are in the Dancebase brochure. Classes start on Friday 1st October.

Summer holidays

After the Musselburgh Hafla I had a full month of no dancing at all. Instead I painted my kitchen, went on a family holiday, tried out Zumba, did a few races and generally did other stuff - it's good to have a holiday!

When August came around it was time to get dancing again, and when I put on Egyptian pop music and started to move my body again, it was a familiar and as comforting as putting on my favourite pyjamas. Feeling my muscles move was a great sensation, just out-of-practice enough to know that I've missed it, but so familiar that my reactions are instantly happy.

I'm working on my classes for next term, which starts at the end of August. I'm giving my classes more emphasis on moving to the music. It might sound strange for a dance class, but especially for beginners I often spend a lot of the time *without* music playing - breaking down moves, talking them over, explaining them with words. This term I'm going to try to talk less and boogie more!

So if you come to my classes this term you can expect it to be energetic and fun, with lots of poppy Egyptian music and easy-to-follow routines to learn.

New term at the Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh

SwishandHips bellydance classes summer term begins on Thursday 22 April. It will be great to see returning students and hopefully some new dancers too!

Beginners & open level class: 7.30-8.30pm

Improvers & performers class: 8.30-9.30pm

Improvers class is ideal for anyone who's done a few terms in the open level class and wants a new challenge. Nobody is pressurised to perform so don't worry, you won't be forced to go on stage if you don't want to! We spend more than half of the classes learning and working on choreographies, but also work on technique, music and rhythm, and combinations.

If you're not sure which class you'd like to take, try them both and then decide.

Classes are at the Fisherrow Centre, South Street, Musselburgh. This will be a 10-week term which costs £40 or £35 concessionary rate (jobseekers, senior citizens, students), payable at the start of term.

It would be great to see you there!

Magic for Mums bellydance class is back!

Magic for Mums belly dance classes at Leith Community Education Centre

Wednesday morning, 9.30-10.30am

Starts Wednesday 21 April. 

A fun, drop-in, pay-on-the-day class for all women, but especially good for mums looking for some me-time while the weans are at school, nursery or playgroup.

The classes cost £4 each, or £3.50 for jobseekers, senior citizens or students.

New students are welcome any time. We learn the basic moves of belly dance, putting them together to  Egyptian pop music. Wear comfy clothes are bare feet, or dance shoes if you prefer. 

I haven't yet been able to book the room for the whole term, so until the end of April this will be on a week-to-week basis. So if you're coming along please get in touch to check the class is going ahead! Hopefully by the end of April the Management Committee of the Community Centre will have met and decided whether or not I can book the room for the whole term.