Who's Teaching?

Our fabulous instuctors for Hot Raqs 2023!

speaker
Lebanese Simon

Dabke Line Dance with Lebanese Simon ($60)
Friday, June 23, 2023
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

All Levels
We start with the folk, and from the folk dabke line dance we’ll evolve slowly to cover more intricate fun dabke combos counting from 1 to 6, and sometimes in 4s. All will be explained including rhythms and melody, whichever leads in this folk setting workshop. This is a perfect class for all levels, protective footwear w/ arch support highly recommended!


Lebanese Simon’s signature Lyrical style ($70)
Saturday, June 24, 2023
9:00 - 11:00 am

Intermediate/Advanced Levels
Starting with a series of drills focussing on technique and execution, Simon will teach a short Choreo rich in simon’s Signature stylization, sass, and soulful interpretation to a special song he will choose for this workshop. This choreo frames some of the legendary names in our golden/classical art form , as well as Simons personal style and signature combos.


Raqs Sharqi with Lebanese Styling ($60)
Sunday, June 25, 2023
10:45 am - 12:15 pm

Intermediate/Advanced Levels
The Dabke is a Folkloric dance that is deeply cultural and rooted in the civilisations of the Levant. A Dabke dancer derives strength from the Core and upper leg muscles, executes footwork with light transitions while maintaining balance, a lifted chest, poise and soulfulness. All these elements are essential to a Sharki dancer’s vocabulary and technique; the subtle transitions of this folk dance form are the best tools for a Raks Sharki dancer to improve speed of transitions, elevation changes while executing sharp accents precisely. This class will feature essential dabke combos for bellydancers, helping to elevate the art form. Folklore is a must, and so is having fun - you’ll be enjoying both!

speaker
Phaedra Darwish

Phaedra Darwish is an award-winning dancer who has been performing as well as teaching workshops and classes in Chicago and throughout the US for the past 14 years. As an Arab-American of Lebanese descent, she also produces and takes part in cultural events, citywide festivals, and community fundraisers as both a musician and dancer, and feels that this is a beautiful way to share her heritage with others. Through active engagement, maintaining a high standard of execution, and participation in quality programming, Phaedra hopes to spread enthusiasm and respect for Middle Eastern dance as more and more people get acquainted with its roots and enchanted by its beauty.


Modern Arabic Pop ($50)
Friday, June 23, 2023
4:45 pm - 6:15 pm

All Levels
FUN, FUN, FUN! This workshop can be adjusted from 1 to 2 hrs, depending on the needs of the organizer. Learn a choreography (skill level can be adjusted to the needs of the group with prior notice) to a lively piece of music currently popular in the Arab world. This workshop will be useful for anyone and especially for those who dance commercially for Arab audiences and beyond. By repetition and through movement, the dancer will walk away with a useful song and movement combination in their dance toolbelt.



speaker
Roxxanne Shelaby

Roxxanne Shelaby is the producer/director of the Internationally awarded "The Fez Documentary", she teaches and performs Egyptian and Lebanese style Belly Dance as well as Dabke and Khaleeji both nationally and internationally. As a Lebanese American, Roxxane has been dancing Dabke socially all her life! She has also studied performance Dabke since 1998 with Vivianne Hamamdjian as well as Karim Ali, Hasan Harfouche and Malek Andary. Roxxanne has produced Belly Dance shows for the past 20 years throughout Southern California and currently produces the highly acclaimed "Fez Nights”.


The Cultural Elements of Raqs Sharqi ($50)
Saturday, June 24, 2023
10:45 am - 12:15 pm

All Levels
Explore the elements that connect Raqs Sharqi to the cultures of origin. Learn the elements of the dance that remain grounded in the culture-Music, movement, gestures, character & Feeling.



speaker
Innah

Innah is an award winning dancer, performer and teacher. Innah brings grace, poise and refined technique to the art of bellydance. As a teacher she creates a supportive learning environment, provides ample feedback and does so with a wonderful sense of humour. She has trained with many of our world’s highest level teachers both in USA and Egypt, the Hollywood of Bellydance. In addition she brings the bonus of a strong ballet and ice skating background and a PhD in Education. Surely Innah is of the highest quality Instructor and Dancer. Innah and her troupe host Queen of The Prairie Bellydance Festival in Des Moines, Iowa. Innah teachers workshops, online group and private classes, and provides coaching.


Por de Bras and Expression Through Arm Movement ($50)
Sunday, June 25, 2023
9:00 am - 10:30 am

All Levels
We will go over traditional ballet arm movements and ways to use them with Bellydance (Raqs, Sharqi/ MENAT) combos. You will leave the class with Rich arm movement vocabulary and deeper understanding of joint movements. Beautiful arm movements are an icing on a performer’s cake.


speaker
Sahira

Sahira has been teaching and performing the beautiful art of belly dance for over 20 years. Her training in Egyptian, Tribal, West African and Modern Dance as well as theater and music gives her style an earthy musicality that is uniquely her own. She released her first DVD in 2003 and has since been invited to teach all over the world including at the world’s largest belly dance festival, Ahlan Wa Sahlan, in Cairo, Egypt in 2005. She is best known for her love of the finger cymbals, highly organized class structure and ridiculous humor. Nowadays Sahira can be found teaching both in Houston and online. Her online studio at SahiraBellyDances.Teachable.com has become home for hundreds of dancers around the world to learn this beautiful art form in a safe and supportive environment. Learn more about her at SahiraBellyDances.com


Zills! Zills! Zills! ($50)
Saturday, June 24, 2023
11:15 am am - 12:45 pm

All Levels
Sahira invites you to learn to love those things on the ends of your fingers as she shows you the zills in a whole new light – as a musical instrument. She will begin by teaching some music theory and then move on to a series of common-sense patterns and cool zill tricks to inspire even the zills-shy among us. Don’t forget your zills!


speaker
Arturo Casco

ARTURO, is a experienced Egyptian dance instructor, choreographer and performer of 26 years. He has performed all across country in venues such as Rakkasah bellydance festival ,Dance magic Oasis,Cairo Carnival,Cairo shimmy quake, MECDA, Perfume of Arabi,and Hot Raqs to name a few. Arturo believes that in this life you can never stop learning and continues growing and expanding his knowledge of this ancient dance form. Sharing his love for the dance is a passion of his and coming together with love and joy in his heart makes it all that more worth wild!!!! For Arturo this is a journey of self discovery, come find yourself within Egyptian dance.


Drills with Shimmies and Zills
Saturday, June 24, 2023
9:00 am - 10:30 am

All Levels
Hip drops and hip pops with torso undulations combined with shimmy underlays, layered with zill patterns!!!!!


speaker
SuSu

Learn to play a drum solo! ($50)
Sunday, June 25, 2023
9:00 am - 10:30 am

All Levels
Bring a drum or borrow one (email Andalee for a loaner) and learn some patterns common in belly dance drum solos. Put those together for a little drum solo composition. You can play this as a group or as a solo to play for other dancers or just for fun. After the workshop we will head to the Hot Raqs festival stage and play the piece as a group! All levels welcome and more experienced player will be given challenging options.


5 Instructors
Shows and Workshops
Vendors
3 day event

Clovis Veterans Memorial District

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