A Wonderful Weekend of Wicked Workshops!

The Paulette Rees-Denis workshop at The Dark Side Studio

I am excited about my upcoming weekend of bellydance goodness!

Workshops are a great way to not only learn new skills, but refine technique, focus on specific technical issues like arms and hands, and even get to know different instructors and teachers. I personally love the fact that Toronto studios are very active with a range of fantastic workshop topics geared to all levels and styles of bellydance.

This weekend in particular will be two workshops focused on different props. Personally I love props. Not all dancers do, but I adore the extra element a well-placed prop can add to a performance. It's also a great way to showcase your skills, since adding any kind of prop to a dance routine shows a level of expertise in being able to not only keep your feet and hips moving, but keep fabric afloat, canes spinning, swords balanced and zills singing.

Not an easy task, but something that certainly can be mastered with lots and lots (and lots!) of practice.

Prop workshops are a great way to find out what ones you might like to work with further. I have also found most teachers are receptive to requests for specific props or technique you might be interested in learning more about or working on intensely, so never be afraid to ask! Also be sure to check out studio websites, as well as Bellydance In Toronto and the Ontario MEDance Calendar.

Tomorrow - Saturday, February 15th, the lovely Ruyah is teaching a fan veils workshop at Dragonfly Studios. Fan veils are relatively new to the bellydance scene being Oriental in origin rather than Middle Eastern. Nevertheless, they are enchanting to watch and are beautiful when handled by an expert:

Sunday, February 16th is the second installment in Roula Said's zill workshop series at Om Laila.

Roula and zills are synonymous. As a musician she plays them with a grace, skill and style that make grown dancers weep. They are literally an extension of her body. This winter she's offering a series of three different workshops that introduce dancers to how to integrate zills into different styles of music. January's workshop featured a pop choreography and this weekend is Baladi. So far as I know there is still room in the March 2nd drum solo choreography workshop, so if you want to study with the master, be sure to get in touch:

Happy Heart Day everyone!!!!