The ABDC 2021 Workshop Descriptions and Instructor Bios

Table of Contents below alphabetical

Ahava 2 Workshop Title: All the Feels 2 Workshop Title: Classical Egyptian Technique and Combos 2

Amara 3 Workshop Title: Let’s Prepare for an Amazing Week of ! - Free 3 Workshop Title: Let’s Talk about Swords 3

Amel Tafsout 4 Workshop Title: Nayli Dance of the Ouled Nayl 4 Workshop Title: City : Andalusian Court Dance with Scarves 6

April Rose 8 Workshop Title: Dance as an Offering 8

Arielle 9 Workshop Title: Egyptian Street : 9

Athena Najat 10 Workshop Title: Oriental Roots in Anatolia: Exploring the Greek branch of the Bellydance Tree 10

Bahaia 11 WorkshopTitle: Takht & Tahmila 11

DeAnna 12 Workshop Title: Spins and Turns! 12

Devi Mamak 14 Workshop Title: Hot Rhythms, Cool Head 14

Lily 15 WorkshopTitle: Rhythms 101 15

Loaya Iris 15 WorkshopTitle: Let’s Go Pop! Modern Egyptian Style Technique and Combos. 15

Nessa 16 WorkshopTitle: Finding the Muse Within 16 Mr. Ozgen 17 WorkshopTitle: Turkish Bellydance 17 WorkshopTitle: Romani Passion 17

Roshana Nofret 18 Workshop Title: in Motion: Exquisite Arms & Hands for All Dancers 18

Stacey Lizette 19 Workshop Title: By Popular Demand: A Customized Workshop Experience Based Exploring Common Challenges 19

Ahava

Workshop Title: All the Feels

Date/Time: Sunday, June 27, 2021,10-12pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Do you need help with stage presence? Connecting to your audiences? Courage to push through the fourth wall on stage and fully entertain a crowd? Ahava presents exercises, tips and combinations on how to emote while on stage. Then she will guide you to develop your individual personality and magnetism on stage!

Skill Levels: All Levels

Workshop Title: Classical Egyptian Technique and Combos

Date/Time: Friday, June 25, 2021, 1-3pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Reminiscent of the Egyptian stars of the Golden Era, Ahava will teach creative classical techniques including dynamic floor patterns, elegant arms and hands, polished posture and that will be weaved together into harmonious combinations!

Skill Levels: All Levels

Ahava Biography: Ahava is a multi-award-winning performer, choreographer and producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a sought-after instructor who has traveled the world teaching and performing for over a decade. Ahava is known for her subtle Egyptian style, musicality and vivid expression. She is a producer of local dance events and is the artistic director of the Ahava Dance Company ©. Ahava has a total of six competition titles including the 2006 Queen of Raqs Sharki and the 2008 Belly Dancer of the Year. Since retiring from the competition circuit, Ahava has become an in-demand performance and competition coach. Throughout the years, she has trained award winning soloists, duos/trios and troupes. In addition to her titles, Ahava has also been a featured dancer in many instructional and performance DVDs that have been distributed around the world and will soon launch her much anticipated online instruction series.

Visit her at ahavabellydance.com

Amara

Workshop Title: Let’s Prepare for an Amazing Week of Dance! - Free

Date/Time: Monday, June 21, 2021, 7-9pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Let us start off this week of living our daily lives while dancing in our spare time by setting up a good routine. Amara will cover proper warmup and cool down practices and stretching and fascia release methods to keep our bodies healthy. How to check in with our body to prevent injuries and translate movements so they work right now. Basic nutrition to keep our energy going. Pacing to sustain our energy. And managing expectations to keep our minds and spirits balanced. Our goal by the end of the week is to feel inspired and ready to go. So, let’s do this! Skill Levels: All Levels

Workshop Title: Let’s Talk about Swords

Date/Time: Thursday, June 24, 2021, 7-9pm Central Time

Workshop Description: I have to say, I love performing with a sword. I dance with it all the time. But… that doesn’t stop me from acknowledging that I feel conflicted about handling an item of violence as a dance prop. So, let us take a moment and ponder how and why we use swords in American . What do we know about how artists wield swords in the MENAHT (Middle Eastern, North , Hellenic, and Turkish) region? What do we know about its history in the USA? What is your relationship with it? We’ll discuss the sword’s legacy and how we deploy it in our personal dance. Then we’ll shift our exploration into a creative dance space. I’ll guide us through tasks and exercises to gently move around and hold this space of tension. These will then lead us to take the first steps to create a sword dance based in this friction.

Having a sword or experience with a sword is recommended, but not necessary. But bringing a curious and kind mind is necessary.

Skill Levels: All Levels

Amara Biography Amara, PhD, is known for her American style and as a leading innovator in experimental Middle Eastern dance. She has held long-term performing engagements at nightclubs and restaurants and has been highlighted in over 15 commercial videos. In addition to teaching dance studio classes and teacher training, Amara has taught accredited courses at several universities. Amara is the Co-Executive Producer of the ABDC, and Director of Training 4 Dance Teachers, and for 12 years, the Director of Ya Helewa! Dance Company. She has also produced EEMED concerts, and co-Producer of X-MED and Tarab workshops. Amara holds a PhD in Dance History and Theory from UC Riverside and a BA in Ethnomusicology from FSU. She was General Manager at Critical Path, a choreographic research facility and spends her time between Austin and Sydney.

Visit her at amaradances.com

Amel Tafsout

Workshop Title: Nayli Dance of the Ouled Nayl Date/Time: Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 7-9pm Central Time

Workshop Description: The Ouled Nayl are a tribe living in the mountainous region of Ouled Naïl in eastern . They are mainly found in , Bou Saâda, M'Sila, , as well as in the province of Ghardaïa. Although they may come from the of Hejaz, they also have Amazigh roots, like most North Africans.

Algerian dancers from the Ouled Nayl tribe have fascinated and inspired the West for over a century and were known around the world through numerous Western stories, Orientalist paintings and a large number of colonial postcards. Over the past 50 years, their dance traditions have faded, in part because the West could not recognize that there was a difference between prostitution as a profession and the Algerian tradition that gave young Nayliyat temporary freedom.

Most of the women of the Ouled Nail tribe have been trained in the art of dance since their childhood. The practice of leaving their ancestral home and settling in a nearby desert town. This Nayli tradition began with little girls learning the dance from their mother; at puberty, the young girl left her home village to go to other oases to start a professional dancer life while traveling and performing. These dancers, being paid by jewelry, led a life of courtesans. When they had enough money, they would return to their oasis, find a husband, finish their professional career, and pass on their dancing skills to their own daughter. This was especially the case in times of disaster and famine, when a woman had relative freedom to fend for herself in order to survive, save money, and improve her future economic status.

French colonial representations of the dancers of the Ouled Naïl focused almost exclusively on women. However, none of the hill tribes to which they belonged specialized in prostitution and only some Nailiyat became dancers. Nevertheless, the exuberance of their ornaments and the exoticism of their costumes add to the general fascination. "The dancer is not walking, she is slipping."

Their dance is ancient as all religions, unique and rooted in the earth; Amel Tafsout will share not only the movement, but also the history and culture of these extraordinary dancers and the impact that French colonialism had on their lives and their dance.

Skill Levels: All Levels Workshop Title: City Dances: Andalusian Court Dance with Scarves Date/Time: Saturday, June 26, 2021, 4-6pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Join Amel on a journey through ancient Andalusian Moorish dances performed by women at various festivities such as weddings in the Maghreb. This dance emphasizes the elegant gestures of the dancer's arm and hands and is inspired by classical music and dance that originated in Andalusian Spain and traveled to North Africa when the Moors were expelled from el Andalus. The movement incorporates the rich tapestry of Arab-Andalusian traditions from the ancient cities of Algiers, Constantine and many other ancient North African cities, at a time considered by many to be the golden age of tolerance and cultural exchange.

Algerois, of urban origin, danced by women accompanied by music to the rhythm of the old city repertoire, classical or popular. The dancers, dressed in rich traditional costumes and adorned with jewels, highlight the elegance and harmony of the movements, made of small, light steps and modest inclinations.

Zendali dance is widespread in the eastern regions of Algeria. It is practiced by women and they are dressed in beautiful dresses embroidered with gold thread.

During the workshop, Amel Tafsout will focus on the different techniques of scarf dancing with the hands and hips and on how to keep the rhythm while improvising. (Please bring two chiffon scarves)

Skill Levels: All Levels

Amel Tafsout Biography Born in Algeria, Amel Tafsout (meaning ‘Hopes of Spring’) is a first source international dance artist and one of the finest exponents of North African traditional and contemporary Maghreb Dance. Since childhood, Amel has been fascinated by traditional dancers and musicians of her culture. Her curiosity is still prominent today as she is always expanding her knowledge. She is also a sociolinguist and dance anthropologist, a university language professor, frame drummer, singer, poet and an energy worker. With a research degree in dance anthropology and a long training in various healing practices, Tafsout’s knowledge of her culture and her experience make her unique. She is very proud of her heritage and is committed in preserving her dance tradition while incorporating her own dance experience and spiritual development.

Inanna Iraqi Dance Festival in June 2018 in Estonia gave Amel an Award of acknowledgment and appreciation for her contribution in dance and its heritage for many years. Tafsout has dedicated her life to raise awareness and knowledge about her dance culture and to facilitate a dialogue between Arab-North African and Western women. She is fluent in five languages.

While living in Germany she founded the dance company Banat As Sahra and after moving to the U.K, The Tafsoutettes. She has performed with a wide range of orchestras from Latin Jazz to North African. She was also an active member of the Latin Jazz band ‘Chakchouka’, the North African music ensemble ‘ Duniya’, the Arab-Turkish band ‘Noor Shimaal’ and later the North African music ensemble ‘Saladin’s Orchestra’ with the world master drummer, -Dawson Miller and the world guitarist, Justin Adams.

Tafsout has lectured, danced, taught, sung and conducted anthropological research in many countries. She has been featured in various TV programs in Europe and North Africa. She has also published many articles related to dance and Maghreb women in academic and popular magazines.

While living in the United States, Tafsout is an in-demand dance artist, musician and educator. She became a member of the Arabic choir “Aswat" based in San Francisco. Recently she joined the Arab choir of the " Ensemble" at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California.

Tafsout is also an excellent cultural animator in dance, storytelling and the wider cultural context. She is an experienced, intuitive and skilled practitioner who is well able to gauge the measure of where she is working and enable participants in her sessions to achieve and learn whilst enjoying themselves. She delivers high standard work with awareness of appropriate education levels and content and is totally professional.

Tafsout has traveled worldwide to lecture, teach and perform. People are always taken aback by the knowledge and the experience she brings to the table. With continuous and extensive research, she is a scholar in her fields. She has mesmerized audiences and classrooms worldwide. Anywhere she goes, Amel creates a comfortable space for her students to learn, dance and heal. The knowledge, wisdom and care she shares is something that people from all over the world gravitate towards. When learning from Amel or watching her perform not only does she take you on a cultural journey, but many say she takes you on a spiritual journey as well.

Visit her at ameltafsout.com

April Rose

Workshop Title: Dance as an Offering

Date/Time: Part One - Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 4-6pm Central Time Date/Time: Part Two - Friday, June 25, 2021, 4-6pm Central Time

Workshop Description: (mini-intensive and optional virtual group performance with April Rose).

In this two part mini-intensive, dancers will learn a fusion choreography created by April Rose in the spirit of gratitude, hope, healing, and prayer. The dance features movement inspired by raqs sharqi, Persian and Central Asian dances and is set to April's own musical version of the Prayer of St. Francis and Sami Yusuf's "The Dawn."

All dancers will have the option to perform this choreography virtually with April Rose in the Saturday night gala show. From the seed of this solo, a totally unique blossom of art will be created by the group as an offering to the audience in the spirit of love.

Skill Levels: All Levels

April Rose Biography April Rose is an Austin based teacher and performer creating Middle Eastern, North African, Hellenic and Turkish inspired fusion dances. She loves to move, sing and play her frame drum as technologies for presence, and liberation. April earned an M.A. in Culture and Performance as well as a B.A. in Dance from UCLA, where she researched bellydance history, choreographic method and a variety dance disciplines. Throughout her more than twenty years of dancing, she has been invited to teach in over twenty countries. April Rose offers online classes and her Dance Cohesion training program at RoseMovement.Studio.

Arielle

Workshop Title: Egyptian Street Shaabi: Mahraganat Choreography

Date/Time: Sunday, June 27, 2021, 1-3pm, Central Time

Workshop Description: Mahraganat (street shaabi) is more than funky beats and fast-paced lyrics. This once underground, shunned form of music has become mainstream in ; but how? Before we start dancing, we will be discussing the economic, political, sociological, and cultural issues that gave rise to this form of music, and consequently, the form of dance. The goal is to understand the context of what this music means to modern Egyptian culture and how we, as dance artists, can go forward with a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it means to dance to this music.

After this brief lecture, students will be learning a short choreography that mixes elements of street style, folklore, raqs sharqi, and popular dance. This class is open to all levels and will include a breakdown of the lyrics that accompany each step.

Please have two full knives available, preferably metal butter knives, but plastic will suffice. We will be throwing in plenty of authentic moves from the streets of and will use butter knives to mimic the large knives the men use when dancing this style.

Skill Levels: All Levels

Arielle Biography Arielle is a passionately dedicated dancer from Orlando/Miami, Florida (USA). She teaches and performs bellydance, , folklore, burlesque, and many other styles of dance full-time. Although Arielle is American, she grew up in Cairo, Egypt and has been performing Middle Eastern Dance since the age of 10. Arielle is the winner of several competitions and was a finalist on Egypt’s first bellydance competition tv show, “Al Rakessa” in 2014. Arielle recently returned to Cairo in December of 2019 and has been gracing the stage all around Egypt ever since!

Visit her @ariellebellydance on Instagram.

Athena Najat

Workshop Title: Oriental Roots in Anatolia: Exploring the Greek branch of the Bellydance Tree Date/Time: Saturday, June 26, 2021, 1-3pm Central Time

Workshop Description:

In our global oriental dance community, we can find Bellydance at many Greek restaurants, community events, and parties. But we often define and associate Oriental Dance with the and Arabic cultures. So where is the link? Let’s fill in that gap and enjoy Greek style bellydance! In a journey thru music and movement, centering on providing an overview of key points in Greek cultural history, Athena clarifies many of the questions which often arise when talking about “Greek Style” including defining and understanding commonly misused terms: Tsiftetelli, Chifteteli, Bouzouki, Rebetiko among others. We will delve into the nuances in style and song, and learn how to dance with that special Greek flavor!

Skill Levels: All Levels

Athena Najat Biography

Born in the USA and trained by master teachers in New York City and abroad. Currently based in Turkey and online, Athena has travelled the globe dancing. She lived for nearly a decade in Athens, Greece, where she currently co-organizes a successful annual International Belly dance and music event, Habibi Tsiggana Festival, and is also a founding member of Kazafy Troupe Greece, works created by Reda-Style dancer from Egypt, Mohammed Kazafy. Athena’s dance background began from childhood with years of dedicated training in Classical and , graduating from the famous Performing Arts High School Walnut Hill as Dance major. Her education continued with sp ecial training at Laban Centre London and at New York University, from which she holds both a Bachelors (BA) and a Masters of Arts (MA) degree in Dance & Culture (Performance Studies).

Athena has been awarded First Place prizes in International bellydance competitions throughout Europe and in Egypt and is now frequently invited to teach workshops and judge/evaluate amateur dancers and aspiring professionals. Athena performed on-contract in several Arabic countries, working with one of the most reputable agencies in the Middle East. (Lebanon, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain) and as resident dancer in several top touristic Turkish Night stages in Istanbul. She travels often to teach at international festivals and performs in the public entertainment and tourism sector as well as for special private/family/corporate events.

You can find her on Insta: @athena_najat_bellydance or @learn_bellydance Or on Facebook: Athena Najat – Oriental Dance or Athena Najat

Bahaia

WorkshopTitle: Takht & Tahmila

Date/Time: Saturday, June 26, 2021, 4-6pm Central Time

Workshop Description:

Learn a simple and elegant choreography incorporating Reda-style movements and music composed in a traditional form called Tahmila. The Tahmila is a 19th-century musical form consisting of a brief refrain played by the whole Takht in unison. Then each instrument improvises a measured taqsim over an ostinato pattern. Then they all join for the refrain, and then another instrument improvises, etc. This choreography is a modern interpretation based on the movement vocabulary of Egypt’s esteemed Reda Troupe - famous for elevating the art of Arab dance to the theater stage. Though the Tahmila well predates any visual recording of dance accompaniment, movements have been gleaned from historical sources and re-imagined for this choreography.

The materials for this workshop comes from Bahaia’s commissioned dance with the National Arab Orchestra. In January 2020, she was asked to choreograph a small “takht” ensemble composition to “Tahmila Rast” for the orchestra’s first ever dance performance.

Skill Levels: All Levels

Bahaia Biography

"Take your preconceptions of elite Egyptian dance and throw them out the window! Bahaia redefines elegance—with a sharp ," (Blume Bauer, President of Middle Eastern Culture & Dance Association [MECDA].)

Bahaia is a long time mover and shaker in the national belly dance community. She is the founder of the Austin Belly Dance Convention, the producer of HOT Seminars—with over 35 events to her credit. Her productions include the notorious Cabaret Dance Camp, an original event that has served as a model for many others. Bahaia is a featured video artist of Cheeky Girls Productions, appearing in 3 solo instructional titles and six additional performance and instructional productions. She is the owner of Austin Bellydance studio. As a teacher, coach and contest judge, Bahaia offers a discerning eye for talent and artistry, over 20 years of experience in the field of belly dance and true passion for seeing dancers achieve their personal best.

Visit her at: bahaia.com or austinbellydance.com.

DeAnna

Workshop Title: Spins and Turns! Date/Time: Friday, June 25, 2021, 1-3pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Are you ready to feel stronger, more graceful and have better balance during spins and turns? Want to learn how to create clear and dramatic transitions from spins without losing your balance? Get ready to feel the exhilaration or spins and turns in a new way! This workshop is more than just detailed technique! With additional focus on timing, musicality and fancy footwork transitions, you’ll learn how to use spins and turns to create a more powerful and dynamic performance, provide clear cues to your fellow dancers and break out of habits that are holding you back from experiencing all the beauty and magic the movements are capable of adding to your dance experience!

Familiarity with FCBD®Style is recommended but not required. Bring a tissue, spinning or ten yard skirt.

Skill Levels: All Levels

DeAnna Biography

DeAnna has studied and taught FatChanceBellyDance®Style, formerly known as American Tribal Style (ATS®), belly dance and yoga for over 17 years. She has a passion for the artistic qualities as well as the scientific and structural elements of movement and believes in the power of these practices to align the mind and the body. She has spent years exploring how these relate to holistic and artist components of dance and yoga.

Her dance journey began when she met Megha, Director of Devyani Dance Company in 2004 and fell in love with FCBD®Style dance. Since then, DeAnna has dedicated her dance career to receiving the highest level of training and establishing herself as a leading professional in the FCBD® community. She was in the very first group to receive Sister Studio and Teacher Certification outside of FatChance BellyDance®, is one of the few Continuing Education instructors in the world, was part of the inaugural Advanced Teaching Training program and had the pleasure of teaching and performing including certification courses with the style’s creator, Carolena Nericcio. Her love of dance, movement and anatomy also led her to immerse herself in yoga study, becoming a registered Yoga Alliance Teacher (500hr RYT) and gaining a number of specialty certifications. Her love of continuing education inspired her to open the world’s largest online school completely dedicated to FCBD®Style, FatChancBellyDance®Style University.

DeAnna’s classes empower her students to align their mind and body through dance and yoga. Through gaining an awareness of the scientific and structural elements of movement, together with an appreciation for the holistic and artist components, students unlock the hidden potential that is already within themselves. She prides herself on a relaxed and professional teaching style that allows students to elevate their skills in a safe, positive and fun learning environment. Visit her at pranabellydanceandyoga.com

Devi Mamak

Workshop Title: Hot Rhythms, Cool Head Date/Time: Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 7-9pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Broaden your range of time signatures and musical choices for your next performance! Dance to rhythms such as 6/8, 9/8, 12/8 and 10/4 WITHOUT having to alter your 4/4 steps or creating new combinations. Using decades of experience as a classical pianist teacher, composer and dancer Devi will show you how to pull apart the grouping for a variety of different time signatures and the most appropriate speed for each. Then using combos suitable for a range of different dance styles, we will translate them from 4/4 time into the new time signatures.

Skill Levels: All Levels

Devi Mamak Biography

Devi Mamak is renowned throughout Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A, South America, Asia and Europe for her creative, thorough and approachable teaching style and her beautiful and commanding stage presence. Devi is the founder and artistic director of the award winning Caravan dance company (formerly Ghawazi Caravan) based in the Blue Mountains, Australia since 2000. Devi is one of Australia’s premier FCBD® style dancers, teachers and choreographers, having taught many of the top dancers in the genre within Australia. She is also well known for creatively fusing other dance styles such as , Indian, Egyptian and Samba and has produced her own DVD "Devi's Inspired Combinations". Devi is also a classically trained pianist, teacher and composer and has recently released her first album ‘Ourboros’ by Devi Mamak and the Caravan band which is a world fusion album with a classical and jazz flair.

Visit her at: ghawazicaravan.com or devinmamak.com.au. Lily

WorkshopTitle: Rhythms 101 Date/Time: Saturday, June 26, 2021, 1-3pm Central Music

Workshop Description: If the rhythms used in raqs sharqi have puzzled you, Lily is here to help you put the pieces together! Starting with one rhythm and flowing into the next, we’ll explore how they relate and to each other. We’ll have fun discovering their connections with dance games and combos to create a beautiful image.

Skill Levels: All Levels

Lily Biography

Lily found bellydance after college in 2001 and has never stopped shimmying since! Previously a world-traveler, Lily now resides in Austin, where she is one half of the bellydance duo called “Sabayette”, chases around her two small children, and offers online classes on HipWise.TV.

Visit her at lilybellydance.com/

Loaya Iris

WorkshopTitle: Let’s Go Pop! Modern Egyptian Style Technique and Combos. Date/Time: Saturday, June 26, 2021, 10am-12pm Central Time

Workshop Description:

Modern Egyptian Style has revolutionized the music and dance industry everywhere, with strong accentuated moves and fast speed changes. Through technique, combos, and music interpretation, we will understand some of the most popular moves of modern dancers. Bring enough water, this is a guaranteed workout! Skill Levels: All Levels

Loaya Iris Biography

Loaya Iris graduated from the Department of Humanities of the University of Puerto Rico, majoring in Drama and Theatrical studies. Her dance career started in 2001. Since then Loaya Iris has participated in workshops, festivals and presentations in the USA, Canada, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico; training with some of the best instructors from the Middle East, North and South America. She is a producer of major dance shows, discussion panels and multidisciplinary events in Puerto Rico, Assistant Producer of the Lebanese Love Affair Festival in Miami, Florida and Founder and Artistic Director of Nailah Dance Company.

Loaya Iris’ performance is full of energy, charisma, folklore and contagious rhythm. Her work is distinguished for her strong group choreography and attention to detail, winning first place prizes with her teen ensembles across the USA. As an instructor she has developed great skills in understanding the foundation and development of movement. In 2018, she moved to Austin Texas, where she continues teaching weekly classes and participating in local events in the Texas Bellydance community.

Visit her FB group at: facebook.com/groups/loayairis

Nessa

WorkshopTitle: Finding the Muse Within Date/Time: Sunday, June 27, 2021, 1-3pm Central Music

Workshop Description: Are you looking to attract more inspiration into your dance? Infuse your creative exploration of movement with tools and techniques that bring a sense of joy, playfulness, and curiosity to your practice. Step into a space of allowing your Inner Muse to awaken. Students will be guided through exercises that inspire and nourish the creative artist within and will learn how to apply these methods to practice, performance and creating new material. Several short Belly Dance inspired choreographed sequences will be the source of exploration in this engaging and interactive workshop. Skill Levels: All Levels

Nessa Biography A Lubbock native, Nessa graduated from Texas Tech University with a BFA in Theatre and a Minor in Dance. Upon graduation, she relocated to Los Angeles where she performed both in film and on stage. It was in LA that she was first introduced to the art of belly dance which quickly turned into a deep love and appreciation for the art. In addition to performing, Nessa shares the joy that this beautiful art has brought into her life in the classroom. She combines studies in the healing arts, meditation, dance, yoga, martial arts and theatre in creating a personalized approach to energize, empower and uplift those she works with. Classes incorporate a strong foundation of technique as well as encourage a sense of play and exploration of each individual's unique expression through movement. Nessa is a 200HR-RYT(Registered Yoga Teacher) and is a certified SharQui® Instructor.

Mr. Ozgen

WorkshopTitle: Turkish Bellydance Date/Time: Saturday, June 26, 2021, 10am-12pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Learn how to dance to Turkish Bellydance music. Mr Ozgen brings in a mixture of his dramatic style with traditional moves. He’ll focus on beautiful hands and arms styling and technique.

Skill Levels: All Levels

WorkshopTitle: Romani Passion Date/Time: Sunday, June 27, 2021, 10am-12pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Join Mr Ozgen to explore how to dance to Turkish Romani’s 9/8 rhythm. He’ll teach useful techniques and popular combinations.

Skill Levels: All Levels Mr. Ozgen Biography

Mr. Özgen is a professional Turkish style oriental dancer and instructor and has performed, taught, choreographed and directed for the last 18 years. His reputation as a performer and teacher has taken him across the world. In Istanbul, he joined the cast of Night of the Sultans combining , ballet and oriental dance. Mr. Özgen taught for several years at the Tolgahan Dance School in Istanbul and is now based in London, teaching and performing Turkish Oriental and Romani dance internationally. Mr. Özgen was honored to have been recently awarded the Best Champion of Turkish Cypriot Culture 2017 by the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations in Britain, at the recent Turkish Cypriot 2017 awards gala. Nowadays as well as touring with his musicals "Ashk ' (Love)" AND "Tales of a Sleeping Man"

Visit his website at mrozgen.com.

Roshana Nofret

Workshop Title: Poetry in Motion: Exquisite Arms & Hands for All Dancers Date/Time: Friday, June 25, 2021, 4-6pm Central Time

Workshop Description:

A specialty of Roshana’s, this technique workshop will polish and loosen your upper body for fluid, effortless movement and effective body language communication. These techniques can be applied to many disciplines of dance, from traditional Raqs Sharqi to Classical Persian, Lyrical/Contemporary, Fusion, and beyond. As Persian dance plays a significant part in her dance background, Roshana will share fundamental upper body movements from the genre to add greater depth and flow to your dancing as well as serve as a sample introduction to the dance style. Skill Levels: All Levels

Roshana Nofret Biography

A soulful and versatile interpretive artist, Roshana Nofret is a world-renowned performer, instructor and choreographer based in Miami, FL. Known equally for her more traditional dance work as well as her seamless fusions of traditional and contemporary dance elements, she strives to retain the original essence of each dance while respectfully adding her own artistic voice. ⁠She has passionately studied and pursued a career in Middle Eastern dance for 16 years with great emphasis on Persian/Iranian dances for the last 13 years. In this time, Roshana has received the gift of many beautiful experiences that have established her presence within the Iranian community: from cultural events, festival and museum appearances to artistic collaborations with highly acclaimed Iranian performing artists both locally and abroad. She has a profound love for this culture and art form and enjoys nothing more than sharing the beauty of it with others. ⁠⠀⁠⠀⁠

Roshana directs a dance company in South Florida known as MECA Dance Ensemble, which specializes in the Persian and Arab World Dance Arts in addition to a wide variety of dance expressions from the Eastern world.⁠⠀ ⁠ Find her at roshanadance.com Instagram at @roshana_nofret.

Stacey Lizette

Workshop Title: By Popular Demand: A Customized Workshop Experience Based Exploring Common Challenges

Date/Time: Thursday, June 24, 2021, 7-9pm Central Time

Workshop Description: Everyone has some struggle with one move or another over the course of their dance training. What is the one that you are struggling with right now? Workshop sponsors gather feedback for the Top 3 requests that will get woven into this workshop specifically designed to address those issues. We’ll use movement breakdown, timing variations, traveling exercises to make friends with your most recent dance obstacle.

Skill Levels: All Levels

Stacey Lizette Biography

Stacey began studying belly dance in 1995. In 2001, she was introduced to the Salimpour format and since has become one of the first Level 5 instructors in the Salimpour School. She has been teaching classes since 2004 and has had a varied dance career not only as a performer and instructor, but as a director, producer and community member. Her love of this art form is centered inthoughtful creativity, MENHAT music and connections. As 2021 unfolds, Stacey looks forward to shared movement and exploration of our transformed dance selves.

Visit her at staceylizette.com