Reminder: NO Classes Saturday, July 4

July 03, 2009

Happy 4th of July!

Sahara Dance classes will be held on Sunday, July 5, as scheduled.

Have a happy and safe weekend, everyone.

Posted by Sahara Dance at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview with Lynn

July 02, 2009

Name: Lynn

What is your role within the Sahara Dance community? Raqs Caravan West Company Member, Student, Fan

Childhood ambition: To grow up to do contract writing for government printing… Oh wait…that’s what I do now…

My childhood ambition was actually to be an Archeologist; I’m fascinated by all things ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, etc… Belly Dance being an ancient dance form naturally drew my interest.

First job: I got my first job at age 16. My first job was in the women’s department at Montgomery Ward department store. I ran the register, put away stock, cleaned out the fitting rooms and helped customers find what they were looking for. Not terribly interesting but it allowed me to pay for things teenagers want such as a car, car insurance, gas for the car, movies, music CDs, clothes, etc…

What’s playing on your iPod or CD player? Right now… Aprovechame by Charanga Cubana

What’s on my iPod period…everything under the sun from Beethoven to Cheb Mami to Solace to Gotang project to Keith Urban to Gilberto Santa Rosa to Los Van Van to Rhianna to Benny Goodman to Jimmy Hendrix…. I can go all day with this… I have extremely diverse music interest from taking many different styles of dance growing up.

Indulgence: purses, shoes, shiny belly dance things, chocolate, peanut butter, ice cream… too many to name.

What’s your favorite belly dance moment or experience? My most memorable moment was when I finally got the 3/4 shimmy after standing behind the teacher for 3 months straight watching her hips and listening to her say “shift, up, down.” The light bulb that went off in my brain finally connected to my hips… I felt…hey I can do this and it gave me confidence to continue learning.

Current inspirations: There are a lot of dancers or dances that I see that inspire me. I kinda keep a lot of it in the back of my mind to explore. To name a few…

• salsa and tango music and dance
• Afro Cuban folkloric music and dance
• Sassy French Moulin Rouge type music
• BellaDonna’s sword work
• Kami Liddle’s pop and lock movement
• Ava Fleming’s incredible technique, versatility in style, and sheer beauty as a dancer
• Ashye of NY’s Isis Wings dancing

What is your dance background? I’ve been a dancer my entire life. My dance experience spans 19 years of training in ballet, tap and jazz and 4 years in Lindy Hop/Swing dancing. I have done salsa, cha cha, merengue and bachata for the last 7 years and currently perform with a DC based Cuban style salsa performance group known as SAOCO DC performing all over MD/VA/DC. Additionally, I’ve studied belly dance for about 6 years with Sahara Dance and guest workshop instructors. I am also a current member of Sahara Dance’s Raqs Caravan West Student Company.

How did you get interested in belly dance? I’ve always been a fan of dance in all forms. A friend of mine asked if I wanted to come to her belly dance recital. I went to the recital and was amazed at the beauty and skill of the dancers. I put it on my list of dances to learn and sought out lesson in my hometown of Baltimore, MD. About a year later another friend of my started talking to me about her amazing instructor in DC…Rachel K. Brookmire…I came to her Under a Desert Sky show to support my friend and decided this is a woman I want to take lessons from. I signed up for lessons with Rachel at Joy of Motion and followed her when she created her company Sahara Dance. I’ve been there ever since.

Finally, what do you love most about Sahara Dance (other than Hip Talk, of course!)? I love that my instructors are friendly, professional, high quality dancers and knowledgeable. I feel that I can learn, experiment and explore within my own comfort levels this beautiful art form. It is these things about Sahara Dance as well as many more that I could go on and on about that makes the distance I drive to take my lessons and perform with them worth it.

Posted by Sahara Dance at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Saturday Workshop: Latin-Belly Fusion!

July 01, 2009

Watch out, Shakira! Sahara Dance is offering our own Latin-Belly Dance fusion style. Combining salsa, bachata and other Latin dance styles with the ancient art of raqs sharq, Melissa will teach the basics of each style and how to fit them together into an exciting and versatile choreography.

All levels are welcome. Choreography is structured to be accessible to beginner students, offering modifications to challenge advanced dancers. Please wear socks or non-marking dance shoes (no heels!).

Latin-Belly Fusion!
Date: Saturday, July 11, 2009
Time: 2:30 - 4:30 pm
Teacher: Melissa
Location: Sahara Dance Central
Cost: $35 in advance / $45 at door

This workshop is also a great peek at the upcoming fall Salsa-Belly Fusion Performance class.

Read what past workshop participants have to say:

• Class was nice and refreshing on how to mix different cultures and movements while it looks graceful
• [Melissa] covered many (all) Latin dances mixed with belly and would isolate moves for us when needed. Good intuition!
• Thanks Melissa - great class. Great teacher!
• Lots of fun - learned a lot
• Good basics, fun choreography.
• It was so much fun that it felt almost spontaneous… very natural movements.
• Fun, good pace, good for me as a beginner.
• The class was entertaining and simultaneously allowed for the students to grasp a knowledge of the different Latin styles.
• It was an awesome class!

Posted by Sahara Dance at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interview with Lisa W.

June 30, 2009

Name: Lisa W

What is your role within the Sahara Dance community? Student

Childhood ambition: Initially, I wanted to be a secretary, like my mom. She made me change my mind to a lawyer. I’m neither.. :-).

First job: A Fonz at the DC National Zoo.

What’s playing on your iPod or CD player? R and B, Jazz, World, and Electronic.

Indulgence: Whenever I have the opportunity, I like to lay on the beach, eat good food, and gamble at casinos.

What’s your favorite belly dance moment or experience? My first performance with Raqs Caravan West.

Current inspirations: My Sahara Dance instructors. I want to share the joy of belly dance with others, as they do with me.

What is your dance background? I don’t have any dance background.

How did you get interested in belly dance? I paid a belly dancer to perform at a birthday gathering for my boyfriend at a sports bar. We had so much fun that I decided to try it. He still has her anklet on his rear view mirror.

Finally, what do you love most about Sahara Dance (other than Hip Talk, of course!)? I love all the new experiences and relationships I continue to enjoy in the Sahara Dance community.

Posted by Sahara Dance at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)