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Join us for an inspiring belly dance vacation in tropical paradise!
Connection & Creativity Edition 2024
For the 18th anniversary of the Heart of Belly Dance (HoBD) retreats, we’re hosting master teacher and choreographer, Jillina, to delve into the theme of cultivating connection and creativity through belly dance. Jillina will teach all belly dance and yoga classes. Tanjina will serve as onsite Retreat Coordinator, and offer heart-mind workshops to help participants clarify life goals.
Immerse yourself and explore how connection and creativity informs artistry, community, and expression through:
- Middle Eastern & fusion dance lineages
- Selections and interpretations of belly dance music
- Regional and cultural understanding surrounding the dance
- Mindfulness and body awareness
- Creative freedom, originality, and personal expression
May the Connection & Creativity Edition give birth to more inspiration, ideas, friendships, conversations, collaborations and beautiful, uplifting movement!
HoBD Connection & Creativity will culminate in a choreography by Jillina. Dancers are welcome to take as many or few classes as they wish. At the closing show dancers may perform the choreography in celebration of all the learning and growth over the weeklong intensive.
Heart of Belly Dance 2024
Connection & Creativity Edition Schedule
Choose your own adventure!
You can attend all the classes or none at all. Spend the days at the beach, in town, receiving a massage, at the pool, on an excursion, or dancing/stretching/sweating it out in the studio.
All Levels Welcome: Beginner – Professional!
Heart of Belly Dance retreats are suitable for all levels, with individual attention to modify movements for beginners and/or challenge advanced dancers. We offer a full schedule of training for professional dancers and teachers, however, all students may choose the intensity of their training. Dancers are welcome to partake in all of daily programming, or just participate in portions of class and relax at the beach, enjoy the resort and explore the small town of Nosara at your leisure. Each day you can design your own training and dance journey to best suit your personal inspiration and rejuvenation!
Perform At The Show!
Dancers are also welcome to perform solo and small group performances for a student show centered on the theme of Connection & Creativity. The topic for submissions: Exploring the cultivation of connection and creativity through belly dance. Performance submissions are accepted under 3.5 minutes in length and casual costuming is encouraged for a retreat setting. Please email retreats@saharadance.com to apply. The deadline for applications is March 30th, 2024, or as space is available. Notifications of admission will be sent by April 10th, 2024. We’re curating the hafla for our theme and streamlining the process so it can be smoother onsite. Please make sure your emailed submissions are complete with a link to your choreography, a finalized song, artist statement, and dancer bio (draft choreography is okay). In keeping with our theme, songs with English lyrics are discouraged. Pieces will be accepted beginning Fall 2024; registered participants will be emailed when accepted.
Leave your cares at home and reconnect with your love for belly dance. Join us for a week of dance and yoga bliss.
ABOUT JILLINA
“My passion for dance is driven by a deep desire to connect physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually with the creative artist inside each of us. After 30 years of performing and teaching, I continue to find deep reward in sharing the art of belly dance through coaching, choreography and production.”
Jillina has devoted her life to dance.
With a background in Middle Eastern, Folklore, Jazz, Ballet, and Hip Hop, she creates a colorful Middle Eastern fusion repertoire that has inspired collaborations with some of the world’s leading instructors and performers. Traveling extensively to create productions and teach seminars that embody her unique style of dance and dance education, Jillina also advocates a local dance community, owning the creative hub, Evolution Dance Studios in North Hollywood, California. Whether on stage, coaching one-on-one, or teaching a group of 1,000 students, Jillina’s vibrant ability to connect with people on and off the dance floor continues to influence dancers and entertain audiences worldwide.
In 1999 Jillina established her own dance company, Jillina’s Sahlala Dancers, currently LA’s premier Middle Eastern and world-fusion dance entertainment company. From 2003-09 she served as Artistic Director and Main Choreographer for the Bellydance Superstars, performing with them in over 700 shows across a dozen countries. Highlights include the main stage at Lollapalooza, The Follies Berger in Paris, The Queen’s Theater in London and Theatre Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco.
In 2009 Jillina created Bellydance Evolution with the goal to take Middle Eastern dance to a higher level. Bellydance Evolution has appeared in over 20 countries and was a featured company at the Mawazine festival in Morocco, performing for the Queen of Morocco. In 2016 Jillina & Bellydance Evolution were commissioned to produce “Le Voyage de Scheherazade,” a multi-national, multi-discipline collaboration between Moroccan, European and American Oriental and ballet dancers with the Orchestra Philharmonique de Maroc.
Jillina has won numerous awards from International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance and the Giza Academy, including Best Modern Egyptian Dancer, Best Instructional Video, Best Dance Company and Dancer of the Year. Jillina has appeared on several television programs, including, “Dancing with the Stars” & “Tsukiri,” a widely-viewed show in Japan. She has co-produced 12 instructional DVDs, now offered in five different languages and distributed by Universal Records. In the summer of 2009 and 2010, Jillina was the first American to be invited as a featured performer in the prestigious Closing Gala at Ahlan Wa Sahlan in Egypt.
ABOUT TANJINA SHAPIRO
Tanjina served as the Heart of Belly Dance Retreat Coordinator for 2023 and will be in the role again in 2024. In addition to her role as the Retreat Coordinator, Tanjina will be offering heart-mind connection workshops for participants to deeply explore the theme of Connection and Creativity.
Tanjina is deeply passionate about unlocking the potential in others, helping drive clarity in goal setting and living your best life. This passion has enabled her to serve as a successful mentor and coach for numerous team members, friends, and family over the years.
She learned through trial and error how to navigate life and a career in corporate America, and subscribed to the “success comes with sacrifice” mantra to advance in life and career. And then came burnout – and she searched for a better way to live. She knew she didn’t just want to survive; she wanted to thrive and not have regrets when she turns 90! Through mindfulness, journaling, yoga, coaching and community support, she learned how to live a life rich with experiences, connections, security, autonomy and improved health.
Through active listening, thoughtful prompts and heart-mind connection, we will uncover your deepest desires in life, career or dance and work towards better clarity, so you are living your best possible life – NOW!. Think of Tanjina as your supporter, advocate, and a dose of tough love to help you overcome the hurdles to a life well lived!