Class Levels & Class descriptions
Coming this Winter 2012: Joharah's Egyptian Workshop Series every Wednesday night, Bollywood with Faith each Tuesday, Tribal Fusion with Valizan and ATS Drills class with Valizan every Wednesday plus Joharah's new Bellydance Shakedown - drills with a twist class ! Click here for more info on Zumba, KickBoxing & Yoga at BellyUp. Click here for the upcoming Winter Schedule or to view our current list of class times.
BellyUp's offers all levels of bellydance technique & specialty classes pertaining to Egyptian style bellydance (Raqs Sharqi and Folklore) from beginners to advanced, American Tribal Style bellydance, Bollywood, Zumba, Yoga, and Kickboxing plus BellyBlast 30 minute core workout. Classes are listed below.
6 Week Beginner Intensive - This is your Introduction to Bellydance Basics and frankly the most important level to master. We recommend all students start with our 6 week beginner intensive program and repeat it as many times as needed to really learn the basic movements and steps of bellydance. Each student learns at a different pace and there is no pressure to advance. Take it once or take it multiple times until you have developed a strong foundation. Students learn a new family of movements and travelling steps each week. Class includes a warm-up, breakdown of technique, drills and basic combinations. There is lots and lots of repetition at this level in order to build muscle memory which is essential. Students should repeat this program until they can clearly execute all movements and steps taught over this 6 week program. Advance registration is required.
Level 1 - Beginners Level One is an important bridge for new bellydance students that have completed one or more of the 6 week beginner intensives and have mastered the foundational steps of Bellydance. It's now time to move on to more challenging ways of moving and increasing your movement vocabulary. Here students begin to build on the skills they've acquired and introduce then to new and important steps and moves. A heavier emphasis will be placed on correct bellydance posture, arms/hands, flow and fluidity of your movement. The student will be introduced to the princples of layering movements and more practice of shimmies and undulations. Advance registration is required.
Level 2 – Continuing to Advanced Beginners - At Level 2, the student should have at least 1 to 2 years of training at Beginner Level 1. At Level 2 you will learn more bellydance vocabulary and work on perfecting the basic core movements while learning more challenging moves and steps at a faster pace. Choreographies are also taught at this level and the student will find the tempo much faster than Level 1. Choreographies and new variations of movements are presented and different stylizations are introduced to broaden the student's awareness of the wide variety of styles within Egyptian style dance (Raqs Sharqi, Saidi, Haggala etc). At this stage the student should start to feel the movements are becoming second nature.
Level 3 – Intermediate - Students at the Intermediate Level have been training for at least 2-3 years. This class is a more advanced level and more demanding technique and challenging choreographies are presented. Be prepared for a faster paced class. At this level you’re really beginning to feel connected to moving in the Oriental way. You are comfortable with layering of movements and shimmies and are accustomed to more intricate foot work. At Level 3 we place increased emphasis on developing musicality, understanding rhythms, phrases and nuances of the music. More complex movement, layering and interesting travelling steps are taught. Check our schedule for class times.
Level 4 - Advanced - Students at this level have been training for 3-4 years and are clearly at an advanced level of skill and technique. This class is suitable for those students who are serious hobbyists and/or are interested in performing or already doing so. To participate at the advanced level you should be able to keep up with a very fast pace, complicated footwork and a broad repetoire of movements. This class is best suited for the advanced student looking for a demanding and fast paced class setting and wants to be trained and challenged. Students will learn full and partial choreographies and combinations and work on polishing and refining technique and stage projection. Also recommended for troupe performers. Please contact Joharah for approval to participate in this class.
Bellydance Multi-Level Intensive Class with Joharah - Open to Level 2 to Level 4 - Students should be at a high Level 2 to Level 4 to participate in this class. This class is not for beginners. The format is fast-paced and challenging designed to build stamina, technique, refine movement, develop musicality, and improve grace and fluidity of movement. Not for the faint of heart so be prepared to work it !
NEW - Egyptian Workshop Series - This Winter, Joharah introduces two exciting back to back classes each Wednesday night. Three different topics, each studied for four weeks at time, consecutively. Two learning tracks are offered at 7:15pm. and 8:15pm. Take one or both! The 7:15pm. class covers Week 1-4 Arabic Rhythm Training (learn appropriate moves and combos for many of the standard Arabic rhythms, zils involved.); Week 5-8 Veil Technique & Refinement ( develop strong veil technique/combos with one of bellydance's most important props); Week 9-12 Egyptian Foklore will cover Saidi technique, Baladi, Shaabi and Melaya Leff technique. The 8:15pm. track will cover Week 1-4 Shimmies/Undulations & Layering - learn and refine a variety of essential shimmies and how to layer them smoothly; Week 5-8 Musicality - How to hear the music! - students learn how to recognize important aspects of Egyptian music and dance to it appropriately. Week 9-12 Drum solo technique - is the final workshop of the 12 week intensive - students will work on drum solo technique and choreography.
Term Intensive - Joharah's very popular intensive Bellydance term program is designed for those students really eager to progress in the dance form, you'll benefit from an intensive 90 minute class time at the same class time each week. The class has a progressive learning track that's focused on your total development over the session. Each student will also benefit from a mini-assessment at the end of the Term which is useful for future training strategies for the dancer's growth. Check our schedule for class times.
NEW 30 Minute BellyBlast - Open Class. Bellydancers need a strong body and our new 30 minute BellyBlast workout will give you a high intensity stretch, tone and sculpt class designed to get your heart pumping and your core muscles strengthened. Bring light weights if you want to add extra challenge. Hearty warm-up, light cardio, stretch and tone exercise, killer ab workout and cool down all in a 30 minute lickety-split workout routine. Available Monday to Thursdays at 6:3pm.
Bellydance Shakedown/Bootcamp - Drills, Drills, Drills - Students love Joharah's hardworkin' technique classes and her drills classes get both your heart pumping and your feet movin' . Shakedown class aims to build stamina and endurance while building strong, refined technique and dancers that can go the distance. Be ready to work it! Level 2 to Level 4 students are best suited for this class. Not suitable for those brand new to bellydance. Check our schedule for class times.
Nice & Easy Bellydance with Barb - Open Class - Great for Seniors! This is a light technique and combinations class for those with physical limitations or for those looking for a softer, gentler and slower style bellydance class. Learn technique and how to put moves together all set to fun music with a warm, supportive class environment. Some choreography is taught and all levels are welcome to join in. Beginners are welcome. Open Class - use your class card or drop-in. Wednesdays 10am.
NEW Bollywood Technique & Choreography with Faith! All Levels Welcome - Bollywood dance is the style seen on Indian cinema, more commonly referred to as Bollywood. It's a colourful, energetic dance style that fuses Indian Folk dance (Bhangra), classical Indian dance (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, etc) along with bellydance, Latin, Jazz and all kinds of dance styles. It's that extra flair that makes it visually recognizeable as what we know as Bollywood. Faith's classes explore both modernized and traditional sides of Bollywood dance, creating a fun, high-energy, high-cardio hour long class that's open to dancers of all levels. Warm-up , movement drills, and technique are worked on for the first half of class and choreography takes over the second half. Get ready to express and get into Bollywood character and have a great time! Tuesdays - 8pm. A 4 week Intro to Bollywood program starts January 31st to February 21st. $65 per person including HST. Advance registration necessary. Free Trial class on Tuesday, January 17th 8pm.
American Tribal Style Bellydance - Valizan hosts ATS every Monday night. Read more.
Tribal Fusion with Valizan - Wednesday nights this Winter, Join Valizan for a 10 week Tribal Fusion technique & choreography class. Students should be at least strong beginner level or higher in either ATS or Egyptian technique to be suitable for this course. Read more.