Media : Middle Eastern Dance, Storytelling,  $200, one to one and a half hours

Each workshop works best with a maximum of 20 participants, with plenty of room for them to safely move around. Participants should wear comfortable clothing that they can move around in. Footwear is optional; those wearing flip flops or clogs will be asked to take them off for safety. Ground or floor must be cleared of harmful debris.

 

Basics of Middle Eastern Dance (all ages; works best with ages 8+, or younger children accompanied by adults. Also fantastic for Teen nights, as belly dance helps build positive body awareness and confidence.)

Session begins with a gentle warm-up to loosen the muscles and prepare for the movements involved in Middle Eastern Dance. There will be a brief discussion on the history and rhythms that characterize Middle Eastern Dance. Then participants will learn some of the movements, such as snake arms, and shoulder and hip isolations, as well as a basic debke, an Arabic social dance.

Dance Me a Story (ages 8-up)  

Session begins with a discussion on the basic components of a story – the who, what, where, and when, as well as Beginning (exposition), Problem, Action, and End (Resolution). Participants will then warm up with various “character” movements, and learn ways to show conflict and resolution through body language, movement, and facial expressions. Guided in small groups of 3-5 students, participants will be able to conceive simple stories of their own and develop these original tales into dance performances.