mysticcaravanats

Mystic Caravan ATS 

at

Heart and Hara Studio

Pine River, Minnesota

 

Monday Classes:

Open Dance 6:40-7:00 $5 

Level One 7:00-8:00

Level Two 8:00-9:00

 

Sunday Classes:

Level One 1:00-2:00

Level Two 2:00-3:00

 

Please note that Sunday's class is a repeat of Monday night. If you can't make one, you can always catch up at the other!

Cost for Level One is $80 for an 8 week class card, $120 for two classes per week

Cost for Level Two is $120 for an 8 week class card, $140 for three classes per week*

Class cards expire three weeks AFTER the end of each session.

For any additional information or answers to any questions you have, please send an email or give a call!

Wednesday Night Classes

at

Snap Fitness

Pequot Lakes, Minnesota

This class needs to be registered for through Pequot Lakes Community Education by calling 218.568.9200

Classes start Wednesday, January 13 at 6:45-7:45 and continue weekly.

This is a Level One class only-the perfect place for beginners or just as a midweek review/drill session for more experienced dancers!

The cost for this class is $80 for 8 weeks or $15 drop in. 

See you there!!

 

*Private lessons are also available for an hourly fee. Please contact Tasha for more info!

*Small Group lessons are also available and are a great idea for bachelorette parties, blessingways, girls' night out, bridal showers or just because! Please contact Tasha for more info!

 

while we value the abilities of both genders, in order for our students to learn well and confidently, our classes are for *women only*

Our classes start promptly.
Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to class start.

Frequently Asked Questions about American Tribal Style

What is Tribal Style?
Tribal Style Bellydance is both a celebration of the female spirit and a physical display of the strength and beauty of women. It's roots can be traced back to the rituals of past matriarchal cultures and to the secular entertainments evolved as the gypsies traveled through India, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Spain.

There are many styles of bellydance. The most authentic styles are cabaret and folkloric. Other styles have evolved as the dance migrated from the Middle East and North Africa into Europe and the US and back again. FatChanceBellyDance performs what is referred to as American Tribal Style Bellydance.

What distinguishes Tribal from other styles of bellydance is the way in which steps, movements, gestures, even costume, are redesigned to suit the common denominator of a group dancing together. The music is selected for it's clarity, the steps for their universal application and yet, whether performed as choreography or improvisation the result is one of simple elegance and rhythmic style.

What are the different class levels? What level am I? When can I move up?
Class levels are:
Dance Fundamentals (Level One)
Tribal Combinations (Level Two)
Drills (Level Three)
Improv Choreography (Level Four)

Dance Fundamentals (Level One) is a basic class. It is the best place for a new student to start. It can also function as review for a more experienced student. This class will always feature the Fundamentals of one slow movement and one fast rhythmic step. Also included are stretches, posture, awareness of body mechanics, music and history as appropriate, and simple zils (finger cymbals).

Tribal Combinations (Level Two). This class takes you through one slow and one fast combination. You will follow the teacher through a drill, review it for technique and application, then dance it on your own. It is best used after several Fundamentals classes, or at least concurrently as there are no breakdowns of basic steps. But, the adventurous beginner or visiting dancer can take this class as the focus is individual technique. We introduce partnering and improv as time allows.

What should I wear?
For your first classes you should wear something comfortable until you decide that you want to continue with lessons. When you are ready for costuming, we recommend a full skirt worn at the hips, a shawl or scarf tied around the hips, pantaloons or tights, and a choli top.

How long will it take for me to learn?
There is no real answer to this question because everyone learns at a different pace. However, if you attend classes consistently every week, pay attention and practice at home you will have a good understanding of what's going on within a few months.

 

 

*Level Two classes are comprised of one hour of Level One and two hours of Level Two per week when paid at the $140 rate. Paid at the $120 rate, Level Two classes are comprised of one hour of Level One and one hour of Level Two per week.

Pay for your classes online! It's easy and paperless!

Please note there is an additional fee to pay online, but it is minimal. It accounts for the paypal fees incurred. Thank you for understanding.

You can pay online using your credit card or via eCheck or Paypal balance.

Belly Dance Class Etiquette 
Ten Golden Rules

by Miramar

1997 Sands of Time, Miramar's Mid-East Dance Studio

(Originally printed in Jareeda Magazine.)

 

Did you say dance class etiquette? You mean I have to behave in class and follow a set of rules? I thought belly dancing was supposed to be fun.

Belly Dancing is fun. However, by following these `ten golden rules', everyone will have a good time and get the most benefit from the class or workshop.

1. Show respect for your teacher. In Eastern disciplines such as martial arts and yoga, the teacher is revered, worshipped and given great loyalty and respect. Teachers have worked long and hard and made many sacrifices to master their arts. Many have dedicated their lives to this dance form. 

2. Be on time. There is no excuse for being late. It disrupts other students and the teacher when someone arrives ten minutes late. You forego essential warm up stretches. How would you feel if your teacher arrived ten or fifteen minutes late? Find out what time the studio doors open and try to be in class at least 5 minutes early. This is will give you time to change into your tights, use the bathroom and get a drink of water! If you are late, and we are only human so occasionally happen, quietly enter the room and position yourself on the floor.

3. Be considerate of students around you. People learn at different rates and in different ways. Be patient with others who may not grasp the movement as quickly as you do. Spend the extra time the teacher is taking with the `slower' student, to refine the movement you have just learned. The general rule for most workshops is you arrive and position yourself on the dance floor. Do not force someone out of their spot because you want to be in the front row and arrived too late. Also keep in mind that many teachers will rotate rows so that everyone has a fair opportunity to be up front. Don't be upset if you arrived early and all of sudden you find yourself in the back row.

4. Wear suitable attire. Avoid wearing too much jewelry, coins or costume accessories to dance class. Beginning students tend to do this a lot, because it is a fun opportunity to dress in costume. Save your sequins and bells for recitals and performances. When trying to learn new movements, too many bangles will distract you and nearby students. You will not be able to stretch properly. Also, floor stretches can be very damaging to expensive costume material. Dance tights and a hip scarf are adequate and more suitable for class. Leggings, midriff tops and long, full skirts are also appropriate. It is important to be comfortable and to be able to achieve a broad range of motion, unhampered by excess material or jewelry. Consider the topic being taught when you dress for class. Beaded and coined hip scarves are great for drum solos but can be very distracting when trying to learn graceful and fluid Persian dance.

5. Keep talking and giggling to a minimum. This is probably my most flexible rule. Part of the fun of dance class is the giggling and laughing which often occurs. I tend to encourage laughter during my weekly classes. After all, feeling good is one of the benefits of the dance. However, when I attend a workshop, I try to keep talking and giggling in check. Avoid talking to other students during class. Keep your attention focused on the workshop teacher. If you are attending a workshop from out of town and your hometown teacher is also present, do not ask her for help during the workshop. If you have a question, ask the workshop teacher! Your hometown teacher can help you later, after the workshop.

6. Avoid being a know it all. Yes, you have had another teacher somewhere who called that movement ``The Washing Machine." Your old teacher was the authority on the subject and now you are. Keep in mind, this dance has been passed on from one dancer to the next since the beginning of time. The movements do not have standardized names. Teachers generally call a movement what their teacher called it. There is no right or wrong name! Do not openly challenge a teacher's expertise! Resist the urge to add your 2 cents every time you think you know the answer. The teacher's job is to teach -- it's not your job! Also, you may think your way of explaining a move works, when in reality you may be explaining a different move or worse yet teaching bad habits. If you feel so compelled to help someone, do it some other time -- not during class or workshop time.

7. Take notes when sitting out of active participation. If for some reason, you absolutely can not continue the class -- you are too tired, too hungry, cramps, etc. -- by no means, leave. When students walk out the door, it shows a lack of respect for the teacher. Other students wonder where the dancer has gone? Sit in the corner and take notes. Do not converse with other students or start shopping. Do your shopping at the appropriate time. If you are able to return to class, do so quietly and take a spot in the back of the room.

8. Let the teacher teach. If you are a teacher, under no circumstances should you voice an opinion in another teacher's class, unless you are asked to do so. I know it is hard to resist helping the floundering girl next to you, but it is not your place. Let the teacher do the teaching. Button your lip. If the teacher asks for your opinion or expertise, concisely give it and then give your complete attention back to her! Sometimes you may feel you could explain the movement better than the teacher or in a different way. Go back and review Rule #6 above!

9. Keep an open mind and please do not complain. Be open to new ideas and possibilities.    Try to focus on how your new teacher can expand your dance repertoire. Do not compare her to other teachers. Do not complain about a movement being too difficult.  Instead, ask thoughtful questions so that you can understand the difficult movement. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Chances are, other students are wondering the same thing.

10. Watch the teacher's performance or demonstration. If the teacher is kind enough to perform or demonstrate for the class, watch in silence. Once, I observed a teacher performing a veil dance so beautifully I could have cried, except I wanted to scream at the miserable girls behind me. While she graciously performed, they chattered incessantly. This behavior followed arriving late to class, complaining about difficult movements, and quitting early because of fatigue. They would have been better off staying at home. The rest of us could have enjoyed the workshop more.

By giving teachers the respect they deserve - you get something back - your money's worth.