Professional Belly Dance Classes in the Carbondale area

 

Learn to belly dance beautifully! All the Nile Breeze Instructors are experienced teachers and performers with extensive and ongoing formal training. We stress proper posture, correct technique, cultural context and understanding, and musicality in a fun and relaxing environment.

 

Summer 2010 Class Information:

 

Tedi’s summer class at the SIUC Student Recreation Center (Carbondale) will be a special topic class on dancing to Arabic pop music -- both performance and social dance concepts will be covered. Classes are 1.5 hrs long, 6-week session. Click here for full and current information. June 23-July 28. Sign up at the rec center before the first class session.

 

Sedonia will teach 2 summer classes at Great Shapes Fitness for Women (Carbondale. ) are 1 hr long, 6-week session June 8-July 13.

Sign up at Great Shapes before first class session.

Tuesdays 6:45-7:45 pm: Fundamental movements, drilling for fitness and strength (suitable for beginner or continuing).

Tuesdays 7:45-8:45 pm: Continuing level. Special topic class on Egyptian folkloric styles: Beledy -- the earthy, traditional dance form from which Egyptian belly dance evolved, and Saiidi women's cane dance. Bring a cane if you have one, or you can borrow a wooden stick during class.

 

Tedi and Sedonia are also available for private lessons and group workshops. Private lessons can be shared by two students at similar level. Inquire about pricing for small groups.

 

About the Nile Breeze Instructors

Tedi has over 28 years of experience and formal training in Middle Eastern dance, and over 20 years of teaching experience. Her classes are oriented towards the American style of belly dance, also called American oriental, vintage oriental, or American Caberet (“Am-Cab”). The American style is a mixture of elements from Arabic, Turkish, Armenian and other ethnicities. Props such as veil, finger cymbals are used extensively, and balancing props such as swords may be used as well. This style of dance evolved in the latter half of the 20th century as immigrants (including dancers and musicians) from many countries interacted with Americans in the clubs and restaurants of ethnic neighborhoods across the country. Artemis Mourat has referred to this style as “rare and endangered”, because the trends of belly dance in the U.S. have moved more towards either the Egyptian side of the spectrum, or towards fusion forms such as American Tribal, Urban Tribal, world dance, jazz-influenced, etc.

Sedonia has over 11 years of experience and formal dance training in Middle Eastern dance, and over 6 years of teaching experience. She is also an SIUC professor and thus has drawn extensively on her professonal academic pedagogical skills in developing a philosophy of dance instruction. Sedonia’s classes are oriented towards the Egyptian style of belly dance. The Egyptian style is relaxed yet precise, and features internalized movements and layering of movements. Veil and finger cymbals are also used, but in more limited capacity.

Both Lisa and Rose have been belly dancing for over six years, and have recently begun teaching under the mentorship of Tedi and Sedonia. Lisa has had extensive training and a strong backgorund as a troupe performer under the directon of Zada Al Gaziyeh of Lawrence KS. Additionally, her background as a trained musician and academic enhances her dance instructional skills. Rose began her training with the Jasmin Jahal School of Dance in Chicago, and has continued to train extensively with Tedi and Sedonia, as well as with Diana of St. Louis, and other regional and national instructors. Her academic training also enhances her teaching skills.

 

All of the Nile Breeze dance instructors are eternal students of the dance, and constantly continue their dance education in the form of master workshops and private coaching. Additionally, we work collaboratively together to constantly refine and improve our teaching skills to bring the best possible learning experience to our students.

Belly Dance Instruction