Workshops to Move You
Keep Austin Dancing
Constance
Afro Fusion Performance Intensive
AfroFusion Performance Intensive (4-hour intensive workshop with performance option). This intensive will dig deeper into the technique and choreography of Afrofusion dance. We will focus on drills and learning choreography based on technique that is extremely grounded, virtuosic and smooth. Similar to the Intro to Afrofusion workshop, we will focus on polycentric (utilizing multiple centers of the body simultaneously) dance techniques that will blend upper and lower body isolations with rhythmical footwork that complements the polyrhythms of Afrobeats music. This intensive is best suited for dancers who have experience with street styles based in Africanist Aesthetics ranging from Hip-Hop, traditional/contemporary West African, House and more
Sahira
Zillicious Intensive
Like “delicious”…but zill-ier.
Learn to rock your zills with this Zillicious finger cymbal choreography intensive. Sahira will take you through some of the basics of her signature finger cymbal style - working with multiple sounds, a variety of patterns and lots of theatricality.
All this deliciousness will be put together with some simple and beautiful belly dance combinations to music to really showcase your awesome new zill work!
This performance intensive is designed for beginner to intermediate level finger cymbal players. There will be lots of support and additional resources given to you for your practice! Sahira will provide a short online course through her teachable studio that will be available the month before Migrations. To participate in the intensive you will need to take a moment to work through this material and familiarize yourself with the concepts there. This will make the time in class at the event itself the most productive possible.
Constance
GoGo!
Join Connie Love as she guides you through exercises inspired by her captivating and diligent approach to Go-Go dance. Get ready to explore freestyling and clarify your own unique performance energy. The workshop will culminate in learning a series of short dance combos to a variety of music genres including Soul, Disco, House, and Afrobeats!
Sahira
Raqs Sharqi
This classical choreography is a masterpiece of belly dance texture and feeling. The music will take you on an incredible journey from a gorgeous veil entrance to a slow and sultry opening, a lighter-than-air section in 6/8 into a furious crescendo of energy to the end. There is so much space in this piece for variation in dynamics and emotions and we will explore and take the journey together step-by-step
Constance
Intro to Afro Fusion
Intro to AfroFusion - This class focuses on introducing you to technique and choreography that borrows from Pan-African vernacular and street dances found throughout the continent and the diaspora. We will focus on polycentric (utilizing multiple centers of the body simultaneously) dance techniques that will blend upper and lower body isolations with rhythmical footwork that complements the polyrhythms of Afrobeat, Afrobeats, Afrohouse and more! Be ready to get intricate, grounded, and groovy!
Angel
Reggaeton Belly Dance Fusion
Take it from a dancer who's REALLY BEEN CAST IN MULTIPLE Reggaeton videos for legendary Reggaeton artists such as Don Omar, Calle 13, Tego Calderon, Hector the Father, Zion y Lennox, Divino, Angel y Kris Las Guanabans...and more! This dynamic workshop (which happens to be Angel's most popular regular on-line class) is designed for the intermediate or advanced bellydancer who is now looking for versatility in her bellydance repertoire. Did you know that Reggaton has its very own rhythm which is almost identical to a popular commonly danced rhythm in raks sharki? Did you know said rhythm has its own name? Can you tell the difference between Reggaeton of the 90's, early 2000's and now? Do you know the birthplace of Reggaeton and how it came to be? Not only will all of these fun facts be taught during this exciting intensive, but be prepared to DANCE YOUR HEART OUT while Angel shares her unique take on fusing the basic Bellydance movements and technique into the world-wide popuolar Latin rhythm of Reggaeton! This sexy blend of Reggaeton, Bellydance and a pinch of Latin flair will definitely leave you thinking outside of the box and broaden your versatility skills by the end of the workshop. This opportunity will not only include a varity of dynamic combos and strengthening drills, but also include learning to identifying the rhythm and understanding its powerful culture and rich history. In addition, be prepared for LOTS of sweating and smiles as all of Angel’s workshops are a down to earth environment filled with joy, love and laugher! Angel truly enjoys sharing the joy of dancing this juicy music without letting go of the love we have for bellydancing.
Arcadia - Crimson Vagabond
Own It!
Stage Presence & Performance Confidence: This workshop is for any person looking to improve their confidence in performances, public engagements or even job interviews. We will discuss how body language, facial expressions and eye contact can help us connect to our audience and give a positive boost to our self esteem. Laura, The Crimson Vagabond, will share her favorite tools for preparing for the stage and offer guided practice for applying those tools to your next performance. Bring an open mind, your best smile and be ready to get SILLY!!! (This one is REALLY FUN for EVERYONE. I even bring out ridiculous props to encourage participation. BIG opportunity for content capture)
Arcadia - Jam Boss
Middle Eastern Percussion
Jam Boss Mr. B will help drummers to identify popular Middle Eastern rhythms and introduce a variety of percussive sounds. Drummers will learn practice tools for improving strike techniques, connect rhythms that develop into a song, as well as participate in drum jams. *Please wear comfortable clothing, bring a bottle of water, and your own percussion instruments.
Bahaia
Golden Era Styling
Add some retro to your raks! Discover the history of modern Belly Dance through the movements of Egypt’s Golden Age of Cinema. Explore the characteristics of this style while following the footsteps of Samia Gamal, Taheya Kareoka, Naima Afef and many more. Golden Era Styling has an irresistible, sophisticated element which has nothing to do with being saccharin or cloying. Bahaia has spent countless hours scrutinizing videos of the great Egyptian dancers of the Golden are in order to distill their movements and characteristics and create her own style based on the beauty of that time. This historical basis of the dance is the foundation of her teachings.
Brittney
Feel Goods
Pulling from systems such as Gyrokinesis®, Pilates, Myofascial release, and other bodywork techniques, this workshop offers feel-good flows that focus on restoration, strengthening, and flexibility. Depending on what the bodies in the classroom need, topics such as injury prevention, working with injuries, and functional integration may also be covered.
Cheyney
Reel Talk Social Media
Here’s a hot take: websites and sizzle reels are a thing of the past.
In “Reel Talk,” Cheyney will be deep-diving into navigating social media as a performing artist in this quickly-evolving world, where The Algorithm is Queen and your Instagram account is your portfolio of work.
If that sounds awful then this workshop is for you. We’ll be learning strategies to streamline your content creation so you spend less time taking selfies and more time living your life.
If this piques your interest then you’re in good company. We’ll also be discussing easy ways to create a true-to-you brand that will be attractive to your potential clients without you ever having to give a pitch.
This lecture-based class will have a lot of…content…*ba dum tss* so come ready to take notes on whatever works best for you, because at the end of the day, our goal is to make social media work FOR you.
Colleen
Ooey Gooey
Explore the Taqsim with Colleen the relationship between one instrument and you the performer, the conversation that is had between the two of you that an audience gets to listen in on. Learn how to be comfortable in yourself to let go and just be Ooey and Gooey! The Taqsim is an opportunity for you as the dancer to connect solely to the music, be within yourself and feel all the inner shimmies, mayas and movements that want to be released. Join Colleen for this workshop that will teach you fluid movements and help you feel confident in your music and dance. This class is for all levels.
Devin
Strange and Unusual
Costuming And Prop Creation For The Strange And Unusual" Dumpster diving for treasure- a how-to for costumers and non-costumers alike! As a performer who makes almost every prop and costume piece I use, I'm eager to share my insight. This lecture workshop includes unlimited access to a 68 slide lecture, an interactive portion and links to outside resources. Learn costuming and prop tricks from an engineering perspective, and create art from unusual materials.
Elizabeth
Datura Style
Datura Style™ Belly Dance, Rachel Brice’s approach to fusion style belly dance, is characterized by dramatic isolations, powerful group and solo performances, and strong technique. In this workshop, learn some of the gooey-est fundamental movements and skills to gain added control over your musculoskeletal system. We'll cover technique and movement combinations, focusing on the slow and sinuous side of Datura's vocabulary. These combinations feature juicy hip work, twists, undulations and hypnotic serpentine moves that can easily be inserted into your own personal practice, improvisation, or choreography. We’re going to dig deep into slow technique. All levels are welcome, some belly dance background is helpful!
Emalie
Long Nail Dances
Learn Long Nail Dances - Classic to Current! In this workshop, you will learn the histories and a selection of long nails dances, from classic styles like the beautiful golden nail dances of Southeast Asia and China, to their current music video incorporation from artists and dancers like Cardi B (NYC), Rosalía (Spain), and Billie Eilish (LA). A curated collection of colorful, long nails will also be presented.
Jamie Lynn
VIPs
Vintage Improv Performance Style is a new Dance Format of moves with cues to create "choreography" in the moment! Similar to Tribal Style in that specific cues given by the leader indicate what move to perform next, but VIPS uses classic bellydance moves and encourages musicality and improv! Level One is all your basic bellydance moves (most of which bellydancers already know) with an overlay of visual cues to indicate the next move. The wonderful thing about VIPS is anyone who learns the format can then dance together, whether you are from the same studio or are miles apart!
Kathleen
Poi Basics
The art of spinning poi originated with the Maori people of New Zealand and is practiced today by Polynesians and others throughout the world. As a performance art, poi involves swinging tethered weights through a variety of rhythmical and geometric patterns. Poi can be made from various materials with different handles, weights, and effects (such as fire). Poi for beginners designed for students new to poi who want to explore the poi art in a safe and supportive environment. Students will be provided with practice poi which they may keep!
Kamrah
Fighter RPG
Strength and endurance for dancers! We’ll go through some strength training exercises specifically meant for fusion dancers, an anatomy lesson for all us nerdy types, and then get into the heavy lifting with “belly dance barre” (the core isolations needed for fusion dance) and layering drills. The layering practice will progress from basic layers to omg-what. Top it off with a discussion on how to create a sustainable practice and dance-life-work balance. Bring a towel, lots of water, a notebook, and if you need one, a yoga mat. (Options for using resistance bands will also be given)
Leigh Ann
Bend It
Bend it and Drop It - My neck, My back, my goodness it cracked... In this workshop we will discuss proper conditioning and technique for strong back bends, laybacks and drops. We will focus on injury prevention and how to safely incorporate backbends into your dance practice. Here is what to expect: A heart opening yoga flow warmup Specialized strengthening exercises to target specific muscle groups Voluntary and instructor supported exploration of backbends, laybacks, and drops Short combos to incorporate into your dance practice Cooldown with reparative yoga movement for a warm and fuzzy finish. This workshop is for all level dancers, we will take baby steps or giant leaps depending on your personal comfort level.
Liora
Group Improv Basics
Join Liora in a back to basics FCBD workshop sure to sharpen up your skills. Great for the beginner dancer but also a great choice if you want to warm up those dance muscles. You can even use the skills you learn to join the All-Skate* on our Gala show stage!
*Performers must be registered for 4 hours of workshops. Liora's workshop will count as part of the required workshop hours.
Silvia Salamanca
Sword!
A new sword routine for all by Silvia Salamanca! I promise you that no matter where you are in your dance journey, you can dance balancing a sword as I guide you through it to learn and perfect a mesmerizing dance! No fear no shame in the room! I promise you will leave feeling fierce!