Samra in Malaysia
Coming back to KL April 28-30 from the U.S.
Iara Kendrick
(Samra from Virginia, U.S.A.)
Samra is an incredibly versatile and creative Belly Dancer with knowledge of many styles! She will present her workshops series specially created for the Malaysian Belly Dance Community at
the NEW Dance Space
1 Jalan 1, unit 12. Right off Jalan Ulu Klang in Ampang’s Taman Sri Ukay; 5 minutes away from KLCC.
Date
Time
Subject
Fee
Friday 28/4 8-10 PM Tribal Style RM 150
Saturday 29/4 10-12 AM 101 Shimmes RM 150
Saturday 29/4 1-3 PM Fun with Zills RM 75
Sunday 30/4 12-3 PM Gypsy Rom RM 150
JOIN US!! for an exciting, Ladies ONLY H a f l a C e l e b r a t i o n Sunday, April 30
featuring Diverse Performances including those from the new crop of Original and Advanced A to Z Teacher Training Graduates
RM 20 donation Please call Paola at 016-258-1499 or Lavinie at 013-388-0821 to book your spot. If you wish to perform at the Hafla, please let us know in advance and we will make every effort to accomodate you.
Iara Kendrick
(Samra from Virginia, U.S.A.)
Samra is an incredibly versatile and creative Belly Dancer with knowledge of many styles! She will present her workshops series specially created for the Malaysian Belly Dance Community at
the NEW Dance Space
1 Jalan 1, unit 12. Right off Jalan Ulu Klang in Ampang’s Taman Sri Ukay; 5 minutes away from KLCC.
Date
Time
Subject
Fee
Friday 28/4 8-10 PM Tribal Style RM 150
Saturday 29/4 10-12 AM 101 Shimmes RM 150
Saturday 29/4 1-3 PM Fun with Zills RM 75
Sunday 30/4 12-3 PM Gypsy Rom RM 150
JOIN US!! for an exciting, Ladies ONLY H a f l a C e l e b r a t i o n Sunday, April 30
featuring Diverse Performances including those from the new crop of Original and Advanced A to Z Teacher Training Graduates
RM 20 donation Please call Paola at 016-258-1499 or Lavinie at 013-388-0821 to book your spot. If you wish to perform at the Hafla, please let us know in advance and we will make every effort to accomodate you.
SAMRA's WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
These workshops are for all levels. Beginners should focus on less material and learn it well, while advanced dancers should focus on combining movements.
All workshops include a brief warm-up and cool-down.
Wear comfortable exercise clothing, a hip scarf, soft sole shoes recommended, and bring drinking water.
Notice what the focus of each workshop is and bring whatever you have that will be useful during that time. Cameras of any kind will not be permitted during class. Photos may be taken during the breaks, and before or after each class.
For any questions, please visit Samra’s website: www.samrasexpressions.com and write to her.
Tribal Belly Dance - This style of Belly Dance evolved in the West Coast of the United States and has become very popular around the world. Each culture adds it own vocabulary and makes it more unique. There are countless styles of Tribal even in the USA.
Tribal vocabulary uses steps from the Middle East and the Mediterranean including Turkey and Spain, North Africa, and India in varying degrees of fusion. Originally Tribal Belly Dance was intended to bring back the improvisational spirit of dancing as a village, or a “tribe” going back to the roots of dance as a spontaneous celebration. Although a lot of Tribal group now relies on choreography, the original tribal relies on synchronicity derived from dancing together frequently, and certain cues and body language.
In the Tribal Belly Dance workshop we will:
Explore a brief history of American Tribal Belly Dance
Learn safe basic stance, posture, costuming, and basic vocabulary for this style
Learn arm positions with each step to facilitate transitions
Practice developing arm and body cues for transitions
Explore formations on the stage and changes from large groups to small, and vice versa
Learn to lead and to follow.
Discuss how these concepts may be applied to other Belly Dance styles in groups or even solo performances.
101 Shimmies and Variations - It is said that “Love makes the world go around”. In our beloved dance form, “Shimmy makes our dance go around”, and distinguishes it from many other dance forms. It connects our dance, but at the same time, there are as many kinds of shimmies as there are dance styles, parts of the body used, and which muscles are engaged and relaxed.
In the 101 Shimmies and Variations workshop we will:
Learn several ways to shimmy the hips by using different muscle groups, engaging the knees, heels, and by adding layering.
Identify 8 directions to move the hips in sharp and circular movements
Folkloric vs. Oriental style shimmy
Shimmy of other parts of the body: shoulder (front and back, up/down, slides, thorax, pelvis, ribs, hands).
Traveling shimmies vs. shimmies in place
Shimmies with level changes
Shimmies while balancing props
Shimmies that travel from one part of the body to another in a continuous, fluid motion.
Included will be some tricky combinations of the hips and unexpected accents
Fun with Finger Cymbals - Some people can’t dance without them, some people are terrified of them, and some people love them, but just can’t play and dance at the same time. Still, some can play but don’t have as much fun as we will have in this workshop.
Whether dancing with a troupe or alone, you will learn some visual tricks with the finger cymbals that will make your audience notice them, even if you just click them once in a while to show that you have them on!
Seriously, we will explore rhythms, patterns, and 6 different sounds that you can make with the Zills, in order to vary not only the rhythms and patterns, but also the tone. We will also learn to play interactively with partners and troupe members as your travel across the floor.
Besides all this, we will learn to dance to your OWN Zill percussion. No music needed. (sometimes things just happen to your music and the show must go on!) Even when everything goes perfectly, you can still dazzle your audience with your zilling skills.
I just can’t tell you enough how everyone who has participated in these workshops get a whole new perspective on the potential of finger cymbals and how much it can add to a show!!! I will share tips on how to even decorate them.
Traditional Turkish, Interpretive Gypsy/Rom
This workshop will be divided into 2 sections.
During the first section, we will explore the 9/8 rhythm commonly known as Karsilama (Fast and slow), and the distinctive ways to interpret those rhythms with proper steps, hips and shoulder accents, and other movements, including pelvic and belly drops and thorax pulse. We will also incorporate some of the more common gestures, and some skirt moves used in Turkish Style dances.
I will also demonstrate how to play Turkish spoons (instead of finger cymbals). Participants can either purchase wooden spoons or even carve them. I may have some for sale, if I know beforehand how many sets are needed.
The second section will be freer and more interpretive and theatrical. In this set, we will explore Gypsy Fantasy dancing and use various props, such as fans, tambourines, and the skirt in a more theatrical approach. This style of Gypsy is suitable for non-traditional dances and for integrating into a unique style of Tribal Belly Dance with Gypsy Flavor
These workshops are for all levels. Beginners should focus on less material and learn it well, while advanced dancers should focus on combining movements.
All workshops include a brief warm-up and cool-down.
Wear comfortable exercise clothing, a hip scarf, soft sole shoes recommended, and bring drinking water.
Notice what the focus of each workshop is and bring whatever you have that will be useful during that time. Cameras of any kind will not be permitted during class. Photos may be taken during the breaks, and before or after each class.
For any questions, please visit Samra’s website: www.samrasexpressions.com and write to her.
Tribal Belly Dance - This style of Belly Dance evolved in the West Coast of the United States and has become very popular around the world. Each culture adds it own vocabulary and makes it more unique. There are countless styles of Tribal even in the USA.
Tribal vocabulary uses steps from the Middle East and the Mediterranean including Turkey and Spain, North Africa, and India in varying degrees of fusion. Originally Tribal Belly Dance was intended to bring back the improvisational spirit of dancing as a village, or a “tribe” going back to the roots of dance as a spontaneous celebration. Although a lot of Tribal group now relies on choreography, the original tribal relies on synchronicity derived from dancing together frequently, and certain cues and body language.
In the Tribal Belly Dance workshop we will:
Explore a brief history of American Tribal Belly Dance
Learn safe basic stance, posture, costuming, and basic vocabulary for this style
Learn arm positions with each step to facilitate transitions
Practice developing arm and body cues for transitions
Explore formations on the stage and changes from large groups to small, and vice versa
Learn to lead and to follow.
Discuss how these concepts may be applied to other Belly Dance styles in groups or even solo performances.
101 Shimmies and Variations - It is said that “Love makes the world go around”. In our beloved dance form, “Shimmy makes our dance go around”, and distinguishes it from many other dance forms. It connects our dance, but at the same time, there are as many kinds of shimmies as there are dance styles, parts of the body used, and which muscles are engaged and relaxed.
In the 101 Shimmies and Variations workshop we will:
Learn several ways to shimmy the hips by using different muscle groups, engaging the knees, heels, and by adding layering.
Identify 8 directions to move the hips in sharp and circular movements
Folkloric vs. Oriental style shimmy
Shimmy of other parts of the body: shoulder (front and back, up/down, slides, thorax, pelvis, ribs, hands).
Traveling shimmies vs. shimmies in place
Shimmies with level changes
Shimmies while balancing props
Shimmies that travel from one part of the body to another in a continuous, fluid motion.
Included will be some tricky combinations of the hips and unexpected accents
Fun with Finger Cymbals - Some people can’t dance without them, some people are terrified of them, and some people love them, but just can’t play and dance at the same time. Still, some can play but don’t have as much fun as we will have in this workshop.
Whether dancing with a troupe or alone, you will learn some visual tricks with the finger cymbals that will make your audience notice them, even if you just click them once in a while to show that you have them on!
Seriously, we will explore rhythms, patterns, and 6 different sounds that you can make with the Zills, in order to vary not only the rhythms and patterns, but also the tone. We will also learn to play interactively with partners and troupe members as your travel across the floor.
Besides all this, we will learn to dance to your OWN Zill percussion. No music needed. (sometimes things just happen to your music and the show must go on!) Even when everything goes perfectly, you can still dazzle your audience with your zilling skills.
I just can’t tell you enough how everyone who has participated in these workshops get a whole new perspective on the potential of finger cymbals and how much it can add to a show!!! I will share tips on how to even decorate them.
Traditional Turkish, Interpretive Gypsy/Rom
This workshop will be divided into 2 sections.
During the first section, we will explore the 9/8 rhythm commonly known as Karsilama (Fast and slow), and the distinctive ways to interpret those rhythms with proper steps, hips and shoulder accents, and other movements, including pelvic and belly drops and thorax pulse. We will also incorporate some of the more common gestures, and some skirt moves used in Turkish Style dances.
I will also demonstrate how to play Turkish spoons (instead of finger cymbals). Participants can either purchase wooden spoons or even carve them. I may have some for sale, if I know beforehand how many sets are needed.
The second section will be freer and more interpretive and theatrical. In this set, we will explore Gypsy Fantasy dancing and use various props, such as fans, tambourines, and the skirt in a more theatrical approach. This style of Gypsy is suitable for non-traditional dances and for integrating into a unique style of Tribal Belly Dance with Gypsy Flavor
posted by Samra at 8:10 AM
