WHERE

1 West Ave S, Suite 300 (3rd floor) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

We are near the Canadian Tire downtown, directly adjacent to First Place.

PARKING

There is parking at the building.  You may use any spot except 3 or 10.

RESERVATION

It’s unnecessary to make a reservation but we always welcome a heads-up if you’re new to the studio & coming for the first time.  We can let the instructor know to expect you & show you around.  Let us know at eshebellydancer@hotmail.com

REGISTRATION

If you have purchased a class card from Groupon please print out & bring the purchase form with you.  Groupon does not collect the taxes, please bring them with you.  $39 class cards = $5. $55 class card = $7.

There is no registration process but we invite you to arrive 5 minutes early to class.

EXPIRATION

Your class card is good for 3 months.  So if you buy it Jan 5th it expires April 5th.  You may use your class card as quickly as you like.

If you finish all of your classes within the 3 months & would like to buy additional classes to use within the same period you may “top up” your class card.

WHAT TO WEAR

We dance barefoot.  Please wear comfortable clothes you can move freely in.  Most women wear yoga or workout gear.  If you have a hipscarf feel free to bring it with you.

You may wish to dress in layers according to the weather.

WHAT TO BRING

You may wish to bring water & a face towel with you.

FACILITIES

We have 2 bathrooms, a kitchen (with a microwave, fridge, sofa, oven, sink) as well as a sink in the studio.

CLASS STRUCTURE

We have a 5-10 minute warm-up, 40-50 minutes of class and a 5-10 minute cool down.  If you require additional stretching feel free to start before class or continue after the teacher has finished (until the next class starts).

YOUR FIRST DANCE CLASS?

If this is your first time ever dancing or bellydancing we recommend the basics class.  All other classes are beginner or beyond beginner level.

WHEN WILL IT START TO FEEL MORE NATURAL?

Generally, at the end of 8 classes or 2 months.  There is still much growth to be done but at that time you may start to feel the moves flowing a bit easier.

WHAT TO FOCUS ON?

In Bellydance we build from the floor up.  First we get the feet moving, then add hips & bodywork, then arms and the last piece of the puzzle is usually expression.

If you’re finding class challenging focus on just getting the feet right.  If that feels good, add the body & hip work. If all of that is flowing you can throw in the arms.  Still grooving? Work on the expression & feeling.

CLASS ETIQUETTE

Please arrive on time & put your phone on mute.  Listen to your body 1st and the instructor 2nd.   You will at times feel effort you should never feel pain.    Ask questions to the instructor (each class has only 1). Avoid giving instructions, advice or corrections if you’re not the instructor.  Be kind to yourself.

WHO IS THE BOSS?

You are.

Please ask if you’d like to see a move one more time, go a bit slower or a bit faster.  We are here to help you on your journey in dance.

We are always interested in your feedback after the lesson or through email eshebellydancer@hotmail.com

WHEN CAN I START?

Basics classes are not cumulative so you can begin them at any point in time.  We also have on-going drop-in classes that are friendly to those with unpredictable schedules or whom don’t wish to learn choreography.

Our sessions follow the moon calendar.  Generally they are 4-6 weeks long.  If you miss the first few weeks you are still welcome to join a choreography class.  Please recognize if you are new to dance or the studio, it may be more challenging for you than for someone who has attended since the beginning of the session.  Being gentle with yourself & your expectations is key.

CAN I PERFORM?

We have a monthly event called “Harem” on the 2nd Saturday of every month where all studio dancers are invited to share their dance.