Tag: dance

K-Pop & Bellydance with Faith in Hamilton at Mahasti

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faith fusion
FRESH FUSION CLASS with Faith Dance at Mahasti – The Bellydance Emporium.

Drop in on week 1 – Thursday Jan 18th.  Use your class card or pay a drop in fee.  If you’ve still got gas in the tank stay & play at 8:05 with Jackie Pullar while she leads a drilling class!

Instructor Faith loves bellydance, but her ultimate bias is K-Pop… and she invites you explore the fusion of these two distinct worlds into one energetic, whimsical, and accessible dance form! From undulations to aegyo, you’ll learn choreography that draws heavily on bellydance technique to blend seamlessly with a wide range of K-Pop stylings and expression. All levels welcome, but some bellydance experience is advantageous. Come prepared to do your best and have fun! Hwaiting!

FAITH
Faith began teaching and performing bellydance and Bollywood style dance in 2009 & 2010 respectively, and also enjoyed many years as a member of various Ontario-based bellydance troupes (Karma, Bella Luna, the Bellydonnas). Her teaching experience also spans areas such as fitness and chair dance. From 2011-2014, she founded and directed the Bollywood dance troupe NACHEGI.

Faith has had the privilege of studying with many instructors in both Bollywood style dance and bellydance, as well as attending workshops with renowned dancers and choreographers such as Divya Kumar, Jaya Vaswani, Raqia Hassan and Sadie Marquadt. She continues to study both dance forms through weekly classes and regular workshops, and is dedicated to presenting a culturally authentic dance experience in each class she teaches—while also making sure there are plenty of smiles and laughs along the way. In early 2017, she began fusing her deep love of K-Pop music with bellydance, and seeks to present style this to her fusion students with her signature whimsical flavor.

Mahasti
1 West Ave S, Suite 300, Hamilton, ON
hamiltonbellydance.com
eshebellydancer@hotmail.com

New Mommy & Me Bellydance Session at Mahasti in Hamilton, Ontario

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mommy me

 

New Mommy & Me session starts this Saturday 1/6 at Mahasti – The Bellydance Emporium. 1 class $10 for both child & caregiver or 4 classes for $30 (works out to $3.31 plus tax per dancer per class). There’s an option (never an obligation) to perform at Harem – Bellydance Show in Hamilton for interested dancers ^_^ Our goal with this program is to be affordable for familes.  Costumes are often things dancers already own like black tank tops & yoga pants. Recommended for ages 4-11. Dancers 12 & up can join our regular program with a student discount of 50%. hamiltonbellydance.com

What’s Your Self-Care Plan for 2018?

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selfcare

We would love to be a part of your self-care plan for 2018! Self-care is not (just) about indulgence, it’s about creating a life with healthy habits & people in it. Check out some of the benefits of dance on both our mental & physical well-being:

“Through regular aerobic training that incorporates some type of dance at least once a week anyone can maximize his or her brain function.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/why-is-dancing-so-good-your-brain

“regular dancing is great for losing weight, maintaining strong bones, improving posture and muscle strength, increasing balance and co-ordination and beating stress” (NHS).

“When dancing an ample flow of mood-improving chemicals is released helping to elevate our mental state; even one lively dance session has been proven to reduced depression in comparison to vigorous exercise or listening to music according to research conducted by The Arts in Psychotherapy.”

“Additionally, whilst the physical movement of dance helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression, dancing with others also helps us feel more connected and social. Dance classes can encourage social bonds and friendships which are key factors in improving our mood and mental health.”

https://www.ids.co.uk/blog/the-benefits-dancing-has-on-mental-health/

“studies show that dance helps reduce stress, increases levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, and helps develop new neural connections, especially in regions involved in executive function, long-term memory, and spatial recognition.”

http://neuro.hms.harvard.edu/harvard-mahoney-neuroscience-institute/brain-newsletter/and-brain-series/dancing-and-brain

Black Friday Sale

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Announcing our Black Friday deals a bit early. There are 47 days left in 2017 so new students are invited to buy a $47 class card & take as many classes as you like til the end of 2017. Taxes not included. Specialty workshops with visiting instructors not included. No exchanges, transfers, further discounts, or extensions. Not valid if you have previously studied at Mahasti. We have over 50 classes left in 2017. Try them all!
To thank existing students we are offering 15% off class cards using the coupon code “FRIDAY” at our online shop (or in person at the studio). Valid for all regularly priced class cards. https://mahasti.ecwid.com/
Big love & happy shopping!
hamiltonbellydance.com

Bellydance Workshops at Mahasti

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Melissa Gamal of Ya Amar is coming back to Mahasti – The Bellydance Emporium Sun Dec 3rd

11-1:30PM Mejance (entrance choreography)
Straight from Cairo Melissa will share the workshop she’s prepared for the world-famous Nile Group in November!

2:30-4PM Musicality & Improvisation
Tips & tricks to take your dance to the next level with Melissa’s signature sass, poise & style.

11AM workshop $50 (2.5 hours) https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/1-Workshop-2-hours-total/p/64748412/category=18890056

2:30PM workshop $35 https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/1-Workshop-1-5-Hours/p/79014740/category=18890056

BOTH workshops $75 https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/2-Workshops-4-hours-total/p/64748410/category=18890056
Etransfer to eshebellydancer@hotmail.com. Cash or credit card at the studio.

MELISSA GAMAL

Melissa Gamal is an award-winning dancer based in Toronto. She’s won titles at world-renowned bellydance gatherings Heshk Beshk Oriental Dance Festival in Venice, Italy & CAIRO Festival, Budapest, Hungary. Her authentic movement style and elegant musical interpretation have made her one of the most beloved performers in Canada.

Her foremost training was at Arabesque Academy/Dance Company, where she was an instructor and lead dancer for 8 years. She continually trains with famed & respected instructors from across North America, Europe and the Middle East, including intensive studies in Cairo, Egypt.

As an experienced instructor, her classes and workshops are sought after for her attention to technique as well as her knowledge of historical and cultural contexts. This November will see her teaching at Nile Group Cairo in Egypt among the top instructors in the world.

In 2015 Melissa co-founded Ya Amar, an entertainment company focused on offering exquisite performances of Middle Eastern dance and live music. She is also quickly gaining a reputation as a top-notch event producer & taste-maker as she brings rising stars, scholars & well-respected dance ethnologists to Canada.

See more at https://ya-amar.ca/

Support 2 full days of workshops at Mahasti & get a free ticket to Harem!

MAHASTI THE BELLYDANCE EMPORIUM
1 West Ave S, Suite 300, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
hamiltonbellydance.com

Bollywood with Faith in Hamilton

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bollywoodjun11

Bollywood with Faith at Mahasti
Sun June 11th
11:15AM-1:45PM
$30 (crazy deal!)

Bollywood is back! Suitable for beginners and up, this class presents the style of dance seen in Indian cinema. The dance is cardio-driven, joyful, and often silly, with an emphasis on the fun of dancing together and telling a story through song. Movements are presented from the ground up with modifications offered for all levels, from total beginners to advanced dancers alike! You’ll learn gestures, meaning, and lyrics as we learn a short choreography to pull all these elements together in an expressive dance. Warning: Laughter may ensue!

$30 in cash or credit at the studio, etransfer to eshebellydancer@hotmail.com or pay online at
Online payment: https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/2-5-Hour-Workshop/p/80134840/category=18890056

at Mahasti – The Bellydance Emporium
1 West Ave S, Suite 300, Hamilton, ON
Free parking at our building.

hamiltonbellydance.com
eshebellydancer@hotmail.com

Audra Simmons – Modern Bellydance Workshop in Hamilton, Ontario

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audra WS

Mahasti warmly welcomes bellydance pioneer Audra Simmons back to Mahasti. Details below.
1 West Ave S, Suite 300, Hamilton, ON, Canada
hamiltonbellydance.com
eshebellydancer@hotmail.com
Morning workshops followed by a performance at Harem in The Casbah.
306 King St W, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Arms and Hands 11-1PM
Join Audra for a workshop designed to help you develop beautiful, fluid arms and hands.

We’ll begin with exercises for finding and mobilizing the upper back and shoulder blades, then move into elbows, wrists and fingers.

Then, with Dark Side style, Audra will begin to add details to create further depth of movement, as well as introduce emotive qualities to these movements, as we bring them into short combinations.

No previous Dark Side experience is required, though some belly dance experience is suggested. Suitable for all levels.

Technique Spotlight 1:30-3:30 -SOLD OUT!
This workshop will focus on deepening your understanding and execution of fundamental hip, chest and abdominal movements as we deconstruct the basics in this fun, sweaty workshop!

We’ll refine your technique and enhance your muscular control in stationary and moving drills, adding complexity and layers as we go. We’ll see how much we can pile on, where and how it falls apart, and talk about how we can work to be able to do it all.

No previous Dark Side experience is required, though some belly dance experience is suggested, not for absolute beginners. Suitable for all levels.

1 workshop $45 ($39.82 + tax)
2 workshops $75 ($66.37 + tax) SOLD OUT

Online payment:
1 workshop https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/1-Workshop-2-hours-total/p/64748412/category=18890056

2 workshops https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/2-Workshops-4-hours-total/p/64748410/category=18890056

Etransfer to eshebellydancer@hotmail.com
Cash payments also accepted at the studio.

Pay What You Can Bellydance for Cystic Fibrosis Canada

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cf canada

Every Thursday in April we are dancing to make CF history!

Join us at 7PM.  No donation is too small.  100% of money collected will go to charity!

Total beginners are totally welcome.  We are covering the basics of bellydance.

We’re located in downtown Hamilton & our building has a parking lot for dancer use. All 4 classes are drop in lessons.  You’re welcome to take all 4 or just drop in once.

Have any questions about class or the studio? Contact Eshe at eshebellydancer@hotmail.com

 

 

New Classes & More Pay What You Can from 3/23

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We are excited to expand both our Basics & our Pay What You Can offerings from March 23.

Thursdays

7PM Bellydance Bascis – Drop in & Pay What You Can

8:15PM Improvisational Tribal Style/American Tribal Style

Starting Thursday 3/23 we’ll be opening another Bellydance Basics class at 7PM with Eshe. It will be a Pay What You Can class.  You can use your classcard if you have one or make a donation. The choice is yours.  We want to make sure everyone in Hamilton that wants to dance is dancing! This is a drop in class meaning you can start any time (on or after 3/23). You don’t have to commit to coming to every week (although you are most welcome to). We will be talking about good posture, weight changes, traveling, isolations, shimmies, arm & hand movements, hip articulations, transitions – basically all of the building blocks of bellydance.  Like our other basics classes, this offering will also be a bridge to choreography so if you wish to eventually transition you can do so with ease.

We’ll also be offering a new ITS/ATS class lead by Eshe at 8:15PM.
ITS – Improvisational Tribal Style is a freestyle dance format inspired by Carolena Nericcio’s American Tribal Style. Moving like a flock of birds or school of fish, we’ll use the body to communicate intent. ITS is like a language, after we learn a shared vocabulary we are able to have spontaneous conversation. With a turn of the head, hand gesture or foot placement the leader will cue a preset combination. This dance is great for being in the moment, creating art right out of thin air while listening to the music, as well as joyous and playful group work. The roots of this dance are Egyptian, featuring both folklore and traditional bellydance. The ITS we explore will also be peppered with bits of Indian and Spanish fusion as well as theatrical & modern dance stylizations.

We will also explore the founding San Francisco style ATS.