Tag: ontario

Dance in Nature – Outdoor Bellydance Class “Baskotaya M2armesha”

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Join us Monday 7-8PM or Wednesday 730-830PM (or both) as we shake it down to Cairo’s hottest club track.

MUSIC

Shaabi is the “music of the people.” Born of cassette culture in the 70s, Shaabi voices the concerns of everyday folks – life, love, struggles & politics. It’s most famed singer is the revered godfather Ahmed Adaweya. In the late 2000s a new style of Shaabi emerged called Mahraganat.
Mahraganat means “festivals” in Arabic (it’s also sometimes referred to as “electro shaabi”). It became an unstoppable sensation during the 2011 revolution that overthrew Mubarak. The music often features booming drums, slinky synths, rapping and copious amounts of auto-tune. “Baskotaya M2armesha” has become the song of the summer in Cairo. Everyone is dancing to it & so are we!

We’ll be employing elements of bellydance as well as Mahraganat technique to express the rhythm, lyrics and melody in this club anthem. This is a social, living dance and we’ll definitely be turning up the personality and joy and turning down isolations and rigid control to really embody the song.



ESHE

Eshe is the director & owner of Mahasti – The Creativity Emporium in Canada with classes on Zoom and Patreon. Born and raised in Hamilton, Eshe has been bellydancing since 2002. She’s trained extensively in Canada, Japan, Egypt, and Turkey. And she’s performed in America, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia. In 2007 she launched Glitter – a bellydance showcase at The Casbah in Hamilton now taking place on Zoom!

From 2008 to 2010, Eshe was the bellydancer for the Korean band Orgeltanz. Orgeltanz and Eshe gigged at some of the country’s biggest music festivals. Together they were featured in the Korean editions of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and appeared on several TV programs. In 2009 she starred in Apollo 18’s music video “Orbis.” In early 2010, Eshe was cast in the Korean and Indonesian versions of Jillina’s Bellydance Evolution. Eshe also won Asia’s “People’s Choice” award as part of the show. The same year dance legend Sema Yildiz gave her the name “Yildiz” or “Star” in Turkish after she performed at the famed Gar Casino in Istanbul. 2010-2015 Eshe ran her own bellydance studio in Seoul called Dream Dance Studio. In 2012, her students won the bronze medal for Oriental Ensemble at the Tokyo International Bellydance Competition. In 2013, Eshe started a new concert series in Seoul called Shake Shop. The monthly event featured bellydancers collaborating with some of the biggest names in Korea’s indie scene.

In 2015, Eshe returned to Canada and started performing award-winning events such as Supercrawl. In 2016, she opened Mahasti & formed Raqs Mahasti who won 1st runner up at Star Bellydancer Canada in the troupe category.In 2017 she launched Hamilton International Bellydance Competition. In 2018 she won a 40 Under 40 Business Achievement Award for her community & charity work. In 2019 she was cast again by Jillina in Bellydance Evolution’s Los Angeles debut of Wizard of Oz. The same year she was honored to win Established Artist in the Dancer / Performing Artist category at the Hamilton Art Awards. 2020 saw her judging Tokyo International Bellydance Competition (a feat she’ll repeat in 2021) & performing in Jillina’s Bellydance Evolution halfas as well as twice in Turkey’s famed Rakkas Istanbul online shows. In 2021 she was honored to be invited as a guest performer and judge for Bellydance Norway’s The Elements project.
Learn about our studio https://www.facebook.com/hamiltonbellydance
IG @hamiltonbellydancehamiltonbellydance.com

Mon 7-8PM
July 26, Aug 9, 16, 23
Wed 730-830PM
July 28, Aug 4, 11, 19
1 night four week session $65.
2 nights four week session $100.
Drop in $20.
Additional classes and private classes available upon request.
If it rains class will happen on Zoom.
Interac etransfer to reserve your spot eshebellydancer@hotmail.com or paypal esheyildiz@gmail.com.

Fusion Bellydance with Angela Josephine

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This piece is a delightfully strange adaptation of a song brought to us by Swedish icon and critical darling Robyn and the Norwegian Electronic music duo Royksopp. “Do It Again” by Royksopp and Robyn has been praised for being “flawlessly produced” and “adventurous.” A throbbing electro-pop gem the track features fluttering synths and slamming drums. DIY reviewed it a “a towering edifice of electronic brilliance.”

Come & enjoy this modern tribute to electric circus, inspired by club kids, with a touch of bizarre. The piece will contain both choreography and improvisation and the course will also touch on filming techniques for dance.

Wed 620-720PM ET from August 4-25. Even if you cannot attend the live Zoom class you can still join the party we’ll provide lifetime recordings for everyone attending.

Recommended for those with 1+ years experience in fusion bellydance.

Angela will provide 2 costuming accessories for those participating in the video project. Angela Josephine is a modern fusion dancer living in Hamilton, Ontario. She is known for her expressive and evocative work that combines her 8 years of training in traditional and fusion bellydance with experimental movement concepts. Angela studies at the Dark Side Studio in Toronto under the tutelage of Audra Simmons and is a member of Lavish Dance Company. In 2019 she was awarded the Hamilton Arts Award for Emerging Artist in the Performing Arts category. Most recently, she was honored to be a part of Kami Liddle’s Lockdown Dance Party #7 and has immensely enjoyed navigating the switch to online art and performance. You can study with Angela at Mahasti the Bellydance Emporium where she teaches fusion bellydance workshops.

The reviews are in Angela’s work has been called sophisticated, intense, nuanced, integrated, creative, breath-taking and smooth like silk leaving her audiences stunned and transfixed. Her movement research features amazing control, crisp technique and moving connection.

Learn more about our studio, Mahasti at https://www.facebook.com/hamiltonbellydance

Learn more about Angela JosephineInstagram: @angela.josephine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angela.josephine.376/
www.angelajosephinedance.com

New Kpop Dance Cover Session with Faith

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New “Butter” dance cover 6 week session from Thursday July 22nd 7-8PM ET + lifetime recordings

A strong contender for song of the summer, NME calls BTS’ Butter “a clean and crisp piece of dance pop that’s undeniably cool without sacrificing immediacy or memorable hooks.” Stereogum described the song as “a full-on retro-disco strutter, a song built for parties. It’s a big, slick party song that targets pleasure receptors with mathematical precision.”

This dance features dynamic isolations, expressive hands and crisp footwork. With warmth & humor Faith will teach you how to be smooth like butter!

Faith is known for being a whimsical snack, a fierce, playful and incredibly physical artist with a gorgeous appreciation of minutia, humor and style. Her classes are an inner child adventure with an animated, encouraging and fabulous guide. Join us for a lesson in control, power, release and flow!

Faith Dance is a bellydance fusion artist & choreographer based out of Brantford, Ontario. In 2018, Faith competed in the Hamilton International Bellydance Competition with a bellydance/K-Pop fusion focus and took 1st place in the Fusion category, as well as receiving a Judges’ Choice Award. In 2019, she took 1st in a New Talent Showcase hosted by Hamilton Burlesque Society. In November 2019, Faith performed as an Apprentice Artist in Collapsing the Night, an immersive dance experience presented by contemporary dance company Aeris Körper. In February 2020, she was one of five choreographers chosen to present their work at Aeris Körper’s Prospects: An Evening of Dance & Discussion in Burlington, Ontario.

Faith currently teaches weekly fusion classes at Mahasti – The Bellydance Emporium in Hamilton, Ontario.
Learn about our studio https://www.facebook.com/hamiltonbellydance
IG @hamiltonbellydanceLearn more about Faith Dance https://www.facebook.com/FaithDance

6 weeks $60. INVESTMENT
Any 2 video projects $100
All 4 video projects $120
Every class on the schedule – video, zoom, nature $135 (includes all recordings)

PRIVATE CLASSES
30 mins $25
4 x 30 min $80
Interac etransfer eshebellydancer@hotmail.com or paypal esheyildiz@gmail.com

5 Day Choo Choo Shimmy Challenge

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Want a killer choo choo shimmy? Join Eshe’s 5 Day Choo Choo Shimmy Challenge.

Not sure what a choo choo shimmy is? It’s an exciting and juicey traveling hip shimmy…Sound like you want to get to work?

Each day get 5-15 minutes of instruction. Optional practice on mat, with weights and blocks. You are the captain of your experience & you get to decide how high to turn up the volume.

Videos are posted in our Shimmy Shine Celebrate facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/216190486666468

Videos are also up on patreon.com/hamiltonbellydance under the $1 tier.

New Bellydance Class Alert!

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New Morning Class

By request we are expanding our morning offerings!
10-11AM Feel Good Bellydance (drop in any time, open to beginners, $5 cash fee)
11-11:30AM Burst of Choreo (drop in on week 1 or 2, $5 drop in/ class fee includes video breakdown)
Burst of Choreo will start in the April session. Thank you so much for your support! Online payment is possible for these classes at https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/Rise-&-Shimmy-Pass-10-Classes/p/123932947/category=18890055
 
Mahasti
422 Concession, Hamilton
hamiltonbellydance.com

Bellydance Workshops with Heather Marie at Mahasti in Hamilton, Canada

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heather marie

Sun 11/18 workshops with Heather Marie
Expand and Contract 12-2
Let’s explore breath & full body movements. We will begin with dynamic stretching followed by focused dance conditioning sequences to preparing your body and focus the mind. Drills w/ a heavy focus on lines, turns, spins, & extensions will help inspire a more dynamic range of expression in your dance. Come with the intention to refine your movement quality and take your dance to the next level.

Synthesis 3-5PM
Applying the techniques from the previous class, you will learn a few fun, yet challenging combinations; fusing soft flowing contemporary technique with good ole’ tribal fusion pop n locking! Fun for the brain and the body! In closing, we will also be exploring group/partner work. (Bring knee pads if you feel you need them as we will be doing some floor work!)

$45 for 1 workshop
https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/1-Workshop-2-hours-total/p/64748412/category=18890056
$75 for both workshops
https://mahasti.ecwid.com/#!/2-Workshops-4-hours-total/p/64748410/category=18890056

Workshops with Heather Marie in Hamilton at Mahasti

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heather marie

Expand and Contract 11-1
Let’s explore breath & full body movements. We will begin with dynamic stretching followed by focused dance conditioning sequences to preparing your body and focus the mind. Drills w/ a heavy focus on lines, turns, spins, & extensions will help inspire a more dynamic range of expression in your dance. Come with the intention to refine your movement quality and take your dance to the next level.
 
Synthesis 2-4PM
Applying the techniques from the previous class, you will learn a few fun, yet challenging combinations; fusing soft flowing contemporary technique with good ole’ tribal fusion pop n locking! Fun for the brain and the body! In closing, we will also be exploring group/partner work. (Bring knee pads if you feel you need them as we will be doing some floor work!)
 
Heather Marie Dancer
Coming from generations of Artists, Musicians, and dancers, it was only a matter of time before Heather Marie discovered her love of Middle Eastern Belly Dance. Training for close to two decades, Heather is currently Suhaila Salimpour Level-2 and Jamila-1 Certified. As well as a Fat Chance® Belly Dance Sister Studio of American Tribal Style® belly dance. Heather is Co-Founder and of her performance ensemble, Izgreyala, and Artistic Director of her student troupe, Mandali. Her unique style is rooted in contemporary, Tribal Fusion, Folkloric, and Classic Golden Era style bellydance, sprinkled with Hip Hop, Pop & Lock, and Liquid Dance from the early 90s electronic scene. Intensive studies include Suhaila Salimpour, Kami Liddle, Jill Parker, Carolena Noriccio, April Rose, Zafira and the Indigo to name a few. Spicing it up, Heather Marie also dabbles in the Circus arts, to which she is an Insured Fire Performer and well versed in partner Acro-Balance. Heather teaches throughout the US and Canada, holds weekly dance classes at her home studio in Warren, MI, & is available for skype lessons.
 
A seasoned performer, Heather Marie can list opening for Beats Antique as well as Thomas Dolby in 2012. Performing in full stage productions, such as “Club Belly Dance” with the Belly Dance Super Stars in 2012&13, “Stardust Follies” w/ Kami Liddle and Goldstar Dance Co. in 2015 &16, and “Torch with a Twist”, the longest running Detroit based vaudevillian variety show, among her many accomplishments.
 
$45 for 1 workshop
$75 for both workshops
 
Mahasti – The Bellydance Emporium
422 Concession, Hamilton
hamiltonbellydance.com

Hamilton International Bellydance Competition 2018

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55 days

54 days left to enter Hamilton International Bellydance Competition ^_^ Is this your year?
 
2018 Hamilton International Bellydance Competition
 
Cost to enter Phase 1 (video):
$35 CAD (per category) for soloists
$70 CAD (per category) for ensembles (groups)
 
Online judges: Michelle Sorensen & Farasha of Tokyo
 
Finalist judges: Henna of Datura Online, Melissa Gamal
 
Application fees may be paid at https://mahasti.ecwid.com/. Please note – all application fees are non-refundable.
 
Successful finalists will be responsible for an additional $50 fee (per soloist or per ensemble). Successful finalists, if they wish, may apply this fee towards a full day workshop purchase with Henna.
 
All applicants will receive a ticket to attend the competition & gala show for themselves for free. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
How it works:
Seven solo and five ensemble finalists will be chosen per category from video submissions. There are three categories – professional solo, fusion solo, and ensemble. Professional applicants should use traditional Middle Eastern bellydance music. They may present any traditional bellydance style from raqs sharqi to folklore. Fusion applicants and ensembles may use any style of music, however at least 50% of their dance should be bellydance.
 
Applicants may enter as many categories as they wish. Only those applicants whom appear in the video may dance in the finals (understudies are not permitted). If you are not sure who may be available in September, we strongly recommend dancing with extra performers.
 
The application period opens Monday, March 12, 2018 at 9 a.m. EDT.
 
The application deadline is Monday, June 11, 2018 at 9 a.m. EDT. All videos and entry fees must be submitted before the deadline.
 
After being selected, finalists in each category will be contacted by email by Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at 5 p.m. EDT. Their names will also appear on our website. The final competition will take place in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada from September 15, 2018.
 
After uploading your HIBC video to YouTube, please email eshebellydancer@hotmail.com your artist or ensemble name, category entered, the name of choreographer, and a link for viewing the video. In the case of ensembles, please also include a list of the dancers who appear in the video.
 
Rules:
Videos for soloists should not exceed 3 minutes in length. Videos for groups should not exceed 4 minutes in length.
 
Choreographies and videos must include all original content created by the soloist entering the competition or ensemble director in the case of groups. Using another dancer’s choreography is not permitted. Applicants may perform the choreography from their video submission in the final competition if they wish.
 
All dancers must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.
 
Videos:
Please shoot your videos from the front only and in landscape mode. Also ensure that you’re in a well-lit room and that the recording has good sound. Your entire body should be visible for the duration of the video. You don’t have to wear a professional costume or be in full make-up, but your movements and expression should be easy to see.
 
Videos will be judged on technique, musicality, personality, and originality. For ensembles, we’ll also be examining your synchronicity and formations. The final competition will have the same criteria. The judges will select the winners. In addition, the audience will select a People’s Choice winner for each category.
 
Finalists are responsible for their own travel, accommodation fares and all fees related to the competition.
 
If you have any questions, please email eshebellydancer@hotmail.com.
 
WORKSHOPS
 
Workshops with Henna for Hamilton International Bellydance Competition 2018 will take place at Mahasti on Sunday, September 16, 2018!
 

2 more FREE bellydance classes this week!

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Our Tuesday night class at the HPL on Concession was totally full so they added a 2nd class this Thursday 6:30-7:30PM.  Free! Please contact them to register.

Saturday as part of the Concession Street Uptown Bunny Hop & Seek we’ll be offering a free bellydance basics class at Mahasti! Join us 10:45-11:45AM for a beginner lesson.  We’ll also have treats for the kids (chocolates, candy and non-food treats).

We’re now located at 422 Concession, Hamilton, Ontario.