2010 Workshop Schedule   * subject to change * September 12, 2010 - Hong Kong, HONG KONG September 5, 2010 - Taipei, TAIWAN September 4, 2010 - Tainan, TAIWAN July 11, 2010 - Rockhampton, AUSTRALIA June 27, 2010 - Port Macquarie, AUSTRALIA June 20, 2010 - Melbourne, AUSTRALIA June 13, 2010 - Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA June 12, 2010 - Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA June 5-6, 2010 - Manila, PHILIPPINES April 5, 2010 - Hong Kong, HONG KONG February 6, 2010 - Taipei, TAIWAN February 7, 2010 - Hsinchu, TAIWAN

Do you live in Korea? Want to learn the art of belly dance? Contact Belynda for information on bellydance classes, workshops, and festivals in Korea or visit Oriental Dance Events in Korea on Facebook. Belynda Azhaar is a world-class international dancer, quickly gaining recognition, respect, and popularity worldwide for her professional, informative, and fun workshops. Belynda has toured throughout Asia teaching workshops, private, and master classes, to students ranging from beginner to professional level. In 2010 alone Belynda will teach and perform in 8 countries across 4 continents, as well as filming her first instructional video to be released in the international market. A nurturing and motivational instructor, Belynda is known for her warm and friendly yet professional teaching style, strong dance technique, cultural knowledge, improvisational skills, creative choreographies, and ability to communicate effectively with students regardless of any language barriers. Belynda Azhaar specialises in Egyptian dance, finger cymbal technique, and Artistic/Theatrical bellydance. She has taught workshops on a wide range of subjects and styles, and can design a workshop according to your needs. Possible styles include Modern Egyptian, Classical Egyptian, Egyptian Folkloric, American Cabaret, and Fusion (to Ethnic, Fusion, or Western music).

Testimonial "Belynda Azhaar truly delivers an unforgettable performance for her audience! The costumes, make-up and fantastic, elegant, and energetic moves are world-class, she is a true performer! Her workshops are very detailed and easy to understand and she is very knowledgable in bellydance history, myths and facts. We are honored to have seen her perform in person and to have been graced by her smiles and kindness." - Jill Ngo, Bellyfest Organiser (Manila, Philippines)

Above: Belynda Azhaar with Taiwanese tabla player Xiaoma.

Contact international dance artist Belynda Azhaar about teaching or performing at your event! Workshop Topic Suggestions: Introduction to the Art of Bellydance Middle Eastern Rhythms Finger Cymbal Technique (Beginner through Advanced) Music Analysis & Interpretation Improvisation Modern Egyptian Egyptian Folkloric (Shaabi, Saidi, Melaya Leff, etc.) Dynamic Drum Solos & Scintillating Shimmies Dancing on a Drum Raks Assaya (Cane/Stick Dance) Wings/Veil/Fan Veil/Fans Arab Pop Choreography Spanish Fusion Choreography Dark (Gothic) Fusion Choreography Unleash the Actor Within (Dancing with True Emotion) Theatrical Dance

July 2010 - Osaka, JAPAN July 2010 - Rockhampton, AUSTRALIA June 2010 - Port Macquarie, AUSTRALIA June 2010 - Melbourne, AUSTRALIA June 2010 - Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA June 2010 - Manila, PHILIPPINES April 2010 - Hong Kong, HONG KONG February 2010 - Hsinchu & Taipei, TAIWAN November 2009 - Taipei & Tainan, TAIWAN August 2009 - Hanoi, VIETNAM April/May 2009 - Taipei, TAIWAN October 2008 - Beijing, CHINA September 2008 - Deyang & Changde, CHINA August 2008 - Beijing, CHINA July 2008 - Osaka, JAPAN March 2008 - Osaka, JAPAN September 2007 - Kobe & Osaka, JAPAN June 2007 - Osaka, JAPAN March 2007 - Taipei, TAIWAN

WHAT TO BRING   Notebook, or dance journal, and pen. Drink bottle. Small towel. Dance shoes (if you use them). Any props required for the class, such as veil, finger cymbals, cane, drum, fans, etc.

BEHAVIOUR   Respect the instructor and fellow students. Avoid disrupting the class. Be on time. Be discrete when entering or exiting the room. Listen attentively. Write notes. If you have a question, ask the instructor - they are there to help you. Ask the instructor for permission before taking photos or videos.

PHOTO/VIDEO POLICY   Instructors make their living from teaching. So, if you video their class and share the footage with your friends or upload it to the internet, you are effectively depriving that instructor of income. Because of this, most instructors these days do not allow students to video them during class. However, time will usually be set aside at the end of choreography workshops for students to film each other. The instructor also usually grants an opportunity for photos at the very end of the workshop.
Belynda Azhaar allows students to record her performing the choreography at the end of class on the proviso that they do not upload any video footage to the internet, or share with others.

Belynda Azhaar with Japanese students in Osaka.

WORKSHOP   A workshop is a one-off class, usually two to three hours in duration, which focuses on a particular topic or choreography. Students pay a higher fee for workshops than they would a regular class, especially if the teacher is not local. There are usually two types of registration/payment offered: advance, or at the door. Discounts are often offered for advance payment. Workshop sizes can range from 10 to 100 or more of students, depending on the venue. The larger the class, the less likely the teacher will be able to give individual attention to students, and the more difficult it is for students to see the teacher. For this reason, Belynda Azhaar prefers 30 or less students in her workshops. MASTER CLASS   A master class is a workshop for advanced level professional dancers. The material taught is more advanced than regular workshops and the student numbers are generally limited to 10-15 students. Master classes are usually 2.5 to 3 hours in duration and the class fee is higher than that of general workshops.

DRUM SOLO   The drum solo, or tabla solo, is generally the grand finale of a dancer's performance. It is the time when dancers show off their isolation and shimmy skills. FINGER CYMBALS   Known as zills, or zils, in Turkish and sagat in Arabic, finger cymbals are small (metal) cymbals worn on the thumbs and middle fingers. Finger cymbals can be single or double-slotted, referring to the type of hole the elastic goes through in the cymbal. Double-slotted cymbals are generally preferred by dancers because they are easier to control than single-slotted cymbals, which tend to move around more. (See picture to the right for an example.) SHIMMY   A shaking or vibration movement driven by the skeleton and/or muscles, and done in time with the music. Shimmy movements usually focus around the hips or shoulders. Common shimmies include the Egyptian (knee) shimmy, the hip shimmy, the 3/4 shimmy, and the shoulder shimmy. MELAYA LEFF   Also called iskanderani, comes from the Arabic words melaya, the name of the large, black shawl that women cover themselves in when going out in public, and leff, which means to wrap. This fun dance comes from Alexandria in Egypt, and portrays a young woman coyly ignoring the advances of men in public while re-wrapping her melaya, as it sometimes "accidentally" falls off. ;-) Beladi music is used, and the dancer wears a short (knee-length), colourful, frilled dress and a head scarf.

Belynda Azhaar performing with sagat.

Belynda Azhaar performing Raks Assaya.

RAKS EL ASSAYA   Or raks assaya, literally means Dance of the Stick. Raks assaya is a fun and playful dance where women imitate the male stick dance called tahtib. Tahtib originates from the area in Egypt known as Sa'id (Upper Egypt), and involves men pretending to fight each other with long wooden sticks. Raks assaya is usually performed in a beledi dress to music featuring the saiidi rhythm and mizmar, but has also been incorporated into cabaret bellydance where dancers wear a glitzy two-piece bedlahs (bra and belt costume) and perform to Arab pop music. SA'IDI   Also written saidi, literally means "from Sa'id" and can refer to anything originating from Upper Egypt (southern Egypt). The saidi rhythm is a 4/4 rhythm commonly found in saidi music (folk music from Upper Egypt). Saidi dance is a type of Egyptian folkloric dance, and is earthy and energetic. SHA'ABI   Also written shaabi, refers to the style of living (including music, dance, clothing, etc.) commonly found in the poorer, lower class areas of Egypt. (The Egyptian upper class generally look down on anything considered shaabi. In fact, it's not unusual for bellydancers performing in restaurants to be prohibited from dancing to shaabi music.) Shaabi music often features Western and electronic instruments and the lyrics, which deal with everyday social issues, are sometimes political, controversial, and/or rude. Well known shaabi artists include Ahmed Adaweyah, Hassan el Asmar, Magdy Talaat, Hakim, and latest shaabi superstar, Saad. In an appropriate match for this style of music, shaabi dancers display a strong, confident, but playful personality, and use moves which are more sexual than found in other forms of Egyptian dance.

Further bellydance related terms and definitions can be found here.