| Willow's Bio | Classes | Workshops | Blog | Events | Gallery | Resources | Belly Dance and Yoga Wear | Dance Links |
|
Willow is available to travel to your location to teach her signature style of bellydance. With a series of workshops designed to introduce her own methods, theories and philosophy that she has developed over almost 2 decades of studying bellydance, students will come away with a deeper understanding of bellydance technique as well as ideas to help create their own unique style that showcases who they truly are as dancers and artists. Please contact Willow at "bellydancewillow (at) gmail.com" for more information, rates, and a contract.
Workshop Offering by Willow
Hard Raq Appropriate for intermediate beginners and above. Belly dance with a harder edge requires attitude, confidence and strong technique. Combinations will be taught to different styles of hard rock and heavy metal music, along with appropriate attitude for the music chosen, and how to plan costuming to complement the style of dance and music you are performing to. Specific topics to be covered include: hipwork and upper body moves from a muscular perspective to allow more isolation, footwork and floor patterns, expressive arms, layering with both sharp quick moves and slow moves. We will also discuss how to translate personal struggles into expressive performance pieces.
Audacious Hipwork for the Bold and Brazen!!! Appropriate for beginners and above. Bold hipwork paired with a powerful expression denotes a strong, confident dancer and creates a commanding performance that captures and holds the audience's attention. This workshop begins with warm-up and conditioning exercises designed to develop strength and power in the body. Hipwork moves are then drilled and put into combinations with footwork to create a powerful presence and intense performance. Finger Cymbals Appropriate for advanced beginners and above. Playing finger cymbals can add intensity and drama to your performance, as well as show off your musicality and versatility as a dancer. However, playing finger cymbals can be daunting and intimidating, so they are not often played by many dancers today. After an intense warm-up that includes strengthening and conditioning exercises designed to develop strength and flexibility in the body, Willow will lead students through drills to develop coordination, strength and speed in the hands and upper arms to help overcome fatigue while playing. This will be followed by common cymbal patterns used in Middle Eastern dance with combinations to teach the integration of finger cymbals into your dance. Size EB cymbals or larger are recommended, as smaller cymbals are more difficult to play and don't sound as nice. The Powerful Art of Floorwork Appropriate for advanced beginners and above. Floorwork is an exciting and dynamic component of bellydance that requires physical strength as well as flexibility and grace to look fluid and effortless. Floorwork can also be used to bring a more expressive dimension to an emotional performance. This workshop will begin with warm-up and exercises designed specifically to develop strength and flexibility in the body for executing floorwork effortlessly. This will be followed with fluidl descents, moves on your knees, side and back layouts, and how to rise from floorwork, all while moving from a center of power and grace. This is a physically intense workshop that is not recommended for students with knee or back injuries. Bring kneepads or a yoga mat. Slow and Sensual Appropriate for beginners and above. Slow moves especially need to be done with intention, depth and breath, otherwise they can look flat and boring. Willow begins with an intense strengthening and conditioning warm-up that teaches exercises to build strength and flexibility in the body necessary to hold energy in your moves. She then teaches the muscular breakdown of slow bellydance moves and how to infuse them with intention, breath and energy. Students will be taught how to hold energy in their moves, even while standing still, and how to move slowly with energy and intention, to infuse their moves with drama and hold the audience's interest when doing slow sections of the dance, such as taxim and floorwork. Moves include standing in place as well as traveling dance steps. In longer workshops, Willow will also break down common Middle Eastern rhythms used in slower songs and show how to apply your dance moves to them. Muscular Bellydance: Technique, Concepts and Combinations Appropriate for beginners and above. When bellydance moves are done muscularly, they add depth and power to your dance. This workshop will begin with an intense conditioning and strengthening warm-up to teach exercises that are important to strengthening the body for muscular bellydance and developing flexibility. Willow then breaks down several basic bellydance moves into muscular components, drills them over and over, and layers them over various footwork patterns and combinations that can be used as tools to create your own improvisation or choreographies.
|