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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
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. 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. Hot and Heavy Hipwork Appropriate for beginners and above. Willow is well-known for her strong, powerful and intense hipwork. Strong hipwork denotes a strong, confident dancer and creates an intense, powerful performance that captures the audience's attention. This workshop begins with an intense warm-up and conditioning exercises designed to develop strength and power in the body. Willow then breaks down hipwork moves and teaches patterns and combinations designed to help you develop powerful and interesting hipwork combinations to apply to your own improvisation, choroeographies and drum dolos. This is a physically intense workshop. You will sweat and possibly be sore the next day. Thrillin' Zills and Drills - Finger Cymbal Workshop with Willow Appropriate for intermediate 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. Fabulous Floorwork Appropriate for advanced beginners and above. Floorwork is an exciting and dynamic component to bellydance that is not often seen anymore - having been forbidden in Egypt since 1954 due to is "suggestive" connotations. Floorwork requires intense physical strength as well as flexibility and grace to look fluid and effortless. This workshop will begin with an intense warm-up and exercises designed specifically to develop strength and flexibility in the body for executing floorwork effortlessly. Willow will then teach descents, moves on your knees, side and back layouts, and how to gracefully rise from floorwork. This is a physically intense workshop that is not recommended for students with knee or back problems. Kneepads or yoga mats are required for this workshop. Something to pad the top of the feet is also recommended.
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