Serpentine Communications
4930 Saint Elmo Ave. Bethesda MD 20814
Tel: (301) 654-2224 Fax: (301) 656-1658
| Contact Artemis |
| Contact Yasmin |
Workshops
Workshop topics include but are not limited to:
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The Roots and History of Oriental Dance including rare antique images of dancers from the Middle East
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Turkish Oriental Dance (see below)
- Turkish Romany (GypsY Dance (see below)
- Egyptian Oriental Dance
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Veil Dancing and the History of the Veil
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The Art of Takseem and Ciftetelli
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The Art of Improvisation
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Finger Cymbals A to Z
- The 14 Rhythms Every Dancer Should Know
- How to Work with a Band and How to Dance to Live Music - includes communicating with musicans before and during the show, understanding the structure of the songs, improvisational skills and the structure of a show
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Floor Work Technique and history
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Beautiful Arms and Hands
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Turns, Spins, Directional Changes and Floor Patterns
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Crisp and Powerful Hip, Pelvic and Abdominal Articulations, Shimmies and Full Body Undulations
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Theatricallized skirt dance movements which incorporate some Romany (Gyspy) gestures from different Romany cultures and non - Romany dance material
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So You Wanna be a Star - a two day intensive on how to put on a professional show, how to add polish to your show, how to find the right show for the right venue and the right audience, how to book a dance job, how to promote yourself, appropriate costuming for your body type, stage make-up, how to achieve the total look and optional video critique of each participant.
- Drum solo - including understanding the structure of a drum solo and the elements of creating a great drum solo
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Stagecraft: regardless of you style of dance, this workshop is perfect for every performer. subjects will include: commanding your space, smooth transitions, keeping it interesting, accessing your vocabulary in the heat of the moment, deciding when to use which step, how to analyze a song, understanding the music, floor patterns, dancing for the camera, dealing with destractions, beautiful arms and hands, where the 8s are and improvisational skills
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Sword dancing and its history
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Cane dancing and its history
- How to be a Teacher: including everything from preparing lesson plans, setting up your business, attracting students, handling difficult people and situations and more, everything on the subject from A to Z.
- Sacred Dance: including a sacred dance history lecture which is followed by a dance ritual.There will be several hours of lecture and slide presentation and some video footage followed by a spiritual movement based ritual. Subjects will include the ancient sacred dances of Greece, Rome, Crete, Egypt, the whirling Dervishes and Christian Liturgical dance. Contact Artemis at artemisdances@yahoo.com. This workshop will be repeated in March.
- American Style Cabaret - better known as Vintage Orientale: This workshop includes the history
of this vivacious and legitimate style of belly dancing, combinations and the elments of a typical show
Romany (Gypsy) Music, Dance and Culture Workshops
This is a series of workshops that can be offered in a very abbreviated form in 2 hours or they can be expanded to a 5 day, 4 hour a day format.
These workshops separate fact from fiction about Romany music, dance, history and culture from many different Romany cultures throughout the world. We compare and contrast the features of the dances and music. There is ample DVD footage. We discuss the truth about Romany culture and history and how it is quite different from the false stereotyped fantasies and biases that abound.
Turkish Oriental and Turkish Romany (Gypsy) Workshops
Turkish Romany Dance, History and Culture
This workshop separates fact from fiction about Turkish Romany dance, history and culture. I can do 1 hour versions up to a 4 day intensive. The topics you can choose from within this subject are:: karsilama rhythm, Romany 9/8 rhythms, gestures and steps for dancing to both slow and fast versions, short combinations, a theatricallized skirt dance (which incorporates Romany skirt gestures and theatricalized fusion of Romany and Non - Romany dance material), history lecture, DVD footage and costuming information, ciftetelli rhythms and dance combinations and finger snaps. aslo available are choreographies to entire songs. I can return to places where I have taught this subject before with all new dance material.
Turkish Oriental
I can do 1 hour versions up to a 4 day intensives on this subject. Topics included can be: compare and contrast Turkish Oriental, Egyptian Oriental and Turkish Romany dance, a description of the features of a Turkish Oriental show, trends in dance and costuming, steps, turns, hip articulation, abdominal work, knee lifts, arm postures, backbends and full body undulations to karsilama and the Romany 9/8, ciftetelli, finger cymbals, floor work, veil, combinations, DVD footage and we can dance through a complete Turkish show together in class. I can return to places where I have taught this subject before with all new dance material.
Turkish Oriental AND Turkish Romany (Gypsy) Part 1
I can do 1 hour versions up to a 4 day intensives on this subject. I teach the same combinations in both the Oriental styles and in the Romany styles. Students will get a clear understanding of how Turkish Romany dance is the mother of Turkish Oriental dance and how the two differ and merge. DVD footage of both styles can be presented. I can return to places where I have taught this subject before with all new dance material.
Turkish Cengi Workshop
The famous female public entertainers of the Ottoman Empire were known as "Cengi" dancers. In this one day workshop I teach about the history of Cengi dancing, and the costuming of the Cengi dancers plus and a complete choreography (based on old descriptions and antique representations of the dancers). The workshop includes instruction on how to play Turkish Wooden spoons (Kasiklar). This workshop is taught by Artemis.
Totally Turkish with
Tayyar Akdeniz is a world famous dancer, musician and choreographer from Turkey. He can teach Turkish Romany and Turkish Oriental material for women dancers in a one or two day format. He can teach steps, turns, gestures and short combinations to the various 9s (including karsilama) and to ciftetelli. Tayyar can also offer classes, semi-private and private lessons in dumbek, saz, davul, drum solo, Turkish music, Turkish Spoons and over a hundred Turkish folk dances. These workshops are taught by Tayyar.
For information on scheduling and rates please send an email.