This year we have the 'best of the best' coming as instructors for our
workshops. We are proud to introduce you to our faculty:
Anita from Fat Chance
Anita Lalwani has
been studying, practicing and teaching American Tribal Style belly
dance since 1997. She has been performing with the legendary Fat
Chance Belly Dance since 2003 and teaching since 2004. She is also
a certified personal fitness
trainer, a registered yoga teacher, and a Vipassana meditator.
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Workshops:
ATS Basics: In this workshop you will review
taxeem, arm undulations, bodywave, and the 4 basic families of fast
movements. Learn how to be a good leader and a good follower
as you learn to improvise combinations that make sense and are
beautiful to watch.
ATS Level 2: in this workshop, you will learn
variations of ATS' basic movements, including levels, fancy turns,
hip twists and shimmies with turns. Learn and drill combinations
using Level 2 variations. Assumes working knowledge of ATS basics.
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Unmata
Amy Sigil Bio
Amy Sigil is owner and director of Hot Pot Studio in Sacramento , CA
, home of UNMATA. For the past decade, Amy has been developing,
teaching, and performing modern bellydance fusion and her distinct
vocabulary of Improvisational Tribal Style. She danced as half of
Haruspicy Dancecraft for several years, and then formed the
professional fusion troupe UNMATA in 2003. UNMATA has
brought home awards such as Bellydance Troupe of the Year 2004,
Bellydance Troupe USA 2004, Ensemble of the Year 2005, and Tribal
Fusion Group of the Universe 2007.
Amy and UNMATA teach workshops and perform nationally and
internationally at events such as The Spirit of the Tribes, Northern
Migration, Tribal Fest, Tribal Quest Northwest, TribalCon, and
Tribal Café. Amy has judged for various pageant competitions such as
Belly Dancer of the Year and Enchanted Camelot.
Each October Amy Sigil, UNMATA, and Hot Pot Studio host The Blood
Moon Regale, a themed weekend of workshops, dance fellowship, and a
fully produced showcase of student and professional dancers.
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Workshop:
No belly dance fusion enthusiast ever drowned
from sweat, and to train like the UNMATA grrrls, you’ve got to
be willing to get down and get wet. After this rigorous
workshop you’ll walk away with two of Amy Sigil’s signature
combos—broken down into movement components, boot laced together,
and drilled ‘til you’re ready to drop.
Be prepared to tap into your hidden reserves of strength and
sass as you take on this class. Warning: 110% is not for paper
dolls. And yes, the music will be very, very loud.
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Kami Liddle
Bio: Kami
Bio
Myspace:
Kami |
Workshops
Seamless Dancing:
This class will begin with a brief warm-up and move onto
covering technique and posture for belly dance. Basic
movements will be drilled, but with a spin! Learn how to
take basic movements and turn them into beautiful, smooth
and continuous lines. This class is open to all levels.
Tribal Fusion Choreography
by Kami Liddle:
Learn an original choreography by Kami, complete with slinky
isolations, shimmies, turns, locks, ticks, breaks and
more.. à
la fusion
style! This class is open to all, but some belly dance
experience will be helpful. Water and a dance journal are
essential
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Jamilla
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Workshop:
The Art of Stage Presence by Jamilla
Are you ready to perform on
stage? Are you scared out of your mind? Do you get the “what am I
doing here” panic every time you step on stage? Does your troupe
lack that Sauvé faire needed to keep the audience right there with
you? Then this class is for you.
After 30 years of performing, I have
some tricks up my sleeve. In this workshop we will learn to
breathe together, an important ingredient in dancing together. We
will look at how we can find the personality we are trying to
express through exercises that are fun and helpful. This class is
for solo and group dancers.
We will explore how to make contact
with the audience through our eyes, hands, and smile. We will use
each other for encouragement and instruction. Hopefully you will
leave this workshop full of confidence and ready to shine! Wear
something exotic (bring a veil if you have one) and don’t forget
your notebook.
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Fvorboda
Links:
Dragomi
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URBAN TRIBAL MOVEMENT
Taught by Fvorboda
Learn new “Urban Tribal Fusion” techniques in
this three hour workshop taught by Fvorboda. In the first two hours,
you will learn several poses and combinations that will add strength
and power to your dance. You will learn variety of new movements
broken down step by step, and learn how to take moves you already
know and create new moves. The third hour will be a layback
(backbend) and floorwork intensive. Learn proper posture and
positioning to get those beautiful angled looks. You will learn the
foundation of floorwork movements and transitions, as well as
techniques to develop your skill in floor work. This “thigh
intensive” will build stronger muscles to add strength and structure
to your performances.
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It Is What Is Is
Amrit Samuel Lall PhD.
Education: B.A. Fine Arts, Westminster College, PA.
Masters Education, Westminster College, PA.
PhD. Univ. of North Texas, TX
Occupation: Forensic Psychologist
In the late 50's, my Father took me to a music maestro, Vali
Kahn. I studied tabla and sitar for the next 5 years. During the
late 60's and early 70's I performed sitar concerts, and in the
70's and 80's I played drums at Whitehawk Community and in
various drum circles. In the early 90's I played drums with the
Voyager's Dream drum circle. In early 2000 a loose knit band was
formed and later evolved into "It Is What It Is". This band has
been together for the past 6 years.
Tony Alcorn
Education: Associates Arts Degree
Occupation: Residential Trainer for Texas M.H.M.R.
Massage Therapist
Special Olympics Coach
I started playing pots and pans as a child, and have been
playing drums for the past 35 years. I started out playing
percussion with a rock band in the 70's and later came to play
with many musical groups of other different genre. In the mid
90's I was invited, by a friend to a drum circle at Voyager's
Dream in Denton, Texas. Amrit and I have been playing drums
together ever since. In 2001 we formed our current band, "It Is
What It Is".
Sandra Elise Schulz
Education: B.S. Art/Education, Texas Woman's University
M.F.A. Fine Arts/Sculpture, Texas Woman's University
Occupation: Art Teacher
I come from a very musical family. I grew up listening to
everything from classical opera to rock and roll. I play guitar
and piano by ear, and was introduced to hand drumming during my
college days while living in the Whitehawk community. In fall of
2001 I began drumming with my husband and his friends on
Saturday evenings for fan. The group later evolved to become "It
Is What It Is".
Todd W. Deatherage
Education: B.A. Philosophy, Austin College, Sherman, TX
Juris Doctor: St. Mary’s University Law School, San Antonio, TX
Occupation: Attorney
I grew up watching my parents and grandparents paint. I began
studying piano in grade school, after which I studied bassoon. I
sat first chair bassoon in the Symphonic Band at Irving High
School. I took a hiatus from music for almost three decades but
never lost my musical ear. I began drumming in drum circles and
met Tony, Amrit and Sandra. I studied doumbek with the Drums of
ISIS in 2007. I play the doumbek, zills, the frame drums and riq.
I’m learning the shenai, the Indian version of the zurna and
mismar. I began playing doumbek, zills and percussion with “It
Is What It Is” in December of 2007.
LOBO is our maestro of MySpace and in obtaining photos for our
banner. He's also a former full time member of the band. Our
appreciation is always there for him.
Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/itiswhatitispercussion
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Workshops
Note: Classes build on basics and work into
more advanced techniques the second day. Participants will want to
register for both classes.
1) Rhythms are Accents
The basic rhythms from the Middle East, with an emphasis on accents
and dynamics. Accents are what makes the language of rhythm
interesting. Don’t your ears perk up when they hear a voice with an
exotic accent? A special bonus will be rhythms from Northwest India
and Pakistan and other exotic locals. There may be some loner drums.
2) Drums and Zills
There’s more than triplets and drunken three legged fairy horses!
Learn clave and bell patterns to drive the rhythm. Drummers will
enjoy the dancer as a musician, and will appreciate the clave and
bell patterns as part of their repertoire. Zills will be needed by
the zill players. There may be some loner drums.
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Azul Salvaje
Azul began performing live the
summer of 1972 starting on street corners, coffee houses and cafés
back in the day as they say. Azul has played in endless bands
anywhere from slime pit bucket of blood bars, roadhouse and pubs, to
soft seater concert halls, stampedes, festivals and back again to
Busking on the street, cafe's and coffee houses. Folk Roots
(Traditional of all types & original), Celtic, Bluegrass, Classic
Country, Alt-Country, Blues, Latin (Mexican Boleros and Rumba),
Brazilian (Bossa Nova and Jazz Samba), Experimental Improv and
Electronica. In his late thirties Azul began to study applied theory
and New Orleans/Memphis (Stax Volt R & B strings), Trios Romanticos
(Mexican Bolero), North African (primarily Egyptian), Bossa Nova and
Samba string section lines developing a personal composition,
playing style and sound, melding and coalescing the experience and
genres he had fiddled down through the years. Azul has always played
Electronic Fiddle right from the get go, experimenting with any and
all pick ups, amplification or effects available without regard to
whatever original purpose they were intended. Azul’s enduring
interest in exploring and playing with sound and rhythm by any and
all means electronic imbues his ongoing adventures fusing and
remixing the myriad ever evolving galaxies of Electronica with his
Electro-Acoustic skills…Currently Azul is engaged with the
functional structures of Tribal Fusion Dance, Brazilectro:
Nu-Bossa/Jazz Sambalectro, Ethereal Psybient and Celtronica, as well
as continuing his perennial interest in interactive Live Pa
Electronics, Improvisation and the functional dynamics of
creativity…
Azul Salvaje Projects:
ASM: Alt Roots Nu-Jazz Blues Folktronica
Paisley Dreams: World Beat Psybient Chill
Taqsim Azruq: Ethereal Tribal Fusion Dance
Celtic Soul: Avant Retro Canadiana Celtronica
(Irish/Scots/Quebecois + Improv & Electronics)
Misterio Do Brazil: Nu-Bossa & Jazz Sambalectro
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Special Guest
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