Ethnic Dance Expressions
School of Belly Dance

Dance Class Descriptions & Levels

(352) 384-9200

Ethnic Dance Expressions offers five levels of instruction 
for Belly Dancing:

    Have fun and get fit while you study the ancient art of Belly Dancing with Sallamah Chimera.  Let your imagination drift as you dream about the ancient pyramids and Cleopatra, envision Salome and her dance of the seven veils, or spend a day in a Turkish harem.
 
    Belly Dancing for Art & Exercise will keep you slim and trim.  It is aerobic and tones muscles you never knew you had.  You will learn to shimmy and vibrate your hips, snake your arms, and undulate your torso, flutter your tummy, and master the art of playing finger cymbals as you listen to exotic music.  Best of all, Belly Dancing was created for women by women and is natural to do.  So do something new and exciting, shimmy into shape while you increase your cultural awareness!

    Over the course of 6-12 weeks you learn basic belly dance movements and isolations, several dance routines, how to play the finger cymbals (zills), to dance with a veil, and more.  We offer a variety of styles from nightclub to folkloric and dance movements from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco, Tunis, and Algeria. We even do a little "tribal". But our main goal is to give you a basic belly dance education so you have the necessary skills to do any style of belly dance you want!

    Adult Belly Dancing Classes are offered Monday through Thursday nights, and Friday morning and afternoon. Ethnic Dance Expressions Studio has five technical levels you can select from (see above.)  Teens (11 and up) are also welcome to join the adult classes.
  ATTIRE:  Students will need stretchy form-fitting clothes, dance sandals, bare feet or socks, and a shawl or scarf to tie around their hips. [Hip Sashes, Sandals, Zills, Music, DVDs, etc., are available at Sallamah's Suq (Studio Store).] Register Online

Belly Dancing is a dance of ultimate femininity, designed for a woman's body at any age, size or shape. It expresses the joys of womanhood as it tones and exercises the body with stretching and low-impact aerobics.  Belly Dancing is an especially good form of exercise for mature women, women who are overweight or those recovering from injuries or surgery or pregnancy because it works the muscles gently without stressing the body or overextending the joints. It helps prevent osteoporosis, improves your posture to relieve back pain, and helps you burn approximately 300 calories per hour. No previous dance training is needed. Classes are on Monday nights from 7:30-8:30 pm. (This class is also for Adult & Teen Mothers & Daughters.)  Register Online  Also offered, through SFC's Lifestyles Over 50 program, is a Mature Woman's Belly Dance class on Monday afternoons from 4:30-5:30 pm. 
 ATTIRE:  Students will need stretchy form-fitting clothes, dance sandals, bare feet or socks, and a shawl or scarf to tie around their hips.  [Hip Sashes and Sandals are available at Sallamah's Suq (Studio Store).]

This class is primarily designed for people who have never belly danced who want to find out more about belly dancing and if belly dancing is something they would enjoy.  It is also for new beginner students who feel they would benefit from a class focusing on basic belly dance technique and for those who would like a refresher technique class.  Students will have an opportunity to learn the essential belly dance basics like isolating the head, arms, torso and hips to make belly dance movements.  A small segment of an easy dance routine will also be taught to help students apply the basic techniques they have learned during class.  A one hour weekday class is offered on Wednesday from 6:15-7:15 pm and a two hour workshop is also available.  See Workshop page for pre-registration, date, time and cost.  Register Online

    Belly Dancing is a family activity in the Middle East--Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, cousins and close family friends get together to dance on social occasions like weddings, births, and just for fun. . .

    The Adult & Teen Mother & Daughter class with Sallamah will offer basic dance technique like head slides, shoulder thrusts, hip circles, shimmies and walks.  We will eventually incorporate these movements into an easy dance routine. We recommend children be 11 years of age and older.  Grandmothers and granddaughters, nieces, sisters, cousins and even neighbor children can make-up the duo.  Class is on Monday, at 7:30-8:30 pm.  See our Class Schedule for more information. Register Online

    Prenatal & Postnatal Belly Dance with Sallamah Chimera.  Is open to all soon-to-be mommies to increase core strength to promote serenity and ease during the child birthing process and for all new mommies after their doctors have given them the go ahead to exercise.  Belly dance movements naturally provide a gentle workout for expectant and new mothers.  It stretches the body and develops the pelvic floor muscles.  Certain strong, percussive movements of the hips and pelvis should be avoided.  Sallamah will safely guide you through the basic belly dance movements.  (Since the studio opened, she has taught over a dozen pregnant dancers.  Several of them were encouraged by the midwifery center to take belly dancing.  They were able to use the Hip Circles and Figure Eights during labor to help with their contractions.)  Postnatal students have to be careful until their bodies (hip sockets in particular) have returned to normal. The basic stance and contractions will help re-tone your pelvic muscles. 
    The one hour classes are recommended for people new to belly dance and are offered on Monday at 7:30-8:30 and Wednesday from 6:15-7:15 pm (these classes are slower paced for more one-on-one attention.)  For students who have had belly dance before, feel free to take our 1.5 hour classes.  See our Class Schedule for more information. 
    Dancers will need the following supplies:  Coined or a non-coined hip scarf.  Dancers are asked to wear dance bottoms that are stretchy, but snug and those that are comfortable with bearing their beautiful baby bellies, may to do so.  

    Dance Coaching is a vital element often lacking for those in the belly dance field.  A dance coach is not only a mentor with a trained eye, but a person who must provide positive and constructive recommendations.  Private dance coaching is available by appointment for students and dancers who want to improve their performance skills or who would like to create a solo.  Sallamah will be available to coach you and provide positive feedback as you develop your dance style, choreograph your first solo, or improve your overall performance skills and technique. Students must have their music selected, preliminary movement theme or choreography worked out to present to Sallamah. She will critique, evaluate your choreography, entrance, exit, technique, movement selection, stage presentation, dynamics, costuming and more. Cost is $35.00/hour.

    The EDE Studio realizes that dancers have needs that go beyond dance technique.  To address these needs, we will have Special Workshops on costuming, figure analysis, color analysis, stage make-up, as well as specialty dances like cane, sword, fire, floor, veil dances and more.  We also plan to invite teachers who are masters in various skills and dance forms to teach at the studio.  Check with us frequently to see what is being offered or to make a request. (See our Class Schedule for more information.)

 Class Schedule and Registration Information

Belly Dancing is a wonderful form of low-impact aerobics. Belly Dance's traveling shimmies, percussive hip work, and sustained arm, hip and torso movements make it an excellent exercise choice for students of all ages and shapes. Belly Dance Aerobics will build-up your aerobic capacity and physical stamina. It will even tone and shape your body while you dance and sweat to the sounds of Arabic music. Classes include a thorough warm-up and cool-down; stretching; low-impact belly dance aerobics; abdominal workout; and belly dance movements. Please wear cool, comfortable clothing, aerobics shoes (cross-trainers), bring a towel and a mat. See our Class Schedule for more information.

    The Zambra Mora choreographies are currently being taught in the advance belly dance classes in place of an actual ZM class.  
    Sallamah Chimera also offers classes in Moorish Flamenco or Zambra Mora-- this is an eclectic theatre art dance that captures the fire and spirit of the people.  Moorish Flamenco uses a mixture of Belly Dancing, Latin, Mexican, Flamenco, Gypsy, and Jazz dance techniques which have been passed among the Spanish, Gypsy, and Arabic cultures over the centuries.  ATTIRE:  Students will need jazz shoes or Hermes sandals for class and a long, full skirt. Character shoes are needed for performances. We will be learning "Playa Colorado" and if time permits, a fan dance. NOTE: It is highly recommended that students take belly dancing since many of the techniques will be Arabic.

B 2001-2011 Sallamah Chimera