Join fellow dancers in a supportive environment of growth, a chance to further develop your craft as a performer and dancer, and learn about working with real Arabic music with real Arab musicians!  Dancers will work at their own level – the series welcomes everyone from ambitious beginners to professional dancers and teachers. (Dance teachers or group leaders may be especially interested in the performance skills techniques that you can apply with your own students.)

In the series, you’ll learn how to stage a nightclub performance, work with live musicians, create structured improvisations, interpret Arabic music, captivate an audience using breathwork and energy tools, and get encouragement from fellow dancers on the path, with everyone reaching for their next level as an artist.

ALL workshops may be taken a la carte – you do not need to sign up for the full series or the show to join in!  Show is planned for Sunday evening December 18th at the Lafayette Grill in New York City. Please register for workshops at least ONE WEEK in advance of each date, to be sure the workshops will run.

Dancers who plan to dance in the December 18th Gala will each pick a solo piece to work with, according to their level of ability and what they’d like to work on. Ranya will help dancers pick pieces if they need help. Participants will have password access to past years’ gala recordings to help choose their music and practice with it to gain familiarity, to take some of the pressure out of the live music experience.

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CLICK HERE to read a review of a past gala by accordionist and audience member Ismail Butera!

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OCT. 22 Sat 3:30-6:30pm 3 hours

@ Lafayette Grill.  Content: staging in the performance stage, building choreo combos for entrances and exits, using Breath for Performance to claim your space and relate to the audience, defeat stage fright, and a nice warmup working with combos and useful steps.

OCT. 28 Fri 6:00-7:30pm 1.5 hours  @ Lafayette Grill – staging, musical interpretation for entrances

Oct. 29 Sat  3:30-6:30pm 3 hours @ 440 Studios – Using energy in the space; Egyptian technique and improv skills for different drum rhythms; musicality for Arabic orchestral music; breathwork and performance skills practice.

Nov. 5 Sat. 3:30-6:30pm @ Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 8th Ave, 16th floor- studio 16E  NYC – with Ranya Egyptian technique for different rhythms in Oriental dance, staging, using your space and working with energy and confidence, & how to slow things down when you feel too busy or speedy; technique for dealing with mistakes on stage, how to cover for them and stay lookin’ great!

Nov. 6 Sun. 12-3pm @ Lafayette Grill 54 Franklin St. NYC – with Ranya & Lebanese oudist/singer Maurice Chedid Topic: music interpretation for dancers, includingphrasing for Arabic music and recognizing call-and-response patterns in Arabic music and what to do with them

Nov. 12 Sat.  3:30-6:30pm @ Lafayette Grill - with Ranya & Syrian violinist Mohamed Abdullah - maqam for dancers – working with the Arabic scales, in taqasim and in songs/instrumental pieces, working with beautiful arms and hands to frame the body through the music, and how to follow the Arabic melody line; learning to tell differences between maqams and the emotional colors they evoke, and working with slow rhythms.

Nov. 13 Sun. 11am-1pm – Lafayette Grill – with Ranya – Performance skills workshop, practice with famous Arabic dance pieces

Nov. 20 Sunday, 10am-1pm -440 Studios, 440 Lafayette St. just down the block from Astor Place,  in the East Village- with Ranya & Egyptian accordionist Nabawy – beledi work and how to suit your movements to the music, and how to respond to rhythmic or melodic changes in the music while you are dancing
Please RSVP if you plan to come!    AND: Bellydancer Swap Sale at 440 Studios 1-4pm right after the workshop!!
Ranya will be bringing for her table: Costumes by Eman and Hoda Zaki, Pharaonics of Egypt, various cheap dresses, extra fabric for those who sew, minimally used dancewear including some outfits from her dvds, jewelry, Isis wings, silk veils, DVDs and CDs!

Nov. 26 Sat. @ Lafayette Grill 3:30-6:30pm Egyptian technique & Performance Skills workshop with Ranya -Character in performance – using different character types and moods to create interest and reduce nerves in your show- geared to show participants and other interested dancers!

Nov. 27 Sun. @ Lafayette Grill 12-3pm Egyptian technique & more Character in Performance Skills and use of space-  workshop with Ranya – geared to show participants and other interested dancers!

Dec. 4 Sun. @440 Studios 3-6pm 440 Lafayette St. just down the block from Astor Place,  in the East Village- MUSICIAN WORKSHOP – Save the date-  Full details soon.

WORKSHOP FEES:

Workshops with Ranya only  - $45 if paid in advance, or $55 at the door.

Workshops with Ranya + one musician –  $55 if paid in advance, or $65 at the door. Add $10 per workshop if 2 musicians are present.

Payment can be made via PayPal.com to account of office@ranya.net (you can pay with credit or debit card even if you don’t have a Paypal account), to sign yourself up in advance.  Cash at the door.   Class card discounts are available!

Rest of time period until the December 18th show will be used to schedule semi-private lessons, based on the mutual schedules of participants.

Dec. 11 Sun. (all day reserved for rehearsing with band and semi-privates)

Dec. 18 Sun. (all day and eve reserved; rehearsing and show in evening 7-10pm)

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GUIDELINES FOR SHOW PARTICIPATION:

Attendance requirements to be in the show: 15 hours of workshops + 1.5 hours worth of semis

Previous participants may do this 15 + 1.5 plan, OR may instead take 12 hours of workshops and 2.5 hours worth of semi-private lessons, plus 3 hours worth of watching other participants’ semi-private time
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A La Carte: price PER CLASS HOUR: a la carte advance- $15 per hour; a la carte at the door $10 extra.

(So… a 3 hour workshop paid at least a week in advance = $45; after or at the door = $55; with musician, paid in advance = $55; at door w/ musician $65.

5-hour workshop card: $70 (save $5 off advance rates)

10-hour workshop card: $130 (save $20 off advance rates) —can be paid off over 3 weeks if ready finances are an issue

15-hour workshop card:  $175 (save $50 off advance rates) —can be paid off over 4 weeks if ready finances are an issue

Full workshop series: $250 (all scheduled workshops are included, and all musician supplement fees included, provided there is enrollment for each workshop to run) –can be paid off over 5 weeks if ready finances are an issue

Musician workshops supplement: $10 extra for musician workshops; $20 extra if there are 2 musicians for same workshop; payments due by the day of workshop

Band/show fees: $95 includes 2 band rehearsals; plus $25 for performance video delivered to you electronically or on DVD; note: if we have at least 15 show participants, band fee will be reduced to $75 for each person. So get your friends involved! Fee may be paid in two installments if desired; the first installment must be paid by Nov. 20 to reserve your place in the show, and the second must be paid no later than December 1.

First full band rehearsal planned for Sunday Dec. 11; Second full band rehearsal and show on Sunday Dec. 18. If you cannot make the band rehearsal, we will make you an audio copy of your music for you at the rehearsal, and you’ll get extra time with the band to go over your piece on the day of the show.

Semi-private rates: $20 per 15 minutes (plus studio fee if applicable)…. (1.5 hours of semis = $120)

Required watching of others’ lessons: Priceless. 3 hours required watching & support, over course of series, free of cost when you are in the “audience.” This is an invaluable learning experience to watch others in action, and a chance to help each other polish your performances.

Tickets: Each dancer gets 5 tickets to sell, for $75. We need everyone to chip in, in helping us to get an audience.  If you sell 10 tickets, you get 2 tickets FREE!! Tickets at the door are $20; online $15 + $1.50 ticketing fee; in person through you, $15 each, in advance. People attending the show must agree to purchase the food/drink minimums so that Lafayette can stay in business. VIP tickets will be available for $50 each, and VIPs get their pick of reserved seating, along with the warm feeling of supporting the show and helping to pay the fabulous band!!

NOTES: All workshop payments may be made in cash, or check (to Ginger City LLC), or credit card payment to office@ranya.net. Exception: musician fees paid at the door for musician workshops must be made in cash.

REFUND/CREDIT/EXCHANGE POLICY: If you have prepaid for a workshop and find you are not able to attend, you may send someone in your place, but cannot receive a refund. You cannot send someone in your place if you have paid for the full series pass, however, nor if you have a workshop hours card, as long as there are enough classes left in the series to make up the time in a different workshop.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Workshops may be canceled, shortened, or converted to semi-private lesson slots if advance enrollment is low. Register or RSVP early–at least a week in advance–to be safe and confirm your interest and get the best rates on workshops.  If workshop is canceled, you will receive a proportional refund, unless you have paid for the full series. If workshop is shortened, show participants will still get credit for the planned hours of attendance of the original workshop length.

RSVP or contact Ranya via office@ranya.net or 718 706 0037.