Femme Fatale ~ furiously foxy…
being dangerous on stage, Deviant Dance style!

Description
What if you were a little more impulsive, a teensy bit more daring, slightly more... wicked! In this workshop, you will play with things that your usual self wouldn't dream of doing... exploring solo improvisation by your evil twin. She can be a seductress, a temptress, a villainess, a misunderstood vixen, or a classically evil witch. Perhaps she is a girl turned bad because her heart was broken by a no-good private detective, and now she is bent on revenge! Perhaps she is a volcano goddess, who delightfully sets fire to everything she touches, and has an occasionally explosive temper. It is simply her nature! You will come away with the necessary tools for invoking your unique femme fatale, that can be utilized in any style of performance, along with written class notes for reference. Walk away a dangerous woman, looking your audience in the eye.

(Grace had a bad breakup once, about ten years ago. She made some fierce dance performances out of her hurt feelings, and so decided not to seek revenge on the no-good so-and-so. Later the guy won back her heart, and they've had a fabulous love affair ever since.)

Workshop taught by Grace of Deviant Dance
Saturday, August 2nd from 12pm - 1:15pm

Belly Dance Fantasy Festival
August 2nd & 3rd 2008
San Leandro Marina Community Center
15301 Wicks Blvd. San Leandro, CA 94579

Limited space, so register early; $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
To register, send e-mail to: tatseena2001@yahoo.com
www.tatseena.com

Grace's Bio
Grace is an up-and-coming performer and instructor of improvisational world fusion bellydance. In addition to her solo work, she is the founder, director, and lead dancer of Deviant Dance based in Portland, Oregon, and a principle dancer in Dreams of Cleopatra based in the Bay Area. She took her first belly dance lesson in 1990, but it wasn't till 1996 that Tatseena found her and provided the perfect learning environment. Grace is a former member of the Good Vibrations, Four Elements, and Morada Raks. Grace was recently nominated for Zaghareet Magazine's Best Kept Secret award in 2008.

Grace spent her childhood travelling between the magical land of Hollywood, CA, and her Indian reservation in the heart of the desert, and she has straddled the worlds of urban culture and untamed nature ever since. She choreographed solo interpretive dances and began learning yoga at the age of three. Between 1982 and 1996 Grace studied tap, modern, Haitian, and West African dances. Her work is influenced by her Native American heritage, and her travels in Central America and Southeast Asia, particularly Bali, Indonesia.

Grace's solo dances are always improvised. Deviant describes her philosophy: that each dancer must be different--deviating from everyone else, for every dancer has a unique spirit, and a singular mythology; only she can describe the beauty that she has experienced and imagined. Grace loves to represent both the light and the dark; find the sacred in the burlesque, and spiritual ascension in comedy. She possesses a dark sense of humor, and very good intentions.
www.deviantdance.com

Grace has just been informed that she has been awarded the "Best Kept Secret of 2008" by Zaghareet Golden Belly Awards! How cool is that? She is shocked and delighted. Thanks to all of you for making this possible.

As for the other winners, we are still in the dark as to who they are, and look forward to finding out in the next issue of Zaghareet!
~Micha

What the heck is Deviant Dance? What is Grace all about?

I've been dancing all of my life. I've been a bellydancer for thirteen years, before that I studied modern, Haitian, West African, and tap. My mother began teaching me yoga when I was a small child.

Deviant Dance has become my own peculiar flavor of fusion belly dance. Deviant describes my philosophy that each dancer can and should be different--deviating from everyone else--because every dancer has a unique mythology. Only she can bring her singular spirit to her performance. Only she can represent all of the beauty that her soul has experienced and imagined.

My solo dances are always improvised. I always have a story within my dance, and I have only the smallest inkling of how it will unfold by the time I reach the stage. The story is created by my mood, by the audience, by the music, by the life force around us, by the weather, and by you. My group performances are called simply Deviant Dance, and have strong elements of improvisation as well.

The dance expresses something very deep, and sometimes ridiculous. I refuse to be pinned as light or dark. I can see the sacred in the burlesque, and spiritual ascension in comedy. I have very good intentions, but I also have a dark sense of humor. I wish to save this planet, and to represent all the forces of nature that humans do not understand... for we live in an improvised dance of incomparable beauty and complexity.

Wednesdays 7pm-8pm ~ Belly Dance Fusion with Grace
Learn Grace's unique fusion that embraces many styles, and become comfortable with the flow of improvisation. Great low-impact workout with focus on form, musicality & fun! Class begins with a yoga warm-up. This class is ongoing, multi-level, for all ages & body types. Drop-ins are welcome. Belly dance is for everybody!

Wednesdays 8:15-9:15pm ~ Advanced Belly Dance Fusion with Grace
Designed to complement the earlier class; expand your dance vocabulary with props, combinations, unusual styles, in a matrix of creative improvisation! Students of all levels are welcome, as long as you attend the 7pm class (so that everyone is dancing in the same language.) Performance opportunities are associated with this class.

Zenana Spa & Wellness Center
2024 SE Clinton Street Portland, Oregon ~ (503) 238 6262

Classes Fees: $12 drop in, 5 class card for $50, and 10 class card for $85.