Fall 2008 Teaching Schedule and Events

Hi dancers, Here’s a quick update with my Fall 2008 teaching schedule and events: Group classes at BBC Studio, Special New Class Offerings, and my Fall Workshops on October 25th. Contact me with questions anytime! Zanbaka@hotmail.com Best, ~Z

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Group Instruction with Zanbaka ::: Technique, Conditioning, & Drills for Bellydance
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- Sharpen staccato isolations and shimmies for drum solo technique
- Purify smooth and fluid isolations
- Refine arm/hand movements and precision of turns
- Improve your body's synchronization with rhythm and tempo
- Clarify movement definition to expand your bellydance vocabulary

Tuesdays
Beginning Technique: 7:30-8:30pm
Intermediate Technique & Combos: 8:30-9:30pm
Belltown Ballet and Conditioning Studio is located at 2306 4th Avenue between Bell and Battery, on the East side of the street. Free Street Parking Available in the Vicinity. Intermediate students, please bring a veil and finger cymbals. 4-Week Session, $50 (Cash, Check or Paypal). If your schedule cannot accommodate all 4 classes in session, Drop-In fee is $15/class. No make-ups or refunds on full session payments, please. To register for the full session or to rsvp as a drop-in, contact me at: zanbaka@hotmail.com

Next Session Dates
Current: August 26th, September 2nd, 9th, & 16th
Next: September 23rd & 30th (Special Two Week Session)
Looking Ahead: October 21st, 28th, November 4th, & 11th
November 18th, 25th, December 2nd and 9th
Winter Break: December 16th-30th (New Year Classes start on January 6th, 2009)

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Special Class Offerings
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The following class offerings are open to Intermediate Level students and above. These are small classes (2-3 students) in the Capitol Hill area, so you must RSVP if you'd like to attend.

Intermediate/Advanced Technique & Combos: Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm
More drills, technique, and moving from the core. Explore layering, dozens of shimmy variations, and clarify isolation definition to expand your dance vocabulary. Please bring your Finger Cymbals, Veil, and knee-pads for Floorwork. Props (sword, basket, urn, candles) will also be used occasionally.

Zanbaka's Repertoire for Tribal Group Improvisation: Mondays, 6:30-7:30pm
Tribal Basics, Tribal Variations, Advanced Combos. Zanbaka's signature repertoire for Tribal Group Improvisation. A unique departure from the standards, her repertoire is based on the improvisational concepts of Gypsy Caravan and FatChanceBellyDance, infused with more elements of Middle Eastern Folkloric, Flamenco, West African, and East Indian Orissi Dance and is also taught from a right/left, even sided approach.

Orientale Dance Technique and Combos: Tuesdays, 5:00-6:00pm
Explore various facets of Orientale Dance, from the Seven Part Westernized Nightclub routine to Classical and Modern Egyptian nuances. Learn combos for Drum Solo, Taqsim, Folkloric elements, Floorwork, Veil, and short pieces to the great musical standards of the bellydance world. Please bring your Finger Cymbals.

World Fusion Bellydance: Tuesdays, 6:00-7:00pm
Blending tradition and innovation, expand your horizons with short pieces of Zanbaka's choreographies, influenced my a variety of genres: East Indian, Flamenco, North African, Turkish Rom, Tribal Fusion, Funky Modern, and more.

Barefoot Flamenco for Bellydancers: Sundays, 4:30-5:30pm
This is a great class for dancers who love Flamenco, but can't do footwork due to physical limitations. Technique for Hands, Arms, Upper Body, Turns, Low-Impact Foot Patterns, Hand Clapping (palmas), Castanets, and props Fan, Manton (Spanish Shawl), and Skirt maneuvers.

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Class Descriptions and Level Breakdowns
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With an emphasis on moving from the core muscles, Zanbaka's approach to belly dance offers students the vocabulary, skills, and freedom to pursue whatever style they prefer. The Beginning Class is appropriate for those who have never taken a dance class in their life and for more experienced dancers who want to perfect the basics. This class includes:
1) A multitasking warm-up utilizing common foot-patterns and arm movements while raising heart-rate, lubricating joints, increasing blood flow/oxygen to all parts of the body, and sharpening our alertness.
2) Slow finger cymbal rhythms combined with simple foot patterns/arm movements
3) Conditioning to strengthen muscle groups used in bellydance and to improve alignment and control
4) "Light" stretches to open up areas of the body that may have become stagnant or tight during the course of the day
5) Technique exercises for postural alignment, beginning turns, and arm positions
6) Various isolation drills for the head, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, ribcage, abdominals, and hips. In addition to developing muscle memory, our goal with the weekly drills is to build speed, clarity, and precision, since they are the basis for so many advanced movements in bellydance.
7) Combinations to strengthen transitions between movements.
8) A cool-down with deeper stretches and relaxation
For students interested in advancing to the Intermediate Class, I recommend that you be intimately familiar, have a firm understanding, and possess the ability to independently execute each of the following technique items as guideline. For students with basic bellydance experience, please bear in mind that the content and intensity of beginning classes can vary immensely from instructor to instructor. I ask that new students start out with the Beginning Class, regardless of experience. I'm always happy to discuss your dance goals and threshold for individual critique and feedback in class, so please Email me anytime!

Beginning Technique (This material is cycled through approximately every Ten Weeks)
Foot Patterns, Finger Cymbal 3's at Full Time, Soft and Strong Arm Positions, Floreos, Wrist Isolations, Hand Undulations, Low Arm Undulations, Shoulder Isolations (Forward, Up, Back Down)Figure Eights PTM (U2D, D2U), Hip Twist (PTF, Up, Raised), Figure Eights (F2B and B2F versions of Basic, PTF, PTM/PTF), Head Isolations, Up Hips, Side Hips, Down Hips, Raised Up Hip and Timing Variations, Ribcage Variations (Slides, Tilt, Twist, Diagonal, Vertical, Diamonds, Squares, Figure Eights), Hip Diamond Variations (Up, PTF, Side-Up), Lower Body Undulation, Abdominal Isolations, Full Body Undulation, Leg Shimmy, Weight Shifting Shimmy, Quiver Shimmy, Up 3/4 Shimmies, Down 3/4 Shimmies, Basic Turns, 4/4 Rhythms.

Intermediate Technique
Complex Foot Patterns, Wrist and Elbow Leading Soft Arm Series, Floreos Layered on Dynamic Strong Arms Positions, Leg Shimmy with Layering Variations, Traveling and Changing Levels with Beginning Technique Isolations, Traveling Up 3/4 Shimmy 1, Traveling Up 3/4 Shimmy 2, Traveling Down 3/4 Shimmy 1, Traveling Down 3/4 Shimmy 2, 3/4 Shimmy Variations, Raised Up Hip Variations and Shapes, Working with Degree of Range and Crispness, Layering Combos, Turns (Paddle, Barrel, 2 Step, 3 Step, Slow Pivot), complex 4/4 Finger Cymbal Patterns at Full Time, Basic Veil work, Combos to drill transitions and explore musicality.

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Saturday, October 25, 2008 - Zanbaka's Fall Workshop - Seattle, WA
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Fall Bellydance Workshop with Zanbaka at BBC Studio in Seattle's Belltown Neighborhood. Sharpen staccato isolations and shimmies, purify smooth and fluid isolations, refine arm/hand movements and precision of turns, improve your body's synchronization with rhythm and tempo, clarify movement definition to expand your bellydance vocabulary with Technique and Drills for Bellydance from 1:00-3:00pm, which will roughly follow the material from Zanbaka's book, Foundations (Vol. I) of Bellydance for the Versatile Dancer. From 3:30-5:30pm, technique, transition practice, and musicality will be put into context with Tribal Fusion Combos, where several short pieces of Zanbaka's inspiring choreography will be presented. All levels welcome in the technique class, the 2nd class will go at a swifter pace appropriate for experienced bellydance students. Please bring your finger cymbals and a veil. BBC Studio is located at 2306 4th Avenue between Bell and Battery, on the East side of the street.
Workshops fees:
Single Class... $40 before October 1st, 2008 / $45 after October 1st, 2008
Both Classes... $70 before October 1st, 2008 / $85 after October 1st, 2008
To Pre-Register or for more info contact Zanbaka: 206.321.2912 zanbaka@hotmail.com www.zanbaka.com
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Zanbaka
Performer, Choreographer, & Instructor
Orientale, Folkloric, Tribal, & Fusion Bellydance
zanbaka@hotmail.com Ph. 206-321-2912
www.zanbaka.com
Zamani Flamenco www.zamaniflamenco.com
Zanbaka's Designs - Custom Headdresses and Costume Accessories
www.zanbaka.com/bazaar.htm
Now Available! Volume I: Foundations of Bellydance for the Versatile Dancer Book Series
www.zanbaka.com/versatiled...rseries.htm

Zamani Flamenco - Dancing Under the Moon

Zamani Flamenco Upcoming Performances

Saturday, August 16th, 2008: Zamani Flamenco at the Smoke Farm Arts Festival
Smoke Farm culminates another triumphant season as a haven for exploration, instigation and agitation with its 3rd annual summer festival; "Interstitial Heroes", on August 16th at Smoke Farm.
As with our two previous festivals, "Secret of Gold" and "Pataphysical New Year", this year's festival, titled; "Interstitial Heroes", is a daylong extravaganza of theater arts, dance performance, live music, literary high-jinks, installed art, and experiences that defy easy classification. All this takes place at Smoke Farm, a unique rural venue near Arlington Washington. Guests are invited to come just for the day or to camp overnight in the fields and groves of the farm. Join us on Saturday August 16th, starting at 2pm and continuing until late. Tickets include dinner, prepared by Stumbling Goat chef Seth Caswell, and a bedtime story too! Tickets are $25 advance (BrownPaperTickets.com) and $35 at the gate. Featured artists and presenters include (in no particular order): Sage, Degenerate Art Ensemble, Circus Contraption, Bret Fetzer, PDL, Amy Denio (with Hell's Bellows), Matthew Richter, Interrupture, Doug Nufer, Left Field Revival, Kelly Sullivan/Human Movement Projects, Zamani Flamenco, The Asterisk Project, Vanessa DeWolf, helga hizer, and more! About Smoke Farm: Smoke Farm is a former dairy farm situated on 360+ acres along the North fork of the Stillaguamish River and is approximately 55 miles from Seattle. Acquired by the Rubicon Foundation from the Smoke family in 1993, this stunning and ecologically diverse property is undergoing "unfarming" and environmental restoration in partnership with the Cascade Land Conservancy. Smoke Farm operates as a center for artistic and intellectual exploration. The Rubicon Foundation's primary mission is an experiment in community among the guiding lights of the Northwest cultural underground, and provides opportunities and space for creative interchange, exploration, presentation and learning. Tickets and information about Interstitial Heroes: brownpapertickets.com Information about Smoke Farm and the Rubicon Foundation: smokefarm.org

Thursday, August 21st, 2008: Zamani Flamenco at The Northside Grill, Seattle, WA
An evening of Flamenco Music and Dance at The Northside Grill in Seattle's Greenwood
neighborhood. Showtime: 8:00pm. Full dinner menu of delicious North African cuisine,
a selection of draft & bottled beers, and excellent house and specialty Wines served
by the glass and bottle. The Northside Grill, 8550 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA
www.thenorthsidegrill.com/

Zamani Flamenco taps both Andalucían tradition and cross cultural innovation
to bring an energetic and living flamenco to contemporary audiences. Based in
Seattle, WA, this ensemble of musicians and dancers has trained with Marcos
and Rubina Carmona, of the Pacific Northwest's beloved Carmona Flamenco.
With baile (dance) by Daniela "La Alfarera" Serrano and La Zánbaka and toque (guitar)
by Andy Fitzgerald, Zamani Flamenco weaves layers of hypnotic rhythms, soulful melodies,
and festive spirit.

Thanks for supporting Flamenco in Seattle!

Win a copy of my book on OrientalDancer.net...

More info at the following link ;)

www.bellydanceforums.net/games...i.html

*edited to add: please be sure to introduce yourself on the forum and get involved with the discussions! There's also a collection of interesting and informative articles. Hopefully my post here will boost OrientalDancer.net's exposure and membership #'s. Thx! ~Z

This Week: Zamani Flamenco Show in Seattle / Zanbaka in Columbus, OH

Thursday, July 24th, 2008: Zamani Flamenco at The Northside Grill, Seattle, WA
An evening of Flamenco Music and Dance at The Northside Grill in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood. Showtime: 8:30pm. Full dinner menu of delicious North African cuisine, a selection of draft & bottled beers, and excellent house and specialty Wines served by the glass and bottle. The Northside Grill, 8550 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA
www.thenorthsidegrill.com/

July 25-27 - Workshops and Performances with Zanbaka in Columbus, OH - Habeeba's 3rd Annual Midwest All Star Bellydance Weekend
A full weekend of workshops performances at Habeeba's 3rd Annual Midwest All Star Bellydance Weekend with guest instructors Sahra Saeeda and Zanbaka. Both instructors will teach 3 hour workshops on both Saturday and Sunday.
I'll be teaching Technique and Drills based on the structure of my book on Day 1. Day 2, I'll be teaching short Tribal Fusion Combos which will explore various facets of tribal. 1) Funky Modern Combo 2) 9/8 Rhythm Combo (Turkish influenced) 3) Flamenco Fusion Combo 4) 6/8 Rhythm Combo (North African Influenced) 5) Mesmerizing Slow Modern Combo 6) Drum Solo Combo 7) Combo using tribalgroup improv dance vocabulary

Upcoming Events for the rest of July

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008: Zamani Flamenco at The Upstage, Port Townsend, WA
An evening of Flamenco Music and Dance at The Upstage Restaurant. Showtime: 7:30pm, $10 Cover. For reservations: Ph: 360-385-2216, Web: upstagerestaurant.com The Upstage, 923 Washington, Port Townsend, WA Zamani Flamenco taps both Andalucían tradition and cross cultural innovation to bring an energetic and living flamenco to contemporary audiences. Based in Seattle, WA, this ensemble of musicians and dancers has trained with Marcos and Rubina Carmona, of the Pacific Northwest’s beloved Carmona Flamenco. With baile (dance) by Daniela "La Alfarera" Serrano and La Zánbaka and toque (guitar) by Andy Fitzgerald, Zamani Flamenco weaves layers of hypnotic rhythms, soulful melodies, and festive spirit.

7/18 My 2nd Book Release! Volume II: Shapes, Patterns, & Layers of Bellydance for the Versatile Dancer

Thursday, July 24th, 2008: Zamani Flamenco at The Northside Grill, Seattle, WA
An evening of Flamenco Music and Dance at The Northside Grill in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood. Showtime: 8:30pm. Full dinner menu of delicious North African cuisine, a selection of draft & bottled beers, and excellent house and specialty Wines served by the glass and bottle. The Northside Grill, 8550 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA
www.thenorthsidegrill.com/

July 25-27 - Workshops and Performances with Zanbaka in Columbus, OH - Habeeba's 3rd Annual Midwest All Star Bellydance Weekend
A full weekend of workshops performances at Habeeba's 3rd Annual Midwest All Star Bellydance Weekend with guest instructors Sahra Saeeda and Zanbaka. Both instructors will teach 3 hour workshops on both Saturday and Sunday.
I'll be teaching Technique and Drills based on the structure of my book on Day 1. Day 2, I'll be teaching short Tribal Fusion Combos which will explore various facets of tribal. 1) Funky Modern Combo 2) 9/8 Rhythm Combo (Turkish influenced) 3) Flamenco Fusion Combo 4) 6/8 Rhythm Combo (North African Influenced) 5) Mesmerizing Slow Modern Combo 6) Drum Solo Combo 7) Combo using tribalgroup improv dance vocabulary

Cajon Workshop with David Carmona @ BBC Studio: July 27th (I'll be out of town for this one, but check it out if you're in Seattle) Join percussionist extraordinaire, David Carmona of Seattle's Carmona Flamenco for an educational and inspiring cajon workshop. Studying the cajon is valuable experience for dancers, guitarists, and singers to help internalize Flamenco rhythms. Workshop will include work with posture, technique, embellishment concepts, and various palos. All levels of experience are welcome! 3-4:30pm. BYOC (bring your own Cajon). [It is ok to take the workshop without a cajon if the interested student has some sort of ethnic drum (djembe, dhumbek, etc.) AND can make it sound "drier" that what it normally sounds like by placing some cloth underneath the head (for instance).] Fees: $25 (Cash Only, no refunds, please). Workshop will be held at Belltown Ballet and Conditioning (BBC) Studio, 2306 4th Avenue between Bell and Battery, on the East side of the street. Free Street Parking Available in the Vicinity. To pre-register or for more info contact: Rachel, Email: zanbaka@hotmail.com or Ph. 206-321-2912

Monday, July 28th - I'll be subbing for Rubina's Beginning Flamenco Technique (6pm) and Beginning Bulerias (7pm) classes at American Dance Institute in Greenwood. more info at: americandanceinstitute.com/

My E-Newsletter: July 2008

Hi Everyone! Here's what's going on in my world for the month of July. Thanks to everyone who came out to the Peña Flamenca shows and E.P.I.C. Performance Series. This month Zamani Flamenco will be heading out to Port Townsend to play at the Upstage and will be doing a fun show in Greenwood conveniently following Rubina's Thursday night classes at ADI. At the end of the month I'll be heading to Columbus, OH to teach and perform at Habeeba's Festival alongside Sahra Kent. And as many of you know, my second book is almost ready to hit the streets. More details .... www.zanbaka.com/julEnews08.htm

Volume II Nearing Completion!!!

I'm thrilled to announce that Volume II of my Bellydance for the Versatile Dancer book series is nearing completion! The release date is July 18th, 2008. Your feedback and response to Volume I has been overwhelming and I feel incredibly privileged and grateful that my book has reached so many students, dancers, and instructors all over the world. So many of you have confirmed my original hope for this book series... filling a void in the realm of bellydance educational material available in print that focuses on non-style-specific technique.

Building on the concepts and movements presented in Foundations, here's what is in store for Volume II: Shapes, Patterns, & Layers...

::: Building more dance vocabulary with style awareness, but not restriction

::: More Rhythms and Finger Cymbals Patterns

::: More Percussive and Smooth shapes for Continuing Technique.

::: Expanding into Directions and Directionals that encompass intermediary positions between the four basics covered in Foundations.

::: More Foot Patterns, Turns, Arm Series, and Shimmies.

::: More Hand, Arm, Wrist, Head, Ribcage, Abdominal, and Hip Isolations.

::: Layering Technique and Table Charts for Layering and Transitions.

::: Intro to Shorthand Notation for taking your own notes during practice, classes, and workshops.

::: Ten Practice Sessions for Continuing Level Technique.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or would like more information on Pre-Orders.
Best, ~Zanbaka

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Zanbaka
Performer, Choreographer, & Instructor
Orientale, Folkloric, Tribal, & Fusion Bellydance
zanbaka@hotmail.com Ph. 206-321-2912
www.zanbaka.com
Zamani Flamenco www.zamaniflamenco.com
Zanbaka's Designs - Custom Headdresses and Costume Accessories
www.zanbaka.com/bazaar.htm
Now Available! Volume I: Foundations of Bellydance for the Versatile Dancer Book Series
www.zanbaka.com/versatiled...rseries.htm