Sirens FEST
Shimmies&Shenanigans
3 days of Festivities
July 7/8/9, 2023
WEST COAST BELLYDANCE SPECTACULAR ​
Katrina Ji
Chari Dance (Fire Pot)
Friday, July 7th, 5;00pm to 6:30pm
​
Learn the Kalbeliya dance steps from the film Latcho Drom! Suva Devi was my first Kalbeliya Guru whom I toured & performed with in our 2014 USA Tour. Now you can learn the same steps from the film as I've learned them directly from Suva Devi herself. Kalbeliya, "The snake charmer's dance" is a folk dance from Rajasthan, India by the Kalbeliya community. The steps mimic the movements of the Cobra. It is fun, lively, folkloric, improvisational and non-technical. It is characterized by rhythmic stomps, hip movements, kicks, ever changing hand movements, spinning and dancing with partners. It is a dance for run and celebration. This class will focus on the foot work and hand movement commonly used in Kalbeliya dance.
​
​
Sunday, July 9th, 10:00am to 11:00am
​
The Chari dance is a traditional dance from Rajasthan, India where women dance with beautiful copper pots balanced on their heads.
The dance includes lovely steps both standing and seated along with twirling. The music is contagious and we have so much fun while learning this dance. Most students are surprised they can do it on their
first try!
This dance is traditional performed with fire 🔥 blazing out of the pot. However, we will only dance with the pot without fire.
​
​
Jodi Waseca
Sassy Synthesis
Friday, July 7th, 11:00am to 12:30pm
The intersection of Burlesque and Bellydance in the US has been a dirty little secret that has been buried in the pages of select historical tome.. With select shared costuming and movements, and with dancers either often doing both forms or being in the same shows for decades, the shared experience has been around for longer than you think!
In this workshop, we'll discuss a little bit of the history and the influence that both Bellydance and Burlesque has had on dancers and artists alike, and talk about undoing the stigma of being alive in your body. Mostly, we will dance while we explore where the two styles intersect and how to make a piece that is appropriate for a Burlesque or Fusion stage. Get ready to have fun and let your inner sassy showgirl shine! This workshop is for all bodies and levels of experience!
​
Elizabeth Strong
Turkish Romani Dance
Friday, July 7th, 1:00pm to 2:30pm
​
Turkish Romani Dance
Eliz​abeth brings you an accessible and fun workshop of Turkish Roman Dance. This workshop is a culmination of knowledge gathered through her intensive studies with the Roman people of Turkey. Her unique teaching method will show you how to approach the dance from a technical, cultural and rhythmic angle.
​
Raman Osman
Kurdish Dance
Friday, July 7th, 3:00pm to 4:30pm
​
Raman grew up dancing, singing and playing music. He will share his culture with you in this
workshop on Kurdish dance. All types of Kurdish dance are done in groups, usually with both men
and women dancing together. The performers stand next to one another, shoulder to shoulder,
linked by interlacing fingers or by placing one’s hands across each of their dancing neighbors’ lower
backs.The movements and interactions between dancers aligns with aspects of the character and
nature of greater Kurdish society.
“Kurdish dance is not individualistic,” said Serbast Karwan, an expert in the field. “It is a community
or collective dance, and that reflects the Kurdish society; a collective society.”
Kurmanji and Sorani, two overarching types of Kurdish dance, come from both Kurmanji and Sorani dialects of the Kurdish language. Each dialect has its own specific music for its own special dance.
Shannon Burla
Sword Magick: Steel and Bone
Friday, July 7th, 5:00pm to 6:30pm
​
Delve into Shannon's magical world of sword dance: Forge a deeper connection to your sword and yourself as you learn to layer magick over solid sword technique and drills, and dance with your sword
as if it were an Athame.
- Athame: A ceremonial blade used to direct energy and draw boundaries. Usually, a sword is seen as an
elemental tool of air or of fire, depending on one's system of beliefs.In Sword Magick, the sword is used
to represent all five elements:
- Earth: Steel and Bone - mastering the foundational movement of your practice
- Air: Wisdom, logic and thought - Strategically choosing movements to suit your goals
- Fire: Passion and creativity - Adding the unexpected, bringing the power, and learning to smoulder as well as ignite!
- Water: Carving of dreams, expression of emotion and liquid quick movement - smooth transitions linking the lyrics of your movement together.
- The final spark, the charge of electricity that is Spirit can come only from one place: You. The minute you pick up your sword with intention, You are the final element that brings the magic to life. You, and only you.
​
Jill Parker
Luscious Languid Stylizations
Friday, July 7th, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
​
Luscious Languid Stylizations - Deepening with Jill Parker
An exploration of sensuous serpentine combinations. In this workshop we will slow your dance into a luscious and languid state ideal for expressing deep embodiment. We will explore movement pathways
in the body, undulations, arm/hand technique, stylized details, all of these will culminate into delicious combinations.
​
Susu Pampanin
Drum workshop
SATURDAY, JULY 8. 12:30PM TO 2:00PM
Rhythms, variations, song breakdown and drum riffs for solos. Learn to play the drum like the musical instrument that it is, play along with the music and and learn how to construct a drum solo. We will cover drills for technique, sound and speed and the basic rhythms every Middle Eastern drummer and dancer should know.
​