Saturday, November 22 7:00 PM at the Jefferson Center

Please join us for a special night of musical diversity! Community School is proud to partner with Quest Academy and Jefferson Center to feature the tantalizing music of the steel drum in one of the premier arts venues in southwestern Virginia. Last year, seven different steel drum bands performed and the vibe was high-energy and festive, giving attendees a full evening of music, dance and family fun.

This is the third annual Caribbean Music Fest, and the event has drawn rave reviews—even being called one of the most enjoyable evenings of music families have experienced.

Participants this year include: the Community School World Pan Band, Spiritual Steel, Pan Amigos, New Pan Band, Bahama Mammas, & Panamania. Special guests include: Brass Caribe, dancers from Linda Watkins School of Dance, Mandara Eastern Dance Group, Hidden Valley Flag Corps, and the world premier of Roanoke’s first Taiko Drum group.

Tickets are on sale now $15 for adults—bring your friends and enjoy an evening unlike any other!

Michelle Joyce, a bellydancer from CA, has come up with the idea of attacking her bad bellydance habits like a 12 step program starting with 90 classes in 90 days.

Ironically Jen and I have been talking about doing something along the lines of personal/professional development so this suggestion is timed perfectly for me. I have decided to jump on the (band) wagon, so to speak, and I started yesterday.

The concept is that videos/personal practice counts if you do it for at least an hour. Other fitness classes count as 1/2 a dance class. Teaching a class counts as 1/2 a dance class.

So Day One... I did a lunchtime yoga class and taught my War Memorial class in the evening. I then went home and practiced for another hour. So far so good! ;)

INTRODUCTION TO FOLK DANCES OF NORTHERN INDIA & TURKISH STYLE WORKSHOPS
Saturday, November 15th, 2008
Blacksburg, VA
at the Y Center Stuart Room

INTRO TO FOLK DANCES OF NORTHERN INDIA: Kalbeliya Sapera and Bhangra
10 am - 12 noon
In this 2-hour workshop, you will be introduced to two folkloric dances that originated in Northern India - Kalbeliya Sapera and Bhangra.
Kalbeliya Sapera is performed by the snake charmer caste of Rajasthan, India. This dance is characterized by beautiful hands, stomping feet and whirling skirts. This workshop will introduce you to some of the foundations – history and technique - of this beautiful dance seen in the movie “Latcho Drom”. A full skirt is recommended.
Bhangra is a high energy, joyous form of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region of Pakistan and India to celebrate the harvest. Farmers gathered in the villages and danced to the rhythms of the two headed drum called the dhol. It is now practiced all over the world at all kinds of celebrations and festivities. Come join us as you learn this lively, infectious dance characterized by hopping / stomping feet, bouncing shoulders and a smiling faces! As this workshop has a lot of bouncing, it is not recommended for those with knee issues.

INTRO TO TURKISH STYLE
1 pm - 3 pm
Explore energetic and expressive Turkish Oriental and Turkish Romany Dance with Danielle! In this workshop, you’ll learn some of the movements, gestures and stylizations that are the key characteristics of Turkish-style belly dance. We’ll work with Turkish rhythms such as the Chiftetelli and the 9/8, along with their appropriate finger cymbal patterns. Bring your zills!

$30 for one workshop and $50 for both. Extra $2 fee if paid by Paypal. To register for one or both of these workshops, please contact Jennifer at (540) 552-2596 or mandaradance@yahoo.com.

You can find out more information about us at our websites - www.mandaradance.com and www.moreshimmy.com. We hope to see several of you there! Please feel free to contact me with any questions, and please share this info with your friends. Thank you!!!

Bummer! I wanted to embed this YouTube video, but it's not cooperating for me. If you have the time to go check it out, please do!

I just love this dancer. Very inspirational to me. She has great turns and spins... her zilling is awesome... her backbends are just wow. No words for those! From what I have heard, she got her start with Jamila Salimpour.

I have been feeling really connected to this style lately which I consider to be very classic, old school American bellydance. This is the style that I remember as a child. Unfortunately, it really seems to be falling out of favor so I feel compelled to try to keep it alive. Of course, this style is best presented, I think, in a nightclub/restaurant setting, which are few and far between especially in this area.