Dance and percussion workshops with Monica

 Baladi is the heart of Egyptian dance, and the heart of what informs the dance in its diasporic and extended forms. This is also Monica's wheelhouse. Baladi classes involve lots of listening, lots of moving, and lots of embodied joy. The style is social by nature, but can also be introspective and personal. There are guidelines, formats, expectations, even rules, but within all of those, there is vast room for individual expression of the music and of the self. 

These workshops can be tailored for most lengths of time, from one hour (the absolute minimum for a taster, but there is a lot we can squeeze in) to a full week, to longer, ongoing work. Monica can work within the formats of social dances, staged dances, and spaces in between.   
 

 Finger cymbals are an essential part of the dancer's toolkit. While we no longer play them through our whole shows as we did in the US when I started, a dancer who wants to show their proficiency will always use them in part of their set. 

Monica's workshop will connect playing rhythms to movements, and can be presented to a wide variety of levels of learners, from total beginners to experienced performers. 

Class should be at least 90 minutes, and there is no maximum time. 

Option: Frame drum component. Please add at least 30 minutes to one hour for this addition.   

 Combinations: I love making up dances, and I love teaching them to others. 

Working within a particular musical style, specific composer, specific era of dance music, or with multiple versions of the same song, we will learn movements, combine them together, hone technique and expression, and then use that as a base to push ourselves further in our understanding. 

Monica has honed this way of teaching in her weekly classes, and it can offer value to dancers of all levels. 

Class can be 1 hour to 4 hours.
 

Monica can teach a fun class for your party guests! 

Bring Monica in to get your guests moving with cultural dance.  Monica has tailored dance learning experiences for all sorts of groups. 

Class can be anywhere from 20 minutes to one hour. 

Option: This can be combined with a performance.
 

All workshops and classes can be combined with a performance component.

I do have many other offerings on tap, so if you've seen me teach or perform something in the past, reach out and let's talk.

If there is something I don't teach, I promise never to pretend I do, and am happy to refer you to other instructors and practitioners who are a better fit.