Aswan Dancers-Class Schedule

Beginning classes cover basic belly dance movements and steps and include drills and repetition to traditional and popular Egyptian music including Shaabi and Mahraganat. Don't know what I'm talking about? Come to a class and see.Try it out. Before you know it you will be dancing and understanding Egyptian dance, music, lyrics, culture and more. No need to wait for a session to start. Classes are on-going and you're welcome anytime.

MIXED LEVEL BELLY DANCE CLASSES

$15 drop in or $40/4 classes (card good for 6 weeks)

Saturday: 1:00 - 2:30 pm - Technique, Special projects from Tarab to Mahraganat

Monday: 7:00 - 8:30 pm - Egyptian Cabaret -Tarab - may include combinations

Tuesday: 6:30 - 8:00 pm - Techniques - Includes Classic, Cabaret & Shaabi (popular)

Thursday: 6:30-9:30 pm - Performance - from Folkloric to Cabaret.

Most classes include some rhythm exercise with the drum and/or cymbals and song translations. If you have already studied and want to learn how to put it all together, these classes will help you. lf you perform choreographies and want to learn to improvise and be spontaneous, these classes will surely give you the keys. If you have any special songs or dance styles/steps you want to work on, bring your requests to class and we'll work on them. If you have any questions, please feel free to call 415 282-7910.

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Drumming for Dancers every Monday 8:30-9:30 pm (taught by Amina)

$15 drop in or $40/4 classes (card good for 6 weeks)

See Rhythm Classes for complete information on learning drum

and also for private instruction on dancing with zils (finger cymbals)

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PRIVATE DANCE CLASSES BY APPOINTMENT $50 hour

Do you need to prepare for a performance, or do you just want to speed up the learning process. These individual classes are the way to go. (mornings, some days & evenings, weekends - 415 282-7910 for appt.)

I usually don't teach on 3 day weekends (such as President's Weekend, Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day)and certain holidays such as valentine's day, and halloween eve. Call (415-282-7910) if you're wondering if it's a holiday. If you haven't checked in for a while, please call to confirm if a class is cancelled for the day. I will try to post cancellations if ever there are any. But it is very unusual for me to cancel.

(I do teach some holidays, so feel free to call to check with me)

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The Gilded Serpent presents... Changes
Egyptian Dance - Has It Crossed the Line?
by Amina Goodyear
Last summer June 2006 I had the dubious pleasure of experiencing both The Nile Group Festival and Ahlan wa Sahlan in Egypt. Fortunately they were very conveniently scheduled – back-to-back. The first week was spent in a hotel in Giza (not Cairo proper) studying with the Egyptian dancers of The Nile Group. After their closing show I took a very short taxi ride and moved to yet another hotel, also in Giza, to continue another week’s studying at Raqia Hassan’s Ahlan wa Sahlan Festival.
Both festivals, held in Giza were isolated and insulated from the people and the Cairo that I know and love.
This article is not going to be a critique on the dancers and teachers of the festivals I attended, but rather a confirmation of an opinion I had already made prior to attending the festivals. This was confirmed again and again while in Egypt during both of these dance festivals...click to continue

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Belly dance as it is taught in Egypt, the Amina way

Learning to dance the Amina way is like the total immersion of a conversational language class. The grammar will come eventually, but Amina makes it easy for her students to dive in and pick it up as they go along. If they stick with it, students soon find themselves able to dance naturally and with confidence.

Amina has performed in both Middle Eastern and San Francisco clubs for many years and was inducted into the Belly Dance Hall of Fame in 1995. Amina is a San Francisco Belly Dance institution. As a teacher she has been sharing her knowledge with eager San Francisco dance students for over 35 years. If you have ever seen a belly dancer at a San Francisco club, chances are they studied with Amina.

Amina

PERFOMANCE OPPORTUNITIES MOST FRIDAYS

PENAPACHAMAMA

with

THE GEORGES LAMMAM ENSEMBLE

1630 Powell St. bet. Union & Green in S.F.

DANCERS SHOWCASE PERFORMANCES

AND

OPEN FLOOR DANCING

10 pm

($10 cover if not performing)

For information about performing

contact Amina

Below are some photos of me, me in my studio, some students performing at student events and some well known guest teachers.

Amina dances at PenaPachamama

Entrance to Studio

Amina in Studio

The classes will immerse you in belly dance choreography and music from traditional to the latest crazes, cymbal playing, veil dancing, stick, saidi, dellae, debke. Amina also teaches the history and the culture - differences between Egyptian, Lebanese, Turkish and American style belly dance. Drumming, song translations, costume design, pot-luck video parties, workshops with visiting stars. . . are all part of the community experience available at Amina's studio.

Nadia Hamdi from Cairo, Egypt performing in an Amina sponsored event

Amina encouraging students at Giza Cabaret

Raqia Hassan, sponsor of Ahlan wa Sahlan Festive in Cairo, Egypt, after teaching a workshop in Amina's Studio

(Laura, Amina, Raqia, Tina and Shamira)

Jenise at Student Night

Guest teacher Semasem from Cairo, Egypt teaching workshop in Amina's Studio

Mona at Giza Cabaret

There are many opportunities to dance at Student Nights, and the Giza Cabaret parties. So what are you waiting for. . . come join the fun!

Amina

The Aswan Dancers
829 Elizabeth Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 282-7910 aminajune@aol.com

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