*REGISTRATIONS CLOSED FOR 2025*

This course is designed to establish a strong base in Fusion Bellydance vocabulary utilized in Colleena’s unique Indian Fusion Dance and Indian Fusion Formation program.  We encourage new Bellydancers and dancer with a few years of experience who want to brush up on technique and learn about Colleena’s stylistic approach.

In this course dancers get a taste of the codified format of Fusion Bellydance Colleen has developed over 2 1/2 decades as a performer, teacher and researcher.

Theory lectures explore various histories, cultures and contexts of Fusion Bellydance as it has evolved, siting common misconceptions and current social issues related to the dance.  We will ahve the opportunity to experience live drumming and music classes in Middle Eastern percussion and musicality for dancers.

THE CLASSES COVER:

• Yoga, warm up and dance conditioning for the aspiring dancer

• Extensive gesture/isolation vocabulary for deeper understanding of movements

• Relevant ATS, Tribal Fusion, Raqs Sharqi and folkloric Egyptian inspired dance movements

• Carefully crafted drills and training methods to develop techniques through repetition

• Choreographed compositions to help you practice these steps and their transitions

• Theory Lectures and dance history

COST:  Please email for full breakdown of costs and potential discounts.

*Indian Nationals rate in INR

Discover and establish yourself in the inspiring world of Rasa, Indian Fusion and Shakti School of Dance through studying its vision, values and theoretic components that weave together to create the formation.  Students will receive a clear and systematic break down in preliminary yoga practices, warm ups, postures, dance vocabulary, phrases and repertoire.  Most importantly students learn how to practice (techniques for practice, drills and creative explorations).  

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

Level 1 focuses on memorization of codified movements.  Level 1 vocabulary focuses on derivations of commonly known Fusion Bellydance movements with distinct movement principles from Indian dances.  These movements are templates which explore movement principles and qualities which are discussed in theory classes.  While these are beautiful movements… they are not the END of the course, they are a shared starting point.

Indian Fusion Formation is not just a dance workshop, this training covers the following topics:

Practical

• Yoga: techniques and theory

• Warm-ups, strengthening, anga shuddhi, and supplemental exercises

• Gestures, isolation patterns and detailed micro-movements

• Level 1 Vocabulary of Indian Fusion Formation: foot positions, mudra, arm patterns, 18+ Moves, key movement principles, traveling steps, spins, transitions and 13+ phrases!

Theory

• Indian Aesthetic Theory, Brief Bellydance History & Cultural Context

• The art of being a Student / Teacher (Advanced dance skills for teaching)

• The Mind, Body & Spirit – a Holistic Vision: anatomy, kinesiology, Ayurveda self-care, and holistic yogic health.

• Vision, Mission, Values – creating your community and sharing your message

• Ethics (Fusion or Confusion, Cultural Appropriation, Orientalism, etc)

REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least 2 years of Bellydance training and ideally some experience or interaction with an Indian dance form.  Level 1 requires students to layer Bellydance movements with control and precision and have some knowledge of common ‘Tribal Fusion Bellydance’ vocabulary such as: ATS basic movements, 3/4 and 4/4 shimmy, Maya/Taxim, etc.  Students should have ability to combine traveling steps, direction changes, layered isolations, etc.  This dance training also requires a certain degree of fitness – to dance for 5+ hours per day.  Students should have basic level of the English language, as class will be conducted in English.

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

• 2 Live Zoom ‘Level 1 Preparation Workshops’ and access to recordings of our  preparation classes

• 35-40 hours of dance/theory training live in Pushkar, Rajasthan

• Beautifully designed IFF Textbook with detailed breakdown of movement vocabulary, photographic references, reading articles, etc.

• Testing, should you chose to test and possibly receive your Level 1 Certificate

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

• 1st Online Zoom Required Preparation Class: date to be determined

• 2nd Online Zoom Required Preparation Class: date to be determined

• REQUIRED WELCOME MEETING: April 13 at 6pm

• IFF Class Days: April 14 – 19, 2024 (approx 6 hours per day)

• Final Day – Testing in evening: April 19, 2024

COST:  Please email for full breakdown of costs and potential discounts.

*Indian Nationals rate in INR

*25% Discount for returning students who have previously attended a IFF Level 1 training (book and testing not included)

ESTABLISHING ALL THE ELEMENTS

Dancers inspired to move deeper will continue to firmly root and refine L1 vocabulary as well as adding a lot of new material  and compositions in L2!  While ideally we can dance together with symmetry, coordination and identifiable style… the final result of the program should be a self-empowerment and confidence to continue to create on your own with a solid base.  Choreographic tools and ways to manipulate movements will offer more creative scope to dancers within the aesthetic of Indian Fusion. 

L2 includes the opportunity to experience traditional training in Indian Classical dance to gain experience in a traditional Indian dance context.  Students will establish the stylized movements in your body through application, and develop a rich understanding of aesthetic principles that guide this dance style through deeper study of underlying structures of dance.  This training will expand your ‘dance literacy’, empowering you to have more critical conversations about/within dance.  With an increased toolset in choreology, movement principles, musicality, expression/interpretation, choreographic tools and aesthetics, a dancer is able to critically assess the movements at hand in this style and eventually develop movements and dances of their own while remaining within the style.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Passing score on Level 1 test and completion of homework assignments is required to join this course.  

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

• 1st Online Zoom Required Preparation Class: date to be determined

• IFF Class Days: April 23 – 28, 2024 (approximately 6 hours per day)

• Testing will take place online 6 months after the completion of this live training

INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM:

• 1-2 Live Zoom preparation classes and access to recordings

• 35-40 hours of dance/theory training live in Pushkar, Rajasthan

• Handouts and curated practice playlists

• Online Testing and private session

COST:  Please email for full breakdown of costs and potential discounts.

*10% Discount given when registering for more than 1 session at Shakti School of Dance

*Indian Nationals rate in INR