Classes & Workshops

Belly Dance Level 1 Technique

L1 is designed to teach students the necessary skills to safely execute the movements used in belly dance. Suhaila Salimpour’s format focuses on muscular control, dance posture and alignment to efficiently execute belly dance movements. Build strength, stamina, and increase flexibility to develop strong technique, precise isolations and balance for traveling movements and turns. We also introduce basic finger cymbal technique and musicality.

Belly Dance Level 2 Technique

In L2 we take our fundamentals to the next level and explore increased timing in movement, introduce layering concepts and more complex foot work patterns and combos. Finger cymbals drills and more complex patterns introduced.

Introduction to Belly Dance technique

This class is perfect for students brand new to Salimpour School format & terminology or students wanting a review. Each week we will focus on a new step or isolation and drill in home position as well as basic stepping patterns. There will be optional level increases as well. All levels welcome!

Choreography series “Crazy in Love”

Learn Janelle’s choreography to “Crazy in Love” a fusion dance piece full of passion and fiery dance moves. Fusing Belly dance with jazz and lyrical elements.

Performance and Professional skills

In this series we go over not only skills for polished and professionalism on the stage but also the before and after we hit the stage. There is a lot that goes on before and after the stage act, we will cover a few key points from putting together a show, context of performance, costuming and makeup, preparation, and a little about the admin of being a working artist. Janelle has been a working artist since the late 1990s and has through the years learned from her journey, not all shows are the same! We will also create project performances that can be put to the stage! There will be light homework as well as an optional performance opportunity at the late summer Desert Dream Cabaret showcase. 

Once registered Janelle will email the participant with “things to bring to class”, definitely bring a notebook or journal. 

Golden Era Belly Dance: a dancer study of the dancing stars of the Egyptian Cinema Golden Era. Each week I will feature a different dancer and we will build a beautiful combo inspired by their lines and personal dancing style.

Each time I do this series or workshop it evolves and gets better, I hope you will join me for this fun workshop. You will see how deeply influenced my personal style is to this particular era of belly dance and of course the music is just so exceptional.

Rhythm ID & Belly Dance Combos workshop

In this bit size workshop we will explore and practice a few rhythms most commonly used in Arabic musical compositions. The first hour will focus on rhythm study and practice and briefly discuss history, musical context and movements commonly used for each rhythm. The second hour will focus on dance drills and combos set to these rhythms. All levels welcome.

If you have a drum please bring it, we have a few you can borrow or purchase at the studio.

*No drum necessary, but if you have one have it accessible, I like to have us tap the basic rhythms before we dance them. You can use your belly as a drum as a drum too.