Down East Bellydance & Drum Fest

Upcoming Events

Student Hafla
Bollywood Workshop with Rinka
Down East Bellydance & Drum Fest 2012


Student Hafla

JUNE 2, 2012 @ Dance Theatre of Jacksonville
7:30pm-9:30pm  |  $10 (Kids 10 and under FREE)
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Come join us June 2nd and be prepared to see these students "strut their stuff" and share what they have learned this season as they perform class choreographies and solos. The night will also include special performances by guest artists. There will be shopping with vendors including The Sojo of Greenville and Energy Works Massage.

Bollywood Choreography Workshop with Rinku

    JUNE 2, 2012 @ Dance Theatre of Jacksonville | 14 Doris Ave. Jacksonville NC 28540
    12:00pm-2:00pm  |  $35  |  Buy Workshop

    Workshop Details:
    Get your bangles and your bindis ready as you learn an authentic Bollywood choreography taught by the talented Rinku Bhattacharya-Das of Calcutta, India! Rinku who is a professional Manipuri & Kathak performer and instructor, will teach you a modern Bollywood choreography based on the Classical and Contemporary Styles of North Indian Kathak dance.  Cost: $35.00

    Rinka's Bio
    Born in Jaipur and brought up in Kolkata, Rinku Bhattacharya is a well known exponent of classical Kathak and Manipuri dance. She had her Kathak Dance training under Guru Laxmi Narayanji of Gunijan Khana of Jaipur (Rajasthan) and her mother Smt. Mallika Bhattacharya, gold medalist in Kathak dance and disciple of Guru Achhan Maharaj and Dean of kathak dance Rabindra Bhartai University Bela Arnab of Kolkata .Her Manipuri dance training has been under Guru Bipin Singh and Guru Kalavati Devi.

    She has performed and choreographed classical dance and experimental fusion contemporary dance in various places in India and abroad, receiving appreciation from one & all with applause including the well known exponents of Kathak Guru Chitresh Das, Bela Arnab, Manipuri exponents such as Padmashree Darshana Jhaveri and Saroj Khan of the Bollywood film fraternity. She has also performed in various television channels and choreographed dance programmes for companies like Seagrams, Vodafone, and Standard Chartered bank. She has performed in New Jersey (Doctors' Association), Texas (2006 North American Bengali Conference), and North Carolina (several festivals).

    Some of her memorable performances were with exponents such as the famous tabla maestro Sri Tanmoy Bose for the Indian Army in 2008, renowned Indian singer Usha Uthup for the Doctor's Association of New Jersey in 2006, the Violin Brothers in Calcutta Club in 2007, famous American hip hop singer Chris Rel in Taj Bengal, Kolkata in 2007, and the famous Bengali band Bhumi in Houston in 2006.

    Her rich experience to enthral and engross her audience, until the very end, with her charming and graceful movements has always left an unforgettable impression on the audience. Visit her on Facebook


2012 Down East Bellydance & Drum Fest

    Kaitlyn Bellydance and the Apsara Dancers proudly present the Down East Bellydance and Drum Fest 2012! July 13-15 New Bern, NC  |  Schedule, workshop details, & registration below

    FRIDAY   { July 13 @ Trent River Coffee Co }
    7:30pm-9:30pm: Hafla

    SATURDAY   { July 14 @ The Histroic New Bern Masonic Theater }
    8:30am: Registration & Vending Open
    9:00am - 11:00pm: "Know Your Roots" w/ Mahsati Janan 
    11:15am - 12:45pm: "The Basics" w/ Jeremiah Soto
    12:30pm - 2:30pm: "Hip Hop Fusion" w/ Lisa Zahiya
    3:00pm - 5:00pm: "Veil for Vixens" w/ Naima Sultana
    8:00pm-10:30pm: Gala Show

    SUNDAY   { July 15 @ Down East Dance Studio }
    8:30am: Registration & Vending Open
    9:00am - 11:00am: "Rhythm and Listening Exercises for Drummers" w/ Jeremiah Soto
    12:30pm - 2:30pm: "Sense and Sensuality for Sword" w/ Oracle and Jaki Hawthorn
    3:00pm - 5:00pm: "Orientale-Tribal Fusion with Accordion" w/ Khalima and Barry Bless
    6:00pm: Vending ends

    If you are interested in performing at DEB&DF please contact Kaitlyn@ kaitlynbellydance@gmail.com

2012 DEB&DF Workshops

  • Saturday 11:15am-12:45pm & Sunday 9:30am-11:00am | Website

    “The Basics” (1 ½ hours Saturday)

    This class will teach you the economy of movement by learning strengthing drills and classical arabic technique. These drills and techniques are good practice to help you play longer and with little strength and effort. 1. Technique, 2. Strength, 3. Knowledge. -Learn the three fundamental hits of Arabic drumming, Dum, Tek, Left Handed Tek (or Ka), -Strengthening drills -Learn basic rhythms such as Beledi, Maqsum, Saidi, Ayyub and Cheftitelli.

    “Rhythm and Listening Exercises for Drummers” (1 ½ hours Sunday)

    For all levels of drummers. Learn a series of rhythms and compositions. Learn how to play as a group and choose a leader. We’ll spilt the class into groups and perform an effective call and answer exercise used to improve listening, timing and knowledge.

  • Saturday 12:30pm-2:30pm | Website

    "Hip Hop Fusion" (2 hours)

    Start with basic hip hop movements and techniques and how to effectively fuse them with bellydance, then learn a combination. Learn the style that won Lisa the title of Tribal Fusion Belly Dancer of the Universe! Be prepared to get funky and sweat. 

  • Saturday 3:00pm - 5:00pm | Website

    "Veil for Vixens" (2 hours)

    Find your inner vixen……  Explore the artistry of the veil!  From technique to transitions, you will learn the keys to mastering the veil within your dance and letting it be an emotional extension of your performance. During the workshop, Naima will also teach you exciting combos that you can incorporate into your own routines and improvisational dances!

  • Saturday 9:00am-11:00am | Website

    "Know Your Roots" (2 hours)

    Incorporating Folkloric styles and accents into Classical and Modern Belly Dance No matter what style of belly dance you perform, it is important to know the roots of this dance. There are many different places where variations on folkloric steps appear in our dance vocabulary and even more places where a well-timed folkloric step would be the perfect accent. This workshop covers a few folkloric steps each from Saidi, Khaleegy, Ghawazee, Hagalla, Zar, and Beledi and common ways that these movements are added and updated for use in stage performances for Raqs Sharqi compared to stage folkloric performances.

  • Sunday 3:00pm-5:00pm | Website

    "Orientale-Tribal Fusion with Accordion" (2 hours)

    Join Khalima and accordionist Barry Bless for aworkshop designed to teach the principles of an Arabic taqsim, andhow you can incorporate this luscious, emotional, improvisationalsegment into live Fusion performance. We will learn and drillmovements inherent to the taqsim, discuss the emotional feel of apiece, and practice improvising with accordion. We will also learnhow to work with musicians on the fly,  how to listen for patternsand cues that allow you to flow with a performance, and how to getcomfortable with the organic nature of improvisation.

  • 12:30pm-2:30pm | Website

    "Sense and Sensuality for Sword" (2 hours)

    Slow bellydance movement takes intense muscular control in order for it to look seamless and fluid.  In order to achieve the most sensual movements in your arsenal, Oracle and Jaki of the Jahara Phoenix Dance Company are prepared to share their secret recipe for muscle control and flexibility with their amazing drills.  Dare to streeetttttcccchhhh your technique to the limit and discover a new way to reach ultimate sensuality.

2012 DEB&DF Promo Video

DEB&DF Registration

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