Leilani Dance Fitness
Belly Dancing with Leilani
206.914.3885
Leilani Berry began her love affair with belly dancing at 19 when she took her very first class. Through dancing, one can connect the body and spirit to the Earth and have the opportunity to share this with others. Belly dancing can help to heal hurts around body image, strengthen a connection with our bodies and their beauty, and help rehabilitate muscles. Belly dancing improves flexibility, strength, grace, and rhythm.
It is her greatest joy to share this positive affirming dance and connect dancers of all ages and orientations to the greater belly dancing community. As a certified personal trainer and massage therapist, she brings a unique understanding of the body, exercise and stretching.
Leilani taught beginning to intermediate levels of belly dancing for five years in Seattle but is currently not teaching unless by private contract for an event or party.
Licensed Massage Practitioner since 1994
Registered Counselor
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Private Belly
Dancing lessons
available
Class
Refunds & Payment
Options
What to bring to
Dance Class ?!
Belly Dancing with a Veil
Fun Events
Favorite Links
Interested in performing
Other Belly Dancing Instructors I recommend
| To register for class, directions or to be added or removed from the email list, Email leilani @ leilanimassage.com | Leilani's Massage Therapy | Personal Training and Nutrition |
Seattle Belly Dancing Lessons
Classes are presently on hold - dates to be announced -
Greetings everyone:
I am brainstorming ways to make classes
more fun, interesting for everyone, and taking suggestions/requests.
Please feel free to give me more ideas and requests at leilani @
leilanimassage.com [* remove the spaces*]
A few ideas so far:
*Making weekly classes only dance focused skipping specialties.
*Making each weekly class more stand-alone or workshop-like so it's a
drop-in-able class not layered, but still offering discount for registering
for a group of classes.
*Scheduling specialties veil, rhythms, tribal, zills, etc. as a
separate workshop-only as requested.
*Making a discount for preregistration through
www.paypal.com.
*Basing the topic for each week's stand-alone/workshop like class based on
the needs and desire of the students present that night and my wealth of
experience after many years of dancing.
Shimmies,
Leilani
********************************
What to wear: comfortable loose clothing or leotards or shorts & sports bra combo - something that you can move in easily.
What to bring: your registration fee, a water
bottle,
a sense of humor, and a willingness to have fun!
Who is welcome: all shapes and sizes of folks of any persuasion. Participation is fun and essential! No experience required!
We do not allow voyeurs.
*You do not have to be a Wet Spot member to attend, but you must be 18 and over.
Folks are welcome to join in at any point in the series of class, but will get the most out of attending consecutive classes and skill/moves are layered on top of each other. Every one is welcome to take classes over again and learn additional dance moves as well as get some great exercise !!
Please note NO refunds will be issued for classes you have pre-paid or paid for nor will there be any credit(s) applied to future classes, if you miss a class. Therefore, please consider the payment options carefully !
Beautiful
high quality velvet scarves with beads and coins so you can really FEEL the
music with your hips!
Imported and ordered just for you at $45 each including tax!
Availability depends on stock on hand. Currently out of stock.
Shop on-line for Books, Music, Clothing, Veils, Hip Scarves, Videos, Dance Sandals, Dance Leotards and more at BellyDanceShoppe.com
Additionally, for belly dancing hip scarves, some veils, belts & music:
The shops I know of in Seattle are
"Pyramid Imports" or
"Lost Treasures"
both of which are on Pine St. between 1st and 2nd
Aves. downtown, and
"Pharoah's Treasures"
3 floors down in the Pike Place Market mall of shops.
I've purchased a few fabulous velvet choli tops, silk veils, and fringe belts from
http://lrosedesigns.com/frameset.html
I have one of Saqra's dance leotards that has the mesh belly section
and tank top with leggings all in one piece [sizes run a little large - what
a nice change!]. It's fabulous! I also have purchased dance shoes and music
from her as well. She has silk veils, hip scarves, music, swords, jewelry
and more
http://www.saqra.net/shopmain.html
For larger sized active wear like the sports bras I wear in class; I purchased them from http://www.junonia.com/profiles/index.html
I also have great jewelry from http://www.zanbaka.com/
My favorite new belt is cowry shell & beads & coins from http://www.magiccitycostumes.com/
Ebay.com has an assortment of belly dancing music, videos, and costumes. And sometimes music can be available on Amazon.com
My favorite NW Drummer and an excellent drumming
instructor, Michael Beach
http://www.baladi.com/
Offers a great variety of drumming classes and has an
email announcement list of upcoming classes that you can join check it out
at
www.LaDrumma.com
I love my instructional cds, dvds [or vhs] on drumming, tambourine [riq] and def playing by http://www.unclemafufo.com !!!
Zills: Learn more about them here http://www.saqra.net/articles.html#CYMBAL and http://www.shira.net/zills.htm
I came to realize there are cymbal how to videos! I love Saqra and her techniques are great! So, first there's http://www.saqra.net/Shopping/musicvid.html
And then I found yet another video on learning to the play the finger cymbals also known as zills! Mesmera is a little corny but the technique is lovely maybe a little fast paced but you can rewind and do it over and over! "Saroyan How to play finger cymbals with Mesmera" available through www.saroyanzils.com . I rented mine through the King County Library system www.kcls.org and had it delivered to a library close to me!
Riqs/Tambourine: You can get a skin covered riq for $10-12 from Saqra, a $20-25 Western synthetic head one [good in the NW wet conditions] from Johns Music and if you love them, then consider a higher end riq. Like these 4 different Remo varieties: http://www.layneredmond.com/series.htm the tar-Rine, lotus or riq or the http://www.glenvelez.com/ Glen Velez Signature Riq
Doumbeks: At this time I recommend Remo's doumbeks aluminum check out http://www.johnsmusic.com/ or http://www.saqra.net if you want a clay one like mine be sure to get a padded case - one drop and no more drum!
Percussive toys: shakers, bells, inexpensive frame drums and frogs and more http://jamtown.com/index.html
World Rhythm Festival: http://swps.org/swps?dpage=home
Did you know that the term "Belly Dancing" is not the best term or language for "Oriental Dance" that covers dancing from regions of Near and Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean? The term "belly dance" actually perpetuates some stereotypes about this dance form. It is not always done with the mid riff exposed, it is not only performed by women, and it is not the art of seduction. It is more generally folk dancing that is taken to various levels performance.
Some dancers and instructors use Raks Sharki which is Arabic for Oriental Dance. Some individuals feel that the term "belly dancing" is racist, colonist, and based on Victorian values. Despite this, you will find the word "belly dance" is very commonly used and has been adopted by many dancers and instructors.
There are many dancers, instructors, and troupes that do not neatly fall into one or the other categories but it is Leilani's hope that these terms will help you on your dance journey.
Cabaret style is an American term to describe very flashy performance styles that are commonly solos and in groups. The solos are combinations of choreographed and improvisational; whereas group performances are often choreographed. Costuming is commonly very colorful with beads and sequins in bra belt combinations or similar dresses. Examples: Leilani's first instructor www.bellydancingbyzaphara.com, the graceful and gorgeous www.nadira.com and the talented henna artist and amazing dancer www.aleedra.com.
Tribal belly dancing is not just an American term but it's an American originated style. It is a sort of renaissance of combining various world costuming and group improvisational stylized dancing. For examples: www.fcbd.com/html/scrapbook.html , www.infusiontribal.com , www.troupehipnotica.com , and www.raqshalim.com.
Gypsy is commonly erroneously used a descriptive term for an archetype, dress style, attitude/presence or dance style. It is in fact, a race of people and usually considered a derogatory term. We "belly dancers" owe a great debt to the Romany people. It does not honor them to call them "Gypsies". It is racial ignorance to refer to ourselves as "Gypsy" -insert dancing, style, themed, inspired, etc... [unless we are Rom.] There is much to learn about the history of dance and of the many peoples we have borrowed from to fuse together what we now think of as "belly dancing." To learn more about these terms, Leilani recommends the books linked here as a beginning.
To learn about other instructors, places you can go to see live belly dance shows, know about all sorts belly dancing events, and subscribe to an inclusive belly dancing announcement/event list http://www.nwbellydance.com/
and check event listings here
Saqra's site!
Hasani's quarterly Hafla's in Gig Harbor
And don't forget to c
heck out for venues, instruction, performances, vendors and more! http://www.nwbellydance.com/http://www.raksrafiki.com/ a drumming group that meets monthly for a dance/drum jam!
A veil is a 2 1/2 to 4 yard piece of flowing fabric either a chiffon like material or silk for pictures see the veils at http://lrosedesigns.com/frameset.html, you can buy one of these from L Rose, on ebay.com or from a local vendor like http://www.saqra.net/embellydance.html or http://www.hasani.net/ or look for more shopping at local fun events at the top right and you are welcome to make your own! Buy flowing fabric and hem the edges!
Other
Instructors:
I've taken classes with and highly recommend:
The highly energetic south
King County dancer & instructor extraordinaire:
Saqra - belly dance classes, supplies,
calendar & tips in greater Seattle (Kent, WA) and Portland, OR
The beautiful and talented tribal dancer & instructor & costume designer: Zanbaka.com - Tribal Belly Dance Classes and Online Bazaar!
A great American Tribal style instructor Sharon of Mandala Tribal at www.mandalatribal.com
A dancer and teacher. She also teaches belly dancing rhythms! www.ekbalammusic.com
To see men in belly dancing check out http://www.menofmiddleeasterndance.com/
To Learn more about Belly
Dancing:
Read The Belly Dance Book Edited by Tazz Richards
available at
http://www.backbeatpress.com/
To Learn more about Tribal Belly Dancing:
Read the Tribal Bible
http://www.blacksheepbellydance.com/
authored by Kajira Djoumahna