About How I Teach

My teaching style emphasizes three things; technique, history, and self expression / self awareness.

• When teaching dance technique I use different avenues of learning such as visualizations, muscle memory, step by step breakdowns, follow-the-leader, and so on. I also try to cover some basic rhythms and music appreciation in my classes.
   
• I try to bring a basic awareness of the dance as a folk dance as well as an ever changing art form. I do this through videos, props, stories and print materials exposing students to everything from 16th century Persian court dance and costume to elements of classical Indian dance.
   
• As for self expression/awareness, I am a perfect example :-)  I am a plus-size, minority, female dancer.  As a dancer and teacher I am constantly reaffirming my students that "If I can do it, YOU can do it" and that it's not so important that you dance like everyone else but that you dance like YOURSELF.  At the end of each of my classes we take 5 minutes out to have "Free Dance" where I play music and tell the students to dance, in anyway that they wish, and to feel the music and express themselves in a safe and supportive environment.

Traveling Workshops

To see my current workshop and performance schedule, go to the Schedule page for more info.

Want to bring me to your area for a workshop? I love to travel and share this dance with new friends. Why not sponsor a day of my workshops and bring me to your locale? Below are examples of some of the programs I have taught.  I can also create a custom a curriculum to fit your group’s specific needs.  Email me at Dance (@) FolkloricFusion (dot) com for more information.

Introduction to Turkish Romani – Beginner to Intermediate – 1 ½ to 2 hours
The Romani people (sometimes derogatorily called "gypsies") are a group that migrated from India to every corner of Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Turkish Romani dance is characterized by its attitude, directness, powerful gestures, and the Karsilama 9/8 rhythm.

Learn to Love 9/8 – Beginner to Intermediate – 1 ½ hours

The 9/8 drum rhythm (often known as Karsilama) is a beat usually associated with the Turkish Romani people. This class will help you “get” 9/8 rhythms and how to dance to it.  We’ll also learn some variations and Romani moves.

 Mini-Workshop series A – All Levels - 1 ½ hours

• Thrill Drills – Who says drills are boring?! Have fun and laugh while building up your skills and dance vocabulary.
• Move It! – Don’t just stand there, Dance! Traveling and dancing is easy…and you don’t even have to pack a bag. Learn ways to travel and use space while dancing.
• Super Smooth and Slinky – Not all isolations have to be sharp. Smooth out your undulations and isolations to make them suave and sexy.
• Express Yourself – Dancing is like cake and your arms, hands, and expression are the icing. What flavor are you? Explore different ways of accenting your dance using arms, hands and expression.
• Veils Unveiled – Make the veil a part of your dancing not an addition to it. We’ll cover tips, tricks, and ways of performing with veils.
• Put It Together – So you know how to do stuff. Now what? Learn a short, simple choreography using the skills you’ve honed in this series.

Mini-Workshop series B – All Levels - 1 ½ hours

• Zill Drills – They’re not as scary as you think. These drills will introduce you to zills, their vocabulary, basic rhythms, and moving and playing. 
• Keep It Still. – Not all isolations have to be smooth. Learn to stretch and control your body through clean isolations. 
• Toys, Toys, Toys! – Bring in your toys! Work on dancing with the prop of your choice. You can dance with anything! Some suggestions: veils, fans, trays, canes, sticks, candles (unlit! No fire in class!), scarves, zills, you name it! Prizes for the most interesting props brought to class.
• Romani Flavor – It wouldn’t be a Pacita class without some good, hardcore 9/8 Romani dancing. Learn how to add accents and gestures to this fabulous dance.
• Hip Combos – You put your right hip in. You put your right hip out. You put your right hip in and you shake it all about. Work on adding layers and hip work to your dancing.
• Open Bar – And Pacita is your bartender. What’ll ya have? This is a student’s choice class. It’s an opportunity to review past subjects or work on more difficult moves and techniques.

Beginner Middle Eastern Dance I: Basic Moves – 1 ½ to 2 hours
This workshop will introduce new dancers to the basic “movement vocabulary” of belly dance.  Attention will be given to warm-ups, stretching, posture, and isolations.  We’ll also cover some strength and stamina building tips.

Beginner Middle Eastern Dance II: Basic Traveling – 1 ½ to 2 hours
Don’t just stand there.  Dance!  Learn different ways of using space and moving while dancing.  We will cover walks, walks with shimmies, use of space and direction, spins and turns, and some footwork.

Beginner Middle Eastern Dance III: Basic Layering Plus Arms, Hands, and Head – 1 ½ to 2 hours
This workshop will start with a review of Basic Moves and Basic Traveling, and then begin to layer those moves.  Some things covered will be adding shimmies to movements, adding arms to traveling, etc.

SHIMMY! – Beginner to Intermediate – 1 ½ hours
This class is all about the shimmy whether it be shoulders, chest, hips, or any other part of the body!  This is a workout class meant to increase stamina and really get those shimmies to be second nature.  We will work on counting shimmies, traveling with shimmies, accenting shimmies, and some layering.  Bring lots of water to drink!

Shimmy to the Floor – Intermediate – 1 ½ hours to 2 hours
This intensive workshop will focus on beginning to layer shimmies on top of movements and on some levels/floorwork. We will work not only on basic techniques but on getting a feel for the style and concepts involved when dancing with these skills.

Hip Work – Intermediate to Advanced – 1 ½ to 2 hours
This workshop concentrates on adding variety to your hip movements and how they are combined without forgetting the rest of the body. Some of the things covered are positioning, audience attention, ¾ shimmy, layering, traveling, “volume” of movements, etc.  Prior experience in belly dance is required.

Belly Dance Boot Camp – Beginner to Intermediate – 1 ½ to 2 hours
This high intensity workshop focuses on strong muscle control, repetition, variety, and working up a good sweat.  Some experience with belly dance is preferred

The Improvisational Drum Solo – Intermediate to Advanced – 2 hours – limited class size
This is a performance coaching workshop intended to help students get a grasp on and improve their improvisational (and some choreographed) drum solo dancing.  Students may bring a 1-3 minute drum solo piece of their own for critiquing. Students may also bring a portable cd player with headphones if they have one.  Class size is limited to 4-6 students so that each student can get personal attention. Prior experience in belly dance is required.

Introduction to Middle Eastern Rhythms and the Doumbek/Tabla – Beginner – 1 ½ hours
“Rhythm is the canvas and the Dancer is the paint.  The two together make beautiful art.”  Knowing the basic drum rhythms can help improve musicality as well as bring more confidence to your dancing.  This workshop covers some basic Middle Eastern rhythms and drum playing tips. Students should bring drums and/or zills if they have them and paper and pen to take notes.