Taught by Aurel, Open Level Choreography features choreographies taught over 8 weeks for skill levels intermediate and above.
Unsure of your preparedness? A basic guideline for reaching intermediate level: take Intro 2x and Belly Dance Essentials for approx 6 months. Still unsure? Ask Aurel.
Method: Many of the steps and phrases used in Open Level Choreography should have been taught to students in the Belly Dance Essentials classes making this an easy process for the BDE dancers who take the course. See note below about getting a balanced dance diet so that choreo is easier to learn. If properly prepared, there is plenty of repetition in Open Choreo to make this process fun. Each week, after reviewing the previous week’s choreography phrases, the group will be taught one or two new phrases to add to the choreography. Expect lots of “again” and problem solving to smooth out any memory glitches.
Weekly video footage will be posted in a private facebook for class members’ at-home review and assistance when practicing.
A showing: An in-studio showing on the last class of our 8 weeks will give dancers a taste of performing through sharing thr group’s dance work-in-progress with friends, family, and our supportive community.
Take-aways: Aurel will be sure to draw out the invaluable lessons hidden inside belly dance choreography; connections between movements and the icons, eras, and cultural references; micro-combos inside the choreo which are useful in other dance situations; techniques for composing choreography and improvisation; fun tools for learning and polishing a learned dance; tips for memorization; improved music appreciation, recognition of devises inside the music, and associations between sounds and common movement options.
Balanced dance diet: Open Choreo students are encouraged to seek a balanced education as our dance is vast. Open Choreo pairs perfectly with Belly Dance Craft or Belly Dance Essentials where classic skills like finger cymbals, isolations, turns, props, traveling steps, accents, and dance technique are taught and honed.
Open Choreo cannot do the heavy lifting of teaching and honing these skills. Troupe dancers and choreography dancers are often involved in the ongoing project of learning and sharpening skills outside of troupe work. Even when skills are mastered and well studied, and even at professional level, all skills get rusty if not challenged.
Ready? A balanced dance diet of Open Choreo and technique sounds yummy!