An integrated journey into classic Oriental dance design, from the ground up! Many dancers stick with just the rhythmic cycles and the usual counts of 8, but focusing on the melody line brings out the romantic essence of the dance and allows for greater personal expression. From in-place taqasim to around-the-space traveling combinations, we’ll explore deep, satisfying Egyptian technique expressing the forward motion of the melody line in the body—movement evolution driven by musical phrasing, which enables the dancer to encompass both the rhythm and the melody in her visual storytelling. With muscular technique practice designed to control and guide the movements to keep abdominal work smooth even when traveling.

Skill level: All levels.

More about Ranya Renee.