BELLYDANCE CLASSES AT VMAC
Belly dance
Belly Dance Classes at VMAC
New series start the first week of every calendar month.
Once a monthly series has started, we don't accept late registrations.
$75 for months with 4 calendar weeks.
$93 for months with 5 calendar weeks.
NO DROP IN PASSES for Belly Dance 1
Each student must pay for the entire month-long series.
*Classes run 55 minutes to allow for transition to next class
All sales final, no refunds. No extensions.
We highly encourage all students new to VMAC to take these classes from level 1 Beginners, even if they have done belly dance before or taken classes at other studios; to become familiar with our studios, teaching style, vocabulary, and our VMAC culture and community.
About Belly Dance
Belly dance is a performance and cultural dance form that originated in the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) regions of the world. Known for its intricate locks and isolations as well as fluid and graceful movements, belly dance emphasizes intricate hip and torso articulations, shimmies, and undulations. This expressive dance style often incorporates the use of veils, finger cymbals, and other props, adding to its captivating performance. Belly dance celebrates the beauty and strength of the human body, promoting flexibility, coordination, and self-confidence. Whether performed as a solo act or in a group, belly dance offers a mesmerizing way to connect with the music and artistically express through dance.
Elinore offers the only authorized Salimpour School belly dance classes in Portland, Oregon, with group classes, private instruction, and workshops available.
Belly Dance 1
Description:
Belly Dance 1 Beginners
Consists of 3 one-month series: 1 Teal, 1 Orange, and 1 Navy. Can be taken in any order, but all 3 series need to be completed before taking Bellydance 2 units.
Learn to belly dance! Belly dance isolations, movements, traveling steps, and musicality will be learned from the ground up; and provide you with a strong dance language and movement foundation.
Tuesdays 6:30-7:25PM
Pass depends on month:
Description:
Belly Dance: Belly Dance Vocabulary
Drop In - Suitable for all levels
Let's dance! In Belly Dance 2, the focus is on learning and improving finger cymbals and belly dance vocabulary. You will learn steps, combinations, and movements for belly dance improvisation and performance. Where Belly Dance 1 focuses on separate isolations and traveling steps, Belly Dance 2 brings them together into cohesive movements with names like Samiha, Twist Step, Maya, Basic Egyptian, and many more! We also practice techniques for taqsim, often the more emotional and slower improvisational part of belly dance music. Where Belly Dance 1 focuses on practical technique, Belly Dance 2 includes more historical and cultural context. We practice in the round with callouts and finger cymbals. It's like a belly dance social dance!
Elinore is the ONLY instructor in Portland certified to teach these amazing historical steps originally broken down by Jamila and Suhaila Salimpour.
Thursdays 6:30-7:25PM
Requirements:
Belly Dance 2 Drop-In, All LevelsDrop in
Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced dancers are all welcome to Belly Dance 2! You will build speed and precision with isolations, layering, finger cymbals, traveling steps, and vocabulary movements. Vocabulary steps will be introduced and incorporated with drills, combinations, and improvisation. We will explore belly dance rhythms, as well as belly dance through cultural and historical context. It is recommended to be attending or having completed Belly Dance 1 or 2 to attend Belly Dance Multi-Level, but not required. Build community, have fun, and be the dancer you want to be!
Bellydance 2
Thursdays 7:30-8:25PM
Belly Dance 2 classes are drop in.
Drop in passes or punch cards are ok.
All sales final, no refunds. No extensions.
Requirements:
Bring finger cymbals. See “Looking for Finger Cymbals?” for more information.
Bring ear plugs. especially if you are sensitive to the sound of finger cymbals.
Wear comfortable clothes to work out in.
You may want a hip scarf, ballet slippers or foot undies, water bottle, and a yoga mat for the warm up.
Please no coin belts or belts with glass beads, as they can be noisy and distracting, or pieces may fall on the floor that are dangerous to step on. Fringe, sequins, paillettes, lace scarves, etc. are some great alternatives!
WORKSHOPS:
Various Subjects
Check the Workshops tab for more information about workshops that will continue to grow and develop your Belly Dance technique, musicality and body movement.
Looking for finger cymbals?
Finger cymbals, also sometimes called zills or sagat, are an integral part of bellydance, and are required as a part of Bellydance 2 and beyond. The important thing is to look for cymbals between 2.5 and 3 inches in diameter, and that there are two holes in each cymbal for the elastic, rather than one.
Here are some types of finger cymbals I recommend, and some places to buy them:
https://turquoiseintl.com/collections/cymbals
Turquoise International has some great cymbals. They carry my most recommended cymbals:
Suhailas are great for outdoor and standard wear.
Isabellas are great for indoor and small venues.
https://www.saroyancymbals.com/
Saroyan cymbals are also a great merchant for finger cymbals. Their selection is HUGE, but keep in mind to look for cymbals that are between a 2.5" and 3" diameter.
If you are worried about making too much noise when you practice, you can find a wide variety of crocheted finger cymbal mufflers on Etsy, or if you are crafty yourself, there are patterns to make them yourselves. Just search online for “finger cymbal” or “zill” mufflers. You can also use lemon wraps!
Looking forward to playing cymbals with you!
New series start the first week of every calendar month.
Once a monthly series has started, we don't accept late registrations.
$75 for months with 4 calendar weeks.
$93 for months with 5 calendar weeks.
NO DROP IN PASSES for Belly Dance 1
Each student must pay for the entire month-long series.
*Classes run 55 minutes to allow for transition to next class
All sales final, no refunds. No extensions.
We highly encourage all students new to VMAC to take these classes from level 1 Beginners, even if they have done belly dance before or taken classes at other studios; to become familiar with our studios, teaching style, vocabulary, and our VMAC culture and community.
About Belly Dance
Belly dance is a performance and cultural dance form that originated in the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) regions of the world. Known for its intricate locks and isolations as well as fluid and graceful movements, belly dance emphasizes intricate hip and torso articulations, shimmies, and undulations. This expressive dance style often incorporates the use of veils, finger cymbals, and other props, adding to its captivating performance. Belly dance celebrates the beauty and strength of the human body, promoting flexibility, coordination, and self-confidence. Whether performed as a solo act or in a group, belly dance offers a mesmerizing way to connect with the music and artistically express through dance.
Elinore offers the only authorized Salimpour School belly dance classes in Portland, Oregon, with group classes, private instruction, and workshops available.
Belly Dance 1
Description:
Belly Dance 1 Beginners
Consists of 3 one-month series: 1 Teal, 1 Orange, and 1 Navy. Can be taken in any order, but all 3 series need to be completed before taking Bellydance 2 units.
Learn to belly dance! Belly dance isolations, movements, traveling steps, and musicality will be learned from the ground up; and provide you with a strong dance language and movement foundation.
Tuesdays 6:30-7:25PM
Pass depends on month:
- Some months have 4 weeks and others, 5 weeks. $75 for months with 4 calendar weeks. $93 for months with 5 calendar weeks.
- NO DROP IN PASSES! Each student must pay for the entire month-long unit.
- All sales final, no refunds. No extensions.
- No prerequisites. Beginner level. All are welcome!
- Wear comfortable clothes to move in.
- Optional: You may want a hip scarf, ballet slippers or foot undies, water bottle, and a yoga mat for the warm up.
- Please no coin belts or belts with glass beads, as they can be noisy and distracting, or pieces may fall on the floor that are dangerous to step on. Fringe, sequins, paillettes, lace scarves, etc. are some great alternatives!
Description:
Belly Dance: Belly Dance Vocabulary
Drop In - Suitable for all levels
Let's dance! In Belly Dance 2, the focus is on learning and improving finger cymbals and belly dance vocabulary. You will learn steps, combinations, and movements for belly dance improvisation and performance. Where Belly Dance 1 focuses on separate isolations and traveling steps, Belly Dance 2 brings them together into cohesive movements with names like Samiha, Twist Step, Maya, Basic Egyptian, and many more! We also practice techniques for taqsim, often the more emotional and slower improvisational part of belly dance music. Where Belly Dance 1 focuses on practical technique, Belly Dance 2 includes more historical and cultural context. We practice in the round with callouts and finger cymbals. It's like a belly dance social dance!
Elinore is the ONLY instructor in Portland certified to teach these amazing historical steps originally broken down by Jamila and Suhaila Salimpour.
Thursdays 6:30-7:25PM
Requirements:
- All levels welcome!
- Bring finger cymbals. See “Looking for Finger Cymbals?” for more information.
- Bring ear plugs. especially if you are sensitive to the sound of finger cymbals.
- Wear comfortable clothes to move in.
- Optional: You may want a hip scarf, ballet slippers or foot undies, water bottle, and a yoga mat for the warm up.
- Please no coin belts or belts with glass beads, as they can be noisy and distracting, or pieces may fall on the floor that are dangerous to step on. Fringe, sequins, paillettes, lace scarves, etc. are some great alternatives!
Belly Dance 2 Drop-In, All LevelsDrop in
Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced dancers are all welcome to Belly Dance 2! You will build speed and precision with isolations, layering, finger cymbals, traveling steps, and vocabulary movements. Vocabulary steps will be introduced and incorporated with drills, combinations, and improvisation. We will explore belly dance rhythms, as well as belly dance through cultural and historical context. It is recommended to be attending or having completed Belly Dance 1 or 2 to attend Belly Dance Multi-Level, but not required. Build community, have fun, and be the dancer you want to be!
Bellydance 2
Thursdays 7:30-8:25PM
Belly Dance 2 classes are drop in.
Drop in passes or punch cards are ok.
All sales final, no refunds. No extensions.
Requirements:
Bring finger cymbals. See “Looking for Finger Cymbals?” for more information.
Bring ear plugs. especially if you are sensitive to the sound of finger cymbals.
Wear comfortable clothes to work out in.
You may want a hip scarf, ballet slippers or foot undies, water bottle, and a yoga mat for the warm up.
Please no coin belts or belts with glass beads, as they can be noisy and distracting, or pieces may fall on the floor that are dangerous to step on. Fringe, sequins, paillettes, lace scarves, etc. are some great alternatives!
WORKSHOPS:
Various Subjects
Check the Workshops tab for more information about workshops that will continue to grow and develop your Belly Dance technique, musicality and body movement.
Looking for finger cymbals?
Finger cymbals, also sometimes called zills or sagat, are an integral part of bellydance, and are required as a part of Bellydance 2 and beyond. The important thing is to look for cymbals between 2.5 and 3 inches in diameter, and that there are two holes in each cymbal for the elastic, rather than one.
Here are some types of finger cymbals I recommend, and some places to buy them:
https://turquoiseintl.com/collections/cymbals
Turquoise International has some great cymbals. They carry my most recommended cymbals:
Suhailas are great for outdoor and standard wear.
Isabellas are great for indoor and small venues.
https://www.saroyancymbals.com/
Saroyan cymbals are also a great merchant for finger cymbals. Their selection is HUGE, but keep in mind to look for cymbals that are between a 2.5" and 3" diameter.
If you are worried about making too much noise when you practice, you can find a wide variety of crocheted finger cymbal mufflers on Etsy, or if you are crafty yourself, there are patterns to make them yourselves. Just search online for “finger cymbal” or “zill” mufflers. You can also use lemon wraps!
Looking forward to playing cymbals with you!
