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Click here for the full festival schedule and printable program

To book - please see the WAMED SHOP page.

THURSDAY NIGHT WELCOME EVENT

Thursday 1 June 2023  l  Bar Orient  l  6pm - 8pm

We are booking out a space at the Bar Orient on the Thursday night from 6pm so you can rock along and catch up with all those people you only ever see at festivals, meet some new faces, compare notes about which workshops you're excited about and have an early dinner before the Festival begins!

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FRIDAY WORKSHOPS

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MASTERCLASS - GOLDEN ERA FLIGHT

Kaouther  l  FRI  l  9.30 - 11.30am WST

Kaouther will teach you the secrets of how to get that feeling of flight in this workshop of Golden Era bellydance. You will study the glam touch with the lightness and softness of this repertoire. The arms, hands, hips and legs are all connected to this flying style. 

 

Advanced  / Technique / $90

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FROM GUTS TO GLORY

Rachel Bond  l  FRI  l  9.30 - 11.30am WST

The term 'bellydance' is problematic, but nevertheless, the belly is where much of the action happens in our dance form. Deepening our connection to this area will enrich how our dance looks and feels, as well as our emotional expression - after all, when we talk about 'viscera' and 'guts', we are referring to feelings as much as body parts. So let's be brave, and dive deep into those abdominal muscles and organs. You don't need a six-pack to unpack your hidden H (it's a secret, you'll have to be there). We'll explore how these techniques add texture to moves, then connect them to music and build it into juicy combos. From hip drops to undulations to jewels to delicate, nameless squiggles; almost every move can be made more delicious when we get gutsy.


Open / Technique / $45

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LET'S GET TWISTED

Amand PB  l  FRI  l  9.30  - 11.30am WST

Twists! Hip Flicks! Hip Drops!  Life's pretty straight without Twisties! There are so many moves with twists in them. This workshop offers a little bit of something for everyone, from the simple twist to the extravagance of levels and layering. Amanda will help you take your twists to the next level with a fun upbeat Arabic pop song. Go round the twist with this twisty choreography with a guarantee of more twists than Game of Thrones. So let’s twist again like we did last summer!

Open  / Choreography /  $45

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MASTERCLASS - THE POETRY OF TAKSIM

Kaouther  l  FRI  l  12.30 - 2.30pm WST

This masterclass will help you interpret the voices of several instruments that make up the layers of Arabic music. Discover the art of the instrument’s soul, their particular codes and the way to connect yourself with each of them. The music, body & soul become one. 

Intermediate/Advanced / Technique  / $90

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ISOLATIONS AND INTENTIONAL FOUNDATIONS

Alison  l  FRI  l  12.30 - 2.30pm WST

Isolations are the foundation of our dance and that no matter how experienced you are, it's valuable to keep working on and refining them.  Practicing and drilling the foundational moves on a regular basis helps to ground youself, shift your energy around and motivate you.  In this workshop, we will explore the beauty, simplicity and strength of isolations and how they can shape your dance and enhance a connection between your muscles and your movement.  You will learn some combinations and sections of choreography with an emphasis on isolations to the lovely classic "Tamra Henna".  Alison's hope is this workshop will help you to combine how refining your technique can build your self awareness as a dancer.

Open / Technique  / $45

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ENTER THE VOI

Andriya l  FRI  l  12.30 - 2.30pm WST

Bringing elegance, fluidity and visual interest to the stage, Voi (veil poi) is poetry in motion! In this workshop you will learn a short choreography which focuses on using the Voi to highlight the dancers' moves and weave a story on stage.
Learn and apply the technique, tricks and moves to a practical choreography you can work into your own performance repetoire. Previous voi experience is not a pre-requisite - anyone who wants to challenge themselves with this fascinating prop is welcome to join and will walk away with a new skill and a great entry piece! Please bring a set of voi, flags or poi if you have some, but there will be some available to borrow, so don't let that stop you!

Open / Choreography / $45

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TEACHING BEGINNERS

Rachel Bond  l  FRI  l  3-5pm WST

There's a common misconception that it's easy to teach beginners. On the contrary: newcomers to dance need the most adept teaching to keep them engaged and curious. Many will drop out if they're confused, bored or pushed too far out of their comfort zone. It's a fine line to lay solid technical foundations while ensuring students feel successful. And there's so much we want them to learn: where to even begin? Alongside what to teach and in what order, there's the question of *how* to teach - for all kinds of bodies, personalities and learning styles. 
Rachel has taught hundreds of beginner classes to thousands of students. She's developed an effective curriculum and methodology; but this isn't about foisting her approaches onto you. Instead, this workshop invites new or prospective teachers to examine why they want to teach, and help you do it better. Let's find and build on your strengths as a teacher; uncover and consider how to improve on your weaknesses. It's a collaborative as well as an introspective process. We'll share our successes and our challenges, and help one another to become better conduits to share the joy of this dance we all love.

 

Open / Seminar  /  $45

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DIVINE CHAOS - TRIBAL SKIRT FORMAT TECHNIQUE

Valerie Curtis  l  FRI  l  3-5pm WST

Divine Chaos is an improvisational tribal bellydance format using skirts. This technique workshop will cover the Divine Chaos skirt technique (holds, flares, throws), and the looks, cues and gestures, each skirt move requires for a group improvisational performance. This leads in beautifully to the companion choreography workshop. 

Please bring a 25yd (or longer) hem skirt.


Open  / Technique / $45

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MAKING SENTENCES, NOT WORDS.

Clay McDonald  l  FRI  l  3 - 5pm WST

As dancers, our bodies are our voice. We will weave together belly dance movements and isolations in a rich tapestry like writing sentences in poetry. Using fusion style belly dance techniques and movement expression, this workshop will provide tools, techniques and methods for building dance sentences. Creating poetry.
Weaving the 'words' together using dance dynamics such as flow, contrast, lock, pop, reverse and pause.


Open / Technique  / $45

FRIDAY NIGHT SHOW - LEILAT GHAZAL - PART 1

Friday 2 June  l  Doors open 7pm, dancing from 7.30pm.

Take a seat and enjoy the warm surrounds of the heritage-listed Queen Victoria Room and
prepare to travel through a richly textured landscape of dance delights from the Middle East,
North Africa, Turkey, and Persia, with a twist of local flavour. Experience performances from
soloists and troupes assembled from around Australia. Cultural, colourful, educational, and
beautiful; this is a night out that the whole family can enjoy.

Doors open 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start. Unallocated seating.
$45 adult  l  $15 Kids 6-12yrs

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SATURDAY WORKSHOPS

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MASTERCLASS - ODE TO OUM KALTHOUM

Kaouther  l  SAT  l  9.30am - 11.30am WST

Oum Kalthoum - The golden heart of oriental dance. Take a journey with Kaouther to learn how to express the most intimate part of your heart and soul in Raqs Sharki. She will help you understand how to touch your audience with your dance with the music of Oum Kalthoum - the woman called "The Voice of Egypt", the "Lady of Arabic Song" and "Egypt's Fourth Pyramid". 


Intermediate / Technique  /  $90

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SAIDI 101

Emily l  SAT  l  9.30am - 11.30am WST

In this workshop we go back to basics and explore the foundations of Saidi dance including exploring the origins of the dance, musicality, steps and moves that are often found in Saidi performances and the use of the assaya or Saidi stick. Please bring your stick, preferably one that is not hooked at the end.

Open / Technique /  $45

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TELLING YOUR STORY THOUGH DANCE

Becky  l  SAT  l  9.30am - 11.30am WST

Dance is more than a sequences of movements and steps.  It is an invitation to become the music, the movement, to move through space, to be still, to connect with what lies within and what happens when we connect and dance with  others.  Dance is an opportunity to create a narrative, tell a story and ask others to be apart of the experience.
Drawing from elements of Global Caravan Tribal Bellydance, Tribal Fusion, somatic, embodiment and therapeutic principles Becky invites you to share in an exploratory process.

Open level  /  Technique /  $45

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MASTERCLASS - SASSY BALADI

Kaouther  l  SAT  l 12.30 - 2.30pm WST

This masterclass will cover how to capture the heavier hips, stronger accents and very round movements of this fundamental folkloric style. Your energy will be earthy and at the same time very elegant. Attitude will be the key that gives life to the movements. Within this sassy Baladi choreography, you will discover both your feminine and masculine sides and how to play with them within the music.

 

Intermediate  / Choreography /  $90

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BAD ASS COMBOS

Regan  |  SAT  |  12.30 - 2.30pm WST

Who said poetry had to be sweet?! Let’s tap into our fierce feminine energy and write some dance poetry to elevate our power. We will step outside traditional 'bellydance' into the fusion realm and work with combinations that will require you to bring some fierce and sassy energy to the floor. We will explore how to tap into those powers to bring them into your dance and how we can use the same Bad Ass combos, flip them around and make them sweet again by manipulating some of the elements. Combos inspired by Unmata ITS, Datura Style, contemporary dance styles and of course, bellydance.

Open level / Technique / $45

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MUSICALITY FOR BELLYDANCE

Cat  l  SAT  l  12.30 - 2.30pm WST

This workshop is aimed at dancers who would like to extend their knowledge in the musicality aspects of dance, applicable to every style, discipline and format. Together we will explore (and define!) beat, counts, tempo, rhythms, and how this all relates to drumming, ziling, and dancing all forms of bellydance. It will support dancers to find and feel the beat of the music, dance in time with the music and its phrasing, build confidence to lead, improvise and solo, dance with zils, and drum together and for each other, and a whole lot more! Please bring a set of zills or drum if you have them. There will be some available to borrow in the workshop.


Open / Technique  /  $45

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 LIVE MUSIC WORKSHOP

Rose  |  SAT  | 3pm - 5pm WST

Indulge in the immersive experience of live music with Rose!

Accompanied by the skilled musician Michael Edelby, dancers will take away a choreography to an Arabic classic, however the workshop will focus on techniques, improvising to live music and different interpretations of musical phrases.

 

Get more than you bargained for with Rose and Michael!

 

Intermediate level / Technique/Choreography /  $45

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ASADI SWORD

Marta  l  SAT  l  3pm - 5pm WST

Asadi Sword is an original fusion sword choreography inspired by Marta's 20-year devotion to Bellydance. Asadi translates to "like a lion", and like a lion, you will become in this challenging fusion dance. Prepare for intriguing isolations, potent poses, combinations to test your will and magnificent stillness to leave your audience in awe.
Please bring a sword.


Intermediate/Advanced / Choreography / $45

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FIND THE FLOW

Kiri  l  SAT  l  3pm - 5pm WST

Finding flow in the movement, the music and the moment. This workshop will unpack what a 'flow state' is, what needs to be done to achieve this state of being, along with common obstacles that can hamper flow and how to overcome them.
Through drills, combinations and science based tools, we will work to unleash the fabulousness from within and set about incorporating it into dance and everyday life. Unlock and build skills for performance, choreographing, improvisation and greater enjoyment from dancing. Suitable for all styles of dance and all levels of dance experience.


Open Level / Technique  $45

SATURDAY NIGHT SHOW - LEILAT GHAZAL PART 2 - FEATURING KAOUTHER BEN AMOR

Saturday 3 June  l  Doors open 7pm, dancing from 7.30pm.

Join us for Part 2 of Leilat Ghazal, featuring stunning performances from our international
guest artist, Kaouther Ben Amor and amazing troupes and soloists from all over Australia. Take a seat and enjoy the warm surrounds of the heritage-listed Queen Victoria Room and
prepare to travel through a richly textured landscape of dance delights from the Middle East,
North Africa, Turkey, and Persia, with a twist of local flavour. Cultural, colourful, educational, and
beautiful; this is a night out that the whole family can enjoy.

Doors open 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Unallocated seating.

$45 adults  l  $15 Kids 6-12yrs

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SUNDAY WORKSHOPS

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RUFFLED VALKERIE - ZYAMA FORMAT

Princess Fee  l  SUN  l  9.30 - 11.30am WST

A symphony of darkness, ruffles, wings and claws. Become the Valkyrie in this rich, crunchy and gooey choreography using combos from the Zyama Goddess Format. We swap from the slinky and serpentine combos to the light and crunchy in time with the music. The combos can be used either as a complete choreography (using Karakas by Maduro), or as building blocks for new dances or for those wishing to add to their Zyama improvisational vocabulary. Slow things down, crunch things up, ruffle your feathers and stretch your wings.


Open  / Choreography / $45

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EXPRESSIVE ARMS AND GESTURES

Michelle  l  SUN  l  9.30am - 11.30am WST

Join Michelle to explore expressive arm pathways and gestures to embellish your dance and enhance your storytelling and connection to the audience. Drawing on the elegance of Persian dance and inspired by Persian poetry to explore combinations that deliver your intent.

 

Open  / Technique / $45

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BACK PAIN IN THE DANCER

Prue  l  SUN  l  9.30am - 11.30am WST

Managing Back Pain with The Dance Safe Project. Do you suffer from back pain? Is it affecting your dancing or lifestyle? Join Prue in this interactive workshop where we will discuss spinal anatomy and go through some simple stretches and exercises that you can do at home to alleviate back pain. Pain can be complicated with many facets. Our mindset about our bodies can be a large part of the road to healing and management. It can be difficult to find love for our vessels when pain and discomfort are present. The Dance Safe Project method aims to break down these barriers, helping dancers find love for their bodies in the face of pain, through knowledge and the healing benefits Pilates Movement Therapy. This workshop is also a great opportunities for teachers with students experiencing pain.
Please bring an exercise mat and a foam roller if you have one.
"See the messages your body is sending you as love poetry. Beloved, all is not well. I draw your attention to it."  - Helen Patrice. Writer, belly dancer and Dance Safe Project client.

Open / Seminar / $45 

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MASTERCLASS - RAQS AL ASSAYA

Kaouther  l  SUN  l  12.30 - 2.30pm WST

Join Kaouther in this upbeat Saiidi masterclass, creating magic with a cane or stick in the joyful folkloric style of Raqs al Assaya. Such a beautiful positive energy, reveal the ghazal living inside of you! Please bring a cane or stick.

Open / Choreography / $90

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GANNA TEKFENA ROMANTIC VEIL

Clay  l  SUN  l  12.30 - 2.30pm WST

Drift away with this beautiful love song, wrapped in a silk veil...
Learn an original romatic veil choreography by Clay from Belly Dance Amethyst in Adelaide, suitable for a wide range of dance levels with scope to add to or pare back the intensity of moves. Don't be afraid to let go and get tangled; be that in the veil, in the moment, in love or life itself!

Please bring a silk veil if you have access to one. Limited numbers will be available to borrow.

 

Open / Choreography /  $45

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INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION

Aradia  l  SUN  l  12.30 - 2.30pm WST

Dance, Heal, Evolve.
Dance is one of the most ancient forms of worship and ritual as movement is life and life is motion! The human body itself is a powerful instrument of connection, communion and expression. Through intentional awareness and movement (dance), we can access this power and consciously work with and through it. We can open portals of catalyst, regeneration and healing, both for ourselves and for our audiences. This workshop will support you in moving your dance practice and performance beyond the spheres of entertainment and into the rich realms of personal healing and evolution.
Through brand new drills and technique, drawing from the energy of your past, present and future experiences to evoke change and intensity in your movement.  This workshop will channel emotion and energy into your movement - but through the way only Aradia does. ;)

 

Intermediate  / Technique / $45

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MASTERCLASS - MODERN THEATRICAL ROMANCE

Kaouther  l  SUN  l  3pm - 5pm WST

The poetry of love. This masterclass will teach a choreography to a modern romantic song and you will learn how to mix your energy and contrast your dance together with Kaouther's unique blend of theatrical interpretation.

Open Level / Choreography / $90

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BALADI AZIZA

Elisabeth  l  SUN  l  3 - 5pm WST

Join Elisabeth to learn a choreography to a baladi version of the Golden Era song 'Aziza' by Guy Schalom.  A ghazal is a poem with a repeated rhyme, and usually on the theme of love.  The film Aziza was about the love of family and romantic love.  The song includes bouncy galloping sections as well as liquid taqsim, and repeats in the track allows us to include a 'choose your own adventure' element to make this dance your own… 

 

Open / Choreography  $45

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DIVINE CHAOS CHOREOGRAPHY

Valerie  l  SUN  l  3pm - 5pm WST

Divine Chaos is an emerging tribal bellydance format using skirts. This choreography workshop uses the Divine Chaos skirt technique (holds, flares, throws), for those wanting to add a spicy skirt dance to their repetoire. The companion technique workshop is not a pre-requisite for this choreography class. Please bring a 25yd (or longer) hem skirt.

Open Level / Choreography  /  $45

SUNDAY NIGHT SHOW - RAQS CAFE

Sunday 4 June  l  Doors open 6pm

Wind down from a truly fabulous festival with some scrumptious food, sprinkled with a few delectable performances and get to know a little more about Kaouther Ben Amor, all the way from Paris.
Doors open at 6pm for a 6.30pm start. DJ Phat Gaffa from 7.30pm.
$20 adult  l  $10 Kids 6-12yrs

MONDAY EVENTS

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Alma Sarhan | MON 5 June | 10am-12pm

STRIKE A POSE

Strike a Pose

Learn to be more comfortable in front of a photographer and learn the classic poses for a bellydance shoot. Alma (an amazing dancer herself) will show you how to perform in front of the lens. Alma will be joined by Phynia, one of Australia's top dancers and a very experienced model and dance teacher. Come in full makeup/hair and a costume.  This workshop will be offered at Alma's South Fremantle Photographic Studio. Accessible by public transport.


Open level / Photoshoot / $45

GRANDE BAZAAR

Monday 5 June  l  Doors open 11am - 3pm

Wrap up the festival with Bellydance Christmas! A fabulous market Bazaar to buy treasures and trinkets, pamper items, costumes and all-day performances!
Doors open 11am. $5 entry.

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