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Workshop Ideas

Alia is available internationally for workshops, coaching, and classes.
 

Specialties ● Composition, Theatre, Fusion ● Fundamentals
 Genre, Folklore ● Music ● Pot Luck ● Alia's Bio ● Download as a PDF

 

Specialties

  • Performance Power—be the one from whom they cannot look away.
  • Musical Structure & Interpretation—so you understand the music and express it effortlessly.
  • Effortless Improv—make your dance confident, intuitive, and fluid, so you can dance to anything, anytime, anywhere—including live music!
  • Dance Composition—create your own kick-ass choreographies, reflecting your personal style.
  • Spontaneous Construction—for making complex, exciting easy-to-remember group dances--in half an hour.

 

Composition, Theatre, and Fusion

  • Dance Construction: Improvisation, Blocking, and Choreography

  • Principles of Choreography for Solo Oriental Dance

  • Movement & Meaning: Persona, Scenario, Narrative and Symbolism

  • Theater Dance: Using Space, Concepts, & Narrative

  • Stagecraft: Entrances & Exits, Using the Stage, Relating to the Audience

  • Technique for Troupes

Fundamentals

  • Basic Technique: Movement, Line, and Expression
  • Interpreting Music: Mood, Melody, Tempo and Rhythm
  • Attitude—is it all that matters?
  • Interpreting Taqsim
  • Finger Cymbals: History, Rhythms, and Playing to the Music


Genre & Folklore

  • Classic Nightclub Style: The Five/Seven Part Routine

  • Drum Solo: Hot Improv; the Rule of Four

  • Egyptian feeling: It’s hot over there

  • Saidi--Men's and Women's Cane
  • Nubian 
  • Palestinian Debke

  • Bedouin

  • Roman (Gypsy) 9/8: Slow and juicy. Feel the music

  • Beledi Progression

  • Zambra

  • Fan

  • 4-Yard Veil: Beyond Tricks

  Music

  • Arab Music Theory for Dancers

  • Frame Drum & Rhythm Study

 

Pot Luck. What’s Pot Luck? Everyone says what they want, and I teach it. Don’t see what you want? Just ask.

 

Alia Thabit, an Arab-American and a Vermont Juried Artist, draws from over three decades of immersion in technique, history, regional and folkloric styles, props, theatrical and fusion elements, costuming, music, choreography, improvisation, and performance.

 

Alia explores the traditional roots of her heritage as well as cross-cultural and Western influences, bridging the gap between East and West. Her inspirations range from the strictly traditional to the avant-garde. Combining a profound feeling for the music with intensive study, she articulates this swirl of influences while retaining an authentic Eastern sensibility. Alia empowers students, bringing out their individuality and personal expression.

 

Working with choreography and improvisation, she develops students’ understanding of dance structure and musical interpretation. Students respond to her warmth, humor, and energy as well as her focus on technical excellence and evocative joy.

 

 

 

 

 

Letter to Potential Presenters

Okay, I’m driving across the country, and I’m dying to come hang out with you. But damn it, gas costs a fortune, and I want to make some money. Can we put together a workshop in your area that I can come and teach? That way we can hang out, I can upgrade my career, you gain cred in your community, and we both make some money.

Organizing an event does take some time, but it’s fairly simple. You pick a place to have the class (maybe your living room)--then chat up your peeps, tack up some flyers, and send out a few emails. That’s about it.

We would have such a good time dancing together. I bet you have some friends who would, too. And they might have more friends. Maybe there’s a local women’s group that would be into it. Get the hospital to sponsor it. We could even do a hafla, so everyone gets a chance to perform. Or hook it to a regular hafla.

Worst-case scenario, we spend an evening dancing together. That’s not much of a downside. And you get to pick the topics!

My Specialties:

  • Musical Structure & Interpretation—understand the music and express it effortlessly.
  • Improvisation—make your dance confident, intuitive, and fluid, so you can dance to anything, anytime, in any venue—including live music!
  • Dance Composition—create your own kick-ass choreographies, reflecting your personal style.
  • Feeling and Meaning—make your dance vivd, complelling, and memorable.
  • Spontaneous Construction—make complex, exciting easy-to-remember group dances--in half an hour.

And there is so much more. I’ve got over three decades of immersion in technique, history, regional and folkloric styles, props, theatrical and fusion elements, costuming, music, choreography, improvisation, and performance. My classes highlight creativity, individuality, and self-expression—plus they’re fun. I can teach any level, even choreograph troupes and coach professionals. I can teach dance as cultural interest, or give a talk and a slideshow about visiting Egypt--during the Egyptian Revolution.

But I’m not asking you to do this just for me. I want this to work for both of us. Whatever we make, you keep a third of it.  Just 10 people at $15/hr for three hours = $450. If we play our cards right and find cheap space, you can make some decent money—for going to an awesome workshop, close to home, where you chose the material!

I will do my part to fill that workshop. I will provide all the promotional material: press release, flyer files, stuff you can email--plus a promotional calendar, pics, video clips, everything you might need to interest people in the class. I’ll even put up a PayPal button.

At the very worst, you and I get to hang out and dance. At best, you get to have a class that is exactly what you want and you get to keep 1/3 of the money. Plus you will be local hero by for providing a cool thing for people to do. And hey, maybe you will meet some fun new people in your area. Wow. We both win. We get to do what we want AND get paid. I love it.

Interested? Shoot me back an email and let’s get started.

Lots and love and hope to see you SOON,
Alia