Summer Quarter Energy - with The Alay'nya Studio

Summer is for "hot" dance! We have two short summer sessions; five weeks each. In the first five weeks, we cultivate the "fire energy" through shimmies, exploring the full range of possibilities. We also learn how to cultivate dramatic, fiery endings to our choreograhies in the "finale" section of our dance. In addition to studying finale options for different dances (both in practice and through video study), we will develop at least one separate "finale" piece that you can add on to your growing "full-length work" for the year.

In Judeo-Christian tradition, the archangel Michael is associated with summer. He is often depicted as wearing red or "fiery" colors, and is associated with fire energy. He is also well-known in the Muslim tradition, in which Michael's wings are said to be "the color of green emerald," and he is covered with "Saffron hairs, each of them containing a million faces and mouths and as many tongues which, in a million dialects, implore the pardon of Allah."

The archangel Michael is often depicted as a warrior angel, carrying a sword. However, esoteric tradition also associates the "Lotus Wand" with Michael. He is associated with the "suite of wands," or the ability to create reality through using our will, combined with energy or desire. This corresponds to our Level 4 training, where we seek to channel energy in our bodies and energy fields, according to our purpose and intention.

Summer -- and specifically summer solstice -- is a superb time for doing fire dances. Actually, we do fire dancing twice a year -- at winter solstice, when we invoke the element of fire ("yang" into winter's "yin"), and again in summer, when the element of fire is maximized. In the wintertime, fire dancing works well done indoors, when it is dark early. In summer, fire dancing is beautiful when done at dusk, in an outdoor pavilion.

The color of this "fire energy" is red, and all the other colors that comprise a flame. The direction in which this energy resides is the south, and the time is noon. So you may -- if you so choose -- pay attention to the south when you dance. You might want to make a costume that involves the colors of fire. This is a good time to play with hot, fiery dance -- take the drum solos that you learned in winter and make them spicier, hotter. Do karsilamas, which are among the "hottest" of the dance styles. Add extra oomph, expression, and energy to your dance to invoke "fire energy!"

Early "Bright" Summer

Summer Session 1: In addition to shimmies (technique) and finales (choreography), we introduce sensual, organic floorwork to our repertoire. We develop methods that allow all of us to do some level of floorwork, no matter the condition of our backs and knees! We pay particular attention to methods for graceful transitions into and out of floorwork.

Late "Dark" Summer

Summer Session 2: Our second summer session (after the Fourth of July holiday), from mid-July to mid-August, focuses on Turkish Rom ("gypsy") dance, with an emphasis on karsilamas. We learn how to work with full, "gypsy-style" skirts, and also play with tambourines in our dance. This also gives us a different approach to finales, as karsilamas were often used as "finale" or "encore" pieces in the 1970's-era, New York-style caberet dance. We'll draw on work from Artemis's teaching of the Rom style, and also add components from Dalia's Dunyavi dance style.

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