Alay'nya (Alaynya) Studio teaches women's sacred dance (based on belly dance, bellydance; Mid-Eastern Dance; Oriental Dance; Danse du Ventre) in McLean, VA (Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, NOVA, North Virginia). Dance classes provide instruction for McLean, Tysons Corner, Falls Church, Vienna, Oakton, Fairfax, Reston, Herndon, Arlington, and Alexandria in North Virginia.

<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Alay'nya (Alaynya) Studio teaches women's sacred dance (based on belly dance, bellydance; Mid-Eastern Dance; Oriental Dance; Danse du Ventre) in McLean, VA (Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, NOVA, North Virginia). Dance classes provide instruction for McLean, Tysons Corner, Falls Church, Vienna, Oakton, Fairfax, Reston, Herndon, Arlington, and Alexandria in North Virginia.

Do you feel that your spiritual devotion and physical passion are almost one and the same? Do you sense that your body and mind, psyche and spirit interweave so closely that what is "sacred" -- for you -- encompasses your body as well as your soul?

You may be among the many women -- and the very few -- who by your very nature feel your desire to merge with the Holy as something that you feel in your body, as well as your spirit.

This is a natural part of how women experience their "sacred self." It is the essence of your personal pathway to the Divine.

This is a also an aspect of ourselves that has little support or recognition in society today.

Women's sacred dance -- drawing on the ages-old tradition of belly dance -- helps us relate to and experience The Feminine Face of God

		"A young rabbi told us, 'Throughout Jewish history there have been sacred places for men to study, called yeshivot from the words to sit. But we women don't need a place to sit, like dead weights! We need a rikudya, a place to dance the energy of the holiness in ourselves and to bring though our bodies the sacred feminine Torah.'" From: "The Feminine Face of God: The Unfolding of the Sacred in Women," by Sherry Ruth Anderson & Patricia Hopkins (1991), p. 19
		*"Shekinah" - The Feminine Face of God* "Blessed be the One, Shekinah, Bless Her coming and Her going, Bless Her wisdom and Her knowing, Blessed be Her Holy Name." *Alay'nya*

Belly dance is a ancient, sensual, and beautiful dance art, typically done by women and for women*.

You can learn to use and build on the most ancient form of women's dance to express the fullness of who you are - your joy and your sadness, your serenity and your tempestousness, your sensuality and yes -- your spiritual essence. Experience of one does not preclude the other, in fact, they are all intertwined. unique among dance arts in that it respects and makes full use of a women's body as particularly being a women's body -- and not an idealization or projection of what men desire.

This means that it -- .

Works for you regardless of your age, shape, and/or size -- there is no one "body type" that is especially good for belly dance,
Lets you move all of your body, and helps you learn how to "integrate" all of your body awareness (along with obviously practical things like improving posture, grace, and poise), and
Lets you express your full emotional range as a woman -- from your highs to your lows, from strong and compelling to subdued and tender, and all the feelings in between.

For more: History and Role of Belly Dance

Any doubts that belly dance is really by women and for women? Go to any of the local belly dance performances! (There are lots of them! Research, you'll find out.) 90% of audience is women; the lovers and practitioners of this beautiful art. The male 10% of the audience are the wonderful, loving, kind, loyal, and supportive husbands and boyfriends of the women who are dancing. Enough said.

We understand why many people call this "belly dance." After all, when we are watching a dancer -- her belly is what we often see! And we see her doing wonderful things with it -- movements that absorb our attention.

But our bellies -- wonderful though they are, and critical (with all four muscle layers) to our dance moves - are not the "essence" of our dance.

The "essence" of our movements comes from our sacrum. It comes from integrating whole-body awareness, all the way up and down our spine. (Those of you who have tried cranio-sacral therapy will know that this connection really does exist!)

And did you know that the words "sacred" and "sacrum" have the same root? They literally mean "set apart."

Our "sacred dance time" is something that we "set apart" from the rest of our lives. It is a time that is "sacred," it is just for ourselves.

For more: Esoteric Belly Dance

PS -- The link above is to an old page; for newer material, please read the March 2009 "Letter to My Goddess Daughters," currently on the Community Page. You might also read the October 2008 Letter, also accessible from that page.

Belly dance gives you a comprehensive, non-impact, total-body workout. We develop our core muscles. (We have a love-hate relationship with an absolute killer 2 1/2-minute oblique-abs workout that we do as part of our warm-ups.)

We warm-up and stretch, we do some dances that get aerobic, and our basic techniques (e.g., hip drops, shimmies, etc.) are the best thing in the world for gluts, hips, and thighs.

What is perhaps most important is that you will learn a new way of "being" in your body -- new Principles for body alignment. You'll learn to pay attention to your body in a different way.

That's what makes belly dance a body art, like tai chi or yoga, rather than simply a good workout.

On a practical note, if you simply learn the Seven Basic Principles in your seven-week Beginner's class, you will probably look as though you've lost weight, feel stronger (and convert some fat to muscle), and probably just feel a lot livelier and sexier than you have in years!

For more: Health and Fitness Benefits of Belly Dance

Yearly Syllabus: Class topics by quarter. Includes special between-quarter sessions: Candle Dance workshops (Thanksgiving - pre-Winter Solstice) and more.
Esoteric Dance - Seasonal Studies: Expressing the seasonal energy aspects through dance -- influences our "esoteric" curriculum.

Levels give us clarity about our use of dance as a personal path, as part of our inner evolution. The understanding of these Levels draws from our esoteric Western tradition. Because this approach is a combined body/energy/psyche pathway, the practices supporting our evolution from one Level to another draw from Chinese Taoist energy practices and yoga, as well as traditional women's multicultural dance.

At each Level, we deal with a different aspect of energy work, forming the foundation for our "esoteric dance practice."

Level 1: "Grounding"
Level 2: "Releasing Resistance"
Level 3: "Building, Circulating, and Directing Internal Energy (Ching)"
Level 4: "Cosmic Dancing: Creating through Intention"

Home for the Holidays (or on the road?)
Read Alay'nya's blog -- "best of the best" for at-home practice with recommended DVDs and CDs at Practicing at Home (Intermediate) - and share your responses, your thoughts - read and add your comments to the Alay'nya Studio Blog

Returning Students: Visit our Winter Quarter Studies page; studies include static principles (review), dynamic principles, beledi with zills, drum solos, and a reprise (during January) of the candle dance methods we learned before Winter Solstice.

All classes are currently held at Alay'nya's private studio in McLean, VA. For DIRECTIONS, please direct emails alaynya AT ("@") alaynya DOT (".") com.

Do you want to get started in dance - or help someone special get started?

Enter the world of belly dance, drawing on dance movements from the hills of Spain (Moorish "Zambra") to Upper Egypt's Beledi, from Turkish Rom ("Gypsy") dancing to ancient, archetypal dance patterns.

New Students: Review the Beginner's Course Overview to see lesson plans and study guides.

Beginners: New sessions start each quarter. Classes: Wednesdays, 7-8:30 PM. See our Calendarfor Open House and course start dates. Free Quarterly Open Houses (September, January, March, and June) provides introductory mini-lesson plus discount pricing for coming sessions. Seven-week introduction to fundamentals. Introduces seven Static Principles for beautiful dance presentation, along with basic technique, vocabulary, drills, and a simple choreography. Introduces Mid-Eastern dance rhythms and variations in dance style. Introduce use of zills (metal finger cymbals) and veil. (At Instructor's discretion, class may transition to Advanced Beginner level in following season.)

Alay’nya and students in previous classes.

(CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGES) Photo Credit: Leila Grimm, used with permission

Beginner's Core Curriculum: Principles, techniqiue, choreography. Also Lesson Plan overviews, and "helpful hints." Be sure to check out the Resources (coming) at end of this page!

Advanced Beginners: Select Beginner's Classes transition to Advanced Beginner's. Students gain complete Mid-Eastern dance overview, ranging from Dynamic Principles to technique, vocabulary, dancing with veil and zills, diversified choreographies, and performance preparation. Students typically perform their first solo sometime within this year. Correlates roughly with Level 1.

Intermediates: On-going studies; Tuesdays, 7-8:45PM. Learn increased dance vocabulary, develop technique refinement, precision, and complexity, and shift focus to "choreographic units." Gain understanding of dance structure and composition, and learn how to develop your own choreograpies. New students may join after private review lesson with Alay'nya to determine technical level, review choreographic elements, and determine overall suitability. Correlates roughly with Level 2. Depending on student aptitudes and interests, may begin Level 3 "esoteric" studies. Intermediate students are eligible to join Troupe Seraband.

Advanced Studies / Private Lessons: Private arrangement. Contact Alay’nya for advanced studies and/or private lessons. Please direct emails alaynya AT ("@") alaynya DOT (".") com.

Open House: Introduction to Belly Dance (FREE!) Four yearly Open House events: Autumn (typically two weeks after Labor Day Sunday), Winter ( typically second or third Sunday of January), Spring (tyically mid-March), and em>Summer (tyically early June),on select Sundays, noon - 2PM. Please see our Calendar for date / time of next Open House. Free Open House provides first lesson plus discount pricing for coming sessions! Meet senior dances, watch dance demonstrations from both teacher(s) and students, look at various belly dance costumes, and learn if this art form is right for you! Refreshments served.
Candle Dancing: This one is very special; it has a sort of "mystical" significance - working with fire. So we have, in the past, only offered it at the darkest time of the year -- our Winter Solstice REGULARLY SCHEDULED Candle Dance Workshop will be held over the three weeks following Thanksgiving, through the week prior to mid-winter solstice.
Summer Candle Dancing Workshop: If interested in a special summer Candle Dancing workshop please email Alay'nya at alayna AT alaynya DOT com; the time is tentatively being set for near the Summer Solstice.

We have different kinds of workshops, ranging from "Principles" to special techniques - such as candle dancing.

CLICK HERE to learn about our Drum Solo Curriculum. When condensed into a workshop, you will learn a dynamic, fast-paced One Minute Drum Solo. This drum solo workshop builds to increasing levels of technical complexity and dynamic expression. Beginners will gain precision and core, re-useable techniques from the first half of the choreography. More advanced students can build on this work to have a complete drum solo, very suitable for finishing out a short performance. The latter choreography half includes virtuoso techniques that will challenge you physically, mentally, and energetically. These latter techniques also provide you with a unique introduction to "energy work" in the context of fast-paced performance - a challenge even for advanced students! As a result, you will gain not only technique, and a deeper understanding of how to build choreography, but also a way to practice building the energy and excitement in a piece - all within a single minute!

Classes are paid for either with cash or with Class Certificates. If you are a Studio member, you can buy Certificates as sets and save money. (Quarterly discounts available.) The Certificates can be applied to regular class, privates, or workshops. You can also use your certificates at any time for a regular class, or combine three certificates for a private class.
For more information, please visit Class Prices

For "mature audiences" only: "Of a Certain Age." This is the one to read if you've ever wondered how mature women could feel vitalized and "sexy." Check it out!
Are you ready for a "life transformation"? If it's time to do something just for yourself, go to Transformations,
Are you new to dance? Go to Your First Three Months in Belly Dance
And are you absolutely brand new (a "baby belly")? Go to Your First Three Weekss in Belly Dance
Do you want ideas and resources for what to wear to class? Go to Costumes and Customs

It took Joan Rivers over seven years to find her "authentic self" as a comedian. It was very scary for her to let her real self emerge. In Enter Talking, she says:

"When I finally did get on the stage, my heart would fall. I could not imagine that all those people in front of me would be my friends tonight. They were frightenting to me ... I was alone ... But the raw newness of this world was cutting me loose too. The process had ... liberated me ... from everything I had been taught about everything, from all the oughts and shoulds that had been holding me down -- ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes ...And from then on, year by year, a rope was cut here, a rope was chopped there -- and now it was happening in a big rush, until eventually, I was able to go up ... I was even more free, more honest, more able to say onstage the things that girls think about."

Joan Rivers, From: Enter Talking, 1986.

Do you want to learn how women's multicultural dance can help you with your health and fitness? CLICK HERE to read how you can get firm and toned using the graceful, sensual, and ancient art of women's dance.

McLean classes taught by Alay'nya; If you want other North VA classes, please contact teachers listed below.

Woodbridge: Beginner's / Advanced Beginner's - Sunday 2PM - Taught by Barb S. -- an email to nharris at yahoo.com will be forwarded to Barb.
Springfield: Beginner's / Advanced Beginner's - Taught by Carmen -- contact info forthcoming.
Sterling: Katayoun - link to Katayoun's website coming soon -- contact info forthcoming.
Reston: Amustela - link to Amustela's website coming soon -- contact info forthcoming.

What are the Best Age Ranges for Starting Women's Multicultural Dance?

Between 18 and 81 is pretty good. Not kidding! These dance forms are intense, with very deep conditioning and toning. They also give you a no-impact exercise form. This kind of dance helps us develop our abdominal muscles as well as improving posture and releasing stress on our spines. Starting early is best, but any age is good. As always, if you have any health or medical concerns, consult with your doctor before starting this or any other exercise program.

For more "FAQS" about getting started in women's multicultural dance - CLICK HERE to go to Your First Three Weeks in Belly Dance!