SUMMER SYLLABUS - with The Alay'nya Studio

Fire Energy!

Our Summer Quarter dances can be hot and spicy (with Turkish Karsilama), or slow and evocative (with languid taxims). Either way, summer is when we have a change of pace.

We use Wings of Isis to transition from Spring's Air energy into Summer Fire. Wings of Isis let us play on a bigger scale. They're great for outdoor performances, such as Culture Fests.

Alay’nya - with double (gold and orange) Wings of Isis in early summer, 2008, performing at the Peachtree in McLean, VA.

Photo Credit: G. Downes, used with permission

• Knowledge of "Dynammic Principles": Command the room as you walk, turn, look, or gesture!.
• Master veil combinations you can apply to a wide range of music: Diverse "micro-choreographies" let you perform both structured choreography, improvise during parties and when working with live musicians, and give you a solid basis for "filling in" your own choreographies with good, well-structured dance sections.
• Outstanding choreographies: Build your repertoire with a combination of veil dances, including Wings of Isis and fan dancing -- suitable for performing in a wide range of settings, from private parties to major stage performances.

SUMMER QUARTER STUDIES

We're "spreading our wings" through airy dances that let us spin, float, and flutter. Level 1 students are learning simple turns and basic veil movements; Level 2 are learning to more complex combinations, turns. and movements across the floor to create entrancing "veil patterns."

We're learning how to interpret the music to which we dance, finding how our bodies naturally lift and expand to reach outwards and swirl back inwards. We're also learning how to interpret the "winds of Spring" through fan dancing, and the ultimate in the Element of Air: Sword Dancing!

Study Suggestions and Resources

Visit Practicing at Home -- suggestions and resources for your overall and ongoing "at home" practice.

For the Summer Quarter, we particularly recommend:

• Video Study: Petite Jamila's Double Veil -- and interpret PJ's choreography using Sweet Demure on Collide by Beats Antique
• Recommended Music: Desert Wind's Dona from Return to the Goddess and Miserlou from Gaia, Earth Goddess.
• Recommended Reading: Books and other resources supporting Summer Quarter studies - TBD.

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