About the classes

If you find gyms intimidating, pretentious or just plain boring, this is the exercise for you! You will develop your body awareness and co-ordination, and enhance your confidence and creativity as well as core strength and fitness. You might even shed some excess kilos.

Our classes are fun, friendly and inspiring! Come with a friend or alone - unlike other dance forms, no partner is required. So give yourself the gift of an hour a week that's just for YOU to feel feminine and gorgeous!

About Bellydance classes

Within the oasis of the dance studio, you can make new friends and improve your fitness as you learn a new skill. Be inspired to find the joy and passion in dance! You'll also gain an appreciation of Middle Eastern culture, and perhaps a penchant for sequin-encrusted exotic costuming.

The lessons also offer you a physical and mental challenge. Each class begins with a warm-up to prepare the body and get you in the mood to dance. Typically, we then revise the previous week's steps, learn new moves, and put them together into short sequences. Some weeks will have more of a focus on technique, others on musicality and improvisation. Finally, we stretch out and cool down. Class sizes are small enough to guarantee individual attention so you can get your technique right from the very start. Mothers and daughters as young as 4 are welcome - it's a beautiful way to develop your relationship!

Teaching style is focused on classical and modern Egyptian technique. Egyptian style is characterized by a relaxed, elegant and centred look, with controlled movement, and depth of expression. Depending on the level of classes, elements of Egyptian folkloric dance may be taught, as well as props such as veil, finger cymbals (also known as zills or sagat), stick (cane or assaya) and sword balancing. You will learn technique, musical interpretation, Arabic rhythms, and the all-important art of improvisation, the key to finding your own joy and expression through dance.

About Zumba® Fitness classes

Zumba® fitness is the new craze right across Australia and the world! It's a workout based on spicy Latin and international rhythms, that will have you moving, dancing, clapping and sweating it out while having a blast. So if your focus is getting a cardio workout, but you're bored by jogging, treadmills and aerobics, then Zumba® fitness is for you! Find out more about it at zumba.com.

Of course, classes begin with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Unlike bellydance, we don't spend so much time working on technique; instead, we make sure your heart rate stays up the whole time for maximum calorie-burning effectiveness. Through watching, listening and doing, you'll learn several choreographies from a variety of international genres. Each class will revise the previous week's choreographies, adding new ones when we're ready for a new challenge!

Course structure

Currently our primary courses are offered for beginners and continuing beginners, with a focus on technique, safety, enjoyment and appreciation. Contact Rachel if you're not sure of your level.

The Bellydance Fundamentals course teaches you posture, basic moves and technique, and footwork, as well as short combinations to encourage your creativity and expression. We explore Arabic music and rhythms, and introduce you to musical interpretation. Students are encouraged to take this course at least twice over before progressing, so that you can consolidate the basics.

Beyond Beginners Bellydance courses are for students with at least two terms of experience. The course will develop your dancing with a focus on more complex combinations and footwork, improvisation and musicality, and more advanced techniques that build on your key bellydance moves from Fundamentals classes. Some terms and special workshops will introduce choreography and the use of props. Performance opportunities may be available.

Zumba® fitness is for you if you'd like to improve your cardiovascular fitness in a fun, party-like atmosphere. You will learn simple, fun choreographies from a range of dance styles such as salsa, merengue, reggaton and of course bellydance, and you'll improve your understanding of rhythm and music. Good general fitness is recommended before undertaking Zumba® fitness classes.

Classes are run in 10-week terms where possible, aligned with school terms. This structure means that you will learn in a systematic way, with each week building on the knowledge gained in the previous classes. However, we do enough revision that new students can join in at any time. Missed classes may be caught up by attending another time slot within the same term (space permitting). You can even try a Zumba® fitness class if your'e enrolled in Bellydance and vice versa.

Each term ends with an optional night out at a Middle Eastern restaurant (not included in class fee) where you can dress up in your bellydance finest, enjoy an authentic meal, watch a bellydance show, and get up to dance with the rest of the class in a relaxed social environment.

Enrolment

New students are invited to try a class before the term begins.

Enrolment for one 10-week term costs $140 and may be paid by cash, cheque or direct deposit on or by the first class date. Half-term enrolment is available for $80 (5 classes), and classes may be attended casually for $18 each. Enrolments are not transferrable to other people or across terms. SPECIAL OFFER: Enrol in two courses simultaneously and receive a 20% discount on the second course. Ths offer includes both Bellydance and Zumba® fitness!

Women of all ages are welcome. Girls aged 10-14 are half price when enrolling for a complete term with a full fee paying adult. Inspire! Bellydance reserves the right to cancel a course and offer a refund or exchange if minimum enrolment numbers are not met.

Private Bellydance Classes

Fast-track your learning, get personalised assistance with particular techniques, or learn a choreography created especially for you! A one-on-one class with your teacher will address your individual needs and wishes, including assessing your personal strengths and weaknesses in your dancing. Other topics may include performance skills and preparation, emotional preparation, and working with props.

Small group privates are an option for 2-5 students of similar experience, wishing to work on particular techniques or develop a choreography.

Private lessons are available at Rozelle, Lindfield and Paddington studios, or at your home (depending on location). Prices on application. Gift vouchers are available for private classes.