~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mira Betz (CA) www.miramania.com
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mira's classes and performances got some of the best responses from TribalCon attendees ever so we just had to ask her back again! Her classes and performances are thought provoking and should be a must for any serious dancer.

www.youtube.com/watch
www.youtube.com/watch

The multi-faceted career of Mira Betz is a testament to her passionate artistry and desire for continual growth. Active in theater, dance and the performing arts for 20 years, Mira Betz has become a sought after dancer, choreographer, costumer, and teacher. Nominated "Instructor of the year" by Zaghareet Magazine, Mira is a valued instuctor at prestigeous festivals and camps across the nation, as well as at the Malonga Arts Collective in Oakland California. Mira is currently facilitating the Barbary Coast Shakedown, a collaboration of Middle Eastern dance professionals pairing performance with intensive dance instruction.

Mira began her training in Middle Eastern dance as a young teen studying with some of the most respected and knowledgeable teachers of our time, such as Katarina Burda, Jamila Salimpour, and Suhaila Salimpour. As a founding member, choreographer, and solo performer of Aywah! Ethnic Dance Company for 10 years, she developed a solid foundation of contemporary, traditional, as well as ritualistic dance forms. Aywah!, under the direction of Katarina Burda, flourished to become one of the San Francisco Bay Area's most respected ethnic dance companies. In 1998 Mira went abroad to live and study the native dances of Morocco.

In spring 2006 she was a guest choreographer for Jill Parker and her company Ultra Gypsy. In 2004-2005 Mira toured nationally with renowned drummer Tobias Roberson and was the artistic director of the ECHOS Project; a collaboration of choreographers in the San Francisco Bay Area supporting the exploration of traditional and experimental music and dance fusion. Mira was a featured dancer at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire from1994-2002. She has performed on such infamous stages as the Fillmore in San Francisco, the Hollywood Bowl in LA, Humphrey's in San Diego, the Knitting Factory in NYC and night clubs and restaurants across the US. She has had the pleasure of working with incredible talent such as David Byrne, Rachel Brice, Jill Parker, Zoe Jakes, Elizabeth Strong, Heather Stants, Amy Sigil and many more. Mira Betz received her B.F.A. from the California College of Arts and Crafts. Her dance background includes training in Salsa, Modern, Jazz, and Flamenco.

Mira continues to spread her experience, knowledge and love for dance through her captivating performance and engaging teaching style.


Friday : 4:00-5:30pm

Mira : Layering and Isolation - Ever feel as though your learning curve has reached a plateau? This intermediate /advanced workshop is a rousing motivational tool to enhance one’s own practice. Mira will begin with a thorough breakdown of basic isolations and will gradually increase into multiple layering designed to bewilder the brain and electrify the body. This workshop is an asset to any dancer.


Sunday : 2:00-3:30pm

Mira : Hip, Pow, Bang - Get more ‘bang’ out of every move! This class focuses on developing clean technique and bringing articulation, fluidity and grace to your every movement. Keep your audience’s attention with sharp hits, strong form, beautiful poses, and distinctive combos; explore that extra edge that brings magic to your dance!


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jen Speiden of Mandara (WV)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jen's anatomy class was the most discussed class at TribalCon last year. This year she promises to cover abdominal muscles important to bellydance.

www.mandaradance.com

www.innerawareness.net

Creative movement has always been an integral part of Jennifer's personal and professional life. As a physical therapist, yoga teacher, Pilates instructor and belly dance teacher and performer, she enjoys integrating movement arts and healing arts into her work and play for overall health, well being and enjoyment. She loves that this dance form can encourage people of all ages and ability levels to become more aware of their bodies and themselves.

Jennifer is a licensed physical therapist graduating in 1998 with a Master of Science in Physical Therapy. Her yoga training is as a Certified Integrative Yoga Therapy Teacher, and she has completed a Hatha Yoga teacher training with Anna Pittman. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance and is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.


Jennifer is a Polestar® Certified Pilates Instructor with specialization in using Pilates techniques for rehabilitation as well as for wellness. She has also completed PhysicalMind Institute's Pilates Mat Program training.

Jennifer is a co-director and founding member of Mandara, a belly dance ensemble based in Blacksburg, VA with whom she is honored to dance. She has been a contributing writer for Zaghareet! magazine since 2003 sharing articles about stretching and conditioning for belly dancers so that they may continue to safely, pain-free and joyously dance for many years to come. She is also a Jefferson Center INSPIRE artist (www.jeffcenter.org/inspire) who shares dances from North Africa and the Middle East in the school systems throughout southwest Virginia.

In addition to belly dance, she enjoys and explores other ethnic dances such as West African and folkloric Indian. When she is not being an overachieving geek, Jennifer enjoys hiking, swing dancing, contra-dancing and drumming with her complementary half, her husband Rob. For more information about her work, you can visit www.innerawareness.net. For more information about her troupe, please visit www.mandaradance.com.


Saturday : 4:00-5:30pm

Jen : Anatomy for Belly Dancers - An understanding of anatomy is extremely valuable for dancers and dance teachers. It can allow you to access better technique by knowing what muscles initiate and guide a movement as well as what musculoskeletal factors can limit a movement. Knowledge of the body and how it moves can also allow a dancer to move safely without injury. It can help a teacher communicate with students how to move more effectively with better body awareness and also how to encourage proper biomechanics and injury prevention. In this workshop, Jennifer Speiden will introduce some important anatomy concepts that all dancers should know to help keep you and your students dancing pain-free with grace and ease for years to come. The class will include lecture, visual aides and movement explorations to help participants fully understand the mechanisms behind the movements.


Sunday : 9:00-10:00am

Jen : Yoga and Pilates for Belly Dancers - In this class, students will begin by exploring the use of the abdomen, chest, spine and pelvis through a series of yoga postures and dynamic flows. Using Pilates inspired strengthening and stabilizing exercises as well as yoga-based breathing techniques and poses, students will work to develop flexible, fluid strength and most of all, an increased awareness of their bodies. This class is appropriate for individuals of all skill levels. Please bring a yoga mat.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Denys Proteau (PA, SC) www.turkumusic.com
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I am always excited to share Denys' music with TribalCon attendees, both in the classes and at the Friday evening hafla. The Melody Workshops are integral to my wishes for the development of live music at TribalCon.

www.youtube.com/watch

Denys plays Kaval, that is the Bulgarian flute, cumbus, that is a Turkish fretless banjo, various reed instruments, and spoons. He plays with the Pittsburgh Bulgarian Women's Ensemble, now called Zvesda, and with Turku, a Turkish and Eurasian music band.


Denys has also played Bulgarian and International music at various festivals and theatrical productions with the Bulgarian-Macedonian Educational and Cultural Center dancers and with the Pittsburgh International Folk Theatre.


Friday : 2:15-3:45pm / Saturday : 2:30-4:00pm / Sunday : 2:00-3:30pm

Denys : Melody Workshop – Bring your audio recording equipment and your melodic instrument or you voice to the Melody Workshop. We'll be learning to play and sing Turkish songs. Scores and lyrics will be provided.