Glimmer Mini-Workshops Schedule

Location: Scottish Rite Center, San Jose, CA
Saturday, September 6 & Sunday, September 7, 2025

Our 45-minute focused mini-workshops taught by Guild members, each spotlighting a unique skill or style.

Mini Glimmer Workshops 

Guild Members: $15 per workshop

Non-Members: $20 per workshop

NON-MEMBERS!  PURCHASE WORKSHOPS HERE!

✨ Saturday, September 6

Samia Stage

1:00-1:45 PM – Raqs Baladi  with Monica

Baladi is a dance of the people, stemming from a time when rural and urban cultures met and melded in Cairo. In our 45 minutes together, we'll figure out where we might fit into the form, go over a few concepts and tips around movement, feeling, musical interpretation, and expression, and then dance to several beautiful pieces, moving from guided dancing to improvisation and enjoying Egyptian dance within musical, cultural, and movement contexts.

3:00-3:45 PM – 10 Secrets to Dancing and Playing Finger Cymbals  with Ma*Shuqa

The Ma*Shuqa Method of finger cymbal playing gives you three choices for playing: 1) play patterns and 23 different Middle Eastern rhythms, 2) play to accent your dancing - syncopation, dancing with coordinated arm movements and cymbals patterns, and 3) playing rhythms and patterns that match the musicality of the music.

5:00-5:45 PM – 9/8 Time  with Amanda

Explore and get comfortable with the jazzy-groove of the 9/8 rhythm so typical of Turkish-style belly dance. Learn to count and feel the rhythm, and basic movements that underlie the style. 

NON-MEMBERS!  PURCHASE WORKSHOPS HERE!

✨ Sunday, September 7

Samia Stage

12:30-1:15 PM – Board the Shimmy Train with Terry

Drill and embody signature shimmies from famous and less known dancers from the Classic Golden Age through the Modern Age of Raqs Sharqi. Refreshing trends that have disappeared and refining the contemporary moves.  Hip scarf, enthusiasm and smile required!

2:30-3:15 PM – Saidi Stick (Tahtib)  with Jordan

Tahtib is the term for a traditional stick-fighting martial art originally that later evolved into an Egyptian folk dance with a wooden stick. Class participants would be asked to bring a straight stick/cane, no hooked end. Class elements include:

* A brief history overview of Tahtib from Egypt
* Working with the stick/cane, i.e. twirling, tossing, etc.
* Drills and basic movement combinations

4:30-5:15 PM – Inspiration for Dance Performance  with Kalika Amal

This is a class on inspiration for dance performance using archetypes and ancestral stories. The focus is on sparking joy, evoking resilience, self-kindness or any other relevant topic for you. We will do a whole group open-floor collaboration and build ideas together, followed by some small group work where people can practice on their own with the concepts. Prompts, images, and tools will be available to help dancers with their process and idea creation. Movement is encouraged to try on the archetypal or embodiment concepts.

NON-MEMBERS!  PURCHASE WORKSHOPS HERE!