2016 Workshop Schedule

Contact Virginia about teaching a workshop at your festival, convention, community event, corporate function or workplace. Topics cover a wide range of Middle Eastern dance styles and can be tailored to your needs.

Sydney, NSW

27th Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival - 13th- 15th May 2016 @ 12.00-2.00pm

"Crunchy vs. Chewy: Dynamic Belly Dance Technique"

Join Virginia in a workshop to really sink your teeth into! Delve into a world of food metaphors to explore the nuances and diversity of belly dance movement and motion. Virginia will deliver a feast of meaty drills, gooey combinations and expressive dance patterns for all levels. Focusing on breaking down contrasting techniques, and finding how texture is at the heart of dynamic dance to give your performance some spice with movement variation – hard, soft, hot, icy, crunchy and chewy. You’ll leave with a whole new way of looking at belly dance technique and some great new material and inspiration. Hungry yet?

DAY & TIME: Sunday 15th May, 2016 12.00 - 2.00pm
SUITABLE FOR: ALL
VENUE: Canterbury-Hurlstone RSL
TICKETS: http://www.sydmedfest.com.au/

Perth, WA

Western Australia Middle Eastern Dance Festival - Fri 3rd June 2016 @ 4.15-6.15pm

Turkish Oryantal - Technique & More

Modern Turkish style brings old world Rom (Gypsy) together with the sass and flash of the modern. Turkish Oryantal is all about sinuous body undulations, crisp hip work, fluid upper and lower body isolations, showy turns, powerful shimmies – along with a good dose of attitude! In this workshop Virginia will take you through the key elements that distinguish Turkish belly dance from other styles; including a short discussion on the use of floorwork in Turkish dance. Learn how to express commonly used Turkish rhythms using combinations and drills. Join Virginia in this lively and uplifting workshop and gain some brand new material in the Modern Turkish style.

DAY & TIME: Friday 3rd June, 2016 @ 4.15 - 6.15pm
SUITABLE FOR: Advanced
VENUE: see website for details
TICKETS: http://www.wamedfestival.com/

Gold Coast, Queensland

Bahar Bayram Middle Eastern Dance Camp - 12-17th Oct 2016

Modern Turkish Oryantal

Modern Turkish style brings old world Rom (Gypsy) together with the sass and flash of the modern. Turkish Oryantal is all about sinuous body undulations, crisp hip work, fluid upper and lower body isolations, showy turns, powerful shimmies – along with a good dose of attitude! In this workshop Virginia will take you through the key elements that distinguish Turkish belly dance from other styles; including a short discussion on the use of floorwork in Turkish dance. Learn how to express commonly used Turkish rhythms using combinations and drills. Join Virginia in this lively and uplifting workshop and gain some brand new material in the Modern Turkish style.

DAY & TIME: 12th-17th October, 2016 @ various times
SUITABLE FOR: Intermediate-Advanced
VENUE: see website for details
TICKETS: http://medamcamp.org.au/

Moroccan Chaabi

Moroccan popular music is used to express feelings, and can be intensely political. Chaabi is the dance of the people and incorporates elements of traditional Moroccan movement, the dance features shimmies, hair sways, bold hip accents. The dance is earthy and joyous in nature. In this workshop we explore rhythm, technique, and traditional aspect of tray balancing (raqs al seniyaa).

DAY & TIME: 12th-17th October, 2016 @ various times
SUITABLE FOR: Intermediate-Advanced
VENUE: see website for details
TICKETS: http://medamcamp.org.au/

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Past Workshops

2015

26th Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival - May, 2015. Hosted by Leonie Sukan.
Workshops and Shows

Wollongong Belly Dance Festival - Sept, 2015. Founded & Directed Virginia Keft-Kennedy.
Workshops and Shows: Turkish Cocktail

2014

25th Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival - May, 2014. Hosted by Leonie Sukan.
Workshops and Shows

Stars of the Saffron Shores, Gatton - June 2014. Hosted by Idell Wadley
Workshops and Shows.

Fire in the Belly, Albury-Wodonga - Sept 2014. Hosted by Border Bellydance.
Workshops and Shows: Modern Turkish Oryantal / Isis Wings / Sassy Saidi

Western Australia Middle Eastern Dance Festival - June, 2014. Hosted by Keti Sharif
Workshops and Shows

2013

Newcastle Belly Dance Festival - Feb 2013. Hosted by Natalie Bradford.
Workshops and Shows.

Illawarra Folk Festival - Jan 2013. Hosted by Illawarra Folk Club.
Workshops and Shows.

24th Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival - May 2013. Hosted by Leonie Sukan.
Workshops and Shows.

Western Australia Middle Eastern Dance Festival - June, 2013. Hosted by Keti Sharif
Workshops and Shows

Wollongong Belly Dance Festival - Sept, 2013. Founded & Directed Virginia Keft-Kennedy.
Workshops and Shows: Hot Balkan Fusion

2012

Newcastle Belly Dance Festival - Feb 2012. Newcastle, NSW Australia. Hosted by Natalie Bradford.
Workshops and Shows.

23rd Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival - May, 2012. Hosted by Leonie Sukan.
Workshops and Shows

Tasmanian Middle Eastern Dance Festival - 2 Sept, 2012. Launceston, Tasmania Australia. Hosted by Zahira.
Workshops, Shows, & Lectures - Gypsy Fire: Fusion Skirt Dance / History & Myths of Belly Dance (lecture).

Bahar Bayram: Middle Eastern Dance and Music Camp - Oct 2012. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Hosted by Tamara Taylor.
Workshops and Shows: Tunisian Dance / Chiftitelli / Shaabi

2011

22nd Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival - May 2011. Hosted by Leonie Sukan.
Workshops and Shows: This Goes with That: A crash course on style.

Wollongong Belly Dance Festival - Sept, 2011. Founded & Directed Virginia Keft-Kennedy.
Workshops and Shows: Shimmies, Layers and Drum Solo.

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Virginia teaching at Wollongong Belly Dance Festival

Virginia teaches Belly Dance at Sydney's Fusion Fitness Convention

Workshop presented at Illawarra Folk Festival 2012

Virginia teaches Belly Dance at Sydney's Fusion Fitness Convention

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