ANNUAL STUDENT SHOWCASE

Our annual showcase, "Under a Ghawazee Moon" is an opportunity to participate in a theatre performance. Whether you choose to be on stage, or back stage, you will be part of the magic!

The showcase features dances in a range of styles performed by beginner to advanced students. Advanced level students have the opportunity to perform solos and group-choreographed pieces created during the year through our Dancer's Project.

In 2021 performers will rehearse during Term 2 in classes. There are no fees for performance or rehearsals outside of classes. Costs for staging the performance are recovered through ticket sales - so make sure you invite your friends and family!

You will be assisted to make (new or upcycled), purchase, or hire costuming required for the dances you will be performing. Over time, you'll build a small collection of interchangeable costume pieces that are used in performances in the theatre and at community events. Rather than requiring students to spend money on numerous costumes, performance specific costuming and props can be hired from the school at a very low cost of $5/10 per dance, depending on the complexity of the costume.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

We love participating in Fetes, Fairs and other events in the wider community. Whilst performing is a big part of that, we also enjoy having a stall and the opportunity to tell everyone how great bellydancing is!

As an inclusive school, all students who can meet performance expectations are invited to participate.

Let us know if you have a community event coming up - we'd love to share our dance with you!

CRAFTERNOONS

Many bellydancers learn to sew alongside learning to bellydance. There are so many fabulous costumes you can make yourself! Our Crafternoons are a great way to get get started and pick up new skills. They're also a fun social event and an opportunity to meet dancers in other classes outside of performances and workshops.

You can bring along your sewing machine or overlocker - there is room for cutting out, and costume patterns to copy. You can also learn how to cover a bra, make fringed scarves and crochet coin scarves.

Check the Calendar for upcoming Crafternoon dates!

KIDS & YOUTH CLASSES

Our school had its beginnings as a youth performance troupe, so providing classes in Middle Eastern Dance for children and young adults remains an important part of what we do.

Young people are an essential part of our dance community and benefit greatly from being around so many "big sisters" and "Aunties" of different ages, shapes and backgrounds. Older, experienced dancers lead by example, demonstrating the importance of being a support and a cheer squad for others; showing our young dancers what a supportive and connected community can look like.

Our open level kids (ages 5+) classes teach core dance and Middle-Eastern Dance movement through games, props, experimentation, free dancing (improvisation), choreography and world music. Our costumes are age-appropriate, and our movement vocabulary is drawn primarily from folk dances of the Middle-East.

Youth classes (ages 11-16) get stuck into more challenging technique, props and choreographies. They expand on improvisation skills and begin developing their own style.

During this very impressionable age, being part of a bellydance community can counteract the potentially damaging messages from the media and advertising around young people's bodies and their place in society. Our young dancers are encouraged to take up space, love the body they're in and appreciate all the amazing things their bodies can do.

Check out the details, and register your child in a Class.
Read more about Kids Classes in our FAQs.

PERFORMING

Students who have learned a choreography or improvisation frame are invited to participate in community performances as part of the Ghawazee Moon Student Performers. We specialise in lively and colourful performances! Fantastic traditional-style and fusion costumes, great dances and family-friendly fun. Students regularly perform at the National Multicultural Festival, Floriade and other community events. Students can also join their class to perform at our Annual Student Showcase.

Students working at a high intermediate - advanced level are invited to apply to either of our Performane Troupes. Banat Amar is an established troupe specialising in Folkloric and Ghawazee styles with group and solo improvisation to live music. Moonshine specialises in Fusion and theatrical style performance and is currently an emerging troupe. There is also the opportunity to enrol in our Dancer's Project to create your own choreography, and to perform at low-pressure events such as the Blackboard Cabarets.

Performers are expected to have, hire, or borrow, appropriate costuming, practice the dances they are performing, show up on time and remain until the end of the performance.

We encourage students to perform for the benefits to self-confidence, improvement of your dance skills (from all that extra practice) and experiencing the joy that comes from sharing your dance with others.
However, performing is always optional. We respect that students may have a variety of reasons (outside of not feeling confident) for not wanting to dance in public.

You will never be pressured to perform. Non performing students have opportunities to be part of performances in support roles - make-up, costume making, helping back-stage and front-of-house at our Showcase - there are lots of essential non-performing roles to be filled!

PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES
National Museum of Australia Silk Road Festival Day, Floriade, National Multicultural Festival, National Youth Week, Celebrate Gungahlin, Belconnen Markets, LGBTIQ Fair Day, Reclaim the Night, Various School Fairs, Fetes, and more.

MUSIC & PERCUSSION

For beginners to experienced musicians and percussionists, our lightly facilitated music & percussion circle will give you the opportunity to practice, participate in peer-to-peer learning, expand your repertoire and, if you're really keen, performance as an ensemble at our Showcase and other events.

The circle is open to anyone interested in exploring Arabic percussion and melody using hand drums, riqq, finger cymbals and other percussive instruments. Musicians on acoustic instruments are also welcome.

Sessions are held on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.
You can find out more here.

SPRING SHORT COURSES

Spring Short Courses are a great way to explore new styles and solidify technique. Students are offered a selection of focus classes running for 5 weeks in Term 3, after our Annual Showcase.

2023 Short Courses will be announced in Term 2. You will be able to find them here.

SUMMER WORKSHOPS & EVENTS

Our Summer Term has lots on offer - explorations of different styles, working with different props, and technique-focussed workshops - all presented by Canberra's best Bellydance teachers.

If you're new to bellydance, the Open Level workshops are a great way to try things out before signing up for a term. They're also a great way to get back into the swing of things after the Holiday break.

In addition to the dance workshops, we also regularly hold percussion workshops, sewing workshops and crafternoons.

There are normally two social events on offer; a Hafla (or dance party) for social dance and connection after the summer break, and a Blackboard Cabaret for performance opportunities, or a relaxing time as a member of the audience.

STAYING CONNECTED

Students have access to class notes, choreography notes, music, events & costuming information via our TeamApp. You don't need to download the free App (there is a browser accessible website version) but you do need to be a current student and sign up to get access.

We also have a closed facebook group for sharing videos & hanging out. You need to request access giving the name of your class.

If you're not a student, but you'd still like to keep in touch, you can like our facebook page, or follow us on instagram!