Thread: help me with my workshop blurb?

the story: I've been doing bellygrams and performing in restaurants for a long (long!) time. every so often, the topic of dancing at parties and for the GP comes up, and when I share my stories and tips, my friends will tell me that I should teach a workshop on it. so, I'm going to try it!

what I want to do is a lecture/demonstration format. my dance group is doing some workshops and a theater show in a few months, and I thought I could do it between the two studio classes (we would provide lunch) and hold it in the (small and cozy) theater (the dance studio and theater are right next to each other - just walk through a door).

what I want to cover is material that would be useful for ALL levels of dancers, from baby beginners whose girlfriends ask them to show them what they've learned in their new class, to more experienced students whose families might ask them to give them a little demonstration at the next family party, to amateurs who would like to get some experience so they can do bellygrams on their own. there will be tips and tricks for experienced pros looking to add stuff to their current party repertoire.

I will FOR SURE stress honoring the dance and the serious duty of being ambassadors of the dance, and explain VERY CLEARLY when it's appropriate for a beginner to dance and when they need to refer the situation to their teacher or some other pro.

what I got worried about when I was noodling up a blurb, was the chance of some local bellydance police person raising their eyebrows and clucking their tongue at the thought of me "encouraging beginners to go out and represent themselves as experienced dancers" - which I most definietly am NOT.

this is what I came up with so far; I would LOVE IT if anybody had any comments on whether or not I made all of this clear. clever ideas for wording/context changes are also welcome. :)

here goes:

From the moment they hear that you've taken your first belly dance class, people seem to always be begging you for a demonstration! Elisa Gamal firmly believes that our beloved artform by definition is meant to be shared with others, so the next time your friends or family ask you to dance for them, why not say YES? In this unique lecture/demonstration format, Elisa Gamal will share her ideas with you on:
Appropriate situations in which to share the dance according to your level of experience, whether as a new student, amateur, or professional dancer;
Music and costuming suggestions and how to set the scene;
Crowd-pleasing tricks and how to invite others to share the dance with you.
There will also be plenty of time for questions and answers! Elisa Gamal is a devoted ambassador of the dance and her performance experience is vast - she stopped counting a decade ago after clocking 1000 bellygrams! She can say with confidence that no matter the bellydance situation, she has "been there!" and she's excited to have the opportunity to share her knowledge with you.

I don't have any suggestions on your workshop description, but it sounds like a wonderful amount of information to offer!

I don't have any suggestions either, but I wanted to say that is a great idea for a workshop! I would definitely go if I lived in your area!

When and where???

lol! in seattle, may 30th. tina sargent and mellilah will be teaching the studio workshops, and the evening show is a glammed up hafla. should be awesome! you're welcome to crash at my place if you want to swing through town. ;)

we don't have the info up yet but it will be up soon at Promoting excellence in Middle East-inspired Dance and Music . or of course I'd be happy to be flown to your area and teach it to you directly. lol!!!! :)

Is this going to someday be a "pay-per-view" workshop? ;)

Won't be there but damn I'd love to go to this type of seminar.

Originally Posted by elisagamal

lol! in seattle, may 30th. tina sargent and mellilah will be teaching the studio workshops, and the evening show is a glammed up hafla. should be awesome! you're welcome to crash at my place if you want to swing through town. ;)

we don't have the info up yet but it will be up soon at Promoting excellence in Middle East-inspired Dance and Music . or of course I'd be happy to be flown to your area and teach it to you directly. lol!!!! :)

..g.:
I'm on the wrong side of the country and as a newbie, don't have any pull in the dance community here. Darn.

ok, seriously, any critiques on the blurb? pretty please? :)