Where?

Harbour Health Fitness and Wellbeing Centre,  4 Seagate, Peterhead, AB42 1JP

Go in the main door, take the stairs or the lift to the 2nd floor, turn right, through the HDMT door (might be locked during class, so let me know if you are going to be late), and right again into the mirrored studio.

When?

Thursday Evenings.

Cost

£8 / £6 concessions

Am I eligible for the concessionary rate?

That is for you to decide. I hope I can trust my students to pay what they can afford and to not take advantage. And if that varies from week to week, that is also fine.

How?

Ideally, send me an email (mahina.dancer[at]gmail.com), or drop me a message on Facebook, so I know to expect you and can let you know if there are any cancellations.

Otherwise, just turn up :)

I can accept pre-payment by bank transfer or paypal, or cash or card payments in person.

Important:

Bellydance is a physical activity. You are responsible for your own health and wellbeing! Please see your GP if you have any reservations about whether this class is appropriate for you. Bellydance is not dangerous, but we will be moving our bodies in a way that is quite different compared to most modern lifestyles. Please pace yourself according to your own body and needs.

FAQ:

What is FCBD® Style?

Formerly known as American Tribal Style® (ATS®) Bellydance, this fantastic dance form was created by Fat Chance Belly Dance® director Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman. It is a group improvisational dance that evolved in San Francisco in the late 1980s.  It draws on folkloric styles of movement from North Africa,  The Middle East, and Southwest Asia. 

What should I wear?

Wear something comfortable, stretchy, and easy to move in. It helps if I can see your knees and ankles, so leggins with a hip scarf (preferably no coins please) are ideal.  FCBD® Style skirts and cholis are very welcome (don't worry if you don't know what these are yet!)

What should I bring?

If you have them, please bring your zills / zagats / finger cymbals (I will have some spare to borrow; again, don't worry if you don't know what these are yet). Plastic bottles of water are welcome in the studio. Most importantly: bring yourself, an enthusiasm for learning something new, and a willingness to make mistakes (because that is how we learn best!).

Is this a women's only class?

FCBD® Style is a feminine dance form, but it is open to everybody, and I know some excellent male bellydancers! All genders embody both masculine and feminine characteristics. With this dance, we are expressing our feminine aspects (whoever we are), but ALL GENDERS ARE WELCOME!

Do I have to show my belly?

Not if you don't want to.

I want to perform / I don't want to perform - is this OK?

Absolutely! (To either question.) FCBD® Style is a dance to be shared, and so I will be looking for opportunities to show off our skills as soon as we are ready! After all, getting dressed up is part of the fun! There are special parties in the bellydance world called "haflas", where dancers of all abilities can offer a performance. But if you don't want to perform, and just want to dance in class, that is also completely OK. No pressure!

I'm an experienced Tribal / Transcultural Fusion Bellydancer / Traditional / Egyptian / Oriental Bellydancer - won't I get bored joining a beginners class?

Not at all! (At least I hope not!). There are two aspects learning FCBD® Style. First there are the moves - the dance vocabulary. Some of these will probably feel very familiar to you. Others might be completely new. And some moves (taxeem springs to mind...) will seem familiar to begin with, but you will probably have to learn a completely new way of moving to execute the move correctly and get that subtle nuance that makes it a FCBD® Style move. Secondly, there is the formation work. FCBD® Style is a group improvised dance, and learning how formations work is like the grammar that we use to string together our dance vocabulary into a sentences and a conversation. If you haven't done this before, prepare to have your brain challenged!

I'm an experienced FCBD® Style Dancer - won't I get bored joining a beginners class? Are you offering intermediate / advanced classes as well?

As a experienced FCBD® Style dancer, you will know that community and continuing development are core to the FCBD® Style ethos. Mama Carolena encourages experienced dancers to join beginners classes for two reasons: 1) Beginners classes offer an opportunity to really focus on your own technique. I have experience of teaching mixed-ability classes and am more than happy to "nit-pick" and help you identify pathways for improvement - just let me know! 2) Bringing beginners and advanced students together helps to develop and expand the FCBD® Style community. I'll certainly look into offering a more advanced class if / when there is demand.

What is your FCBD® Style and bellydance teaching background?

I've been bellydancing since around 2002, and studying and performing FCBD® Style and Transcultural Fusion since 2012. I completed the nationally accredited JWAAD course "Safe delivery of bellydance" in 2011. In 2016 I graduated ATS® General Skills Classic and Modern, and ATS® Teacher Training, becoming a FatChanceBellyDance® Certified Studio in 2017.  I have taught FCBD® Style in Edinburgh, alongside Caroline, and in Oxford. Before the pandemic arrived, I tried to attend at least one bellydance training intensive per year (see my Dance C.V.), day-job allowing.