Let's start with one of my favourite Australian belly dancers, Aradia, from Canberra. She has invented a unique style - industrial bellydance! The combination of hip-hop style locks and pops with sinuous snake-like movements is mesmerising to watch.
Don't panic if you're a beginner - Aradia won't expect you to pop and lock in her Beginners and Beyond Beginners classes- they're designed to give you a solid foundation in general belly dance. I've seen some of her students perform Egyptian choreographies and been impressed with their technique and performance awareness.
For those who can't attend her Canberra classes, Aradia runs regular Industrial Belly Dance workshops across the country. If you can make it, go - they're well worth it, even if you favour a more conventional style. The techniques taught are highly relevant to all belly dancers, improving body awareness and muscle control. Can't get to a workshop? You can now buy her DVD - here's a clip:
The DVD is available to purchase from her website www.spellboundbellydance.com.au
This woman is the most incredible thing I have ever seen in Bellydance. Aradia is a fantastic performer with so much vibrance and personality and her movement is out of this world with her crazy popping and locking. I did her Sydney Industrial Bellydance workshop and found it to be the best value for money day I’ve ever had. We were given a hard days work with drills and a small choreography as well as lunch, a tank top and cd. I left that day with a new inspiration for what I can do with bellydance now. Thank you Aradia and never stop what you are doing as you are truly just an inspirational woman.
I agree, Kat. I went to the Sydney workshop and while I confess I was hopeless at the industrial pops and locks, I learned a huge amount from the workshop and was lost in admiration for her control!
Unfortunately I never had a class under Aradia, but I have seen her perform her Industrial style & it is fantastic.
She has so much body control it is amazing to watch. Aradia is one belly dancer who you really appreciate watching perform.
A very insperational belly dancer!
I love Aradia’s workshops – talk about value for money they go for most of the day- included is a wonderful catered lunch- a goody bag with a t-shirt- not to mention fantastic drills and choreography then ending on a wonderful meditation to boot. She is a wonderful teacher and I cant recommend her classes enough. We in Canberra consider ourselves very luck to have this wonderful woman and wonderful teacher
Aradia has been the most inspirational teacher I have ever had…. all I did was the one Melbourne workshop and my dancing has changed forever!! What a generous teacher sharing her incredible skills and knowledge and then also providing lunch, t-shirts and a CD (and freddo frogs). We were blown away. And with Industrial I have found my new passion in belly dance, and have been so inspired myself since. I haven’t danced everyday for a long time but these movements just keep coming and I can’t stop. Very grateful and can’t wait till she comes back
I am in total agreeance with these women. I have never seen anyone like Aradia anywhere in Australia. It’s great to see someone who is the same as everyone else and she has this brilliant refreshing attitude with no ego like some other dancers out there. My dancing too has changed forever and I feel as though she has opened the gates to what I can do with my own dancing. She’s bringing out a DVD on Industrial later this year apparently and my students and I are just hanging for it. If you haven’t seen this woman dance… go to her site or better still, go see her in person – she takes you on a journey as though you’ve never seen dance before.
I attended the Melbourne workshop and was really impressed. the quality of teaching was brillant.
Vaule for money, and she makes you feel welcome and at ease. I havent been to any other workshops that can compare….
Loved it and would go again in a heart beat,,,when are you comming back??
I am verye xcited to be dancing alongside Aradia at Canberra’s Multicultural Festival 2009!!
I hope to start an Industrial Class next eyar as well. She is incredible live.
Phew! I attended Aradia’s Sydney workshop yesterday – what an intense day! I enjoyed myself so much, I didn’t realise how tired I was until I got home and flopped on the couch!
I managed to “get” the ticking and locking a bit more this time – but for me, that wasn’t the object of the workshop. What I got out of it – a better understanding of how the muscles drive various movements, a “Eureka” moment when I finally understood how to do a bottom-to-top undulation, and a new way of improvising. Loved it!
You girls are all so fab! Thank you for leaving great feedback! I had the best day with you all and look forward to doing more next year. xxx
Aradia is by far my favourite bellydancer in Australia. I did her workshop and I hear she is about to do the next round. I found her teaching to be so easy to understand and yet thorough. She really knows her stuff and never made me feel inferior or like an idiot if I didn’t get it. We need to celebrate dancers like her more!
Yes Jen, I agree! I’m sorry so many “classical” dancers are scared off by the Industrial tag, because so many of them would benefit from the workshops even if they never plan to tic and lock in their lives!
Omigod.. I just received her DVD a week ago and she is so talented! She makes it so easy to understand and isn’t she a stunner! I haven’t had the pleasure of learning from her in the flesh but from what everyone says on here maybe I should check out when she is next in town in Sydney. She seems so down to earth and not stuck up herself like lots of dancers in Sydney. Come to Sydney Aradia!
Caroline, I’m not sure when Aradia’s due back but you can register for her workshops here:
http://www.spellboundbellydance.com.au/workshops_37.html
It’s definitely worth going to her workshops if you can, they’re great.