For the first time JBelly School of RAQ and SHEBA present TOGETHER:
MELAYA LEFF “ALEXANDRIA STYLE” WORKSHOP
Bring out your sass through this workshop in the bubbly style of the Melaya Leff from Alexandria, Egypt! Discover the vivacious, flirty, sometimes coy, and bouncy dance of the Melaya Leff with the guidance of instructors Salit of SHEBA and Janelle Issis of JBelly School of RAQ. You’ll get to dress up “Alexandria Style” to help dive into your playful character even more. don’t forget to invite your dance sisters to join you for some duo fun!!
What to wear- Alexandria Style: short flirty dress/ skirt, heels (optional), colorful hair accessories with pom poms or flowers, big earrings, big bracelets, and anything else that helps you feel flirty and fun!
What to bring:
Water, Melaya Leff (alternatively heavy chiffon veil/ large shawl)
**if you do not own a heavier veil (no silk) please let Janelle or Salit know.
What to expect:
- Historical and cultural review of the Escandarani Dance- “Melaya Leff”
- Technique & Combinations
- Partner work
- Fun and games
- Duet Choreography and Performance
Brief Background: Melaya in Arabic means “bed sheet” and Leff means “wrap.” The use of the Melaya is a tradition with the Baladi women in Egypt not a folklore dance. Conservative women would cover up before leaving the home. In Alexandria the women were dressing more modern with shorter dresses, pompoms in the hair, tightly wrapped Melaya’s & heels. The women in Cairo were more traditional, more covered wearing the galabeya. The Melaya dance that we do today is said to be invented by Mahmoud Reda - he went to many different regions to study the people and noticed the women would wrap themselves in many different ways depending on how conservative they were and their family background. The tradition of the Melaya “dance” was then adapted for performance/stage!
Date: October 7th
Time: 6:30-8:30
Level: Open “beginner friendly”
Studio: Ripley Grier, 520 8th Ave, New York
Early bird rate (until 9/26)- $40
Full price- $55
SHEBA members and JBelly School of RAQ students enjoy an ADDITIONAL discount!
(Contact for more info)
Sign up NOW and secure your spot!
Instructor Bio’s
Salit
Salit is a creative and unique entrepreneur with over 15 years of studying, performing, and teaching the art of bellydance. Born and raised in Israel, now based in New York city, she is the founder and president of SHEBA (the Sisterhood of Eclectic Bellydance Art)- a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing bellydance education to all focusing on female empowerment, cultivating a community, and promoting positive body-image.
Salit holds multiple certificates of fitness and dance instruction and is a member of the folkloric dabke troupe “Afrah Events”.
Recent career accomplishments include teaching and performing in the 2021 “Art of the Belly” festival in Ocean City, MD, and dancing in Ayeci’s 2020 music video “Actitud”.Salit brings passion, musicality, and a unique flavor to the stage and to her classes.
Instagram: @sheba_belly_dance & @__salit__
Janelle Issis - https://www.JanelleIssis.com
Janelle Issis is a fun loving, full blooded Palestinian-American born national touring belly dance artist, certified yogini, nutritionist and CESD signed model and performer. She studied belly dancing as protégé to Aziza of Birmingham and earned a BA in dance at the University of Alabama. As the first belly dancer ever on the show, Janelle danced her way to the Top 6 on Season 9 of SYTYCD. Her most recent credits include The Wendy Show, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, dancing with Derek and Julianne Hough on Good Morning America, and with J Balvin in an international T-Mobile commercial. Janelle currently resides in New York City educating dancers with JBelly’s School of RAQ: Bellydance LLC. , Broadway Dance Center, Ailey Extension and faculty for Showstopper On Tour. She also enjoys her time with NY based professional Egyptian company Raks Al Zahra under the direction of Natalie Nazario. Janelle truly believes Everybody is a Bellydance BODY!!
Instagram: @jbellyburn