Got Hips?? Belly Dance!
Learn how to belly dance! From hip drops, belly rolls and shimmies to musical interpretation, emotional expression, nuances, Middle Eastern cultural knowledge, stage presentation and more, your classes with Raksanna will get you moving like Shakira!
Raksanna is an internationally respected, award-winning teacher, educator and performer specializing in belly dance, or the Middle Eastern art of Raks Sharqi. She is known for her fun, nurturing teaching style, dynamic powerful performances and passion for Belly Dance. With a vision of producing beautiful, educated belly dancers who can move *and* know the history and background of this artform, Raksanna’s curriculum features belly dance for all levels, from beginner through advanced/professional. Her faculty is hand-selected and successful graduates of her intensive apprenticeship program that is respected from here to Cairo!
The atmosphere of Raksanna’s classes is fun and friendly where everyone feels welcome and at ease. You start with the basics in Level 1 (Beginner to Advanced Beginner), learning the 12 fundamental belly dance movements of Egyptian style belly dance and gaining the skills to dance with a silk veil and play the finger cymbals.
Then, you move into Level 2 (Advanced Beginner to Intermediate) where you explore different genres such as sword dancing, candle dances, dances from ancient times and dances from different regions of the Middle East. There is no exam required to move from Level 1 to Level 2; you just move up when you’re ready! You can also take Level 1 and Level 2 at the same time if you want! Advancement to the upper levels (Level 3: Intermediate; Level 4: Advanced/Professional) comes in time and our belly dance classes prepare you for the ultimate success.
In addition to weekly classes held at the Fry Family YMCA at 2120 W 95th Street in Naperville IL 60564, Raksanna sponsors supplemental weekend workshops and intensive dance workshops. She also hosts first-class dance seminars and shows starring international icons such as Faten Salama, Momo Kadous and Fahtiem.
Raksanna provides students with fun opportunities to showcase their talents in shows. As a strong advocate of advancing Middle Eastern Belly Dance as an artform, Raksanna brings shows to the theatre as well as other high-end venues. For less formal performances, halfas (belly dance parties)are held in exciting locations complete with contests, games and prizes for an enjoyable evening of entertainment.
Interested in learning more about the beautiful art of Belly Dance? Be sure to check out “Did You Know?” for great reference material, educational articles and photos based on both Raksanna’s personal experiences in the Middle East and secondary research from credible sources.
For high quality belly dance accessories, leotards, music, DVDs and more, you’ll definitely want to check out Raksanna’s store or visit her souk (market) before or after class.
For more information about the best belly dance classes in Naperville, Aurora, Oswego, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Joliet, Montgomery, Warrenville, Wheaton, Lisle, Lombard, Sugar Grove, Sandwich and other Western Chicago suburbs, please call Raksanna at 630.689.3611. To register, call the Y at 630.904.9595.