Class Schedule and Workshops by Yasmina

Yasmina teaches at the Mesa Arts Center.  Her classes run all year round and are held Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. 

Don't live in the Valley of the Sun? Yasmina is available to teach at your next event.  Check out her available workshops below or she will customize a special workshop for your event.

Student Page - class info, dance choreographies, etc.

I'm so excited to announce that I have finally started to video some instructional classes on YouTube. These videos are on different topics, moves, props, etc.  Links are below or go direct to my YouTube Channel.

Class Schedule

Mesa Art Center - Tuesday & Wednesday 
classes will start March 18, 2025
next session starts June 3rd - July 16th
classes held at the Art Studios at Mesa Arts Center 
1 East Main Street (south east corner of Main and Center)

Summer Workshops 

Tuesday Nights, Cabaret Style

June 3, 2025
American Cabaret Style Belly Dance
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American Cabaret also known as Vintage Oriental, American Restaurant or American Night Club style was from 1960's - early 1980's. Characteristics of this style were wrapped entrance, veil work, floor work with or without props, finger cymbals and fast movements. The dancer strived for fluidity & control, had tremendous strength, flexibility and endurance. The use of props and audience participation was key to this style. The music was usually Greek or Turkish and was live in restaurants throughout the U.S. American Cabaret was the first fusion style of belly dance and set a precedent of creativity that has continued until today. In this workshop you will learn what makes up an American cabaret dance routine. You will learn all 5 parts of a typical dance routine: entrance, veil, fast section, floor work and finale. Please bring a veil to the workshop and zills if you have them. We will be doing some floor work so bring knee pads if you need them. No worries if you cannot get down on the floor you don't have to. If you do not have a veil, there will be loaner veils available.

June 10, 2025
Demystifying the Veil, Belly Dance
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Learn arm position, veil concepts, veil drapes, veil tricks & moves and more for both rectangular and semi-circular veils. You will need a rectangle or circular veil for class. Loaner veils will be available for class if students do not have one.

June 17, 2025
Belly Dance Prop, Sword
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In this workshop you will be introduced to the secrets of not just balancing a sword, but how to smoothly integrate a sword into your dance. You will learn how to prepare your sword for dance, tricks on balancing a sword, not only on your head but other parts of the body such as shoulder, hand, wrist, hip and more. Bring to class a headband or a non-slick scarf to wrap on your head. Also bring your dance sword; a few loaner swords will be available to be shared in class if you don't have a sword.

June 24, 2025
Belly Dance, Putting it all Together
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Do you have problems putting a routine together? Do you have this wonderful piece of music you want to dance to but don't know how to get started? Do you have problems transitioning from one move to another: difficulty understanding the phrasing in your music? This workshop is for you. Learn helpful hints on performing, understanding music and how to phrase your dance steps, how to make an entrance & exit and more. We will take a short song and work from beginning to end on how to create a dance using both choreography and free styling, how to transition in music phrasing and moves, create an entrance & exit and more. This is a dance workshop, and we will be moving. You will also need a notebook to plan out your dance on paper.

July 1, 2025
Belly Dance Zill Workshop
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While finger cymbals were an absolutely integral part of every belly dance show back in the 70s and 80s, they fell out of favor a bit over the next couple of decades. Finger cymbals are making a comeback as dancers are exploring and embracing this ancient instrument. We will learn several rhythms and 4 basic sounds we can make with our zills. We will put them with movement and by the end of class we will be both musician and dancer, gracefully putting zills and dance together. Please bring your zills to class. Loaner zills will be available if you don't have any.

July 15, 2025
Belly Dance Isolations and Layering
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Class will work on isolations in both the upper body and hips before layering shimmies on top and blending moves together. Once we have the isolation and shimmy going, we will layer on foot work, arms and head to take our layering from head to toe. Workshop is open to all level of dancers.

Wednesday Nights, Tribal Style

June 4, 2025
Tribal Belly Dance Skirt Fusion
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Learn some new spicy, hot skirt moves and combos to add to your dance style. The moves and combos combine various styles of dance from Turkish skirt, Latin styling and Gypsy Rom. Bring the fullest skirt you have to class; 25 yard skirts are recommended.

June 11, 2025
Tribal Belly Dance Cues and Transitions
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Learn non-verbal Cues to communicate with your fellow dancers. A well placed cue and transition can create a magical connection between dancers. We will drill cues & moves and transition into the next move seamlessly.

June 18, 2025
Tribal Belly Dance Sword
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In this workshop you will be introduced to the secrets of not just balancing a sword, but how to smoothly integrate a sword into your dance. We will add a sword to tribal belly dance moves and cues. You will learn how to prepare your sword for dance, tricks on balancing a sword, not only on your head but other parts of the body such as shoulder, hand, wrist, hip and more. Bring to class a headband or a non-slick scarf to wrap on your head. Also bring your dance sword; a few loaner swords will be available to be shared in class if you don't have a sword.

June 25, 2025
Tribal Belly Dance Basket
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Learn basket moves and cues to incorporate in your style of tribal belly dance. The basket adds color along with texture and a little bit of fun into your dance. We will balance the basket along with exploring several ways to hold the basket. Please bring a basket to class; there will be a few baskets to loan out if you don’t have one.

July 2, 2025
Tribal Belly Dance Flamenco Fan
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In this workshop you will learn the Basics of fan moves. For example, Fan Handling, Fan Positions, Arm Moves with Fan and the different Types of the Fan Floreos! We will then explore slow and fast moves, and we will create beautiful lines and shapes with our Flamenco Fan! Please bring a hand fan to class; there will be a few fans to loan out if you don’t have one.

July 16, 2025
Tribal Belly Dance: working with partners & group
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This workshop is filled with fun moves & combos for partners and groups. Learn new moves and combos to spice up your dance by interacting with your partner, not just dancing next to her. We will also explore new creative ways to dance in a group. Tired of switching leads by moving in a circle? Learn some new formations and combination moves to add some excitement to your group dancing. No partner needed to take the workshop; dance and learn with someone new you meet in class.

Fall Session

Tuesday (TBA)

Yasmina's Belly Dance Lessons

Lesson 1 - Veil
Lesson 2 - Fan Veils
Lesson 3 - Posture & Using Your Dance Space
Lesson 4 - Transition with 2 combination moves
Lesson 5 - Layering a shimmy on hips and upper body moves
Lesson 6 - Combos with layering, simple to complex
Lesson 7 - Arms
Lesson 8 - Upper Body
Lesson 9 - Sword
Lesson 10 - Basic Veil with Veil Drape
Lesson 11 - 3/4 up shimmy

Yasmina is available to teach any of the below belly dance workshops at your event.  If there is a topic or dance style not listed below Yasmina can customize a workshop for your event. 

Most of the workshops are 2 hours in length and can be adjusted or put in combination for a full day of learning and fun. 

If you are interested in sponsoring a workshop with Yasmina at your next event please contact her for rates and availability. yasmina@joyofbellydancing.com or call 480/962-6303.

Fan Veil, single & double
Welcome to fan veils a fun and beautiful prop to add to your dance. Fan veils are great to express yourself in your dance with 3 yards of flowing silk waving and fluttering through air and space around you. This prop is great for both Raqs Sharqi and Tribal Fusion dance styles.

This is an introduction to single and double fan veils where you will learn the basics of using the fan veils to hold, open and close plus moves, combination moves and double fan veil choreography. 
Workshop is open to all level of dancers.

“Putting it all Together”  
Do you have problems putting a routine together?  Do you have this wonderful piece of music you want to dance to but don't know how to get started?  Do you have problems transitioning from one move to another; difficulty understanding the phrasing in your music?  This workshop is for you.  Learn helpful hints on performing, understanding music and how to phrase your dance steps, how to make an entrance & exit and more.

We will take a short song and work from beginning to end on how to create a dance using both choreography and free styling, how to transition in music phrasing and moves, create an entrance & exit and more.

This is a dance workshop and we will be moving.  You will also need a note book to plan out your dance on paper.

“Demystifying the Veil”
Class is geared to students of all levels
Learn arm position, veil concepts, veil drapes, veil tricks & moves and more for both rectangular and semi-circular veils. You will need a rectangle or circular veil for class.  

3rd Place Alternative Category Performance from Wiggles of the West - Veil

One More Time with Feeling: how to go from a good dancer to a great one! 
Stage presence is something that emanates from inside. It improves the overall impact of a performance and can make the subtle difference between a good dancer and a great one.  

In this workshop we will explore expression, focus, musicality and posture.  We will work with group exercises along with discussing the 7 points of a dynamic performance and work on each point during the day.  You will go home with exercises you can do on your own along with new ideas and tools to become the star you are!  

Tribal/Indian hand candles 
Tribal moves fused with dance moves from India. I will teach both Indian style moves and modified moves with hand candles. Students will learn a choreographed routine.

Tribal Fusion skirt 
This tribal dance routine includes tribal ATS moves along with tribal fusion moves. Students will need a 25 yard skirt.

Single and Double Cane
Learn single & double cane technique, balancing and manipulating canes, a single/double cane routine and what to look for when purchasing a cane. Two choreographed routines will be taught.

Isolations and layering
Class will work on isolations in both the upper body and hips before layering shimmy's on top and blending moves together.  Once we have the isolation and shimmy going we will layer on foot work, arms and head to take our layering from head to toe.  

Workshop is open to all level of dancers

What to do with your arms
Arms frame the area of the dancer and will draw the audience to the dancer’s movements.  The hands and arms can also show emotion the dancer is portraying in her dance and music.  They are what you might say are the icing on the cake in our dance.  Arms are powerful and can add so much to your performance.   

This workshop includes arm movements but a lot more.  Learn arm concepts to enhance your dance and dance with feeling.  

Workshop is open to all level of dancers.

powered by FreeFind       More about Yasmina Teaching & Performances Classes & Workshops Performance Schedule Students Page YouTube Videos Bio, Photos & More Moonlight Sirens Tribal Photo Gallery Pamela Yasmina Parker Photography Photos by Pamela Yasmina Parker Blog Yasmina's Belly News Blog Yasmina Bio follow me on   What's Happening! Check out the events page for happenings around the State.   Belly Dancing with  Yasmina Summer Session  June 3rd thru July 16th Cabaret Workshops will be on Tuesday nights Tribal Workshops will be on Wednesday nights please check the  Class & Workshop page for the dates and topics of workshops Fall Session will start the end of August Cabaret Classes Tuesday Nights Beyond Basic 6:30 - 7:30  Drum & Zills 7:30 - 8:30 Tribal Classes Wednesday Nights Basic Tribal 5:30 - 6:30 Beyond Basic 6:30 - 7:30 Classes in: American Cabaret  and Tribal  Mesa Arts Center 1 East Main St. Mesa, AZ 85201 for more information