Mark Balahadia

2011-12-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Mark Balahadia will be taking a break from teaching and performing until January 2012.

2011-11-27T20:08:00.001-08:00

Special topic class with Mark Balahadia: Iraqi "Gypsy" dance

December the 11th, 2011 from 6 to 7pm

440 Studios

440 Lafayette St.
4th floor (in room 4E)
New York, NY 10003

Mark Balahadia will be teaching a class on Iraqi "Gypsy" dance, also known as Kawleeya or Radah.

Known for it’s bombastic energy and wild hair tosses, this is not an easy dance to perform. Typical steps include many jumping variations, unique hair tosses done very fast and aggressive shimmies.

Mark will also be going over it's history, development and it's relationship with Khaleeji dance. The class is geared toward intermediate/advanced dancers but all are welcome!

Price: $15 if you pre-pay via paypal @ balahadiamark@yahoo.com (advanced payments will be accepted up to an hour before the class).
...or $20 at the door

For any questions feel free to private message me or email me at balahadiamark@yahoo.com

2011-11-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

Special topic class with Mark Balahadia: Arab Andalusi court dance and Iraqi chobi (Iraqi line dance)

December the 4th, 2011 from 6 to 7pm

440 Studios

440 Lafayette St.
4th floor (in room 4E)
New York, NY 10003

Mark Balahadia will be teaching a class on his interpretation of the court dance of Al-Andalus circa 711 to 1492. The actual dance of the period is lost in time but there as clues as to how it might have looked like. With the help of Ramzi El-Edlibi and from research on music/dance of that period, Mark developed his interpretation of this classical form.

Mark was especially inspired by Ziryab, a Persian court musician who fled Abbasid Baghdad and settled in Al-Andalus (modern day Spain/Portugal) under the sponsorship of the Umayyad Caliphate in Cordoba. With him, he brought influences from the Persianized court of Baghdad.

As a result, Mark borrowed elements Persian Classical dance, Central Asian and Indian dances including deep backbends, finger snaps and barrel turns.

Mark will also be teaching basic Iraqi chobi, a line dance from southern Iraqi that is somewhat similar to Levantine dabke but different in many ways.

$15 if you pre-pay via paypal @ balahadiamark@yahoo.com (advanced payments will be accepted up to an hour before the class).
...or $20 at the door

For any questions feel free to private message me or email me at balahadiamark@yahoo.com

2011-11-17T20:24:00.001-08:00

Special topic class with Mark Balahadia: Raqs Khaleeji (Arabian Gulf Dance)

November the 20th, 2011 from 6 to 7pm

440 Studios

440 Lafayette St.
4th floor (in room 4E)
New York, NY 10003

Mark Balahadia will be teaching another class on Khaleeji dance for those who could not take the workshop hosted by Alwan. Basic steps, hair tosses and gestures will be covered along with more advanced variations. The differences of the modern version versus the older styles will be discussed as well as a history and basic musical theory.

***This will be a good refresher course for those who have taken classes with me on Khaleeji dance before.***

$15 if you pre-pay via paypal @ balahadiamark@yahoo.com (advanced payments will be accepted up to an hour before the class).
...or $20 at the door

For any questions feel free to private message me or email me at balahadiamark@yahoo.com