Two New Course Offerings Coming to Bella Diva – Feb, 2021
Starting Sunday, Feb. 7th we will be offering Adult Ballet taught by Elizabeth Buckius and another Beginner Belly Dance section instructed by Anna Saakova.
Adult Ballet with Elizabeth Buckius Sundays 12:45-1:45 pm
At Bella Diva we want to empathize ballet is for everybody and can be done by any BODY. This class will be a great add-on for all our world dancers who wish to develop classical dance training and stage presence for performance. Adult ballet is a great workout for the whole body. Ballet is a weight-bearing form of exercise that strengthens muscles, promotes healthy bones, and burns calories. Because ballet uses the full range of muscles, it’s also great for cognitive functions such as coordination and concentration.
Some of the many benefits of studying ballet as an adult:
- Improves flexibility
- Improves muscle strength while lengthening muscles
- Improves coordination and balance
- Improves posture
- Develops self-expression
- Improves concentration
- Great for mindfulness and relaxation
- Improves stamina
Our class will be adhering to the Vaganova Method of ballet. The Vaganova Method is a ballet technique and training system devised by the Russian dancer and pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova (1879–1951). It is acknowledged all over the world as the foremost training syllabus of the classical ballet.
The Method is an extraordinary system that permits to develop the knowledge of how one’s body should be used in order to dance with expression, yet without injuries, like the best Russian dancers do. It is the foremost technique used by Mikhael Baryshnikov, Rudolph Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, and other stars of Russian classical ballet.
Vaganova’s conviction that all theory must be enriched by the experience of teaching and new developments in artistic practice is also at the core of the Method: “Look at life all around; everything is growing, everything is moving forward. Therefore I recommend keeping in touch with life and with art.”
Beginner Belly Dance with Anna Saakova Sundays 3:15-4:15 pm
Anna, from Novorossiysk, Russia, began her dance training at the age of five as a ballroom dancer. Always fascinated by Egyptian mythology and culture, Anna discovered her passion for belly dance in 2006 when she joined Vita Saakova and her dance studio “Gulshan” in Novorossiysk. A year later, Anna was a part of the show group performing at concerts, competitions, and various events. Besides belly dance, Anna was also a part of Roman, Armenian, Bollywood, and Fusion dance troupes. As a solo performer, she won multiple competitions as well as getting first place for group Saidi and Dabke dance.
In addition to the Bella Diva beginner curriculum, Anna will focus on the shimmy drills, new Egyptian technique, exercises to develop bigger hip amplitude, flexibility, fluidity of arms, various belly dance styles, rhythms, and more. With 11 years of theatrical experience, Anna will teach you the importance of emotional expression on stage, and how this can take your performance to the next level.
Online Registration is now open!