Starting in October Fortunata will be offering the Fortunata Tribal Technique Series.

Fortunata Tribal Technique
The Fortunata Tribal Technique is a six week program.  Please read below for the breakdown of classes.  Our Tribal technique is based out of folkloric movement making the flow of the dance more organic and ethnic to various parts of the world.  The end of the class will be a performance designed to honor various awareness organizations such as breast cancer, red dress, domestic violence and many others.  Upon completion, students are given the oppertunity to perform with Fortunata.

Tribal Technique I : Class begins with gentle Tribal Fusion stretches to tone and strengthen the muscles and shape the body, isolation exercises to teach body awareness and basic dance moves, and a full thirty minutes of dance steps in the basic vocabulary of Tribal Belly Dance.  Simple combinations may be given.  Dance steps include hip movements, arm positions and movements, and traveling steps.  Basic Tribal will provide an essence of dancing within a group with simple Zill patterns.

Tribal Technique II:  Continues the work of Basic Tribal Technique at a faster pace and with more advanced movement combinations, plus introduces new steps.  Tribal Technique II begins dance, movement and verbal cues within a group.  Tribal Technique II will also build upon the Zill patterns as well as movement with the Zill patterns.

Tribal Technique III: Enhances dance, movement, Zill patterns and verbal cues.  Tribal Technique focuses on movement and leadership of each student.

Tribal Technique IV: Completes the technique of Fortunata Tribal Gypsy Style with Tribal Fusion stretches, and isolations done with arm and head coordination. To increase balance, strength and the divine within; steps and movements are layered with verbal cues. Combinations for Finger Cymbal patterns, verbal cues and musicality are studied to give depth and breadth to technique.

Fortunata Tribal Class: Get the experience of one of Fortunata’s performances! Class ranges widely over various topics including, but not limited to, improvisation (both solo and group), use of props, costuming, and history of the dance.  After Tribal Fusion stretches, a topic from one of the above subjects may be explored, or intensive focus may be placed on specific steps and technical challenges. Special guests may also be invited. The class will be adjusted to the technical level of the students.

Tribal Journey Workshops: (2 hours) This series places emphasis on building and channeling energy in the body, combining Tribal Belly Dance moves and Jeri Salkin’s Body Ego technique.  Deeply focused and meditative, this series of classes include: Tribal Fusion stretches and guided meditations.  The classes begin with Tribal Fusion stretches.  The heart of the classes will be taught using Tribal Belly Dance moves and elements of Body Ego Technique. This technique concentrates on learning and experiencing a variety of goal-directed physical movement patterns that use the elements of bodily movement (rhythm, space, and force).  The overarching goal of Body Ego Technique is “to facilitate the development of self-identity, body image and ego structure, and to bring about changes of experiences that are necessary for ego growth” (Salkin).  The elements of Body Ego Technique fused with Tribal Belly Dance will be used to bring awareness to the body and self; therefore helping each woman develop overall wellness, which may be reflected in body posture, movement and divine essence.  The class ends with a guided meditation on the chakras grounding the Tribal Journey experience.  Women are encouraged to bring a journal to each session as each addresses discovering balance, connection, discovering higher self, self-empowerment, honoring self and others, etc.