Belly Dance and Fitness in the Pacific Northwest
In-person and online!
Discover the joy of movement, community, and culture!
Come dance with us online or in Berkeley, California.
Abigail Keyes is a licensed instructor of the world-renowned Salimpour Method. The Salimpour School curriculum offers a comprehensive dance program based in technique, cultural context, and personal expression.
Our school, and our host studio are inclusive spaces. All bodies are always welcome.
Please take a moment to read the studio policies.
All in-person students must wear a face covering at all times and provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19, per Berkeley City Public Health order.
Layering Lab/Level 300 Topics
4pm – 5:15pm
Special topics for Intermediate/Level 300 students focusing on technique, line and extension, musicality and rhythm, cultural context and more. At least 2 years of belly dance experience required OR Fundamentals 1 & 2 in the Salimpour Format.
Location: Online Only
Level 1+
6:00pm – 7:30pm
Start here! No certification pre-requisites; finger cymbals are required.
Location:
Live Online & Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance
Danceloric Fusion
11:30am – 1pm
For dancers certified Level 1 in both the Suhaila and Jamila Salimpour Formats.
Finger cymbals required.
Location:
Live Online & Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance
Whether you join me online or in-person, we’ll start with a brief check in. I like to ask everyone how they feel, physically and mentally. It helps me adjust my lesson plan to give you a class that will leave you feeling good.
Then, we warm up, starting with breath and expansive movements, helping us transition from our everyday life to our dance life. In the warm up, we’ll do conditioning exercises to help you build awareness and mobility in your spine, hips, and shoulders. We’ll also refine our isolations and upper body articulations, and in Level 2, we’ll work on basic layering skills.
After our warm up, we work on belly dance technique drills, both standing and with traveling, to develop our coordination, musicality, and stamina. Mindful repetition is the key to building good habits, and I like to joke that dance is just fancy habits.
In the last half-hour, we’ll work on a short dance combination to apply our technique, help our ears understand Arabic and other Middle Eastern music, and learn different belly dance stylizations.
Finally, we finish with a cool down to slow our breathing and heart rate, to center ourselves, and prepare for the rest of the day.
You can drop-in any time. Please keep in mind that if you are joining me in person, that I require all students to register before class time. No paying at the door. This helps me plan the class, as well as adhering to studio COVID protocols.
Purchase a pass! You can buy a single class ($20), a 5-class pass ($90, expires 2 months after first use), or a 10-class pass ($160, expires 3 months after first use). If you’re new, take your first class for only $10. You can also purchase a private lesson package to check in and get personalized feedback.
Bring your body, a water bottle, finger cymbals (purchase here), and your face mask if attending in person. You might want to bring a yoga mat (some of our warm-up is on the floor) as well as dance shoes (recommended if you’re dancing at home on a carpet).
Wear what you’d wear to a yoga or fitness class. Leggings and a tank top are fine. Avoid clothing that is too baggy, because I need to see your alignment and posture, particularly in the spine and knees. Please no hip scarves with beads or coins; the threads can break, and they can be too noisy for our Zoom students.
Bare feet are best! Ballet slippers, jazz shoes, foot “paws” or “undies” work great too!
I can’t guarantee any abdominal chiseling! BUT… In addition to building strength, flexibility, and body awareness, you’ll develop confidence and poise. You’ll also be learning a dance form with a rich history, exploring the music and culture of the Arab world and Anatolia (Turkey). I always add cultural context to help you understand not just the movements, but the meaning and history behind them.
Of course! In fact, there is a long history of professional dancers who aren’t women performing throughout the Middle East.
I teach the Salimpour method, which is not necessarily a style. It is a classical approach to learning technique that can be applied to learning all styles of belly dance, as well as helping you develop your own unique style and musical interpretation. Personally, I love Egyptian oriental/cabaret, Turkish Oryantal, and Lebanese stylizations. I also have performed and taught fusion/interpretive stylizations.
Absolutely! Dance is for everyone, and you are welcome. Come ready to move, learn, and get strong. Try your first class for only $10!
You are not too anything… Unless you want to be! Dance is for everyone and if you have a body, you can dance. I have worked with dancers of all ages, backgrounds, body types, and genders.
Belly dancers with experience are encouraged to come to Level 1. Because the Salimpour Format uses specific language to describe timing, technique, and movements, it would be best to familiarize yourself with these for at least 8 weeks in Level 1. Many people who have been belly dancing in other schools/methods come to the Salimpour School to enrich their practice. You’ll probably find it to be the exact kind of challenge that you’re seeking!
If you have questions about level placement, send me a message.
Yes! Just be aware that I won’t take as much time to break down Level 1 concepts such as timing, finger cymbals, and most hipwork technique.
All in-person students will provide proof of vaccination and wear a face-mask at all times when in the studio. In-person classes are limited to a total of 7 students per class.
Abigail Keyes has the right to cancel any class due to low enrollment or inclement weather (including extreme heat and AQI over 150/Very Poor). Notice of class cancellations will be posted on the PunchPass calendar, Abby’s Dance Classes Facebook Group, and/or emailed to enrolled students.
Students have up to 12 hours before class start time to cancel their reservation without penalty. Cancellations less than 12 hours, as well as no-shows, will forfeit a “punch” on their PunchPass virtual pass.
No student will be admitted to class more than 10 minutes after class start time. If you know you will be late, please let me know.
Turn off your mobile devices and leave them in the lobby. No devices on the studio floor and please don’t check your device during class.
Leave your food, chewing gum, and drinks (other than water) in the lobby.
Class cards have strict expiration dates. No extensions, transfers, or refunds. If you are unable to use your class card before the expiration, email me.
1-class passes expire 30 days after purchase.
5-class passes expire 2 months after purchase.
10-class passes expire 3 months after purchase.
In-person private lessons must be booked at least 1 week in advance. Online private lessons must be booked at least 48 hours in advance.
In-person rates:
Non-CEC: $95/hour
CEC: $120/hour
Online private lesson rate:
$95/hour