Ela! Yalla! Come dance!
Tsiftiteli Drills & Combos
A self-paced class series in the tradition and art of tsiftiteli
Blooming from the lands of greater Anatolia, Greece, and Cyprus, Tsiftiteli is a dance woven through song and stories. Its movements are inspired by the ocean, the olive trees and the fire in the hearts of the people of these places.
Inside Tsiftiteli Drills & Combos, students will connect to this dance’s history and stories while building a foundational & embodied practice.
tsiftiteli drills & combos
We will begin our series with an orientation to what Tsiftiteli is, its history, and explore this dance style over five weeks of virtual classes.
All classes are 75-minutes long and held online via Zoom with a group of fellow dancers. Recorded replays of the classes will be provided in the course home for students, with lifetime access.
Students will also be given a playlist for the 5 week session as well as resources to learn more about the history of the dance.
Course Overview
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Welcome
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Classes
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First Class Flow
In our first class, we focus on flowing into this new way of moving and the history of tsiftiteli.
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Shimmies & Arm Pathways
This class explores the technique of the shimmy as well as the common pathways of the arms in tsiftiteli.
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Combo Through the Ages
This class includes:
Arm warmup
Hip slides and figure 8
A fun combination to try to different eras of Greek music
History lesson continued (rebetiko, rhythms, bouzoukia)
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Arms, Shoulders and Hands
This class focuses on the moves of the shoulders, hands and arms.
Warm Up
Combos with the arms, hands and shoulders
Improv time
Watching tsiftiteli at the end
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Putting it All Together
In our last class we go through each body part and their subsequent moves, then put it all together! The end of class involves time for students to improv to find their tsiftiteli voice.
Optional to dress up for this class!
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Additional Materials
ABOUT your teacher Myrto
I have been dancing many different styles of so-called belly dance for 12 years. I first heard Roza Eskenazi when I was 19, and I learned old school Tsiftiteli with her voice guiding me.
Growing up, my Greek family would mostly dance traditional circle dances at gatherings. Of course, some members would twirl their wrists and bump their hips to the sky, the simple, yet beautiful Tsiftiteli we all love!
I was mostly self-taught in Tsiftiteli style until I found my teacher Athena Najat. Based in Turkey, Athena is a Greek-American dancer who has studied Tsiftiteli and created beautiful renditions of our dance in her career!
For me, dancing is as essential as breathing or drinking water. I can’t live without it! It brings me ultimate peace, and joy and challenges me to keep growing! It is such a pleasure to share what I know and watch dance touch people’s lives in beautiful, uplifting ways.
Filakia! (Kisses)
ENROLL HERE
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ENROLL HERE ⚱︎
