Hala for the Gilded Serpent

The Gilded Serpent presents
Hala

Hala grew up in Alexandria, Egypt to the rhythms and melodies of the Middle East. She has been dancing since she was a child and brings her own graceful, elegant and authentic style to the workshop. Hala exposes the cultural, historical and native dimensions of the dance as it's done in the East. Her dance style is heavily influenced by the folkloric Egyptian traditions that are less known in the West.

Hala is actively involved in preserving the history and tradition of Middle Eastern Dance (AKA belly dance). In addition to teaching classes to all ages and abilities, she provides information and assistance to local schools on the origin and survival of this beautiful art form. A well-rounded artist, Hala also sings with the Arabic choir "ASWAT", based in San Francisco and performs with SMORG, a political theatre group at Stanford University. Hala received her Masters Degree in Computer Science in 1988 and her black belt in Shotokan karate in 1994

Hala's approach to dance teaching, which has been highly praised by her students, offers the unique opportunity for students of all ages, genders, and skill levels to learn together in the same class. A dance routine blending the basics with the more layered moves offers a chance for each student to hone the skills that they already have, perfect the right posture and attitude and learn new moves as well as new ways of combining moves; each at their own pace and development capacity. Since dance is an expressive art, Hala encourages her students to develop their own unique style and dance personality. Her teaching method is based on the eastern traditions. Hala stresses valuable health tips that are crucial to using this dance as a healthy physical exercise without any long-term strain on the body.

Here are some testimonials from her students:

"I participated in Hala's Middle Eastern dance class and wanted to let you all know I thought it was great. I have taken other Middle Eastern dance classes and found Hala's approach to be superior to the other instructors from my past experience"
"If you are looking for a dance class that will be a good workout without muscle strain or impact to the joints, this is it. She also knows a lot about the history of the dance and explains the philosophy behind it"
"I loved the energy I felt afterwards; I felt alive, energetic and grounded"
"I liked the fact that Hala explains the meaning of the songs and the dance"
"I think we did it all (meditate, stretch, warm-up and dance), I like your teaching style; very clear and detailed"
"The teacher really knows the subject matter"

Hala is becoming the performer of choice for the Arabic community in the San Francisco bay area because of her authentic and graceful dance style as well as her awareness of the cultural sensitivities of the community. Whenever authenticity in style is sought after, Hala is called upon to perform and present her cultural heritage. She has recently performed at the following events (sample):

March 16th 2002: Fundraiser for an Arabic Leukemia patient where she helped raise over $8000 for the cause.
April 20th 2002: Arabic Banquet in San Jose where Mayor Ron Gonzales was the guest of honor.
May 11th 2002: Hala and her dance troupe presented Egyptian folkloric dances at Stanford University's International festival.
June 12th 2002: Hala presented and taught folkloric Egyptian dance to 300 students at Redwood Middle School in Saratoga, CA as part of their Egyptian studies.
Hala Dance sponsored Egyptian dance pioneer, Mahmoud Reda, for a 2-days dance workshops and master classes in the San Francisco bay area. The show given in his honor, "A Celebration of Egyptian Dance" starring Samraa Al Nil: Badia'a was a big success. For more details, please check Hala's web site:
http://www.HalaDance.com

Articles on Gilded Serpent by Hala
10-9-02 Middle Eastern Dance, a Beautiful, Ancient, yet Misunderstood Art by Hala Fauzi
Why are all the books about this dance written by Westerners?