home أهلا وسهلا
Hosgeldiniz!
Welcome!
Professional Bellydance
Classes Performance Workshops New classes starting at Salisbury YMCA in March! Check "events" page for details!
Kostana Raqs
about kostana Bio
bios.doc
K ostana is a professional dancer, who teaches and performs Turkish Oriental and Romani (Gypsy) dance, and Egyptian Raqs al Sharqi. She first studied music and theatre in high school & college, & later began her dance training with Artemis Mourat. She has studied Romani dance intensively with Reyhan Tuzsuz in Turkey. She also studies Raqs al Sharqi and folkloric dances of the Arab world with renowned Master instructor Faten of Cairo. She has studied with Lotus Niraja & Piper Hunt & has taken workshops with Nourhan Sharif, Mohamed Shahin, Raqia Hassan, Randa Kamal, Dahlena, Aisha Ali, Amir Thalib and more. She studied Tabla for 2 years with Sidqi and credits both him & Souhail Kaspar for enhancing her musical training. Kostana strives to make all her performances artistic, creative, & authentic by bringing a sense of cultural awareness to her dance both on stage and in the classroom. She performs regularly in the DC metro area and has graced the stages of the Ode to Peace Festival, the World Culture Open, the Kennedy Center Milennium Stage & the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC. Kostana has also performed with the Kardelen Turkish Folkdance Ensemble and Faten Salama's Al Massraweya Troupe. She is honored to have performed with the following distinguished musicians: Husnu Aydogdu, Souhail Kaspar and John Bilezikjian, the SK Near East Ensemble, Rachid Halihal, Selim Sesler, Grup Nazar, Hicham el Anmari and Mohcine Saqi , the Folktours Ensemble, The Balkan Brothers, Ishtar and Issam Houshan of the Bellydance Superstars. Kostana has taught workshops in Rhythm & Movement and Turkish Romani dance at Bellypalooza, Drum & Splash, Buffalo on the Danube & Art of the Belly. She has been published in WAMEDA, Zaghareet & Habibi magazines.
booking 
Booking
Make your next party, event or celebration special by incorporating the art and beauty of Middle Eastern dance! Kostana is available to dance at corporate events, multi-cultural/arts events, birthday & retirement parties, weddings, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, fundraisers, & more!
CLASSIC SHOW: This includes a 15-20 minute classic bellydance show. Kostana is happy to tailor her performance to your special requests and is familiar with Turkish, Greek, Lebanese, Egyptian, Persian and other music & dance styles. Prices start at $250, and depend on a variety of factors including length of show, travel involved, etc. Kostana also works with other dancers and musicians and may be able to help you book a dance troupe or live Turkish or Arabic band for your event at additional costs. Please call (571) 332-4865 or email kostanadancer [at ] yahoo [dot] com for a price quote.
BELLYDANCING IS WONDERFUL ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR WEDDING!
Kostana is happy to tailor a performance to suit your needs. Wedding prices start at $300 for a basic show, and again depend on length of show and travel involved. Live drumming, additional dancers, traditional shamadan and/or a live band are all possibilities that can be added to this package. Please call me to personalize your special day.
DANCE PARTY: Includes a 30 minute group bellydance lesson followed by a short performance. Kostana will provide hip scarves (on loan) for up to 15 guests. Perfect for bridal showers and bachelorette parties! Call for 571-332-4865 details.***
WORKSHOPS:
Kostana is available to teach a variety of workshops. Some of her specialties include: "Foundations for Turkish Romani 9/8", "Foundations & Combinations for Assaya (Cane)", "Rhythm & Musicality for Dancers", "Intro to Turkish Music", "How to put together a professional stage show", "Zil Patterns & Combinations", "Improvisation Techniques", "Creating a Dynamic Drum Solo", and "Lyrical Veil Technique". For more information on topics, full workshop descriptions, and how to book Kostana to teach dance workshops in your area, please email me via my CONTACT page. or call 571-332-4865.
POLICIES:
Kostana's show is family-friendly! No Bachelor parties, fraternity parties or requests for exotic dancers, please! No videotaping without prior consent. However, photos are welcome and encouraged! For private parties, Kostana travels with an escort to assist her and ensure her safety.
To book Kostana for your next event, please call (571) 332-4865 or email kostanadancer [at ] yahoo [dot] com .
PAYMENT:
For most events, a $75.00 deposit is requested at time of booking. The deposit is refundable if your event is cancelled at least one week prior to the date of the event. After that, it is non-refundable. The remainder can be paid via cash or check at time of event. You can also pay before the event via credit card with PayPal. Send payment to kostanadancer [at ] yahoo [dot] com
Photo by Amanda Gilley www.amandagilley.com
performances Performances/Events
This does not include private gigs, please call for availability!
February 25 - Free Demo Class at the Salisbury YMCA! 10:15am-11:15am
March 3 - April 7 - Mixed Level Bellydance Classes - 10:15am-11:15am, Salisbury YMCA - 6 sessions, Saturdays
March 3 - Arabic Rhythms & Musicality Workshop - 12:30pm-2:30pm, Dancenter Salisbury
March 16 - Friday night Bellydance shows at OC Kabob/Salisbury resume!
Two Shows: 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Call for reservations: (410) 749-1969
March 23-25 - 2nd Annual Art of the Belly - The Carousel Hotel, Ocean City, MD. Kostana performs on Saturday, March 24 at 8:48pm w/ live music by Ishtar. Tickets/Info: www.artofthebelly.com
March 26 - Bellydance Master Class at SSU, 4:30pm-6:30pm. Private class. SSU Dance students only!
April 7 - Performance Technique: How to Create a Solo - 12:30pm-2:30pm, Dancenter Salisbury
April 23 - History & Culture of Egyptian Dance: Movie, Lecture & Performance demo - Salisbury University, 7pm-8:15pm
Explore the roots of Egyptian folkloric dance and bellydance in film. Part of SSU's Multi-cultural Week. Free & Open to the public.
classes Classes
Saturday Workshop Series:
(All workshops are 12:30pm-2:30pm at Dancenter, Salisbury, 104 Poplar Hill Avenue. All workshops are $30/advance or $33 if paying via paypal, and require minimum registration of 6 people for the class to run. Please email me if you are coming and I will send you instructions on how to register. You MUST preregister for these workshops by the dates indicated below)
February 18 - The Art of Assaya: This workshop covers basic cane skills and Saidi folkloric steps. Students must bring their own cane (if you don't know where to get one, please contact me!). You do not need to be experienced as we will be learning a lot of new folkloric steps, but experience is helpful in mastering using a prop while dancing. Students will move at their own individual pace, and more advanced students will be given more advanced movement. Register by 2/11 to hold your spot!
March 3 - Arabic Rhythms & Musicality: This classes covers 6 common Arabic rhythms you should be able to recognize in Arabic music - where you will typically hear them in Arabic music, plus how to listen to and feel the music when you dance. We will learn combinations appropriate to different rhythms and begin to learn improvisation skills. Experience not necessary, but helpful. This class is for anyone wanting to better understand Arabic music. This IS a dance class and we will be moving, but also doing listening exercises. Register by 2/25 to hold your spot!
April 7 - Performance Technique: How to Create a Solo:
This class will build on the musicality skills you learned in Arabic Rhythms & Musicality. We will learn improvisation vs. choreography skills, and tricks to help you when you forget your choreography while performing (it will happen!). Students should have at least 2 years experience for this class. This is a participatory class - Students are encouraged to bring a piece of music they are working on, as we will explore these pieces in the 2nd half of the class. Register by 3/30 to hold your spot!
Regular Classes:
February 25 - Free Demo Class at the YMCA Salisbury, 10:15am-11:15am
Bring a friend and try a free class! If you like it you can sign up for the 6-week session below!
March 3 - April 7 - Mixed Level Bellydance at Salisbury YMCA, 6 Sessions
10:15am-11:15am. $66/members, $72/non-members.
You must register for this class through the YMCA, www.middelmarvaymca.org
Minimum registration required for the class to run. Please pre-register!
I am also available for private lessons, coaching and group workshops. Some workshops topics are listed on my Booking page. Call for more details: 571-332-4865.
shopping 
Saturday Workshop Series
See Classes page for Workshop Descriptions!
Location: Dancenter Salisbury, 12:30pm-2:30pm
Each workshop is $30, or $33 w/ paypal
Pay below or email me to send a check.
February 18: The Art of Assaya
March 3: Arabic Rhythms and Musicality
April 7: Performance Technique: How to Create a Solo
