The classes listed on this page are those currently running, and those we are considering running if there is enough interest.

Please do contact us if at all possible before turning up to your first class firstly so I have some idea of numbers and also for you to confirm it is running at the time and place advertised (sometimes details have to be changed for reasons beyond our control. Any registered students (with email) will be notified by email of any changes. Please update me if your email address changes.

If there are not enough students paid in advance the course cannot run as I need guaranteed students to pay for the room hire. Also numbers are very limited at this venue so if it is popular it will fill up quicklyso I cannot reserve spaces without payment.

If there is sufficient demand in a new area (minimum 10 guaranteed/paying students) and/or at a new time to justify running a new class I will arrange it if practical. Please do let us know if you would like a class in your village. If regular classes are impractical a one off workshop may still be possible.

We can also provide a workshop leader for belly dance workshops for one off events (can be used as part of teacher training, as a fun activity reward for groups, encouraging fitness drives, for team building experience, and more) Catspaw has contacts for experienced dance leaders around the country and most are willing to travel for workshops or other bookings (such as belly dance themed hen nights) for their professional fee plus travel expenses and accomodation (where required).

Class dates, times and locations:

Dates: Next term's class dates are tasters on the 7th 8th & 9th september and courses starting on the 14th 15th, and 16th september, running for 10 weeks with a half term break.

Tuesday AND Wednesday evenings 7-8pm @Woolsgrove, Morchard Road EX17:

TasterClass £5 book in advance, pay on the day or in advance. Follwed by 10 week fun beginners course - £50 paid in advance.

Do make sure to arrive in good time for the beginners classes as they will be finishing on time so as not to hold up the intermediate/improvers class.

Tuesday evenings 8pm-9m @ Woolsgrove, MR, EX17:

Improvers/Intermediate runs straight after the beginners - please read info on the "student notes" pages about this class so you know if you are ready to and want to transfer. This term we will likely be working with the cane as prop.

TasterClass £5 book in advance, pay on the day or in advance. Follwed by 10 week course - £50 paid in advance

Wednesday evenings 8-9pm @Woolsgrove, Morchard Road EX17:

drop-in shimmy fit drills class ( see below left for differences between drop in and courses) - be there by 8pm - late arrivals may find I have packed up and left thinking no-one was going to drop in

£6/class

Thursday Daytime 130-230pm @Lords Meadow Leisure Centre, Crediton

Timed to allow you have a gap after lunch, enjoy class, to finish class and still make it to school to pick up the kids.

TasterClass £5 please book in advance. pay on the day or in advance for taster. Followed by 10 week fun beginners course £50 paid in advance (at end of taster or sooner)

Thurday morning/other daytime in Morchard Bishop

Currently under consideration - an extra class for the september term in the village during the day probably on a Thursday. Contact me if you are particularly intereted in this.

Drop in classes versus courses:

Drop in classes are open to anyone genuinely interested in class to turn up on the day, pay your fee and join the class. Please arrive a little early if you have never danced with us before in order to fill in your fitness to dance form.

Shimmy fit is a drop-in bellydance drill class where we practice moves mostly for the exercise and practice. Although correct instruction will be given it does not have the same emphasis on technique and as lessons are drop in they do not build on each other. On this basis it is ideal to first completed at least one term of a course, to learn some basics, however all are welcome.

Courses have a more structured progression to your learning. You pay for all 10 classes up front. So you can be comfortable with your commitment I run a taster class at a single class rate which is an idea of what to expect from the course. Some material covered in the taster may be included in the course. Courses include elements like learning choreography and more information on dance and particular styles. Courses also incorporate individual advice on technique for most moves.

September 2010 there will be a drop in class starting on a wednesday evening.

Class length

Classes are billed as an hour. As there is sometimes information for discussion as well as dancing this means you can end up with between 35 and 55 minutes actual dancing, warm up or instruction. Please arrive promptly with time to get coin belts on and shoes off before class starts, to avoid disrupting this. Allow time for catching up with friends and getting ready before the class starts please. Although the classes are friendly an hour is a surprisingly short time. This is particularly important on Tuesdays when a second class starts at 8 so we cannot run over time. Some classes tend to run over if we have interesting things to talk about, if you have a problem with getting an extra 10 minutes of class let me know at the start and I will make sure we wrap everything in good time.

ShimmyFit sessions although it does include some information is a more intensive drill session with less focus on choreographies, or dance traditions and more on fun exercise.

Class structure

All classes include a warm-up. Drop in classes with new students and beginners classes will start with posture guidance too. On courses, most classes will introduce at least one new move which we will drill, often at different speeds. Courses will usually have a section of the class where a choreography is learnt either just for pleasure or potentially for performance if the group choses. Sometimes part of the class is given over to a belly dance game which uses dance and other skills such as co-ordination, co-operation or memory. Sometimes we study a single subject all class. Both styles of classes include some shimmy time to help all dancers build up their shimmy stamina (even the most advanced dancers still need to practice this regularly!) and both will usually include freedance time to explore combinations of the moves they have learnt, in their own way and to practice interpreting music. Both style will also have a cool-down. If you have to leave early please ensure you cool yourself down gradually and wrap up as this is sometimes the more dangerous time in exercising and cool down is important.

This information is for guidance and is not a guarantee to clss structure as classes respond to students needs on the day and are varied to keep them more interesting sometimes. If there are events on in the near future more time than usual may be taken with discussion, occasionally some class subjects are discussion or talk rather than physical moves. Sometimes if people have missed a significant move in a choreography we will recap that move. I always try to make sure it is enjoyable for ever student whatever we are doing.