ACTING FOR DANCERS - ON DEMAND! 

Before I met Ranya I felt like I wanted to speak but I had no voice. Through Ranya’s coaching methods she has taught me how to unlock my potential and become a really effective performer and artist. Now I feel like I can truly connect with myself, my audience and share my voice through my dance. Learning how to dance from my core, how to focus my attention and use of breath work through Ranya’s methods has really transformed my dance. I cannot recommend Ranya enough. If you truly want to invest in your dance and take it to another level, invest in Ranya, you won’t regret it!

She has really taken a lot of time in her personal education to learn about the mechanics in terms of how we move and how we breathe, and what's going even psychologically. She also has a really good appreciation for different body types and different abilities in the dance, and different sensibilities, and it makes a world of difference in her teaching and people's ability to learn and take in things. I also think it encourages people to take risk and chance in a way that they wouldn't [normally do]. "

With Ranya, if she doesn't understand she takes the time to understand. She really does listen, and actually engages you. And it encourages you to take risks. I tried out things I had never seen someone with my body type do, because Ranya was talking me through it.

I am largely self-taught and I was used to filming myself in order to analyse and improve my dancing, so I already had a lot of ideas about what might be better. But Ranya made me realize things I would never have seen by myself. Her comments are always spot on and at the same time always super encouraging. And she will not only tell you what kind of changes might improve your dance but also how to achieve them. Especially her expertise on stage presence and performance qualities is invaluable and makes her coaching format unique. I highly recommend her program to any dancer who wants to not only dance better but also feel better about their dance.

“In my opinion, my dance has catapulted to a whole new level since the first Baladi Coaching session. I’ve felt the difference in my performances over the summer and also felt it contributed to very positive outcomes in my first solo competitions. People (including judges) have shared great feedback and those who know me more personally have commented that they almost didn’t recognize my dancing. One actually said, “Did magic fall into your head or something?” Now, I’ve also worked hard mentally during this time and listen to several audio books that were complimentary to improving mindset BUT my decision to do Ranya’s program WAS the catalyst for my new approach to dance, physically and mentally. She is extremely in-tune and insightful so she challenges you to step out of your comfort zone in a way that isn’t too much. It’s a little scary but you can see she believes in you and wants you to be your best you so your feel safe in your attempts. The group setting also offers you great insights. You get to observe others challenging themselves and can observe how it all can apply to you in some way. I don’t think I would’ve gotten as much from private sessions as I did from the group set-up. Highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to level up their dance!

I really appreciated how positive Ranya’s critique was for myself and everyone else. Not once did I feel threatened or judged. She created a very safe and supportive atmosphere and I appreciate that she shared some of her own personal struggles and process. I also liked working an a small group for the conference sessions. At first I was intimidated to be critiqued in front of others, but as we got going I found it was helpful to see everyone else being critiqued too. Often the concepts and skills they were working on were applicable to me personally, and I was able to listen to and evaluate all the critique in a more objective way than when it was just my own feedback, if that makes sense. I LOVED seeing other’s personalities and musicality come through their dance. It was inspiring and made me that much more excited about my own creative process and interpretation.

I feel grateful for Ranya's coaching series, and I am very happy that I have registered for this course. This is a very different learning experience. The discussion and supportive comments from fellow dancers are the most precious ones I have gotten from this course. Ranya encouraged everyone to give specific comments on each piece, and so I learned to appreciate every different style and every level of dance in this group.

I once fell in some certain styles of dance, but after this course, I broadened my perspectives on various styles. I start to think about how each dancer's personality shapes this dance, and I should not follow other's footprints but create my own. I was not confident in my own choreography and always wanted to try to add more steps in it, but neglected the power of presenting true emotions. In this course, I learned how to show my emotions (which is also my ultimate goal when taking this course), and so the dance will come out naturally.

The breathing technique and the imagery training (painting the room, creating characters, etc.) are also amazing. I've tried to implement these ideas in my different dance pieces and I do find they work very well. This course also helped my teaching, that now I can teach other than techniques and have students go deeper into the meaning of the dance.

Ranya Renee is a master instructor. Her wealth of knowledge is uncommon and she delivers her unique message in a variety of ways which make understanding the method abundantly clear. Ranya’s teaching involves dance movement, body mechanics, and musicality, but extends further to context, history, culture, theatre and comedy. She is extremely funny. The online meeting environment is safe and supportive and one can make friends for a lifetime. ...The Baladi Coaching, Bring Your Best! and Breathwork for Performance series were invaluable experiences for me. The challenges were many, as were the rewards. These courses are for any dancer who is ready to excel towards more intelligent, confident, and exquisite performances. Forever, thank-you, Ranya! I already miss you.