This year, you can take my Stage Presence Series by itself or in combination with Bring Your Best (7), a deeper performance coaching program. Read about both on this page, and watch comments from alumni of my coaching programs in the video below. If you plan to sign up for BYB, you must sign up for SPS first, or register for both at the same time, since SPS and BYB will be linked.
You deserve to have charisma as strong as your dance technique.
...Or maybe even stronger.
"Isn't charisma just something you are born with?"
No. It is something you can develop, and it has more to do with strategy than you may realize. We all have "charisma potential," and you can develop yours with the tools I teach in my series.
You have the potential to fill the stage with your energy, to command the attention of your audience. It's just a matter of harnessing the (nearly invisible) tools to do it. They work almost like magic, but the effect is not magic, it's real.
And in the 2022 Stage Presence Series, those are the tools you'll get.
Join me for this online program, a powerful three months that will boost your confidence and your impact on audiences, forever after.
VIDEO:
Words from some of the wonderful dancers who have joined my deeper performance coaching programs online over the last few years (Bring Your Best and Baladi Coaching Series).
In Stage Presence Series, you'll get short, targeted coaching from me, using the aspects described.
For an even bigger transformation with more coaching and support, join us for the Bring Your Best *7* as well.
(To join BYB, you must enroll in SPS as well, since we'll apply those techniques in both series; BYB culminates with a September showcase.)
The talented dancers featured here: -Krystal Nicole (Maryland)- Cindy Tate (North Carolina)- Julia Eberling (Germany) - Elizabeth Aitken (UK) - Alejandra Gutierrez (Ohio) - Piper (Illinois) - Tammy Johnson (California) - Tammy C. (Pennsylvania) - Zakeya (New York) - Brigid Kelly aka Zumarrad (New Zealand) - Jane Tang (Hong Kong) - Jim Anderson (Saskatchewan, Canada) - Kira Starfire (California) - Dominique Moon (North Carolina) - FiFi Faatina (Florida) - Annya Ishtara (New Mexico) - Lisa Schmidt (Texas) - Eszter-Maura (Belgium) - Hadyr (Netherlands) - Jennifer Peng (New York) - Mayousse (Virginia) - Bobbie Barry (British Columbia, Canada)
Are you satisfied with your stage presence?
Do you feel that you have a lot to offer, but that it doesn't always come across when you perform?
Are you sometimes totally "on" and in the zone, but then sometimes totally "off"?
Would you like to have a reliable method for bringing the audience back, when you start to feel them slipping away?
Does perfectionism or fear of judgment get in your way?
Have you had negative experiences when performing, and feel you need to protect yourself to make it through your dance?
Does it feel challenging to look the audience in the eyes? Or to step up and "own the room"?
If you don't feel you can rely on your own stage presence, under pressure to perform,
then it is not currently serving you.
It may surprise you that I used to feel this way myself... that I couldn't rely on my own stage presence. I knew I had it, sometimes, but I couldn't access it on demand, like I can now. This was even though I had been acting since childhood. I didn't figure out the trick to it, until 1996 when I started developing the Breathwork for Performance method.
As performers, we need to be able to rely on ourselves to get "in the zone" in situations where there is pressure to do our best, and to overcome those messages in our heads -- the ones that tell us we are not good enough, or not attractive enough, or not experienced enough...or that tell us that the audience is judging us.
Perfectionism, fear of judgment, past trauma, shyness, fear of alienating fellow dancers... any of these, and more, can get in the way of our presence, our connection with the audience, and our ability to "own the stage."
Being able to perform under pressure and look confident on the outside, even when you don't completely feel confident inside, is what I teach in my coaching programs, and it will be the primary focus of the Stage Presence Series.
It's not just part of performing: stage presence is in fact something we need for everyday life. Including the business aspects of the dance, if you are a professional performer or teacher. You will not get the performing or teaching gigs if you can't maximize your stage presence. You will be able to get more gigs, and get paid more, if your stage presence is undeniable, and if you know how to use it.
NOTE: Next year I'll run a different performance-skills series, and I plan to require Raise Your Stage Presence and Breathwork for Performance as prerequisites for that one. So join us this year to get the best from these programs -- LIVE -- by joining the 2022 Stage Presence Series!
Even if your time is limited during the live run of SPS, you'll be able to keep working through these component programs on your own schedule, and you'll have LIFETIME ACCESS to all the video trainings and PDFs, to keep going back to this material for inspiration and guidance.
FAQs - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I understand! For this series, it is not an absolute requirement, but strongly recommended - you'll get a lot more out of the program if you do. Many people feel a little nervous at first, but remember, these are only viewable to you, me, and the others in this program. After the first time, and after you see others participating, you will likely get more comfortable with it! The custom app makes it easy to submit even if you are in a hurry, and you'll enjoy checking out everyone's videos in the gallery! The idea is for these to be short and sweet so you can get it up there fast, and get a little experimental with it!
If you are already an advanced dancer or teacher, you will learn a method for stage presence that will catapult your career. Dancers who have done this training with me have gone on to become reliably amazing performers, successful workshop circuit instructors, and competition prize winners. If you are a teacher, the material is invaluable and will enhance your approach.
If you are newer to the dance, it is never too early to start working with your own comfort and energy, and developing a relationship with your breathing that is supportive and builds your confidence.
Other questions? Watch a video walkthrough of the program.
I cannot recommend Ranya enough!
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!
Ranya’s technique is like having a secret recipe to go to, and to be able to play it like a musician.
ALEJANDRA Gutierrez, Ohio
I have been breathing my whole life, but there are ways to do it for dance and there are ways to manipulate your breathing that will get you to the point that people can feel you, that people can get your message... that you can be part of something bigger.
Ranya’s technique is like having a secret recipe to go to, and to be able to play it like a musician. You can deliver your message, you can empower people, you can empower yourself, you can do whatever you want on the stage.... Of course you need your technique and spatial awareness, but if you don't breathe, it is kind of flat. I'm so happy and thankful for Ranya for giving me that tool, because it's for life.
If you've experienced any of these issues below, you'll gain and practice the tools to move beyond them, in the 2022 Stage Presence Series.
- a smile that started out real but now looks (and feels) fake
- the dreaded RBF ("resting bitch face")
- being the "scared-looking one" in your performing group
- always "looking over the audience's heads" rather than at them (out of nervousness or because another teacher told you - wrongly - that avoiding the audience by looking over them is how to manage your nerves in performance)
- overthinking about "what move to do next" when you are improvising
- focusing on how the audience might be judging you, rather than truly sharing the moment with them
- boring your audience, or being concerned you might be boring them
- your choreography looking stilted or empty
- not feeling "present" enough, or connected to your body, to your music, or to the audience
- your energy not adequately filling a big performance space (and maybe not even getting those gigs because your stage presence is not yet up to the job)
- finishing your piece out of breath, realizing you were holding your breath for much of it
- feeling embarrassed or regretful that you didn't do your best in your show... and now the moment is over
"Share the Air" = Build a bridge to the audience, using your own breathing and focus to expand your stage presence
SHINE as you deserve to. Stage presence is truly something you can develop, with tools that work, and have been tested to work on a variety of dancers, introverts and extroverts alike, over the last 25 years.
You already work hard on your dance technique. You worked hard to get here. So...
Work smarter on your stage presence.
You really can feel more comfortable in your own skin, when in the spotlight.
You really can feel like the master of your performance.
And if you are already pretty comfortable in your stage presence, you can definitely take it even further, and tune it, to fully command the room.
This is a tailored program, and each person will receive feedback that applies to them, that helps them reach the next level for them.
Since I began teaching the elements of the Breathwork for Performance method 25 years ago, I've helped thousands of dancers and other performing artists to accelerate their development and amplify their presence in front of their audiences. And what I've observed over and over, is that after they learn this invisible method, they start getting more opportunities to perform and teach. This method gives you the full package, when added to your existing dance technique.
If you are a professional dancer or teacher, and you want a more fulfilling career, you need this competitive advantage.
If you dance for fun, you'll have way more fun performing (and even taking class), when you use these tools.
If you dance for self-development, you'll develop insight you can apply to the rest of your life too. This is not a typical dance training program.
Join us, so you can use these helpful tools for yourself.
Fifi Faatina
Naples, Florida
I first took Ranya's breathwork class a while back. I first realized the power of breathing when I was doing a live improv performance several years ago. I took long languishing breaths while dancing because I was in a zone and I felt really great. My dance friends noticed the breathing and said it was amazing. I remember that was my first encounter with realizing that breathing was special. Fast forward, I saw Ranya's class online and instantly knew it was something I wanted to learn more about. Ranya's class was (and still is) so transformational for me. Breathing is the key to life and, of course, dancing! Since taking the class, I practice breathing in everything I do but I will say, my dance has transformed and continues to do so with the breathwork. Breathing brings power and engagement, it feels good and it surfaces so many emotions. I still work on my breath every day and with each practice I have new thoughts, ideas, characters, and creativity. The air is magical and I love that Ranya incorporates this into all her classes. Thank you Ranya for making me fully aware of breathing!!
"
I recently experienced an awakening when I applied my focus to Ranya’s breathing techniques. My natural state of being is one of much energy and kinetic movement. I wanted a way to tune out peripheral static, and tune totally in to my dancing in the moment. It was the breathing that made me feel as though I was being transported into something that slows down time and simplifies the universe. For me, it creates a meditative frame of mind that calms and connects me with the audience and musicians/music. This is a new practice for me, and I’m excited about continuing to work on carrying it forward, to be a staple part of my dancing and other instances in life.
Lisa Schmidt - San Antonio, Texas
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE STAGE PRESENCE SERIES:
SET YOUR EXPRESSION IN MOTION
A variety of training methods are included in this series, to enhance your learning from multiple angles.
Short video recording exercises, along with optional journaling/writing and drawing/painting, will give you creative practice in applying the techniques. These are designed to help you open yourself up as a dancer and performer, mentally and physically. You'll gain more confidence, tune in to yourself with compassion, and learn how to relax your body and facial expression. You'll also learn how to visualize the audience and your connection to them in new ways that can help you break through old patterns.
In running online coaching programs for the past five years, I have found that members make faster progress when we engage in "expression cross-training" - working with speaking and connecting, drawing or painting, as well as the more expected movement expression and steps. For the recording exercises, our Ginger City video submission app helps facilitate easy sharing, whether you are on your phone, tablet, or computer, and it's all private to only the members of this series. Group meetings on Zoom, scheduled at different times to accommodate different timezones, will give you a chance to practice these techniques with others who are working on the same thing!
You'll also have a chance to get coaching feedback from me on your work, and also you'll get to learn from the feedback for others, in a supportive atmosphere. (My Coaching Prep video program is also included when you register, so you can get comfortable with the process.)
Two of my popular programs will form the backbone of the Stage Presence Series, and guide our work, and LIFETIME ACCESS to these video programs (more than 15 hours of video content) is included with your registration for SPS! These are: Raise Your Stage Presence, and Breathwork for Performance. They are comprised of video training modules that you can watch and digest on your own time, on any device! In each video, I'll go over a different aspect of the Breathwork for Performance method. The mental aspects, the physical aspects, the tricks and tools, the psychology and practice of it ...all of it!! The videos include "jumplinks" - counter number notes that allow you to jump from subject to subject within the video. PDF references with BFP checklists and diagnostics, for performers and dance teachers, are also included.
video training modules
RECORDED AND LIVE COACHING FEEDBACK
You will get coaching from me based on the short video exercises you submit, in the discussion forum area, and when you volunteer for coaching in a live meeting. Personalized and tailored to you, my feedback will help you develop your ability to use the Breathwork for Performance tools, to guide you forward and build your knowledge and confidence. You'll also get to learn from watching and sharing with others; it's all done in a respectful, supportive way that honors your process and your existing qualities and talents. Even in my "light" coaching series like this one, you will gain powerful insight that helps you progress even faster. (And if you join the deeper Bring Your Best coaching series concurrently with SPS, then you will experience real transformation that takes you to a higher level still.)
No matter where you are in the world, you can participate easily in the discussions in this series. With the dedicated login-based forum area on my site (not on Facebook!), you can connect with fellow participants, ask me questions, share successes, and gain accountability in your process with social support. You can set your email notifications to stay on top of discussions, or check the forum topics on your phone on the go. I’ll be in the forums regularly, answering your questions and replying to your posts.
SUPPORTIVE, THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSIONS
Tammy
oakland, california
She really does listen, and actually engages you. And it encourages you to take risks. Ranya 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. 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. I tried out things I had never seen someone with my body type do, because Ranya was talking me through it.
Julia
Stuttgart, germany
Ranya's coaching is genius! I am largely a self-taught and I was used to filming myself in order to analyze 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 bet about their dance.
Raena
Dallas-FT worth, Texas
My dance has catapulted to a whole new level since the first coaching session. I've felt the difference in my performances 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?" Ranya 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. 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 have gotten as much from private sessions as I did you from group set-up. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to level up their dance!
ABOUT THE 2022 STAGE PRESENCE SERIES COMPONENT PROGRAMS - RYSP & BFP
RYSP + BFP =
A POWERFUL PACKAGE
About RAISE YOUR STAGE PRESENCE:
Raise Your Stage Presence (RYSP) will give you mindset-based and physical tools to proceed towards a more impactful onstage presence. It offers a framework to envision your stage presence not as something you "have" (or don't have) but as something you create, and even co-create with the audience. The conceptual framework in RYSP, combined with Breathwork for Performance practice, makes for a powerful package. I think you'll agree when you experience it in the program this year. It offers mindset exercises to proceed towards a more impactful onstage presence, a practical way of managing your thoughts and intentions for your performance, in the moment, while you perform... all so that you can still show up the way you want to, in front of the audience.
Each video training module of RYSP and BFP has "jumplinks," to jump to time codes in the video, so you can find the topic you are looking for or want to review (since there is a lot in these programs). All the text in the jumplinks is also searchable on the site (when you can't remember where you saw that topic covered!). You can bookmark or favorite the lessons that you want to return to. You'll get these programs in my membership site for LIFETIME ACCESS when you register for the 2022 Stage Presence Series. You'll also get my Coaching Prep program to prepare you for receiving coaching, and to better understand my perspective as a coach as we start working together.
About BREATHWORK FOR PERFORMANCE:
Breathwork for Performance (BFP) has been an integral part of my dancing, teaching, and coaching method since 1996. I've taught these methods all over the world in in-person workshops, and in 2018 I recorded the main teachings and many practical exercises. The BFP program has 13 hours of organized, searchable content (which we'll go through week by week in SPS), and covers all the ways you can apply your own breathing to the different aspects of your dance and performances. Calming your nerves, preparing to go out onstage, settling into yourself, connecting with your music, connecting with your space, connecting with your audience, self-acceptance and "uplift," letting go of self-doubt or feelings of judgment from others... it's all in there, in an integrated approach that will make you feel powerful and in control even as you enable the audience to see you and connect with you in a more profound way.
Using breathwork, eye gaze, physical gestures, posture, and focus, dancers can enhance their charisma in a way that is mostly invisible to the audience, but is still felt by the audience. They start to feel a deeper connection with you, and they give you their attention. You also feel that you have their attention, and you feel more connected to them. My Breathwork for Performance program lays out the practical techniques of this method in a detailed way, so we'll use that as our reference guide in SPS.
"
Over the past couple of years I've been trying different online sources of learning with some of my favorite teachers. The others have been helpful and useful because they helped me with technique, but is this the first one where it feels specific to me, [designed] to help me be a better dancer.
I was working toward an overall goal of trying to incorporate concepts, breath, really trying to make an impact on the audience. And Ranya’s coaching made me grow in the sense that there were things that I didn't realize I was doing or not doing. That really affects the impact that I have on the audience.
Bobbie - Victoria, BC Canada
Stage presence can be a pretty loaded topic, especially if you don't feel you can rely on your own stage presence under pressure to perform. I used to feel this way, even though I had been acting since childhood. I was comfortable onstage much of the time, but I couldn't rely on myself to be in the zone in every audition, or when I felt that the audience might be judging me. The fear of judgment got in the way of my presence.
Raise Your Stage Presence includes mindset and physical exercises to proceed towards a more impactful onstage presence.
Even taking more than a decade of acting classes when I was young didn't teach me what is in the method I cover in RYSP. It is a method that really helped me to magnify my own presence and one that has worked for the hundreds of dancers I've personally coached.
We'll dig into the idea of stage presence itself: What stage presence entails, how it's created, and why tools such as breathwork and eye contact help... but also why they're not enough. I will be sharing a model for building your stage presence through understanding your role onstage and understanding your relationship to your audience... on ANY stage, and how you can create the stage itself, as well as your presence on it, using a combination of mental and physical tools. You can be so compelling that you compel your audience to watch your every move, and feel the power of that connection.
It's not just part of performing: stage presence is in fact something we need for everyday life. Even non-performers need stage presence for interacting with people in public, or even in private. Whether they label it as such or not, everyone knows they need that magic "it" factor in order to succeed. If you notice the times in your life you need some stage presence to reach your goals, like getting someone's attention in a store or restaurant, bravely confronting a work colleague over some problem, or making it through security at the airport, you will see that it is not always on the traditional stages. You'll see it's everywhere, and that it's worth paying attention to how it works... not just what it is. It's something you can practice in everyday life.
Below are the pre-recorded training modules in the Breathwork for Performance program, accessible to you in the membership site as you work through the series (purchased by itself, BFP is $299). BFP is included in your SPS registration, for lifetime access...and on top of that, you will get coaching feedback, group discussion, Q&A and live meetings with me, June-August.
All meetings (except for breakout rooms) are recorded, with on-demand access so you won't miss anything.
Intro to Breathwork for Performance, the origins, the method, the philosophy: written and video exercises for tuning in and assessing your relationship with your own breathing, facial expression, and physicality; and we'll assess your comfort and discomfort zones that you'll work on during the series. Taking Stock Of Your Breathing & Diagnostics.
Breathwork for Connection with Yourself: Using breathwork tools to take stock of how you feel, calm/relax yourself or pump yourself up; mental and physical preparation before performance using breathwork tools; benefits of "finding neutral".
Breathwork for Shaping the Body for Bellydance: How breathing interacts with the dance musculature; how to maximize your breathing for technique enhancement; organizing your breathing for different belly dance technique needs; technique situations where you need to hold your breath and how to cover for this (so no one knows your secret).
Breathwork for Connecting with the Space: Intro to different breathwork-painting styles to spread your energy around the performance space; different levels of eye gaze and sending energy in the space; working with different types and sizes of performance space; learning how to relate with the space no matter how large or small the audience is. Pushing and pulling the air with muscle power; sending, taking, and ‘vapor breath'.
Breathwork for Musicality: Using breathing as a score for the music; working with different ways of "playing" or accompanying the music with your breath; how and when to apply sound in your breathwork practice. Working with rhythms and melodies.
Breathing The Music – Working With Rhythms And Melodies Philosophy of breathwork connection with the audience; practical tools to connect with the audience using your breathing as a focusing tool; different breathwork actions you can apply using your audience (e.g. sending, taking, "vapor breath," "throwing a net," "breathing along a string," "casting a spell"...) Working With Rhythms And Melodies.
Eye gaze: Connecting with an audience. Pairing breathwork and eye gaze in connecting with audience members; working with different kinds of audience members, fellow performers, and band members.
Breathwork Troubleshooting:
Sharing the Air – Connecting to audience through breathwork bridges, with volunteers!
Connection in different-sized spaces: Working with a big stage and a big audience; working with a small space and a small audience.
Filmed in my Ginger City studio in New York City, the pre-recorded video trainings have clear audio and video, and helpful jumplinks, so you can follow along easily and keep track of your progress on the site.
MY GUARANTEE: I promise you'll get a host of powerful tools in this series, and I guarantee you will build your presence and charisma, if you are active in the program and you do the exercises!
Based on my 25 years of teaching this method, I'm fully confident you'll see immediate results in yourself when you start putting it to work. Over the 3 months of this series, you'll have the time and support to solidify the habits for every performance you will do from then on.
Once you experience this way of working, you'll never experience your performances (or your relationship to your audiences) in the same way again!
Ask additional questions using the yellow chatbot at lower right
(live response when we are online), or send email to
Runs JUNE 15-AUGUST 21 (early registrants get access from June 1)
Most of the Stage Presence Series will be asynchronous, meaning you can participate on your own time but with regular interaction, deadlines to stay accountable, and periodic live meetings and recorded coaching posts from me.
You can work on the video course material and discuss in the course forum club, at times that are convenient to you, but with everyone working on the same material from the RYSP and BFP programs. This is how dancers from all over the world can participate.
Live meetings at various times in June, July, and August will incorporate practice with partners, sharing experiences, and a chance to ask me questions about the Breathwork for Performance techniques we are using. Practice exercises will come from the BFP program and some additional stage presence exercises. Past participants have found the live meetings to be welcoming and supportive, something to look forward to. Even if you live in a far-off time zone, we work to include everyone in at least some of the live meetings, and you'll have regular interaction with me between meetings with forum discussion and recorded video feedback from me.
"Will this series accommodate my work/family/travel/other dance schedule constraints?"
Meetings at different times/days will accommodate as many time zones and schedules as possible. Everything except the Zoom breakout rooms is recorded, so you can watch or listen later if you have to miss a meeting for any reason. Since this is the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere at least, we are expecting many will have some travel or vacation time during the series, and for most, it will be easy to catch up on SPS once you are back. This will be the case for Bring Your Best also: you can work your coaching meetings around any away times.
Video submission opportunities at regular intervals in the series. Submit your short practice videos using our easy video app, then get personal feedback on how you are applying the exercises. Everyone who submits will get coaching feedback from me, so you don't have to guess about how you are doing! There is a nice feeling of camaraderie that develops as members share short fun videos testing out the techniques.
"Can I really make progress this way?"
Yes. You will notice a difference in yourself and in the other participants, between the start and end of the series, in less than three months, no matter what level of experience you start with. If you engage and do the exercises, even a small amount of effort will pay off, and you'll see the results.
GENERAL SCHEDULE FOR STAGE PRESENCE SERIES
Pre-work & onboarding period (discussion opens after June 1, with access to RYSP and BFP on-demand, as soon as you sign up): Get oriented in the membership website, watch the RYSP videos, join in the private forum discussions, and start taking some notes for yourself. Meet the other members and introduce yourself, and share your goals with me.
Weeks 1-2: Discuss RYSP, continue with exercises; watch the first BFP modules on Centering Yourself and Shaping the Body
Weeks 3-4: BFP modules on Shaping the Airspace, Breathing the Music
Weeks 5-6: BFP modules on Sharing the Air
Weeks 7-8: BFP modules and other practice on dealing with tricky performance situations/ the concept of "Embracing Your Mistakes" to hide the mistakes (or to hide moments when you lose confidence, so you can get it back quickly)
Week 9-10 Reflection and consolidation, “trend-setting” (building on goals/habits to develop as you work more on developing and expanding your stage presence)
AFTER YOU REGISTER: You'll get access to the component RYSP and BFP programs if you don't have them already, so you can start watching the trainings. We'll also add you to the discussion forum where you can connect with me and fellow series members.
If you would like to also join Bring Your Best, you can arrange an interview with me to determine if it is a good fit for you. This is required for first-time joiners. If you are a returning member of BYB (or of the "pod-format" BCS), and want to join, contact me at support@gingercity.com to let me know.
More information about BYB is below, on this page.
Looking forward to seeing your power onstage SKYROCKET this year!
STAGE PRESENCE SERIES
Want to go deeper?
Join BRING YOUR BEST *7* 2022
Concurrent with and integrated with the Stage Presence Series, this year only
For those who are ready for a deeper commitment to reach the next level in their performance AND to prepare a new piece for the September showcase, BRING YOUR BEST will produce the deepest transformation in your work, and a strong feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.
There’s a reason most dancers who join once return again and again to my coaching series: They get results, while enjoying a supportive, friendly atmosphere and making real connections with others. Because it happens every series, I can say it with confidence: You will exceed what you thought was possible for you, if you join Bring Your Best.
About BRING YOUR BEST
In BYB, you get more detailed, tailored coaching to take you to the next level of your dance and performance skills, preparing a piece for our online showcase. This program is unique, and you'll see big changes in yourself and in fellow BYB dancers.
Dancers have used BYB to work on a new challenge, prepare for a competition or a local show in their area.
Any style is possible to work on, not only Egyptian style pieces.
Check with me if you have questions.
RUNS late JUNE to late SEPTEMBER (Join early to start planning your piece; early payment plan available)
BRING YOUR BEST *7* Coaching Series is divided into three “rounds” (with tailored feedback on your recorded submissions and live coaching slots to work with you and your pod members “in person” on Zoom). Each round includes a live solo coaching session with me, during a meeting in which you'll also watch your podmates get coached, and also detailed recorded feedback from me on a submitted video. This cycle repeats, three times, leading up to the culmination of the show.
Apart for very few full-group meetings (with sessions available to accommodate different time zones), most of our work will be in small pod meetings (3-4 dancers plus me), in private consultations with me, and in private online club discussions.
Meet and greet & scheduled consultations- Late June and week of July 5-11
Round 1 - early to mid July (note: No live meetings June 27-July 4, but you'll be able to work on your videos and arrange coaching schedule with your podmates)
Round 2 - late July to early August
Round 3 - mid August to early September - includes preparation of showcase video draft, then final
Online Showcase - mid-to-late September, with generally 2 showtimes to accommodate performers and audiences from around the world - we'll set the dates by end of June, based on the availability of BYB members.
BYB is limited to no more than 12 people this year. You will be in a pod group with 2-3 other series members, getting coaching at the same live meetings (about a half hour per person, per meeting), witnessing each other's live coaching, and following each other’s progress (including sharing positive and specific feedback with each other). You can also observe the work of dancers in the other pods too! The pod format allows members for a more manageable commitment if your time is limited, or to dive in and watch everyone if you have the time and curiosity for it. There may be another member in the group who is working through similar issues to you; this can be helpful, to watch that person get coached, in inspiring your own work and giving you the confidence to try something new.
What's new this year in BYB?
This year, for the first time, I'll be offering additional optional group mentoring meetings for dancers who are either: 1) teachers who want to capitalize on their gains in the series to teach more workshops, with a particular angle that suits their strengths; or 2) dancers who are using the dance for self-development, to apply what they learn in the series to life or work situations they are working through.
NOTE: Because the mentoring is a pilot program, there will be no additional charge for it, this year. What?? Yes! It will be open to all BYB members. I have wanted to do this for a while, and this year we are actually building it into the schedule. You invest a lot in the series. I invest in you too, so that you can make the most of this training, not just for your own stage presence. In every deeper coaching series I run, I see that dancers experience self-development, increased confidence, and increased opportunities in other areas of life and work, not only in their dance performances. This year, I want to bring more focused attention to this and offer additional mentoring for those who want it. I am not exaggerating to say that BYB will not only transform your dance, it will help reinforce trends in your life that bring you greater well-being and success.
Learn more about Bring Your Best and watch last year's BYB6 Showcase HERE!
Interested in signing up for BYB? Set up an information interview with me to determine if it's the right fit for you.
If you are a returning BYB member, email me with your intention to join, or follow instructions below to sign up.
First sign up for the Stage Presence Series ($399 paid in full, or by starting a payment plan), and you can join Bring Your Best after you sign up, since all BYB members this year will also be in SPS. (BYB paid in full will be an additional $799, and different payment plan options are available. You must sign up for SPS before being admitted to BYB.)
Returning BYB members (or previous pod-format BCS members from 2020-2022) can join BYB7 here directly after signing up for SPS. Stage presence and breathwork through SPS will be part of the BYB experience this year, integrated so you can apply the techniques taught in SPS to your BYB showcase piece.
For SPS members new to BYB or to my pod-format coaching, who want to join BYB: You must interview with me before joining, since BYB has an additional level of commitment to yourself and to the group. It is important for me to be sure that you are a good fit for the program, and it's a chance for you to discover if it's right fit for you too. Once you are approved to join BYB, you can join at this link.
Payment plans are available for all who want them, and for reasons of economic equity, we keep the difference between pay-in-full and the payment plan options as small as we can. Joining early will save you a small amount.
EQUITY SCHOLARSHIP AID IS AVAILABLE for dancers who identify as members of demographic groups who have been underrepresented or historically excluded from commercial bellydance, as well as dancers with disabilities. Equity aid can be used for between 1/4 and 3/4 of combined fees for SPS and BYB, or up to 1/2 of SPS by itself. Preference to dancers who are applying for BYB as well, and who are dance teachers or planning to teach. Reach out to me with any questions at support@gingercity.com, or via the yellow chatbot at bottom of page. You can read more about the program on the form: https://forms.gle/vimmMdGXtBkZHEfB6. We also welcome donations to the fund, which I match 1:1 as part of my commitment to greater equity in the dance field, and ensuring a rightful place onstage for all with something to share.
Looking forward to working with you, and helping you reach your performance goals! - Ranya