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Hi, I'm Liesa Bassoi Pedersen. I am happy to share my love of music & dance from the cultures of the Middle East & the Mediterranean with you.
I have been involved with folk dance and Bellydance since childhood. I have studied professionally for 30+ years & mentored under Amira Joanne Ives for 10 years. I am pleased to have completed certification February 2018 in the: SharQuí – The Bellydance Workout® http://www.sharqui.com/ SharQui fitness classes 2018! @ BEAUSOLEIL TANNING (formerly Premier Body Center Plattsburgh NY This is a Bellydance fitness class using the SharQui method. I also have separate Classic Bellydance classes w/ traditional music! |
Pastel drawing of Liesa by Barb Mulvey
The sense of well-being and empowerment from moving with music travels into many avenues for me. This takes varied forms, mostly through teaching, and producing or participating in some kind of dance performance, recital, festival, demo, bellygram, etc, or "hafla" (party); or by taking workshops and classes in dance & music.
Thank YOU for participating in this expression with me!
Dance is the perfect expression of individual creativity coupled with community spirit.
Why have Americans taken so to this ancient dance art from a far-off land?
People of all ages, sizes, & shapes, from all walks of life & cultures, enjoy learning Belly Dance as a dance art form and/or fitness because it is accessible.
One key for this accessibility is because this dance sprang partially from folk dance and from entertainment at festivals and celebrations.
Another is the lack of stress placed on the body's joints while executing the basic dance movements. Many people respond on a deep and emotional level to Middle Eastern style music, due to the type of instruments and tonal quality used.
While professional Bellydancing, like any skill,requires in-depth study and years of dedication, the basic movements practiced as a creative hobby are fairly simple to learn. Western style dance such as ballet and jazz dance are also beautiful & enjoyable to study but are harder on the body and less participatory as an entertainment.
Why have Americans taken so to this ancient dance art from a far-off land?
People of all ages, sizes, & shapes, from all walks of life & cultures, enjoy learning Belly Dance as a dance art form and/or fitness because it is accessible.
One key for this accessibility is because this dance sprang partially from folk dance and from entertainment at festivals and celebrations.
Another is the lack of stress placed on the body's joints while executing the basic dance movements. Many people respond on a deep and emotional level to Middle Eastern style music, due to the type of instruments and tonal quality used.
While professional Bellydancing, like any skill,requires in-depth study and years of dedication, the basic movements practiced as a creative hobby are fairly simple to learn. Western style dance such as ballet and jazz dance are also beautiful & enjoyable to study but are harder on the body and less participatory as an entertainment.
About me: I am a believer
- In the power of humor - Of not taking myself too seriously - But of taking others' dreams seriously.
I live in a big old house that we are "renovating" with, of course, a dance studio on the top (3rd) floor. The first part of your private class with me is climbing all those steps! It is in the old part of town in Plattsburgh, NY, a small city near the Canadian border & the beautiful and culturally diverse city of Montreal.
I am happily married to my creative partner who also drums in "Rhythms of de Nile". I have a son & a stepdaughter who are the same age (born in 1980, 2 mos apart) and are fantastic people. I am a pet lover, and my pets come from local shelters.
I took folk dance classes as a child (no ballet - until adulthood) then modern dance, Turkish dance, social Belly Dance & folk dance club in high school, modern dance "a la Martha Graham", jazz dance, then on to formal Belly Dance study.
I was born in New York City from a mixed ethnic background and raised with a lot of cultural diversity. I traveled and lived all over the US in my youth and as a young adult; but have now lived most of my adult life in a small upstate NY city near the Canadian border. I have had several different careers in the arts, the service industry, and the business sector.
I have a B.A. in Education/English literature/Art, a B.S. in Business/Accounting/Production Analysis, and am a member of NYS AHPERD (New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance). I enjoy teaching as a means of transmitting the joy of dance for empowerment, grace, and well-being to people of all ages, sizes, and shapes.
PROPS TO MY TEACHER:
My teacher and mentor, retired, Amira (Joanne Ives), directed The Hayetti Troupe (Hayetti (Arabic) = my heart, my life). I was a member 1982-1991 and we traveled all around the NE US & Canada, doing shows and demonstrations at venues including the Lake Placid Olympic Committee Exposition, the Egyptian Embassy (Montreal) and fancy nightclubs such as "La Tente" in Montreal. She also produced big gala annual shows at area clubs and restaurants, as well as giving to the community at benefits and such.
We worked hard and played hard!!
Amira was an incredible inspiration and role model. She practiced and taught jazz dance, modern dance, and Middle Eastern Dance in her own studio "Dance Gallery" and at Plattsburgh New York State University. She took us to Montreal to meet and learn about the various Middle Eastern communities there. She introduced us to her teachers and guides and shared performing opportunities with us -if we practiced enough- She taught us how to make costumes and be resourceful - because there was no Internet then!
Amira is a certified D.E.A. (Dance Educator of America). I apprenticed with her for several years to learn how to teach dance, and then she started me off by turning her beginners over to me way back when. She owned "Dance Gallery" with Olga-Teresa Gonzalez Mousset Baigas, D.E.A. ; they both also were part of Plattsburgh NY State University Dance Dept in the 1980' - 90's. I also worked for Olga - another fantastic dancer & inspiration to me & my best friend from college! - at her "Adirondack Dance Theater, " where I was certified to teach Middle Eastern Dance.
Amira's form, technique, musical interpretation, rhythmic timing and expression are impeccable. I credit her instilling in me her choreography creativity. I have recreated many of her choreographies in honor of her - from authentic cane dances that she learned in Egypt, to elegant Orientale style, to jazzy fusion pieces.
I would not be the dancer I am today without her influence. She taught me everything I needed to know about Middle Eastern Dance as an art form. She went on dance study tours to Egypt, Morocco, Greece, and Turkey. She has a B.A. in Anthropology, majoring in Middle Eastern culture and history.
All the incredible and wonderful workshop and other teachers that I have studied with since, have just reinforced her talent and gift to me and given me the opportunity to keep studying. I will never stop learning this fascinating dance.
My goals in teaching you
-To impart a good technique of dance
-To give you safe physical movement
-To lead you to an understanding of rhythms & music involved in Bellydance
-To guide you to basic knowledge of the cultures from whence sprang Bellydance
-To provide you a framework of the history of Bellydance in America
-To direct you to sources to expand your information
Middle Eastern Master Teachers or Performers with whom I have taken classes or workshops:
Amira New York
Gamila Asfour Montreal
Lala Hakim Montreal
Sahra Saeeda L.A.
Tamalyn Dallal New Orleans
Leila of Cairo
Sarah Skinner Toronto & NYC
Ava Fleming Phoenix AZ
Alia Thabit VT
Halima OR
Chandra Syracuse NY
Serena Wilson NYC
Jajouka NYC
Leyla Saudi Arabia / Montreal Canada
Dahlal St Louis MO
Helene Smollens Montreal
Mahmoud Reda Egypt
Delilah of Seattle WA
Xiomara Colombia SA, Miami
Yasmina LaRoche Reno, NV
Aegela Toledo Ohio... & her wonderful protege Basimah
...along with my students and dancer friends who have inspired me more than they know...
I practice constantly and study with DVDs and online learning as well. I use instructional and performance, as well as obscure and old-timey Egyptian movies to study. I also squeeze in other types of dance & fitness to keep me open to different movement & energy. I started lifting weights a few years ago to combat osteoporosis. The other exercise I try to do is walk a lot.
A few years ago I went with my husband's drum group Rhythms of de Nile to a West African drumming & dance weekend (Jeh Kulu in Burlington VT) and took a dance workshop with Djeneba Sacko from West Africa - awesome & inspiring!
I have viewed many of available current Belly Dance DVDs, but there
are a lot that I have not seen...the market is flooded with new DVDs! Since the inception of Youtube, there now are even more instructional and performance vids to view. The down side of this is that anyone can put up anything....so there is a lot of poor quality instruction without safety notes for the body; and low quality performing. Searching by the terms "Raks Sharki", "Raqs Sharqui", [The term for Bellydance in the Middle East ; spelling phonetic: Raqs = Dance; Sharqui = East] ; "Middle Eastern Dance" , or "Dances of the Middle East" can be better choices than "Bellydance". For Egyptian cinema with dance clips: "Golden Age of Egyptian Dance".
My favorite DVD/online instructors/**Go to LINKS page for links to beginner DVDs I can recommend** Along with performance videos & old movies, tv shows from the Middle East [mainly Egypt] such as Nadia Jamal, Nagwa Fouad, Mona Said, Nelly, Aza Sharfif, Tahia Carioca, Samia Gamal are some of the greats...
Alia Thabit (VT) favorite online learning
Shamira ( New Jersey)
Delilah (Seattle)
Cory Zamora (CA)
Raquia Hassan (Egypt)
Amaya (New Mexico)
Most all of the WorldDanceNewYork productions: Ranya Renee, Sera Solstice, Sarah Skinner, Blanca are some of my favorites
Galit Mersand (UK)
Suzanna Del Vecchio (Colorado)
Jilllina - Bellydance Superstars director
Bellydance Superstars & Desert Roses - Sonia, Ansuya, Saida, Bozenka, Sharon Kihara, Rachel Brice
Bellyqueen (also of Superstars) - Amar Gamal & Kaeshi
Shira's Reviews
Amazon.com has lots of DVDs, reviews
- In the power of humor - Of not taking myself too seriously - But of taking others' dreams seriously.
I live in a big old house that we are "renovating" with, of course, a dance studio on the top (3rd) floor. The first part of your private class with me is climbing all those steps! It is in the old part of town in Plattsburgh, NY, a small city near the Canadian border & the beautiful and culturally diverse city of Montreal.
I am happily married to my creative partner who also drums in "Rhythms of de Nile". I have a son & a stepdaughter who are the same age (born in 1980, 2 mos apart) and are fantastic people. I am a pet lover, and my pets come from local shelters.
I took folk dance classes as a child (no ballet - until adulthood) then modern dance, Turkish dance, social Belly Dance & folk dance club in high school, modern dance "a la Martha Graham", jazz dance, then on to formal Belly Dance study.
I was born in New York City from a mixed ethnic background and raised with a lot of cultural diversity. I traveled and lived all over the US in my youth and as a young adult; but have now lived most of my adult life in a small upstate NY city near the Canadian border. I have had several different careers in the arts, the service industry, and the business sector.
I have a B.A. in Education/English literature/Art, a B.S. in Business/Accounting/Production Analysis, and am a member of NYS AHPERD (New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance). I enjoy teaching as a means of transmitting the joy of dance for empowerment, grace, and well-being to people of all ages, sizes, and shapes.
PROPS TO MY TEACHER:
My teacher and mentor, retired, Amira (Joanne Ives), directed The Hayetti Troupe (Hayetti (Arabic) = my heart, my life). I was a member 1982-1991 and we traveled all around the NE US & Canada, doing shows and demonstrations at venues including the Lake Placid Olympic Committee Exposition, the Egyptian Embassy (Montreal) and fancy nightclubs such as "La Tente" in Montreal. She also produced big gala annual shows at area clubs and restaurants, as well as giving to the community at benefits and such.
We worked hard and played hard!!
Amira was an incredible inspiration and role model. She practiced and taught jazz dance, modern dance, and Middle Eastern Dance in her own studio "Dance Gallery" and at Plattsburgh New York State University. She took us to Montreal to meet and learn about the various Middle Eastern communities there. She introduced us to her teachers and guides and shared performing opportunities with us -if we practiced enough- She taught us how to make costumes and be resourceful - because there was no Internet then!
Amira is a certified D.E.A. (Dance Educator of America). I apprenticed with her for several years to learn how to teach dance, and then she started me off by turning her beginners over to me way back when. She owned "Dance Gallery" with Olga-Teresa Gonzalez Mousset Baigas, D.E.A. ; they both also were part of Plattsburgh NY State University Dance Dept in the 1980' - 90's. I also worked for Olga - another fantastic dancer & inspiration to me & my best friend from college! - at her "Adirondack Dance Theater, " where I was certified to teach Middle Eastern Dance.
Amira's form, technique, musical interpretation, rhythmic timing and expression are impeccable. I credit her instilling in me her choreography creativity. I have recreated many of her choreographies in honor of her - from authentic cane dances that she learned in Egypt, to elegant Orientale style, to jazzy fusion pieces.
I would not be the dancer I am today without her influence. She taught me everything I needed to know about Middle Eastern Dance as an art form. She went on dance study tours to Egypt, Morocco, Greece, and Turkey. She has a B.A. in Anthropology, majoring in Middle Eastern culture and history.
All the incredible and wonderful workshop and other teachers that I have studied with since, have just reinforced her talent and gift to me and given me the opportunity to keep studying. I will never stop learning this fascinating dance.
My goals in teaching you
-To impart a good technique of dance
-To give you safe physical movement
-To lead you to an understanding of rhythms & music involved in Bellydance
-To guide you to basic knowledge of the cultures from whence sprang Bellydance
-To provide you a framework of the history of Bellydance in America
-To direct you to sources to expand your information
Middle Eastern Master Teachers or Performers with whom I have taken classes or workshops:
Amira New York
Gamila Asfour Montreal
Lala Hakim Montreal
Sahra Saeeda L.A.
Tamalyn Dallal New Orleans
Leila of Cairo
Sarah Skinner Toronto & NYC
Ava Fleming Phoenix AZ
Alia Thabit VT
Halima OR
Chandra Syracuse NY
Serena Wilson NYC
Jajouka NYC
Leyla Saudi Arabia / Montreal Canada
Dahlal St Louis MO
Helene Smollens Montreal
Mahmoud Reda Egypt
Delilah of Seattle WA
Xiomara Colombia SA, Miami
Yasmina LaRoche Reno, NV
Aegela Toledo Ohio... & her wonderful protege Basimah
...along with my students and dancer friends who have inspired me more than they know...
I practice constantly and study with DVDs and online learning as well. I use instructional and performance, as well as obscure and old-timey Egyptian movies to study. I also squeeze in other types of dance & fitness to keep me open to different movement & energy. I started lifting weights a few years ago to combat osteoporosis. The other exercise I try to do is walk a lot.
A few years ago I went with my husband's drum group Rhythms of de Nile to a West African drumming & dance weekend (Jeh Kulu in Burlington VT) and took a dance workshop with Djeneba Sacko from West Africa - awesome & inspiring!
I have viewed many of available current Belly Dance DVDs, but there
are a lot that I have not seen...the market is flooded with new DVDs! Since the inception of Youtube, there now are even more instructional and performance vids to view. The down side of this is that anyone can put up anything....so there is a lot of poor quality instruction without safety notes for the body; and low quality performing. Searching by the terms "Raks Sharki", "Raqs Sharqui", [The term for Bellydance in the Middle East ; spelling phonetic: Raqs = Dance; Sharqui = East] ; "Middle Eastern Dance" , or "Dances of the Middle East" can be better choices than "Bellydance". For Egyptian cinema with dance clips: "Golden Age of Egyptian Dance".
My favorite DVD/online instructors/**Go to LINKS page for links to beginner DVDs I can recommend** Along with performance videos & old movies, tv shows from the Middle East [mainly Egypt] such as Nadia Jamal, Nagwa Fouad, Mona Said, Nelly, Aza Sharfif, Tahia Carioca, Samia Gamal are some of the greats...
Alia Thabit (VT) favorite online learning
Shamira ( New Jersey)
Delilah (Seattle)
Cory Zamora (CA)
Raquia Hassan (Egypt)
Amaya (New Mexico)
Most all of the WorldDanceNewYork productions: Ranya Renee, Sera Solstice, Sarah Skinner, Blanca are some of my favorites
Galit Mersand (UK)
Suzanna Del Vecchio (Colorado)
Jilllina - Bellydance Superstars director
Bellydance Superstars & Desert Roses - Sonia, Ansuya, Saida, Bozenka, Sharon Kihara, Rachel Brice
Bellyqueen (also of Superstars) - Amar Gamal & Kaeshi
Shira's Reviews
Amazon.com has lots of DVDs, reviews