Sausan Academy of Egyptian Dance

I prefer the generic term “Belly Dance,” the translation of the French term, “Dans du Ventre” or “Dance of the Abdomen.” “Raqs Sharqi” is also germane, as it is the Arabic translation, meaning “Dance of the East.”

Great Britain, the superpower of that time and its location on the globe, considered any continent and its people east of Great Britain as the Orient, and any continent and its people west of Great Britain, the Occident. Hence, the nonplussed name given to this dance is known today as “Oriental Dance.” Consequently, all dances east of Great Britain are considered Oriental dances, which is confusing.

Belly dance, or “Raqs Sharqi,” has survived for hundreds if not thousands of years, originating in the streets and villages of the Middle East as a cultural celebratory form of expression and performed mainly by women. It was later sought after, and, some would say exploited, by the British and its Victorian cultural attitudes as its military forces comprising of men infiltrated and occupied Egypt in the early 1900s, thereby placing this new dance enterprise on a raised stage as intoxicating albeit illicit.

Expressed Movement Groups (fourth graphic) are those movements that make up the character of the dance and make it unique to the dancer. While we can identify an Egyptian belly dancer, we can also study a style of a dancer and call that style by their name; such as, Fifi Abdo style, Suhair Zaki style, Samia Gama style, etc. Expressed movements are individualistic and create the style of the dancer.

At length, the study of the Basic System (second graphic) and the Adjective Movements (third graphic), combined with the knowing of the music, the dancer will achieve the dance to her/his fullest capacity and will give it its visible authenticity and unique persona, special and specific to the dancer.

At length, the study of the Basic System (second graphic) and the Adjective Movements (third graphic), combined with the knowing of the music, the dancer will achieve the dance to her/his fullest capacity and will give it its visible authenticity and unique persona, special and specific to the dancer.

The EDC® consists of two specific and opposing physical elements contained in the dance beats as illustrated in the first graphic on this page. Born from and attributable to the Egyptian language, according to the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, and fundamental to Egyptian-style belly dance or “Raqs Sharqi,” the EDC® is the underlying core torso rhythm to all Egyptian dance movements as well as the basis with which all dance movements originate and are performed.

There are no isolations in Classic Egyptian-style belly dance, only a celebratory dance that is expressed through a language; its idioms, its nuances, and its subtleties, unlike that of the West. The Sausan Academy of Egyptian Dance (SAED) is a stand-alone, all-encompassing, one-of-a-kind Egyptian belly dance academy, that also includes a performance venue; namely, the highly acclaimed San Francisco, California-based Al-Masri Egyptian Restaurant, offering weekly pre-recorded as well as live Middle Eastern music, and Egyptian dine-in evenings for its customers, dance students, and graduates.

Chart/Diagram for playing finger cymbals (Sagat/Zills) using the Egyptian Dance Code®

Music, primarily from the Golden Era of Music, that every serious belly dance should know for performance. Each class is 1 & 1/2 hours long, and includes: Music is provided on the day of the class. Musical entities awareness with possible movement application. See Weekly Calendar below for days and dates.

Single fun-filled classes for exercise, fun, socializing, or just trying it out for size. Each class is 1 & 1/2 hours, and includes: 1 hour of dance technique 15 minutes of dance application 15 minutes of Egyptian dance video study, history, and belly dance/musician bios.

Single fun-filled classes for exercise, fun, socializing, or just trying it out for size. Each class is 1 & 1/2 hours, and includes: 1 hour of dance technique 15 minutes of dance application 15 minutes of Egyptian dance video study, history, and belly dance/musician bios.

Curriculum for the Tertiary Course Study of performance music and its entities

Curriculum for the Secondary Course Lower Body technique and masculine expression

Curriculum for the Primary Course Upper Body technique and feminine expression

The study of the Egyptian Dance Code® using the Sausan Method. This course teaches the first two courses at a ten percent discount when paid in full. Each class is 1 & 1/2 hours long, and includes: Primary Course Secondary Course Egyptian dance video study, history, and belly dance/musician bios. When registering for the Primary Course, the Secondary course will follow on the SAME date and SAME time as the Primary Course. See Weekly Calendar below for days and dates.

The study of the Egyptian Dance Code® using the Sausan Method. This course teaches All four courses at a ten percent discount when paid in full. Each class is 1 & 1/2 hours long, and include Primary Course Secondary Course Tertiary Course (Entities of Music) Applied Basic Principal Course (Choreography Course). Egyptian dance video study, history, and belly dance/musician bios. When registering for the Primary Course, all other consecutive courses will follow on the SAME date and SAME time for the rest of the year. See Weekly Calendar below for days and dates.

The breaking down, deciphering, and analyzation of pre-recorded music for performance. Identify "bridges," "call and response," kinds and types of taksiems, how to enter and exit, and much more. Great study also for live music performance. Begins every January, April, July, and October. Each course is 12 weeks, and each class is 1 & 1/2 hours long, and includes: Entities are provided on each day of the course. Several entity renditions provided for awareness training. Applicable alternate movements provided. See Weekly Calendar below for days and dates.

The study of a performance piece of Middle Eastern music. There are two classes per quarter. Begins every January, April, July, and October. Each class is 1 & 1/2 hours long, and includes: Complete choreography Explanation and connection to Entities of Music course, if applicable. Best for private type parties and celebrations. See Weekly Calendar below for days and dates.

The study of the Egytian Dance Code® using the Sausan Method. This course teaches upper body technique and feminine expression. Each class is 1 & 1/2 hours long, and includes: Shimmies, shoulder rolls, travel steps, undulations and more. Egyptian dance video study, history, and belly dance/musician bios. Begins every January, April, July, and October. See Weekly Calendar below for days and dates.