New Practice Video + Class Updates

Hello Beautiful Dancers!

As promised, I made a short practice video for anyone who misses dancing since we are on break this week. The video uses simple movements and plenty of repeats, but there is also some spontaneity because it’s improvisation. My hope is that it’s easy to follow and fun to dance to - please let me know your feedback.

Classes start next week and you can register online right now. We meet on Wednesdays, Beginning 7-8PM and Intermediate/Advanced 8-9PM, with class performances for those who want to dance on May 12th! See you next week.


Spring 2021 Virtual Classes

Hello Dancers!

I hope that you are all doing well. I’ve had to take a break from blogging, social media and other projects to focus on things at home during the pandemic, but I am still teaching.

Our Spring session of belly dance is enrolling now. Classes are Wednesday nights, Beginning 7-8 PM PST and Intermediate/Advanced 8-9 PST. We’re on Zoom for this term, so you can join from anywhere. More details on my Classes page, or you can register here right now.

Please share this with a friend if you know anyone who might want to learn to belly dance.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about classes! Or anything else :)

Dancing together has kept my spirits up, and I am looking forward to continuing in the Spring!!

All the best,

Alisa

January 2021 Virtual Classes

  • I am transitioning to less frequent blogging as I embark on some exciting dance projects for 2021. The best way to stay in current with classes, performances, dance opportunities and cultural notes is to subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter. You get a new Playlist each month too!

Hello Dancers!

Online Registration is open for our Winter Term of Belly Dance Classes at the South San Francisco Parks and Rec. Classes start on Wednesday, January 13th, Beginners 7-8 PM and Intermediate 8-9 PM. We will be 100% Virtual this term so you can take part from anywhere, and maybe invite a long-distance friend to join in too!

South San Francisco residents can register right now, and registration opens for everyone else on Monday 12/7.

Please contact me if you have any questions about classes.

And if you haven’t been to a virtual class yet, I will leave you with a peek at our sparkly setting :)

AlisaGreerBellyDanceVirtualClasses.jpg







Performance to Sev Acher by Artie Barsamian and His Orchestra

I am so happy today to present a beautiful Armenian song that has been used for belly dance. My friend Linda gave me a stack of vintage belly dance albums over the summer, all of them by Armenian musicians, and that’s how I found this lovely recording of Sev Acher (Black Eyes) by Artie Barsamian and his Orchestra.

I’ve been able to find out that Artie Barsamian was from Massachusetts. He was a very accomplished clarinet and saxophone player, and he performed both Armenian music and jazz. He recorded 13 78s and then another 14 albums over his long career, and he also loved to play live shows. In the YouTube clips below, which feature performance footage interspersed with interviews, he tells a very funny story about how his dad wanted him to learn to play Armenian music, but Artie wasn’t that interested in it. He would play a few Armenian songs with his father, who was a violinist from South Boston, in order to get permission to take the car out! But of course, he later loved playing it.

Here is my performance to Sev Acher for the Winter Cairo Shimmy festival this past weekend. Due to the festival’s time limits I had to cut short the beautiful clarinet solo at the beginning, but I hope to perform to this magical song again when in-person performances resume. Enjoy, and please subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter while you are here. I share class information, my dance research, music and cultural notes and more!

San Francisco Bay Area Belly Dancer Alisa Greer performs to Sev Acher by Artie Barsamian and his Orchestra for Winter Cairo Shimmy 2020.

The is the musical life story of Artie Barsamian with interviews live performances.