Siouxsie Cooper
Renowned local Middle East Dance Teacher and Performer
Siouxsie Cooper regularly teaches Middle East dance all over the South Devon region, she also teaches in other regions and nationally as well as in Europe and the Middle East. She has been dancing for several years after attending her first class in Devon with an Armenian/Egyptian dance teacher. Her first teacher recognised Siouxsie's potential and talent for the future, and within a year and a half this was confirmed by an invitation from Wendy Buonaventura to join her Company for the 'Mimi La Sardine' (1998-2000) production. This work gave Siouxsie the experience and exposure to other UK dancers like Caroline Wright, Hazel Kayes, Venus Saleh and Karine Buchart and of course the formidable dance theatre talent of Wendy Buonaventura.
Siouxsie had also started to devise and perform her own solo pieces on the Middle East Dance circuit notably 'Me and a Gun' Glastonbury 2001, and Carmen 2001. Siouxsie combines contemporary feminist issues and choreographic ideas with traditional Arabic dance shapes and patterns. This has since developed into other performance pieces like 'Tea for Two' (2004), Enta Omri (2005) as well as countless original dance performances at local, national and international festivals and events. Her work is known for being provocative and exciting by creating a mixed reviews and helping bring Middle East dance into the 21st century.
This has been complimented by her academic work like the national survey Middle East/ Bellydance/ Arabic Dance: An Enquiry into Professional Development and Opportunities for practitioners in the UK. And her written research projects, which considered the post-colonial theory with American Tribal Bellydance and post-structuralism feminist critiques of recent, dance work by Suraya Hilal and Wendy Buenaventura (see Academia). Siouxsie received a highly prized Arts and Humanities Research Council award for her Masters Degree studies, this is the first time it has been awarded to a Middle East Dance artist and researcher. She also won a scholarship to the annual Middle East Dance Camp in Mendocino, California, USA 2003.
Having completed both a combined BA Hons. Degree in Devised Theatre practices and Arts and Cultural Management (1st Class) and a AHRC funded Masters Degree in Arts and Cultural Management (distinction) Siouxsie has enrolled on a Ph.D. programme at Dartington College of Arts with plans to develop her dance practice and management of cultural events to raise the profile and academic legacy of this dance form.
Siouxsie's performance and style of teaching is well known for being inspirational and dynamic. She creates a fun and easy atmosphere to learn and feel the Egyptian rhythms helping women feel confident and comfortable in their bodies. The classes focus on a dance technique and build from the basics of posture and movement execution to dance step combinations and choreography.
These classes are popular and booking in advance is necessary. Due to the ongoing success of the classes students have annual dance parties, or 'Haflahs', which showcase their class dance pieces and their own work (See: Haflahs & Events ). Siouxsie reminds her students in her class that they are learning two major aspects to dance one is how to move the body with proper alignment, building muscle strength and dexterity as well as learning Egyptian Dance technique. An enthusiast of the Raqs Sharqi Society dance lexicon and dance technique Siouxsie combines this with methods learnt in Egypt with Raqia Hassan and other leading dancers. Mixing this with her vast knowledge and experience of body work like Pilates, Astanga and Iyengar yoga and other techniques these classes are multi-dimensional. Never a dull moment and so much to learn from relaxing, softening the body to using the imagination to develop yourself as an expressive dancer you are guaranteed that these classes would benefit your dance, your life and self-confidence.
For more details or further enquiries relating to any of the above, contact us here.
Siouxsie had also started to devise and perform her own solo pieces on the Middle East Dance circuit notably 'Me and a Gun' Glastonbury 2001, and Carmen 2001. Siouxsie combines contemporary feminist issues and choreographic ideas with traditional Arabic dance shapes and patterns. This has since developed into other performance pieces like 'Tea for Two' (2004), Enta Omri (2005) as well as countless original dance performances at local, national and international festivals and events. Her work is known for being provocative and exciting by creating a mixed reviews and helping bring Middle East dance into the 21st century.
This has been complimented by her academic work like the national survey Middle East/ Bellydance/ Arabic Dance: An Enquiry into Professional Development and Opportunities for practitioners in the UK. And her written research projects, which considered the post-colonial theory with American Tribal Bellydance and post-structuralism feminist critiques of recent, dance work by Suraya Hilal and Wendy Buenaventura (see Academia). Siouxsie received a highly prized Arts and Humanities Research Council award for her Masters Degree studies, this is the first time it has been awarded to a Middle East Dance artist and researcher. She also won a scholarship to the annual Middle East Dance Camp in Mendocino, California, USA 2003.
Having completed both a combined BA Hons. Degree in Devised Theatre practices and Arts and Cultural Management (1st Class) and a AHRC funded Masters Degree in Arts and Cultural Management (distinction) Siouxsie has enrolled on a Ph.D. programme at Dartington College of Arts with plans to develop her dance practice and management of cultural events to raise the profile and academic legacy of this dance form.
Siouxsie's performance and style of teaching is well known for being inspirational and dynamic. She creates a fun and easy atmosphere to learn and feel the Egyptian rhythms helping women feel confident and comfortable in their bodies. The classes focus on a dance technique and build from the basics of posture and movement execution to dance step combinations and choreography.
These classes are popular and booking in advance is necessary. Due to the ongoing success of the classes students have annual dance parties, or 'Haflahs', which showcase their class dance pieces and their own work (See: Haflahs & Events ). Siouxsie reminds her students in her class that they are learning two major aspects to dance one is how to move the body with proper alignment, building muscle strength and dexterity as well as learning Egyptian Dance technique. An enthusiast of the Raqs Sharqi Society dance lexicon and dance technique Siouxsie combines this with methods learnt in Egypt with Raqia Hassan and other leading dancers. Mixing this with her vast knowledge and experience of body work like Pilates, Astanga and Iyengar yoga and other techniques these classes are multi-dimensional. Never a dull moment and so much to learn from relaxing, softening the body to using the imagination to develop yourself as an expressive dancer you are guaranteed that these classes would benefit your dance, your life and self-confidence.
For more details or further enquiries relating to any of the above, contact us here.
