Experience the richness of Egyptian dance improvisation in this five-week course led by master instructor Tarik Sultan, focused on musical awareness, responsiveness, and expressive freedom.

Egyptian and Arabic music continually shifts between soaring melodies and grounded rhythmic passages. In this class, dancers learn not only to recognize these musical textures, but to embody them—making spontaneous choices that feel clear, connected, and purposeful.

Throughout the course, dancers will:

  • Practice translating melodic phrasing and rhythmic accents into movement using classic Egyptian vocabulary and layered variations

  • Train the ear to catch musical details, transitions, and emotional color in real time

  • Build confidence improvising with clarity, nuance, and personal voice

  • Work with a diverse range of music, including traditional, folkloric, and contemporary Egyptian selections

This course is ideal for dancers who want to deepen their relationship with music, expand their improvisational range, and bring greater authenticity and presence to their dancing—whether on stage or in the studio.

WHEN:
5 Wk Course: Saturdays 1-2pm, January 10 to February 7

WHERE:
Course: Bellyqueen School @Playwrights
440 Lafayette St, 4th Floor, Studio 4D, New York, NY 10003
Press "Playwrights" on the intercom to be let into the building and to activate the elevator

INVESTMENT:
$100, $90 unlimited pass holders

Sign Up for the Egyptian Improvisation 5 Wk Course

Tarik Sultan is one of the world’s best-known pioneers of male Oriental Dance (Belly Dancing). He began his formal training in 1985. In addition to classes, he spent countless hours in the Dance Research Library at Lincoln Center, striving to learn as much as he could about the dance, its history, and the culture from which it originated. In 1988, he traveled to Egypt for the first time, observing the dance in its native homeland. This experience allowed him to distinguish the truth about the dance from the many popular myths created by the media.

Inspired by his travels, Tarik began teaching his first class in the early '90s, eager to share all he had learned and observed. Over the years, his talent and dedication to the art have earned him a reputation as a dynamic performer and a gifted, inspiring teacher and choreographer. He has taught many successful seminars across the nation as well as internationally in the UK, Japan, Australia, Trinidad, and Argentina. Some of Tarik’s international performance credits include the Jerusalem Festival, the Dar America Association in Marrakech, Morocco, and Alexandria, Egypt. In 2003, he became one of the first male dancers to perform at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival in Cairo, Egypt. Other credits include performances at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and The Museum of Natural History.

Tarik holds the distinction of being the only male dancer to be featured in the top venues in New York City, such as Casbah Rouge, Mehenata Bulgarian Bar, Babylon, Horus, The Habibi Lounge, and Feluca and 1001 Nights in Brooklyn, NY. From 2003 to 2014, he was the premier dancer at Le Souk in NYC. Until recently, he taught regular weekly classes in NYC, The Bronx, and Jersey City. He is available for private lessons, Zoom classes, private parties, and workshops upon request.