Ashley Lopez will be teaching a weekend intensive in Vancouver at the end of January 2020, so I decided to work with the program Integrated Dance Prep from Datura Online to prepare ahead of time. Integrated Dance is her fusion bellydance teacher training program, and I'd like to eventually do it when I feel ready. The preparation program consists of 6 weeks of 5 sessions each, almost all of which are from her classes on Datura Online. I tried doing it in February but couldn't get through it, so I'm hoping this time I will be successful.
The first class in the program is Beginner Tribal Fusion Class 1. It begins with a 11 minute Pilates-based warmup, which I found excruciating due to weaknesses in my core. She starts the 45 minute dance portion of the class with a posture check-in, then goes into a travelling combination, glute locks, hip-work with obliques, upper body isolations, and ends with snake arms and a 5 minute yoga cool-down. It was good to go back to the basics, and I hope to keep up my practice.