2024

In-person Intensives


with April Rose in Austin, Texas

Dance Cohesion Bellydance Frame Drum Teacher Training April Rose


Nothing compares to dancing all day for three days straight with friends old and new!

Dance Cohesion

Stage 1
Enrichment Course

May 18-19, 2024

Dance Cohesion Stage 1 Enrichment Course fusion bellydance frame drum April Rose

Bellydance Movement, Music, and History

  • Learn safe and efficient body mechanics for foundational raqs sharqi and transcultural fusion movement
  • Embody Middle Eastern rhythms on the frame drum and learn the qualities of common instruments
  • Begin incorporating finger cymbals into your dancing
  • Practice solo improvisation to develop your personal taste and style
  • Learn about the historical development and cultural contexts for the long-living tradition of bellydance
  • Open to EVERYONE (including brand new beginners!)
SOLD OUT
Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"I learned so much from the Dance Cohesion Stage 1 Enrichment course. I find that either if you are a beginner, intermediate, or very experienced dancer you can gain so much from this course: Body awareness, musical and historical learning, perfecting your movement quality. April gave us a lot of material to keep us working for several months and she is also a very generous teacher that genuinely wants you to grow! I felt very fulfilled."

- Raquel

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"My favorite part of Dance Cohesion Stage 1 (besides listening to different musical instruments) was experiencing 'aha moments' while learning about the history of bellydance. The research April Rose presents and the open conversations about cultural and historical context were invaluable to me."

- Somaria

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"I really appreciate the care and precision in the way the material in Dance Cohesion is laid out. I've always wanted to learn to play the drum and finger cymbals and it has seemed a daunting task but with this training I feel like that goal is now attainable. I also enjoyed learning the layering system of trunk movements, footwork, and arm patterns. I highly recommend this program!"

- Abby

Dance Cohesion

Stage 2
Connection Course

May 24-26, 2024

Dance Cohesion Stage 2 Connection Course fusion bellydance frame drum April Rose

Dance and Frame Drum with
Cued Group Improvisation

  • Learn a raqs sharqi-inspired movement language that will enable you to perform improvisationally in a group
  • Embody Middle Eastern rhythms on the frame drum and play improvisationally with others while traveling and dancing
  • Learn to dance complex movement phrases while simultaneously playing rhythms with multi-tonal finger cymbals
  • Open to anyone who has completed the Dance Cohesion Stage 1 Enrichment Course or one session of April Rose's weekly classes
REGISTER NOW
Jasmine Cued Cohesion bellydance structured group improv frame drum

"This program is so rewarding, and I am so grateful that I get to learn this format!"

- Jasmine

Bellydance frame drum Gaby

"OMG!!! This is why I love improvising Cued Cohesion, the energy and magic of dancing it all together goes beyond words. I love that this style can be easily adapted to different music and situations! The dynamics on stage and the movements with the music are perfect!!! It has saved me from having to do choreography in a short time and it inspires me so much! I feel very grateful and lucky for this experience, thank you April."

- Gaby

Lorien The Cohesion Collective Fusion Bellydance

"I love the improv vocabulary and structure."

- Lorien

Cued Cohesion

Retreat

November 1-3, 2024

April Rose Amy Sigil Improv Team Sync fusion bellydance Cued Cohesion

with Special Guest Instructor
Amy Sigil

  • Practice advanced formations and Sigil Method concepts applied to our Cued Cohesion group improv system with the originator of Sigil Method herself, Amy Sigil!
  • Open to anyone who knows Cued Cohesion (that includes everyone who has completed the Dance Cohesion Stage 2 Connection Course or two sessions of April Rose's weekly classes).
  • Includes optional Halloween-themed social gathering the night before!

CONNECT WITH OTHER DANCERS IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

Meet new friends and form life-long connections with dancers who will become your future collaborators

GET CLARITY ON EXACTLY WHAT AND HOW TO PRACTICE

Leave these intensives knowing exactly what to practice once you return home

FILL YOUR INSPIRATION CUP AND GET YOUR DANCE MOJO BACK

Ignite your passion for dance with some of the most inspiring instructors in fusion bellydance

Meet your host, April Rose

I fell in love with bellydance as a child when I saw people unapologetically enjoying their bodies and connecting to music and one another.

I hold an M.A. in Culture and Performance and a B.A. in Dance from UCLA and have been honored by invitations to teach in over 25 countries.

Through movement and music, I'm here to serve mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness within each dancer.

With a deep love for tradition, innovation, and individual expression, I believe when dances are approached with respect and humility we can access the deep healing transformative potential of collective human movement.

Meet Your
Guest Instructor

Mover - Coach - Team Builder - Choreographer

Amy Sigil is an international instructor in dance and team building, director of UNMATA, owner of Sigil School, and the creator of Improv Team Sync. She has been studying dance for over 20 years with training in Bellydance, American Tribal Style, Hula, Tahitian, Studio Hip Hop, Volleyball, Basketball and Track.

Amy Sigil Fusion Bellydance

SEE YOU IN-PERSON

where we will experience magic together!

🚨 These in-person intensives are limited to 20 participants.
Enroll now before they fill up!

Chat with me

I am ready to chat you up in the DMs!

I would love to know what's on your mind. Questions, hesitations, feelings, or celebrations - don't be shy!

You can text me any time at (844) 658-1074

Follow and feel free to DM me on instagram or facebook at @aprilrosedance

Email me at contact@aprilrose.dance

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"April is not only an amazing and patient teacher, she is a lovely person shining from the inside out and always brings a smile. She was extremely encouraging and positive throughout, always making sure to compliment and give positive affirmations. Dance Cohesion has helped me have more confidence in myself as a dancer. Thank you so much to April Rose for your guidance, positivity, and encouragement."

- Kathryn

Why I Created Dance Cohesion

After touring 25 countries, I felt disappointed by the separation I saw between the traditional MENAHT (Middle Eastern, North African, Hellenic, Turkish) dance communities and the fusion dance communities.

I felt artistically lost because I didn't fit in either restrictive category of being truly a "raqs sharqi" or "transcultural fusion" dancer - nor did I want to fit!

So I created my own elegant, thoughtful, and playful approach to bellydance that incorporates elements of tradition (like Middle Eastern rhythms on frame drum and cymbals) mixed with elements of innovation (like Sigil Method cued group improvisation and fusion choreography).


WHAT DANCERS ARE SAYING ABOUT
WORKING WITH APRIL ROSE
AND THE DANCE COHESION FORMAT:

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"I was attracted to April Rose's Cohesion program because it combined dance technique practice with the music, culture, and history that I believe is critical to every belly dancer's education, regardless of stylization. The Cohesion Stage 1 Enrichment Course delivered all that and more! I was so impressed by April Rose's clear instruction, clean technique, and attention to efficient and safe biomechanics. The dance drills are thoughtfully designed and can be stacked to suit beginners while also challenging more experienced students. Music and history are included in every unit, as well as improvisation exercises to connect dancers to the joy of movement and music. There is also an emphasis on dance as a way to connect with yourself and others and enrich your life, the cherry on top that I didn't expect. As a student, this is the sort of program I want to take; as a teacher, this is the sort of program I wish I had been teaching this whole time."

- Mariza

"Dance Cohesion has completely transformed my approach to belly dance—spiritually, physically, and pedagogically. What I love most about it is how, no matter where you are in your dance practice, this format will tease out those areas of improvement and show you exactly where the "data is missing."

As a personal example, I used to think I could walk and do hip isolations at the same time no problem... until I tried to walk half-time downbeat right with hip tilts full-time while switching arm positions and stage directions every 8 counts... and then switch to downbeat left. It showed me that I had gotten in a habit of using the same timings and foot pathways over and over again, and something as simple as walking hip tilts became a challenge after 10+ years of dancing."

- Drake

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"April Rose is the bomb.com! There’re so many wonderful things I could say about Dance Cohesion. April doesn’t just care about technique, she also places a high importance on the integrity of the movement by incorporating proper body mechanics. This is huge for me because my training thus far has been just mimicking what someone is doing. Most important was the way I felt during the program. Yes, it was fast-paced, and sometimes overwhelming. But I never felt like I didn’t belong. April welcomes diversity and goes out of her way to make sure that EVERYONE feels included. As a minority dancer, this is such a crucial aspect. I appreciate her tremendously for that because she creates a safe space for all dancers to learn and grow."

- Tiquisia

"I come from a Moroccan family and I was born and grew up in France. I used to dance during family celebrations and I started bellydance classes in 2010. I started learning regularly from April since 2020, and I grew up as a dancer thanks to April's program, which is very complete. I learned the fundamentals of bellydance history and how to identify the main instruments of MENAHT music. I also realized one of my dreams: learning how to play duff, a frame drum. I love this instrument so much which symbolizes the connection with my grandmothers. While learning the rhythms on drum, I learned an amazing way to play those rhythms with fingers cymbals. It's tricky but so beautiful and I enjoy it so much. The dance technique part is brilliant. I have more control of my movements now."

- Nora

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"WHAT. A. BLAST!! April Rose does a fantastic job of sharing her education and passion around bellydance movement, music, and research. She shortens the learning curve in a wonderful way by teaching her stylization of movements combined with Middle Eastern rhythms on finger cymbals and frame drum. I have been playing finger cymbals for a few years, but up to now had yet to really learn the actual rhythms associated. WOW. MIND. BLOWN. I came away from this course a much stronger musician than expected! Her approach to instruction is one big helping of gentle determination served up with a side pure love for teaching bellydance in all its variations."

- Suzy

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"I highly HIGHLY recommend studying with April- she is an amazingly knowledgeable and talented source, and treats her students and the art form with the utmost attention and respect. She is wonderful at breaking down the base elements of the dance form so you can really polish and perfect your technique while still having it feel so organic. Few dance forms are so challenging for the mind and body yet feel so good at the same time! If you want to improve your cymbal technique as well, I have never been a part of a training program that does this better- she's the absolute gold star in this aspect for sure. I love how we learn the drumming rhythms to really embody them and improve our musicality as well. If you want to have a great time and truly enjoy the process of learning and improving, train with April! I'm so thrilled to be part of her program."

- Pamela

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

"I've often joked that it would be so convenient to be able to learn through osmosis, but April Rose has actually achieved this through her Dance Cohesion program. The deceptively simple activities seem to focus on single, foundational aspects of dance, and that is extremely important. The learner is largely unaware, however, of how the other various elements of the dance are being interwoven throughout the program. After the first couple of sections of the program, I realized that I had somehow internalized not only the movements, but the associated rhythms, multi-instrument musical compositions, connections of the frame drum tones to the dance, underlying foot and arm patterns, and the rich dance history. I entered the lesson expecting to focus on one thread of the dance, but I left the lesson with a complete tapestry."

- Krista

Become a brilliant bellydancer with April Rose

TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

There are absolutely, positively NO REFUNDS under any circumstances. We will not be able to process any refunds for any reason. By purchasing, you understand there are absolutely no refunds.