"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"For the practical application of dance as a meditative practice in order to cultivate solid technique using a choose-your-own-adventure approach to layering, all wrapped in an academic perspective on the origins of the dance, Dance Cohesion is one of my favorite programs. An excellent endeavor to make bellydance as stylistically neutral as possible - to learn the "rules" before you break them, movements are presented in their basic biomechanical forms so the student can focus on efficiency and accuracy before adding influences of style or other dance disciplines. Perhaps the best takeaway from the Dance Cohesion Stage 1 Enrichment Course is the idea that movement practice can be carried out in a way that allows the practitioner to let go of their ego and the internal monologues that can sometimes override a practice session. From it's multidisciplinary nature, to its thoughtful progression of Arabic rhythms in conjunction with movement and history, as well as the philosophical lessons on how consistent practice without judging yourself is important for your dance growth, April Rose has created an excellent intensive for all levels of study."

- Seraph