Farida at Ford -  Egyptian Belly Dance -

Northern Residential Course - May 1st - 3rd 2009
Click here for photos from May 2008

CLICK HERE TO BOOK FOR MAY 2009
Don't delay, the last Ford was sold out months in advance
Prices for May 2009 are
Single room £280, shared (2 - 4)£265, group (5 - 8)£240

The venue is spectacular, Ford Castle in Northumberland.  We take over the whole castle for the weekend.  The staterooms are full of colour, sequins and the strains of Arabic music. It all appears slightly surreal. Click here for information about Ford Castle.  Why not extend your weekend & book in a local B&B to explore the exciting Northumberland countryside & coastline.  Visit Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Bamborough Castle & the beautiful beaches nearby.  There is so much to see it is worth taking a bit of extra time to do so.

The Price of the weekend includes all workshops, use of facilities, access to the beautiful castle grounds & full board (Full cooked breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea & evening meal).  Christine also recommends the local graveyard - she says 'It's dead good.'   And, if you ask, Graham will show you the dungeon!  There will be tea and coffee making facilities available - alcoholic and soft drinks not included.  The accommodation is not hotel standard - but the surroundings make up for it!  Ford is a field study centre so the accommodation is better than a youth hostel but not like a hotel.  All bathrooms are shared.

Teachers so far include -

Charlotte DeSorgher - Brand new to Ford, Southern based Charlotte has trained in ballet, jazz and contemporary as well as Egyptian dance. Studying with well known names such as Hossam and Serena Ramzy, and travelling regularly to Egypt, Charlotte will add yet more variety to our fab weekend

Sara Farouk - an amazing and inspiring teacher and dancer who lives and works in Egypt - Sara has a wonderful feel for the music and can even translate what we're dancing to, being an Arabic speaker

Tracey Gibbs - an experienced performer and excellent teacher, Tracey is a regular visitor to Cairo with a wide range of knowledge and up to date info on the latest Cairo moves. Tracey is a well known face at many events including Joy and Raqs B, and this is her second visit to Ford

Anne Kingston - with some fab burlesque as well as more traditional workshops.

Hilary Thacker - a Ford regular and favourite with of course some goodies from Hilary's Bazaar too

Ali Whitworth - a regular since the early days of Ford, Ali is ever popular and always gets wonderful feedback and rave reviews for her classes from Ford punters. A gentle and encouraging teacher, Ali is always a welcome addition to the weekend.

Kay - of course with her fun and upbeat style -

and a bit of fusion from Christine aka HRH Lucretia.

More teachers will be added - watch this space!

Dance classes from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.  Want to see a sample timetable to get some idea of how packed the weekend is?  Click here.

If you would like to read comments from peoples feedback forms about their weekend at Ford Castle, Click here.  This has been updated with comments about May 2008.

If you would like to see pictures from May 2008 at Ford Click here

On Saturday night we have a hafla in the great hall. A fabulous setting.  The tables are set out beautifully, the food is delicious. For your entertainment, we have live music  and professional dancers. In order to leave more boogy time free on Saturday night, we have a performance slot & disco on Friday night.  Bring your music and have a go at doing that solo you have been promising yourself you would do for so long! 

There is an extensive souk with Farida Dance as well as other traders. Anything you don't have or have forgotten to bring with you can be bought here. From sagat and music to professional costumes.  Go on, treat yourself! 

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