Charlottesville Bellydance Class Schedule

• Beginner bellydance classes are held every Monday from 6:00 - 7:00 pm
  
• Spiritual bellydance classes are held every Monday from 7:10 - 8:10 pm
  
• Performance-oriented bellydance classes are held every Monday from 8:15 - 9:15 pm
  

This is a quick recipe to get you started successfully with henna. If you want much more complete information, please visit the Henna Pages (www.hennapage.com) or read the book Mehndi. Remember! Henna stains: that's what it's designed to do, so treat it carefully. That said, here's what you'll want to get started:

• 100 grams of good quality henna.
• A fine sieve
• A clean, empty 1 quart yogurt container
• A bottle of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of sugar
• A shot of espresso (optional)
• 40 drops of tea tree oil (optional, but highly recommended for good results)
• 20 drops of lavender oil (optional, but recommended)
• A spoon & a spatula that you don't mind staining
• A sturdy 1 quart empty plastic baggy & a twist tie
• Rubber gloves (optional)
• Some Jacquard squeeze bottles with .5 - .9 mm tips OR a few square feet of Mylar gift wrap + scissors & scotch tape
• Some ordinary sewing pins
• A fun party basket (optional)
• 1/2 cup saturated mixture of sugar & lemon juice + some cotton balls
• At least 36 hours
• Lots of friends (optional, but highly recommended)

36 - 48 hours before your henna party starts, respectfully toss your henna into your nice clean, empty 1-quart yogurt container. Throw in the shot of optional shot of espresso & then add the sugar & enough lemon juice to mix the henna into a paste with the consistency of yogurt. Cover it and let it sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours.

24 hours before your event add 40 drops of tea tree oil and 20 drops of lavender oil to the mixture. Stir it in thoroughly.

Did you opt for Mylar cones instead of Jacquard squeeze bottles? Okay, then cut the Mylar into triangles and roll them into pointy little cones, then seal the edges with scotch tape. For more detailed, helpful instructions on making Mylar cones, please visit the Henna Page again.

Now put on your rubber gloves. Take all of your well-mixed henna and scoop, scrape, or otherwise convince it to enter your sturdy 1 quart plastic baggy. Use the spatula to get it all in there. Keeping as little air in the bag as you can, knot the top of the bag. You'll probably want to wash your gloves and the outside of the bag at this point to preserve your cleanliness. Next squeeze all of the henna down towards one corner of the bag. Cut a small hole in that corner of the bag. Use this hole to squeeze the henna from the bag into the Jacquard squeeze bottles or Mylar cones.

Fill the Jacquard squeeze bottles to the top, but leave about 1" empty at the top of the Mylar cones. You may want to shake them a bit as you're filling them to get the henna to settle on the bottom. Put the tips on the Jacquard squeeze bottles or tape the top of the Mylar cone shut. With Mylar cones, squeeze the extra air out by rolling the back of the cone down like a toothpaste tube until henna starts coming out the pointy tip. Then stick an ordinary pin into the tip of the cone or Jacquard squeeze bottle to keep the air out until you're ready to use the henna. Put your loaded bottles and cones in a fun party basket & let them sit until your friends arrive.

A little henna goes a long way! If you find that you have extra, just stick it in the freezer for use later.

So 24 hours later, your henna should be ready to go! Bring out your basket, invite your friends, and let your creativity flow. Remember: while professionals can produce amazingly beautiful, complex mehndi patterns, don't be intimidated! Everyone has to start somewhere and the squiggles and lines that all of us ordinary mortals first create will slowly evolve into genuine artistic expressions simply by enjoying the process of evolution and discovery in a non-judgmental environment. If you're planning an event with henna initiates, it can also help to have basic pattern handouts available for rudimentary instruction and inspiration.

After applying the henna, once it is dry, but before it begins to crack off, seal it against your skin by daubing it with the saturated lemon juice and sugar mixture. 12 hours later, wash it off and presto! If your henna was fresh you should have a pretty darn good stain.

If you have any questions or suggestions for how I can improve this document, please feel free to call me @ shakti.dance@gmail.com or e-mail me at shakti.dance@gmail.com. I would love the feedback and be happy to include your ideas.

Have fun!
:)
-Shakti

Other Bellydance Class Topics:

• Music used in Bellydance Classes
• Health Benefits of Bellydance
• Class Goals & Basic Posture
• Directions of Movement in Belldance
• Bellydance and the Chakras: Introduction
• Bellydance and the Chakras: Manifesto
• Tribal or Cabaret?
• Shakti's Quick-Start Guide to Henna
• Balancing Things on Your Head
• Energetic Arms