CTS Classes
About Our Classes
Live Classes
Live Classes with Pam Coleman in the SoCal Inland Empire
CTS Workout (no zils) | 55 minutes long
CTS Routines | 1 hour 15 minutes long
Instructor: Pam Coleman | Contact Pam HERE or call (951) 313-5240 for more information
Pam teaches Core CTS Classes and more Intense CTS Classes.
In the Core CTS Class, she uses the same framework – warm-up, workout songs, drills, routines, cool down. Because it’s live, she will monitor the class and repeat the steps for a while. If most of the class is following OK, but you’re still having a few challenges, she will suggest you keep moving and do simpler versions of the steps. We are always flexible about ways to do the moves and Pam is very compassionate in working with any physical limitations you may have. After dancing for a while, Pam may explain / demonstrate dance steps in greater detail, review a combination or teach a new routine.
In the CTS Intense Class with Pam, the framework is similar with the addition of 3 – 4 songs that include all of the Core combinations, a foot-arm placement drill to prepare you for new turn-based combos, combinations with finger cymbals, more intense combinations, routines and cued choreos. More details are provided in the Instruction page HERE.
Live Classes with Robin Johnson in the Coachella Valley / Palm Springs Area
In this class, you learn and explore the CTS belly dance format. Using adult learning techniques, you’ll learn core belly dance movements, the CTS movement vocabulary and practice routines that will have you dancing confidently and quickly.
New Moves and Grooves | 90 minutes long
Instructor: Dr. Robin | Contact Dr. Robin HERE for more information
Studio Location: TBD
This class will be open to all levels. RJ is constantly developing new combos, routines and choreographies. In this class, you’ll learn those new CTS moves with an associated routine or choreography to support your practice afterwards. See CTS Newsletter HERE for details.
Watch The CTS Workouts: Cardio Tribal Workout | Volumes 1, 2 & 3
CTS is heart-healthy. You start moving right away and keep moving for at least 35 minutes. We do not stop to teach the dance steps during the workout. But all the moves and combinations are repeated so it is easy to follow along. The important thing is to relax and keep moving. The movements are natural for your body, so if your mind gets out of the way, your body will know how to follow along.
I suggest you start with CTS Volume 3. It’s the most recent version of the Core workout. It’s not more difficult than Volume 1 and Volume 2. Volumes 1 and 2 use different music and show you similar CTS Core combos – but not as many.
Cardio Tribal Style, Volume 3
Cardio Tribal Style, Volume 2
Cardio Tribal Style, Volume 1
All three CTS workouts include a warm-up, drills, routines, combinations and a cool-down.
The Warm-Up has a basic stretch section – especially of the neck, shoulders, spine and hips. In CTS Volume 3, we add in a slinky combination during the warm-up so you’re already dancing your first CTS combo. Then the workout increases the pace to get your heart rate up with the shimmy drills. From then on, you keep moving.
The Drills include basic belly dance moves. We snake, shake, and isolate – undulate the arms-hands-bodies (snake), do shimmies of the hips and shoulders (shake), and intentionally move only specific body parts such as the chest, hips or head while keeping other body parts still (isolate).
The Routines provide necessary relief from feeling like you’re exercising and are highly-motivating because you will be able to perform, if you wish, in a short period of time.
By learning Combinations through repetition, you will be able to follow a leader through synchronized improvisation. Combinations used during the workout are our core combos such as gawazee hip sways, hip drops, figure-eight hip combo, double hips, slow 3/4 hip shimmies, Elizabeth’s hip shoulder shimmy pivots, marinas, footslides, stretches, and a range of grapevines. We teach all 25 core combinations during the CTS3 workout.
The foundation you get from this workout will make it easy for you later if you wish to learn to use finger cymbals / zils or belly dance props such as veils, skirts, fans, canes or swords. Many of the combinations and routines you learn in this workout are the foundation for dancing with these.
The CTS Workout fuses music and moves from around the world. This increases the variety of moves and reduces boredom with the workout. Group dancing using these moves, just like music, is a global activity. We blend these moves from MENAHT, African, Latin, Indian and Polynesian-inspired dance.
Subscribers can see posted videos demonstrating and explaining the combinations and drills.
We’ve monitored the workouts and most people are in their “fat-burning zone” during the majority of the workout – with short times, depending on their physical condition, in their cardio zone.
As usual, check with your health professional before doing any exercise.
And CTS is not from the no pain / no gain workout school.
If it’s too much, dial it back.
If it hurts, don’t do it.
If in doubt, leave that move out.
If it doesn’t look good, don’t do it.
If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it.
I think you get the point.
Online
Online Classes with Pam Coleman
Pam teaches Core CTS Classes and more Intense CTS Classes.
In the Core CTS Class, she uses the same framework – warm-up, workout songs, drills, routines, cool down. Because it’s live, she will monitor the class and repeat the steps for a while. If most of the class is following OK, but you’re still having a few challenges, she will suggest you keep moving and do simpler versions of the steps. We are always flexible about ways to do the moves and Pam is very compassionate in working with any physical limitations you may have. After dancing for a while, Pam may explain / demonstrate dance steps in greater detail, review a combination or teach a new routine.
In the CTS Intense Class with Pam, the framework is similar with the addition of 3 – 4 songs that include all of the Core combinations, a foot-arm placement drill to prepare you for new turn-based combos, combinations with finger cymbals, more intense combinations, routines and cued choreos. More details are provided in the Instruction page HERE.
Online Classes with Robin Johnson
New Moves and Grooves | 1 hour 30 minutes long
This class will be open to all levels. RJ is constantly developing new combos, routines and choreographies. In this class, you’ll learn those new CTS moves with an associated routine or choreography to support your practice afterwards. See CTS Newsletter HERE for details.
Workshops
Workshops: RJ with Pam Coleman
Robin has a number of workshops she teaches at various venues. She’s taught at dance studios, dance events, a local university, a healthcare facility, gym, on cruise ships, online and in yoga studios. Workshops include:
- CTS Afro-Belly Combos
- CTS Combos with Fans
- CTS Combos with Swords
- CTS Core Combos with Zils
- CTS Core Workout
- CTS Drum Solos
- CTS Intense Combos
- CTS Intense Combos with Zils
- CTS Intense Workout
- CTS Intro – Core Combos
- CTS: New Routines (done annually)
- CTS Warm/ Cool — Mindful Movement / Healing Dance
RJ is also willing and able to teach any CTS cued choreo or routine as a workshop. Participants enjoy learning combos they can dance by the end of the workshop. They always have access to a video afterwards to practice and remember what they learned. Popular workshops in this vein include:
- Aaja Nachle (Bhangra / Bollywood-inspired)
- Chillando Goma (Afro-Caribbean-inspired)
- Como Va (Caribbean-Latin-inspired)
- Dark Fire (CTS core combos with sword)
- Fallin’ (liquid, strong arms)
Contact Robin HERE if you’re interested in a workshop.
Zoom | Live
RJ and Pam Coleman are also available for private sessions via Zoom.
For more information, email RJ HERE. For Pam, call (951) 313-5240.