Full of Eastern Promise: 100% Authentic Asian Dance, Music, Drama and Visual Arts Workshops

Asia is a vast continent, with many exotic cultures and a rich and varied history to explore. The East has brought us so many art forms; from India, we have the intricate body art of henna, the mystical rhythms of the dhol drum and, more recently, the spectacular movements and music of Hindi cinema – ‘Bollywood’. Further East still, we encounter China, with its captivating fan and ribbon dances and ancient martial arts, including Tai Chi. Japan brings us yet more cultural treasures, like the unique art of origami.

You can experience all of the above, with 2020 Effect’s 100% authentic workshops. From Bollywood Dance Workshops and Indian Classical Dance Workshops to Origami Workshops and Chinese Dance Workshops, lovers of Asian arts will be spoilt for choice!

Our facilitators are from China, Japan, Bali, India and Malaysia, so we can promise a real multicultural experience – perfect for your diversity days.

Hurry! Book today and you could start off this month with a Chinese Dance Workshop for Chinese New Year.

As an example, we offer:

From South Asia

  • Traditional Indian Classical Dance Workshops
  • Bollywood Dance Workshops
  • Indian Drumming Workshops (dhol and tabla)
  • Henna Design Workshops
  • Indian Storytelling Workshops
  • Rangoli Art Workshops
  • Indian Folk Theatre Workshops

From the Far East

  • Origami Workshops
  • Chinese Dance Workshops (including Ribbon, Lion and Fan Dance)
  • Chinese Acrobatics Workshops
  • Chinese Storytelling Workshops
  • Calligraphy Workshops
  • Gamelan Music Workshops
  • Japanese Traditional Dance Workshops

…and much more!

In the 1970s, Hindi cinema overtook Hollywood as the world’s largest film industry. Now, ‘Bollywood’, with its zany mix of offbeat humour, traditional dance routines and memorable music has become a very popular art form in the West.

Starting with a gentle warm up, our very popular Bollywood dance workshops soon launch straight into the action, teaching the iconic eye, neck, foot and hand movements as children and adults alike move those hips and shoulders to the music. A perfect way to combine entertainment with cultural education, our Bollywood dance workshops progress towards a live performance guaranteed to provide the audience with thrills – and a few spills.

If you prefer a traditional workshop, our Indian Classical Dance Workshops will fit the bill. After mastering the basic movement vocabulary, including flexed feet and head, neck and eye movements, participants will   learn how to add musicality and performance skills to their act. Indian Classical Dance Workshops end with a high-energy performance that always manages to impress.

When performed to a backdrop of haunting woodwind instruments, the colourful, swirling ribbons of Chinese Ribbon Dance are one of the most mesmerising experiences you can have. Now, your school or workplace can create their own hypnotic dances with our Chinese Ribbon Dance Workshops.

This dance comes from a long tradition and often embodies historical scenes; this provides an ideal opportunity to educate children and adults about the Chinese hand gestures and their meanings and how dance relates to both mundane life and significant events.

The Chinese Fan dance, with its elegant, fluttering fans and delicate poses is also a delight to behold and both dance workshops will culminate with a live performance, guaranteed to bring the audience to their feet.

If you want to introduce some exotic instruments to your class or workplace, the Indian dhol and tabla drums are sure to be a hit. The dhol drum is unmistakeable, with its two heads and bent drumstick (dagga), while the tabla are hand drums that are heard in Hindustani music. Both instruments are popular with many western artists and have been used in tracks by The Beatles and Rihanna, Coldplay and The Beatles, to name just a few.

Participants will learn all about the different tones that can be created by the hands and fingers before getting to have a go themselves.

Derived from a plant, henna is a dye used to colour hair, skin, nails and even leather. A popular form of body art that is safe to apply and easy to remove, henna is already adorning children and adults across the country.

With our authentic henna workshops, we will educate participants about the long history of henna art, and its uses in weddings and other occasions. They will learn about the symbolic meanings of the patterns and, after an authentic demonstration, will get to design and apply their own henna art.

With the advent of social media and interaction via tweets or status updates, many people are now yearning for more meaningful dialogue – like storytelling.

Reviving a time-honoured tradition, our authentic Indian and Chinese Storytelling Workshops introduce young and old alike to the myths and legends of other lands. Participants will also learn about the importance of storytelling in imparting knowledge and ethics to the younger members of the community.

Our exciting and imaginative Chinese Storytelling workshops are aimed at younger children, with vocabulary adapted to suit all levels of ability. Incorporating music and dance, and sometimes costume, children will be wowed by tales of dragons, warriors and maidens who fly to the moon. Then it’s their turn, as our experienced facilitators help them to tell their own folk stories using role play.

Translated as ‘folding paper’, the Japanese art of Origami is a must for craft-orientated children (and adults). Participants will learn how to create all manner of elegant and decorative paper objects, from dragons and cranes to toys that actually work! Our authentic origami workshops can be tailored to suit any age or level of ability and is an ideal workshop for children or adults with learning disabilities.

Developing maths skills, problem solving and hand-eye co-ordination, our origami workshops are a truly educational experience.

From ancient Chinese martial art to modern stress-buster, Tai Chi (or Taiji), is a combination of graceful movements that provides an excellent alternative to high-impact exercise. Tai Chi provides a fascinating look into the beliefs and customs of another culture; the word itself translates as ‘great pole’, and is said to be the origin of the yin and yang energies.

If you’re looking for a novel way to mark the Chinese New Year, or just want an alternative to PE classes, look no further than Trap Media’s Tai Chi Workshops.

Remarkably different from western letters, Chinese characters are certain to captivate your class. Our writing experts will introduce participants, young and old, to the individual Chinese characters and explain how they are used to develop concepts (e.g. the way the character for tree is used to signify a wood or forest).

Then, using brush and pen, students will try their hand at the ancient art of traditional Chinese writing – calligraphy.

With a history spanning over 2000 years, Beijing Opera is a diverse performance art, employing everything from acrobats and jugglers to music and dance to costume and make-up to create a unique cultural treasure.

After being educated on the meanings of different colours and symbols, participants in our authentic Beijing Opera Workshops will get to design their own character mask or face paint. The session will end with a live mini-opera, with participants able to show off their work.