Belly Dance Classes | Manhattan NY

ASTERIA BELLY DANCE CLASSES WITH MENAHT DANCER DESPINA IN MANHATTAN

Join Despina's NEW Absolute Beginner's Class at 5:30PM on Monday's!

New Year 8 Week Salimpour Method *Jamila Steps* Session Starts April 13th!

Celebrate the roots of belly dance in this 8-week Jamila Salimpour Vocabulary session with licensed Salimpour instructor Despina. This series will be featuring *the GREATS* of the Golden Era and more. Discover the legendary dancers and musicians who defined and influenced this art form.

*Bring your finger cymbals and your appetite to dance a lot!

Boutique style classes, at a prestigious dance studio that is well organized, safe and clean.
Every class will include a 15-20min warm up, conditioning / strengthening for belly dance..

Vocabulary break down / technique & drills around the room.

Finger cymbals technique & drills.

Dance combo combining all the technique / movement covered in class.

Video recording the the ASTERIA online classroom from every class (only for 8 or 4 week session students).

Discounted rate to participate in ANY ASTERIA Dance hafla and workshop.

DATES:

WEEK 1: 04/13, WEEK 2: 04/20, WEEK 3: 04/27, WEEK 4: 05/04 WEEK 5: 05/11, WEEK 6: 05/18, WEEK 7: 05/25 (TBD-might move), WEEK 8: 06/01

SALA DATE TBD.

LOCATION:

VibeSpace:

147 W 25th St 8 floor, New York, NY 10001
Doorbell: 011

TIME:

7:00PM-8:30PM

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE TO CLASS:

1-Email Despina to claim your spot and register:

info@despinadance.com

2-Fill out the liability 2026 form.

3-Pay for your class or class package.

PRICING

1 class, join with Despina's approval only: info@despindance.com $40 drop in rate.
8 week session package save $50. $270 plus fees.
4 week package save $16. $144 plus fees.

Payments via Zelle or cash have no extra fees.
Payments via PayPal and Venmo plus fees.

REQUIRED

OPTIONAL

Knee pad/protection: https://a.co/d/8WS6xPU
Indoor dance shoes. Jazz or dance sneakers, not shoes that are worn out in public.

*If a class has been cancelled due to a holiday or any other reason you will be given an extra week extension.

*Classes and sessions are nonrefundable.

Despina's unique dance style seamlessly blends modern and vintage belly dance influenced by her Greek heritage and her training under the Salimpour School and Dalia Carella. You can find her performing and teaching in NYC and at various belly dance festival's within the US. Despina is also a proud member of the Dalia Carella Dance Collective and group leader of the Manhattan Salimpour Collective..

Teaching in NYC, Despina creates a dynamic and enjoyable learning environment for her students, who attest to her ability to challenge them to dance safely with ease, grace, and power.

REGISTRATION / LIABILITY FORM:

All students (new or existing) must fill out the 2026 liability form before attending Despina's Classes.

NO REFUNDS:

Please note that all class purchases are non-refundable. It is your responsibility to attend the classes you have registered for before the expiration date. If you are unsure of the expiration date, feel free to email Despina at info@despinadance.com for assistance.

For students enrolled in the 10-Week 2026 Session, Debbie Despina Cartsos provides an online video platform on Vimeo to help you stay on track with your training. These videos are exclusively available to students who have purchased a 5-week package and are designed to support your learning experience outside the studio.

To explore the available options, please refer to the information above.

If you are dealing with a medical emergency, please email Despina as soon as possible at info@despinadance.com to discuss your options.

SAFETY MEASURES / POLICIES:

Dancers are not required to show proof of vaccination or wear a mask. Dancers can wear a mask if they choose so.

*Please monitor your health and refrain from attending class if you're feeling fatigued, have a sore throat or any flu-like symptoms.

*Despina has a zero tolerance policy for harassment, unwanted homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, ableist, or ageist behavior in her classes. Despina reserves the right to ask you to leave if you behave in any way that is making an students or dancers feel uncomfortable.

What to wear:

Leggings, a tank top, or athleisure dance top, layering skirt, with shorts.

Shoes: Jazz or ballet shoes (make sure they are NOT slippery), foot Undeez or dance sneakers (only used indoors). Despina prefers to dance barefoot or with jazz shoes. You can dance barefoot but keep in mind that the studio hosts class all day and your feet might get a bit dirty.
A simple sequin or fabric hip scarf -NOT required.

NO socks or heels (heels are added for advanced classes).

NO Hips scarves with beads- they often break and beads are very dangerous.

You may see students wearing fun layering skirts in class, Despina will have items available in all sizes in her classes. Student discount rate will apply.

WHAT TO BRING:

A portion of the warmup / conditioning will be on the floor. If you would like to bring a yoga mat please do but it is not required.

You can also bring a knee pad cushion that is small and it's easy to travel with.

A change of clothes just in case you would like to change from getting sweaty.

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES: available for dancers that participate in the class / choreography sessions.

Q&A

I have never belly danced before. Can I take your classes?

Yes, Despina builds from the ground and her open level Asteria dance classes. Experienced dancers will be given advanced prompts that will not interfere with your growth. *You can also take 3 1-hour private prep class with Despina to jump start your learning experience.

Late Entry. What happens if I am running late?

It is understandable that work can run late and so can the trains, you have up to 5-10 mins to enter late in the class. Follow Despina's guidance to warm up the way she instructs you to. *See liability form for more information about lateness.

Are Asteria Dance classes all inclusive?

Yes. *Despina has a zero tolerance policy for harassment, unwanted homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, ableist, or ageist behavior in her classes.

->>Despina reserves the right to ask you to leave if you behave in any way that is making any student/s feel uncomfortable.

Do you accept refunds for the single drop in class?

Yes. *Make sure your single class hasn't already expired before requesting a refund.

PRIVATE CLASS RATES IN DANCE STUDIO:

*Single Private Class $110 (with PayPal fee $114.49) Expires 3 weeks after purchase.

*Single 90min Private $145 (with PayPal fee $150.55)

*3 1-Hour Private Class Bundle SAVE $310 (with PayPal fee $321.72) Expires 9 weeks after purchase.

PRIVATE CLASS RATES ON ZOOM:

*1 -1 Hour Zoom Private Class $70 (with PayPal fee $73.04) Expires 3 weeks after purchase.

*3 1-Hour Private Zoom Class Bundle SAVE $20 $190 (with PayPal fee $197.38) Expires 9 weeks after purchase.

Move your body with Despina.

ASTERIA BELLY DANCE CLASSES WITH MENAHT DANCER DESPINA IN MANHATTAN

What to wear:

Q&A

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