KARAVAN STUDIO
Professional Belly Dance Training in San Antonio Since 1988
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Karavan Studio was founded in 1988 by Karen Barbee Adkisson and has operated in San Antonio, Texas ever since.
For more than 35 years, Karavan has provided structured Middle Eastern dance training rooted in technical precision, musical literacy, and cultural respect. We offer belly dance classes in San Antonio for beginners through advanced dancers, with a foundation in American Cabaret style and a deep commitment to live Arabic music.
What began as a local studio has grown into a long-standing training ground for dancers who want more than choreography. At Karavan, technique is not separated from music. Drills are not random. Movement is not decorative. Dancers learn how to hear the rhythm, understand the phrasing, and respond with intention.
Karavan Studio is not just about learning steps. It is about learning to listen.
FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Karen Barbee Adkisson
Karen Barbee Adkisson began studying belly dance at the age of 10. In the 1970s, when formal Middle Eastern dance instruction was often unclear or loosely structured, she developed her own system of understandingā€”blending analytical thinking with artistic instinct.
With degrees in Accounting and Computer Science, Karen brought structure and curriculum design into an art form that was frequently taught informally. Over decades of professional performance and international travel throughout the United States, Europe, Central and South America, Asia, Egypt, and Lebanon, she refined a methodology grounded in clarity, musical depth, and cultural respect.
Karen founded Karavan Studio in 1988 and has directed staged productions, trained generations of dancers, and collaborated with highly acclaimed Arab musicians to ensure students experience the music as a living forceā€”not background sound.
She is also a pioneer in online Middle Eastern dance instruction, creating a comprehensive digital training library that mirrors the depth of her in-person studio, including technique, combinations, choreography, improvisation, and music studies.
Since 2013, her defining passion project has been Project Bandā€”a one-of-a-kind live Arabic music training curriculum developed from decades of performing with professional musicians. Project Band teaches dancers how to interpret live music in real time, strengthening confidence, musicality, and artistic maturity in ways studio-only training cannot replicate.
WHY KARAVAN STUDIO IS DIFFERENT
Many studios teach steps.
Karavan teaches musicianship.
Our training includes:
- Structured, curriculum-based Middle Eastern dance instruction
- American Cabaret style foundations
- Integrated music education for dancers
- Live Arabic music performance training through Project Band
- In-person classes in San Antonio and virtual learning options
Students do not simply memorize choreography. They develop endurance, control, and the ability to respond to live musicians with confidence and authenticity.
For those who choose to go deeper, live music becomes the classroom.
Our Instructors
Karavan Studio instructors are long-time students who have trained within the studioā€™s system and continue to grow through live music performance and ongoing study. Each brings a distinct personality while sharing a common technical and musical foundation.
Cindy
Cindy has been dancing for nearly 25 years, combining her background in ballet, jazz, and modern dance with a focus on American Cabaret style. She has been teaching and choreographing at Karavan Studio since 2009 and is known for her precision and dynamic prop work.
Sara
Sara, a San Antonio-based visual and performing artist, has trained at Karavan Studio since 2004. Known for her expressive quality and skill with finger cymbals, she performs regularly at public and private events and continues to refine her craft through dedicated study.
Suzanne Suzanne
Suzanne Suzanne brings over 20 years of experience across multiple dance forms, including Fusion. An award-winning competitor and performer, she teaches specialty workshops and performs as a choreography instructor and Project Band member.
Karen G.
"Baby Karen" began dancing in 2008 and joined Karavan Studio in 2016, becoming part of Project Band in 2018. Originally drawn to tribal fusion, she transitioned into American Cabaret style through her connection to Arabic music. She has been teaching at the studio since 2020.
Victoria Cruz
Vic brings a background in modern dance, choreography, and movement studies, including advanced training in contemporary technique and dance/movement therapy. A Karavan student since 2006, she has participated in Project Band since its inception and continues her involvement both virtually and in person.
Paloma
Paloma began dancing in 2008 and joined Karavan during its early live-music intensives. Through Project Band, her technique, endurance, and confidence deepened. She continues to perform, study, and support students both in studio and online, embodying the spirit of sustained growth that defines Karavan.
Helen K.
Helen discovered bellydance in 2015 by chance and has been hooked ever since. Since 2019, she has focused on improvisation to live music through Project Band, combining her background as a personal trainer and makeup artist to guide students in building strength, mobility, and expressive stage presence.
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