"Here's to the language of dance & music, may it be the unifying rhythm that propels us towards soulful resplendence." -Amy Lea
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My dance journey began in 1992 with jazz and hip hop classes at Step 1 Dance and Fitness in Sacramento. During this time I attended an event where belly dancers were performing, which prompted me to begin searching for schools to study, in particular, the art of belly dance. In 1996 I became a student at Jodette's Belly Dance Academy learning Egyptian Cabaret and Folk Dance. I began leading classes under the wings of my teacher in 1999, which was the seed of my teaching career. After years of study and performance as a cabaret and troupe dancer, I began teaching on my own and directed Red Tent Belly Dance performances and events. It is a pleasure to still be dancing with some of these women to this day.
My hobbies slowly became my profession as most of my time spent dancing was as a teacher and for over 20 years I have been teaching in Sacramento at numerous fitness and movement venues. In 2017 I founded Center Seven where I offer fitness, yoga and dance education to adults of all ages. I have also continued my studies with innovative movement, dance and music educators internationally with intensives at several belly dance and dance fusion schools including Datura 8 Elements, Dance Craft Key of Spades, Dance Cohesion L1 with April Rose and ITS with Amy Sigil. In 2022 I was honored to become a dancer for Qabila's Bay Area Chapter to continue experiencing music and dance of the MENAT region with reverence to the history, culture and customs that have inspired the various fusion styles alive in the world today. |
What is belly dance really?
Raqs sharqi literally translates as "dance of the orient" and is celebrated as a classical dance with roots in Egyptian social and folk dance. Popularized in.... and highlighted in....film, the performance aspect of Raqs sharqi spread evolved into a global phenomenon of .....and fusion styles. The term "belly dance" comes from the French "Danse du ventre" or "dance of the stomach" originated in 1893 at the Chicago World's Fair to describe the "abdominal gyrations" of cultural dances of the east. The Chicago World's fair glamorized and exploited people for amusement and profit, so although "belly dance" is a commonly accepted term, although disparaging in its origin "belly dance" inaccurately represents the complexitiesand beaty? of middles east and north africa. narrative inform Learn more from dancers dedicated to.... April Rose appropriation Qabila Aubry Hill Donna Amy Sigil |