|
Galaxy &
Celestial Seminar
Instructors
(For Additional and Special Workshop
Instructors, click here) |
|
|
|
Thursday Celestial
Instructors: |
|
|
|
|
 |
Aneena
- Aneena has been dancing for 30+ years and teaching
workshops all across
the US for 25+ years. Aneena owns Aneena's Silk
Veils, selling 3 yard, circular silk
veils with the special rolled edge
for easier handling. And she has 10+ videos and
DVDs on the market
including her specialties: Double Veil, Single Veil, Props, and
Arms &
Hands.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Silvia Salamanca
- Silvia Salamanca is an internationally acclaimed
performer
and instructor
from Mallorca, Spain.A
life-long dancer, she graduated at the age of nineteen as a
major in ballet
and performed professionally as a modern dancer in major Europe
festivals
with the contemporary dance company of the University of
Barcelona.
She started her career as a belly dancer in 2001,
when realizing the
enormous benefits that this art-form brings to women in both
body and soul.
As a natural evolution in her journey, Silvia discovered tribal
fusion in the
USA and combined it with a deep research into her own cultural
roots:
spanish gypsy and arabic. Hence with
her work in the field of Zambra
Mora (spanish gypsy-oriental dance fusion) Silvia gained
international
recognition and is currently invited to teach workshops and
perform in major
festivals world-wide, including being twice headliner for the
Contest of the
Bellydancer of the world in Germany,
and being featured as the local talent
for the Bellydance Superstars shows in October 2011 –Houston.
Silvia is also the director of Shunyata Belly Dance, a nationally awarded
tribal fusion company and a proud member of Urban Gypsy,
Houston’s
premiere ATS troupe.
|
|
|
|
 |
Mia Sha'uri
-
Mia Sha'uri is an incredible rising star we have watched blossom
over
the last 6 years. Her amazing maturity, talent, diversity and
discipline prepared
her for her recent title of
Belly Dancer
of the Universe 2008 and Cabaret
Professional Dancer 2009. Mia's wide
range of professional artistic talent
including not only Cabaret, but
also Tribal, Gypsy, Latin and Bomba,
coupled with her dynamic stage
presence, make her a crowd favorite
everywhere she performs and a
shooting star to watch! Winner of
Yaa Halla, Y'all
People's ChoiceAward
Cabaret Star Competition
in 2008 and 2009!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday Galaxy
Instructors: |
|
|
|
|
 |
Kata Maya
- Kata Maya is a member of the Wings of Isis and a
life-long
member of the Middle Eastern Dance community. Beginning at the
age
of five, Kata Maya grew up on stage. At the age of fourteen she
moved
to The Angels of Isis Performing Company, under the direction of Kede.
While there, she helped create award-winning choreographies and
won
some awards herself, such as Belly Dancer of the Universe Junior
2008,
Belly Dancer of the Universe Champion of Champions 2008, Cabaret
Professional Solo Star 2010, and third place in the MSC Townhall
Variety
Show in College Station. You can also see her in Season 2
of Project Bellydance.
Kata Maya has studied with many of the top Middle Eastern Dancers,
including Aziza, Amaya, Amir Thaleb, Bozenka, Fahtiem, Karen Barbee,
Kaeshi Chai, Mahmoud Reda, Moria Chapell, Sadie, Sabrina Fox,
Sahra
Saeeda, Suhaila Salimpour, Vashti, Virginia, Zoe Jakes, and
many more!
She has performed in Chicago, Las Vegas, Long Beach,
Palo Alto, and
Waxahachie. She is known for her energy and grace
on stage.
From sharp hits to quick turns, from kicks to back bends,
Kata Maya is
truly an upcoming star in the Middle Eastern dance community. |
|
|
|
|
 |
Draconis
-
Draconis is an androgynous entity with a passion for Middle
Eastern
dance. His journey in dance started in elementary school with
the
conventional ballet and jazz class, now continued through college.
A
sprinkling of cheerleading and hip hop decorated his otherwise bland
adolescence until he discovered his talent for belly dance in 2008 with
the Isis Studio in Bedford, Texas. Since then he's stayed true to his
studio where he grew from student to teacher, becoming beloved as
a
local favorite in the area with his unique style and stage presence.
His inspiration comes from the excitement he feels from a piece of
music, a dolled-up model in a magazine, foreign music videos, and
of
course other dance disciplines. Although it's not unusual for him
to
feel out a more emotional piece, Drake describes his usual style
to be a
mixture of American cabaret with Turkish energy, punked
out costumes,
drag-esque makeup, mysterious eyes and lots of
silly facial expressions.
Samba and hip hop have been current
favorite flavors of fusion, with a
touch of burlesque sass and balletic
muscle control.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Karlos Khalil
-
Karlos Khalil is a dancer, teacher and choreographer
extraordinaire! Named Puerto Rico's best up and coming belly dancer
after winning in 3 categories at the Belly Dancer of the Universe that
was held this past February, 2014, in Long Beach, California.
This competition is considered one of the most prestigious and
competitive in the world of belly dancing discipline . Karlos Khalil is
already known as a great artist Tribal Belly Fusion and in this
competition won: Speciality Props, Belly Fusion, Troupe and
Champion of the champions, the last two categories performed
with the
Magic Dance group, performing with world renowned dancer
Mireya Yamilett.
Click here to see
Karlos' performance at Yaa Halla, Y'all 2013! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friday Galaxy
Instructors: |
|
|
|
|
 |
Sharon Kihara
-
A seasoned performer, inspirational
teacher and
exotic personality, Sharon Kihara is known the world
over for her
avante garde and slightly eccentric artistry, as
well as for her skillful,
graceful and powerful technique. She
comes from a strong background
in western dance, beginning with
Ballet as a wee tike and continuing
to perform with college Modern and Jazz dance companies
throughout
the nineties. But
her true love came in the form of Bellydance, first
witnessed by
Sharon as a child in it’s Cabaret form, then as Tribal Style
in
the mid nineties, and, as her mind had been blown beyond all
hope for
repair, she decided to pursue this art form with full
enthusiasm.
When she’s
not on tour, Sharon Kihara maintains her yoga practice, but her favorite
pastime is
teaching dance and movement, in the form of Tribal Fusion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silvia Salamanca
- Silvia Salamanca is an internationally acclaimed
performer
and instructor
from Mallorca, Spain.A
life-long dancer, she graduated at the age of nineteen as a
major in ballet
and performed professionally as a modern dancer in major Europe
festivals
with the contemporary dance company of the University of
Barcelona.
She started her career as a belly dancer in 2001,
when realizing the
enormous benefits that this art-form brings to women in both
body and soul.
As a natural evolution in her journey, Silvia discovered tribal
fusion in the
USA and combined it with a deep research into her own cultural
roots:
spanish gypsy and arabic. Hence with
her work in the field of Zambra
Mora (spanish gypsy-oriental dance fusion) Silvia gained
international
recognition and is currently invited to teach workshops and
perform in major
festivals world-wide, including being twice headliner for the
Contest of the
Bellydancer of the world in Germany,
and being featured as the local talent
for the Bellydance Superstars shows in October 2011 –Houston.
Silvia is also the director of Shunyata Belly Dance, a nationally awarded
tribal fusion company and a proud member of Urban Gypsy,
Houston’s
premiere ATS troupe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday Galaxy
Instructors: |
|
|
|
|
 |
Ansuya
-
Ansuya
is
considered one of the most talented and accomplished
performers,
choreographers, instructors, and entrepreneurs in the
Bellydance
world today. As a soloist she is known for being a master
of
improvisation, musical interpretation, emotional expression, and
costume
design. Her performances are energetic, sensual and
innovative – captivating
audiences and inspiring students around
the world to enjoy her shows and
study her talents. She is an
IAMED Best Cabaret Dancer of the year and
a three time Golden
Belly Award winner for Best Cabaret Dancer of the year.
Online
Bellydance Classes with Ansuya at www.ansuya.com, has her
reaching
her worldwide fan base on a weekly basis providing them with
top
of the line Bellydance training with a fun TV show feel. With top
selling
instructional DVD’s on the market, acting experience
including roles on
Judging Amy and Days of Our Lives, and
countless on camera press
interviews, this was a natural
progression for Ansuya. Her brand new
dance company “Gypsy
Sugar” showcases her unique style which she calls
“Cabaribalusion”.
This eclectic name blends Cabaret, Tribal and
Fusion techniques
(including Indian, Spanish, African, Gypsy, and
Modern Egyptian)
with her own innovations to create an extensive
and impressive
vocabulary that she uses in her choreographies. |
|
|
|
|
|
Sharon Kihara
-
A seasoned performer, inspirational
teacher and
exotic personality, Sharon Kihara is known the world
over for her
avante garde and slightly eccentric artistry, as
well as for her skillful,
graceful and powerful technique. She
comes from a strong background
in western dance, beginning with
Ballet as a wee tike and continuing
to perform with college Modern and Jazz dance companies
throughout
the nineties. But
her true love came in the form of Bellydance, first
witnessed by
Sharon as a child in it’s Cabaret form, then as Tribal Style
in
the mid nineties, and, as her mind had been blown beyond all
hope for
repair, she decided to pursue this art form with full
enthusiasm.
When she’s
not on tour, Sharon Kihara maintains her yoga practice, but her favorite
pastime is
teaching dance and movement, in the form of Tribal Fusion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday Galaxy
Instructors: |
|
|
|
|
 |
Sal Maktoub
-
Sal has been dancing for as long as he can remember. He grew up
with
music and dance, particularly that which was heavily infused with
drumming. He spent
summers on the beach with his family, dancing to the
Latin social dances – punta,
salsa, merengue, bachata. As he grew older,
other forms of music and dance came
into his life, such as Brazilian
Samba and Middle Eastern dance. His natural curiosity
for these art
forms and the cultures from which they stem quickly became an obsession
and a passion to improve.
In 2010, Sal attended Black Orchid Danse’s event in Atlanta, GA, and
entered in
the Drum Solo Competition. Considering his upbringing and his
affinity to percussions,
it seemed appropriate and fitting. He won first
place in the competition, which was judged
by Tito Seif, Kaeshi Chai,
and David of Scandinavia. In 2011, he decided on taking his
talents to
an international stage and competed in London’s Shimmy in the City Male
Competition. He won third place in the competition, which was judged by
Egyptian
superstars Asmahan, Khaled Mahmoud, and Tito Seif.
Today, Sal is an accomplished dancer, performer, instructor, and
choreographer in
Middle Eastern, Brazilian, and Latin-style dances. In
any genre, he has outstanding
musicality and mesmerizes audiences with
his amazing technique. His time spent within
the Middle Eastern culture
and his own Latin background bring to his performances an
authentic and
very musical quality. His dedication to the culture behind his dancing
has
made him a well-rounded dancer with a great connection to the
meaning behind the
movements and the music.
Click here to view
Sal's performance at Yaa Halla, Y'all 2012! |
|
|
|
 |
Jennifer
-
Jennifer
is a multi-award winning belly dancer and designer based
in Orlando,
Florida. Her emotional, abdominal heavy, and elegant
performances have made her a sought after performer and instructor.
As an instructor, Jennifer enjoys breaking down movements and
concepts into detail while
splashing her goofy humor through it all.
Her most recent title of Bellydancer of the World in Duisberg,
Germany
in 2013 was a wonderful milestone and she hopes to continue to
develop her signature style and meet more talented and inspiring
performers in her travels.
She is a committed artist and her company, Bellydance By Jennifer Inc.,
has been offering business management for entertainers seeking to
improve their business, couture crystal costumes, and instruction for
students and dancers around the world since 2007. To learn more
about
Jennifer visit:
http://bellydancebyjennifer.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mia Sha'uri
-
Mia Sha'uri is an incredible rising star we have watched
blossom over
the last 7 years. Her amazing maturity, talent, diversity a
nd
discipline prepared her for her recent title of
Belly Dancer
of the Universe
2008 and Cabaret Professional Dancer 2009. Mia's wide
range of professional
artistic talent including not only Cabaret, but
also Tribal, Gypsy, Latin and Bomba,
coupled with her dynamic stage
presence, make her a crowd favorite everywhere
she performs and a
shooting star to watch! Winner of Yaa Halla, Y'all
People's
Choice Award
Cabaret Star Competition in 2008 and 2009!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional and Special Workshop
Instructors |
|
|
|
|
Thursday Constellation Room: |
|
|
|
|
 |
Janie Midgley
-
Janie has been performing this wonderful art form
for
nearly 40 years. She started belly dancing back in her college days.
She
has been dancing, since she could walk and figures it was a
past-life-thing.
She started formal dance training with Tap and
Ballroom, later venturing
out into Modern Dance and Hula. But her
passion is and will always be
Belly Dance.
Being 5'8"
and never runway thin, she has been sewing since she was 14.
When she
started Belly Dance, venders were few and far between, so she
made
costumes for herself and others, for extra money. Fast forward many
years, this passion developed into becoming a professional Costume
Designer.
She makes her living by creating beautiful costumes, costume
pieces and
jewelry. Her business is Designs By Janie. She is
Internationally know for
being both the designer and creator of The
Comfortable Body Stockings. |
|
|
|
|
Thursday Comfort Inn Conference
Room: |
|
|
|
 |
Olivia 'Inaya' Medlock
- An up-and-coming dance performer,
Inaya started
hoopdancing around the same time she began studying
bellydance. She teaches
hoopdance workshops and lessons in the
Dallas/Fort Worth area. Inaya flavors
her hoopdance style with
bellydance and fusion moves and is currently focusing
on creating drama
in her dance performances. She is a member of and performs
with the Isis
Performing Company. Inaya performed at the Dallas premiere of the
independent film, The Hooping Life.
Click here to see a demo of Inaya's Hoop Dance! |
|
|
|
|
Saturday Comfort Inn Conference
Room: |
|
|
|
 |
Frank Farinaro
-
Frank, a life-long dancer, is Colorado's premiere male
bellydancer. Over the past decade, Frank has trained in numerous
contemporary
and ethnic dance styles. Since 2005, Frank has
performed and taught classes
and workshops at events in over 18
cities and 6 states across the US. In 2009,
Frank won Yaa Halla
Y'all's the
People's Choice Award
Tribal/Alternative Star in
Dallas, TX. Frank's current project is
developing his signature Hammerhead
Sharqi Dance Technique, a
style of dance and dance instruction which focuses
on artistic
dance fusion,
athletic body conditioning
and new-age meditative practices. |
|
|
|
|