Collective Elements

Collective Elements is a group of Bay Area dance artists creating original choreographies inspired by the various MENAHT teachers and styles of their unique locale. In the spirit of greater world connection and peaceful collaboration, they celebrate fusion by two legendary Algerian musical artists: reggae Rai artist Cheb Tarik, who reimagined a Kool ‘n the Gang song fused with Rai, Reggae, and Rap, and Rai singer Rachid Taha, who took a hit song by The Clash to a new level by adding Arabic tabla and lyrics. Collective Elements presents North African and Arabic dance in a modern context.

Andrea

Andrea Saliba founded  MindfullyFit and MindfullyFit Belly Dance 22 years ago.  She is 100% Arabic and grew up with Middle Eastern music -- doing the debke and belly dancing.  She is a posture, yoga, Pilates and dance educator and a holistic healer specializing in helping people end back pain by helping them find their natural alignment and also in Divine Mother healings. She enjoys performing belly dance to connect her to her ancestral roots but also enjoys performing jazz, lyrical, hip hop and ballet. For more information, find her at MindfullyFit.com or @MindfullyFitLLC on Instagram.

Luna Dance Collective

Luna Dance Collective, directed by Cecy Cano, specializes in FatChance BellyDance style. Long time dance partners Cecy and Lisa, present a duet performance utilizing tambourine as codified by Shedriel of Argentina.

Stari

Stari has been performing in the Bay Area for many years as a soloist and as part of Raks al Khalil. She returns to the stage today with a Tribal Fusion solo piece.

Mirit and Student Troupe

Mirit is a belly dancer, dance instructor, troupe director and choreographer from Mountain View. She enjoys traveling and learning about various cultures, and  dances a variety of styles, mostly American Cabaret and Egyptian.

Inspired by the beauty of Spain and its incredible culture where Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived together in peace, she has recently an created Flamenco-Arabe fusion choreography.

Today she is presenting her Al-Andalus choreography with her students Sonia, Minjung, and Grace.

The Salimpour Collective

The Salimpour Collective features dancers from Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, and San Francisco who train within the Salimpour Style of Belly Dance. The Salimpour School was established in 1949 by dance pioneer and instructor, Jamila Salimpour, and continues today under the direction of Jamila’s daughter, Suhaila, who directs the global Salimpour School of Dance. Today, Janelle Rodriguez brings together Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and Sacramento to present two new choreographies and a classic drum solo by Suhaila Salimpour. Janelle teaches Salimpour technique and step vocabulary at her studio in Santa Cruz, California.

House of Inanna

House of Inanna regularly performs throughout Northern California, independently, as well as with the Hearts of Khyber and Veil in the Wind Dance Collectives, and have a couple surprises in store for you, later in the year. Today they’re dancing a sword choreography followed by truly improvised FatChanceBellyDance Style dancing today…two distinct sides of their troupe personality!

The sword choreography includes moves from their teacher, Belladonna, adapted for a group dance. Petra is in the process of getting certified to teach this sword style…so stay tuned for more on that! Swords can represent violence, but frequently in spiritual practice, they represent cutting away untruths, and unneeded things, and revealing hidden wisdom, new ideas. Through this, we can find the strength to do things that we didn't think we could do. When improvising, House of Inanna flows through the music like water - or riffs like jazz musicians, responding to what happens effortlessly and with grace.

Raqs Z’s

The Raks Z's hale from Sunnyvale and Ben Lomond. Tehey have been dancing together for 24 years, embracing joy and creativity with unique and exciting choreographies. They say they do the fun things!

Sister Sirens

Sister Sirens is a Progressive Fusion Troupe based in Martinez and led by the director Zyphire. They are known for their sassy style and sweet sisterhood. Why Progressive Fusion? Because you never know what you are going to get!

Their latest choreography contains 3 musical genres. Traditional American Folk, a belly dance drum solo, and music inspired by the traditional music of Mongolia, mesmerizing throat singing.

Gayle Wayne

Gayle Wayne's been dancing for many years, and has danced everything from cabaret to Middle-Eastern-Scottish fusion (before we called it "fusion"!).

She currently leads the Veil in the Wind Dance Collective, which performs all over Northern and Central California.

The past several years, Gayle's been specializing in Khaleeji and other dances of the Saudi Gulf area.

Nikita

Nikita, specializes in Odissi and Indian fusion style and is dancing currently with two troupes, “Veil In the Wind” and “Hearts of Khyber.”

Dhyanis

Dhyanis has taught, performed, and studied belly dance for over 35 years. In the 80’s she traveled and performed throughout Europe, Greece, Morocco, Egypt, Israel & Turkey. She specializes in “Double Sword” and “7 Veils.” In 2003, she won Grand Dancer of the Year and her troupe won Troupe of the Year. Many of her students (including children) have become strong professionals in the field.

Dhyanis is a well-known, award-winning theatrical costume designer with her own line of clothing and dance costumes, available online and at selected belly dance events, including Gilded Raqs!

Sabiba

Sabiba, a long-time dancer and teacher in the South Bay, feels fortunate to have danced for so many years to live Greek Bouzouki and varied Middle Eastern bands. She is always pleased to support and participate in our rich and diversified dance community.

Malia

Malia is a longtime teacher and performer. She currently teaches beginner and intermediate/advanced level belly dance classes in Redwood City, San Mateo and Pacifica. Her schedule can be found on The Belly Dance Guild website and also at www.bellydancer.net.

Jenni

Jenni performed for the first time with her troupe at her high school’s World Culture Day in her sophomore year, after a two-week crash course taught by a classmate in PE. Since then, she has studied with many amazing teachers. This is her second performance to live music.

Una

Teaching and performing all over the world, Una is known as the most-awarded dancer, giving thousands of performances and teaching hundreds of belly dance students. Her many honors include Belly Dancer of the Year, Ms. Universe, and Belly Dancer of the Year Grand Dancer.

Una’s style of belly dance captivates audiences with a fusion of classic belly dance technique, her signature veil moves and jaw-dropping abdominal bead rolls.

Janelle

Janelle Rodriguez is a performing artist from the Santa Cruz area and has been immersed in the study of middle eastern dance and music since the mid 1990s. Janelle has been a student of the Salimpour School since 2001 and had the privilege to study not only with Suhaila, but with her mother, Jamila Salimpour, as well. Janelle continues to study dance and music as well as teaches and owns Desert Dream Dance studio in Santa Cruz, Ca where she hosts many artists from around the world.

Sadira Lady Liquid

Liquid Fire! Flirty Fierceness! An Encapsulating Vixen... and that is only the beginning!  Sadira Lady Liquid is also a core member of Zoe Jakes' dance company, Coven, House of Tarot, and the Beats Antique. They dominate stages with silky sultriness fueled by a bachelor in theatrical arts and a thriving yoga and dance career. They have been at it for over 10 years y'all! Sadira is deeply passionate about movement and doing so with strength, in a space of safety and compassion. 

*Karavansaray* Dance Company

*Karavansaray* Dance Company performs folkloric dances originating in countries from North Africa to South-West Asia. Today, the company offers dances from Turkey and Armenia. The first dance, from central-southern Turkey, features dancers playing wooden spoons as percussive accompaniment. The next three pieces are Armenian, using time signatures of 4/4, 6/8, and 9/8 – the last comprising a medley of variations for the beloved Armenian folk dance Tamzara. The set ends with a piece using traditional steps of the Laz people, from the shores of the Black Sea.

Monica

Monica Berini is a San Francisco based dancer, instructor, and percussionist. Monica teaches Egyptian baladi (pronunciation: bah- la- DI) classes at Lines Dance Center, plays percussion with Aswat (pronunciation: ahs-WAAAT) Ensemble, and also nurtures a southern Italian dance and drum practice. She is a member of the Belly Dance Guild and happy to be part of this inaugural event. Monica's piece this afternoon is called Medinsud (pronunciation: medd – een  - SOOD), and is dedicated to her Tunisian and Sicilian ancestors.

Yuka

Yuka studied FatChanceBellyDance (R) Style with the founder, Carolena Nericcio, since 2010, and she has been teaching and performing locally and internationally.  Yuka is joined by Petra, Stacy, Mayumi and Nicolette to share the beauty and joy of group improvisational dance with you!

Ghawazee

Alexandria has been studying and dancing Near Eastern dance for over 50 years. She has studied with a number of well-known teachers including the Banat Maazin Ghawazee of Luxor, Egypt. This dedication to her art had led to her becoming not only one of the few authentic Egyptian style cabaret dancers in the United States, but also one of the few dancers in the world to be able to perform and teach authentic folkloric dances from many countries of North Africa and the Near East. Alexandria emphasizes body alignment, posture, and technique. She is the only American dancer to be asked to perform for the Near Eastern Studies Department at the University of California at Berkeley.

Sidahlia

With every dawn, a promise new, Renewal dances in morning's dew.
In every bloom, in every tree, Spring paints a canvas of liberty.

So let us greet the rising sun, With hearts ablaze, our journey begun.
For in the cycle of rebirth's embrace, Lies the essence of eternal grace.

Kelli and Cherie

Kelli and Cherie are two Fat Chance Belly Dance style dancers who both perform with Luna Dance Collective. They have been dancing together since 2022 when they found that they both loved bright colors and doing laybacks together. Since then, they have been shimmying it up on stages together both with their troupe and as a duet. They both share their love for this dance form and being able to improv with minimal to no choreography involved. Enjoy their performance!

Nefabit

Nefabit is a life-long dance addict hailing from Spokane, Washington. Nefabit performs and teaches throughout the US and Canada, and has become known for a powerful, maximalist style. She is the director of Northwest Bellydance Academy, and professional entertainment troupe Northwest Bellydance Company. She has won several prestigious national and international titles, including Bellydancer of the Universe 2021, and Bellydancer USA 2022. In 2021, she began performing with Bellydance Evolution, first in the Wizard of Oz, the Jungle Book, and in June, she will portray the Queen of Hearts in the production, Alice in Wonderland.

Mirit

Mirit is a belly dancer, dance instructor, troupe director, and choreographer from Mountain View. One of her passions is dancing to live music, a treat for both her and her audience.

Mariela Sawi

Mariela is a professional belly dancer based in Bay Area and is connected with the Arab Culture through her ancestors.  She seeks to recover and honor part of it through Oriental Dance study, teaching and interpretation.

Jordan Dancer

With an extensive learning and performance history, Jordan Dancer is an acknowledged and awarded Raqs Sharqi performer and instructor. Throughout her professional dance career, she performed and taught extensively throughout the bay area, the western United States, as well as other parts of the world. Although retired from working professionally, she has sustained an unquenchable thirst for learning and continued growth as a dancer, and states that, ‘You can leave the dance, but it never leaves you.’

Maria

Maria is a professional belly dancer from Santa Clara. She’s been performing and teaching in the Bay Area and all over the world for two decades. Maria is excited to be here today and grateful to the organizers for creating this new opportunity for our local dance community

Rawiyah

From Los Altos, our next dancer is one who remembers when all this music was NEW!

Julie

Originally from Berkeley CA, Julie started belly dancing in the San Francisco Bay Area, drawing from many different teachers and dancing styles. Now living in far Northern California, she continues to study dance in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond with a focus on Egyptian dance, music, and culture.

Ma’Shuqa Mira Murjan

Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan is an internationally recognized entertainer, belly dance school, studio owner and dance coach for award winning performers. She is famous for spectacular Isis Wings performances, elegant choreographies, energetic shows, and musicality in performance with finger cymbals—all her “Elegance of Style”.

Ma*Shuqa authors articles on Middle Eastern music and rhythms, and Raqs Sharqi Oriental dance professional performance, music, books, instructional and performance media, topics in health education, dance movement styling, and performance photography sessions.

The Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan School of Belly Dance in Los Gatos, California, opened in 1976. Her Ma*Shuqa Method promotes unique, personalized improvised performance through technique, core body alignment and strength, and performance movement that matches musicality of Middle Eastern music and creating performances with Taraab – emotionally connected dance. Check out MaShuqa.com for more information.

Adriana

A long-time working dancer and teacher who loves to coach dancers to a higher level of artistry, Adriana sponsors a dancer retreat nestled in the breathtaking beauty of the island of Crete. Co-teaching the retreat in July 2024 is world-renowned band leader Elias Rishmawi, her trusted collaborator, who will grace the retreat with live music and mesmerizing melodies. Unable to make it to the bucket list island of Crete? Fear not! Adriana also holds monthly live music workshops in Sunnyvale, co-taught by local celebrity musician Khader Keileh. Together, they lead participants through a dynamic journey, crafting a 5-part routine culminating in a final project in June, all accompanied by electrifying live musicians.

Hoi Polloi

Sacramento-based Hoi Polloi Fusion Dance is an all-inclusive, multi-level group that comes together to celebrate and embrace connection to their bodies and our community. Hoi Polloi enjoys entertaining audiences and showing people of all ages that we all have the joy of movement within us!

Edemia

Edemia, an extraordinary belly dancer, illuminates both Sacramento and the Bay Area with her remarkable skill and talent.

Originally from Mexico and now based in California, Edemia boasts an impressive dance background. Her journey began as a belly dancer, captivating audiences across both regions with her mesmerizing performances. Previously, she graced the stages as a house dancer at Marrakech, Casa Blanca, and Kasbah restaurants in the Sacramento Area before relocating to the Bay Area to continue her belly dancing journey.

To see or get to know more about Edemia, you can find her on Instagram @bellydancer_edemia, a treasure trove of her work, showcasing her dedication and passion for her craft. So if you haven't already, go ahead and give her a follow to stay updated.

Candessa Shakti

Candessa Shakti is a passionate Bellydance Artist from The Central Valley. She is a life-long dancer, student, and teacher here to share her heart in motion.

The Guild Gals

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests of the evening, welcome to a spectacle of elegance and allure. Tonight we embark on a journey through time, where the rhythm of the dance meets the grace of an age gone by.

As we gather here tonight, let us be transported to a world where music intertwines with movement, where every sway of the hip and flutter of the hand tells a story of love, longing, and liberation. So, without further ado, I invite you to witness the creation of The Belly Dance Guild, a testament to the enduring beauty of dance. Prepare to be enchanted, enthralled, and entranced as we delve into a realm where elegance meets passion, and the dance floor becomes a canvas for the soul.

Chimera

From Stockton, California, Chimera, under the direction of Asia Killeen, presents traditional and Folkloric dancing of Egypt and the Middle East. The performance this evening will include traditional and old-world style belly dancing, including dances with zills, swords, spear, veil and canes. Music for their choreographies are by the High Sierra World Music Band. For more information, check out www.arabesquebellydance.com.