DANCE TEACHERS
DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC THE CAMP IS POSTPONED UNTIL 2O21. DATES WILL BE ADVISED AS SOON AS WE HAVE CONFIRMED OUR VENUE BOOKING.
We are currently updating the website with our 2020 teaching staff. Please stay tuned for more updates as we organise our exciting program!
Devi Mamak
Devi Mamak is a member & artistic director of Ghawazi Caravan who are the first sister studio to FCBD within Australia. Devi is one of Australia’s premier ATS dancers, teachers & choreographers, having taught many of the top dancers in the genre within Australia. She is also well known for creatively fusing other styles such as Flamenco, Indian, Egyptian, Samba & Ballet and has produced her own DVD ” Devi’s Inspired Combinations”
She has performed and collaborated with many well known dancers from around the world including Deb Rubin, Carolena Nericcio, Megha Gavin, Kristine Adams, Elizabeth Fish and was a part of Jillian Carlandos Bellydance evolution.
She is renowned throughout Australia, NZ, U.S.A,Asia & Europe for her creative, thorough & approachable teaching style & her beautiful & commanding stage presence. Devi has co taught Carolena Nericcios General Skills certificate on several occasions with several of her own steps being accepted into the ATS syllabus and featured on Vol 9 Anatomy of a step. Devi is also a classically trained pianist , teacher and composer and loves to fuse her love of classical, jazz and world music to create music that is passionate, unique and multilayered.
Hilde Lund
Norwegian born, Adelaide based belly dancer Hilde Lund is widely regarded to be one of the pioneers of oriental dance in her native country, Norway. Her education is primarily from Egypt, where since 1995 she has studied extensively with famous teachers and choreographers, like Raqia Hassan, Aida Noor and Nadia Hamdi. Hilde is well known for her solid technique, strong musicality and charming stage personality. In addition to Egyptian style, she has studied Algerian folklore in Wahran, Algeria, with the founder of the Algerian State Folklore Troupe. In 2000, Hilde founded the Navlen Dance Studio in Oslo, Norway. This was the first dance studio in Norway to be dedicated solely to Oriental dance. Many of today’s well-known dancers and teachers in Norway, several of whom now have great international careers, started their careers at Navlen under Hilde’s skillful tutelage. She has taught and performed in Norway and abroad for the past 29 years. Hilde is a respected judge at European belly dance competitions. In 2018 she started teaching and performing in Australia, where she now resides. Hilde is a popular performer, and is a cherished entertainer at parties, festivals and various cultural events. She dances both oriental style (belly dance), and different Arabic and North African folk dances. Hilde mainly performs solo, but has also been part of Norway’s only professional belly dance troupe, “Divas of Bellydance”, since its beginning.
Regan Gardner
www.bellydancearabesque.com.au
Regan started her Belly Dance journey as a student of Shamira’s at Belly Dance Arabesque in Adelaide almost 20 years ago. She fell in love with the studio and Belly Dancing with her passion taking her to train, teach and perform all over Australia and overseas including France, the USA, Bali and New Zealand. She is a multi skilled performer with a love of multiple styles from Classical Egyptian, Turkish Roman and Folkloric to American Tribal Style, Tribal Fusion and Improvised Tribal Style. She is the only Australian teacher certified in the Unmata ITS format. Improvisation, whether it be solo or in a format style is her favourite thing to do.
In 2009 she created the performance arts group Divine Elements Belly Dance Company who have produced 7 successful Adelaide Fringe Shows and a 14 show season of the Festival Le Off in Avignon France.
In 2011 she became director of Belly Dance Arabesque in Adelaide and is well known as an active and innovative member of the community holding regular classes, events, shows and hosting dancers from all over the globe. She has grown the studio into an active Arts and Wellness space know as Studio Arabesque.
Regan is also a certified Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist with a deep interest in how the body moves and in particular keeping women moving as they age. She is continually finding the intricate connections through functional and mindful movement training aligning with her work in dance. She believes that movement is freedom and that we can change the way we age. Dance like everyone is watching and get them dancing too.
Margaret Cunningham
Margaret’s love of Middle Eastern and Romani dance is contagious! With over a decade of study, travel, performance and teaching, Margaret offers a deep insight into the cultures and contexts behind everything she teaches. Margaret has a reputation as a patient and precise instructor with an uncanny ability to break things down and get you moving in record time! Margaret conducts annual guided tours to Egypt hoping to infect as many people as possible with Egypt’s magical spirit and the essence that underpins such incredible music and dance. Her other passion is the Romani (Gypsy) dance and music traditions of the world. Not content with the diluted and fantasy-driven representations of Gypsy dance, Margaret has visited and learned from Romany communities in Turkey and Eastern Europe and brings pure, authentic Gypsy dance to her teaching and performing repertoire.
Michelle Ridsdale
Michelle loves all forms of dancing and has been bellydancing for over 10 years. She has travelled to Egypt, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and has trained with a variety of master teachers in order to expand and develop her knowledge and technique. Michelle particularly enjoys exploring the unique regional styles of the Silk Road from the Middle East into Central Asia and beyond.
Michelle regularly teaches Bellydance and Bollywood, and has taught at WAMED festival since 2012. Michelle is a polished performer with an infectious energy who has been placed in many competitions both nationally and in Asia. Michelle is a regular performer in Perth and a member of Raks Harissa. She is founder of the popular Bollywood Dhamaka! performance troupe known for high energy entertainment.
Xaeda Raqasa
Xaeda Raqasa, has been a performer and dancer for as long as she can remember. At a young age she was trained in Polynesian, hip hop, jazz and ballroom, then in 2001 began her journey into Middle Eastern Dance. Though she currently resides in Brisbane, Xaeda was formally based in Coffs Harbour NSW where she developed her dance school Sacred Lotus Bellydance and became a regular teacher and performer at WAMED and Newcastle Bellydance Festival along with Adelaide Belly Dance Festival, Serpent Rising, Intertwine, DecaDance, SydMedFest and Pyramid Pulse.
More notably known for her fusion and theatrical influences Xaeda’s path always returns to her roots in the Folkloric and Classical styles. She was a member of both Middle Eastern band Zanuba and percussion troupe Tarab where she established her improvisation techniques and has not just enjoyed being able to dance alongside a live orchestra but to play for other performers as well.
Her artistic talents also lie in her choreography, costuming and henna designs, all of this has helped to develop Xaeda’s unique and diverse approach to dance, musicality and stage craft.
Xaeda is a recognised teacher of the “Dancing from the Heart” method by Shemiran Ibrahim and in 2012 began a mentorship with Amera Eid before co-hosting the Bula Belly Dance Retreat in Fiji.
One of Xaeda’s highlights was being invited to perform with Helm during their tour of Australia in 2016. She will be returing to Perth for this year’s WAMED festival and is honoured to be a part of Bahar Bayram.
BellaDonna
BellaDonna is a must see belly dance artist with highly energetic performances and charismatic personality. She has wowed audiences all over the world with a dance style that is truly captivating. BellaDonna has been performing and teaching for over 20 years and has acquired a wealth of experience. Belladonna has trained with Master Teachers and performers from all over the world; including Terezka Drnzik, Dr Mo Gedawi, Aida Nour and Hossam and Serena Ramzy just to name a few. During her recent overseas travels Belladonna has taught and continued her studies in Egypt, Greece, Singapore, India, Japan and New Zealand. BellaDonna has traveled through India spending time with the Gypsies of Rajasthan exploring their dance forms and also learning a variety of Indian Temple Dance styles. In 2000 BellaDonna formed her own dynamic bellydance and tribal fusion dance troupe “SnakeWeave” whose upbeat gypsy grooves and dynamic Bollywood Shows have proved a favorite at the regular Bellydance and medieval festivals. BellaDonna is also a member of the Byron Bay ATS dance troupe The Bare Foot Gypsies.