iShimmy.com Staff
Shimmying below are the staff and contributing writers here at iShimmy.com Central. In these varied bios you will find a wealth of information from these wonderfully experienced and talented performers, teachers, musicians, merchants, students and friends of Middle Eastern Dance Performing Arts.
Zaina Hart
Author
http://www.zainahart.com
zaina@zainahart.com
Zaina Hart is considered a teacher's teacher, and coach to many of today's star performers. Dancers from across the country seek her out for help with stylization and fine tuning of their performances. She is a Master Instructor, specializing in Egyptian Movement and body awareness/mechanics. Her Hip Articulation, Combinations and Wings of the Phoenix Arm and Hand workshops are always a sell out. She is owner of one of the newest and most exciting on-line publications for Middle Eastern Dance and Music Arts, iShimmy.com, The "Belly Dancer" Magazine. As well, she is owner and producer of The Double Crown Belly Dance Competition now in its 12th year. She participates at various competitions around the country as a judge and is as well a Rakkasah Instructor.
Zaina's belief in "carressing the music" as you dance is her signature. Passion, elegance and sauce are folded lovingly into each performance. Carmine Guida says, "Vitamin Z - Have you had your dose today?"
View Articles by Zaina Hart
Angel Thacker
Contributing Writer
http://www.dancemastersofbellydance.com/
angela.thacker@comcast.net
Angel fell in love with the theater experience through studying at local Bay Area colleges and participating in theater productions and performances throughout the community. As a performer, her passion for life and love of learning is realized through her dancing. Captivating audiences with her energetic interpretation of belly dance with what she calls an “African flavor”.
Angel discovered belly dancing as a form of healing when recovering from a major health scare and has never looked back! She uses the dance to complete the expression of feminine strength, passion and beauty. As a performer, she engages her full person in her work, applying the sciences of art, physiology and the mind to create with passion. Her desire is to help others accomplish this same passion in their work, regardless of what they do. The only limitations are those we place on ourselves!! With the evolution of her own dance passion, Angel’s focus has become more focused on communicating her own interpretation of the dance through her dance form, Afro-Belly Boogie ™ dance. A dance form which continues to evolve as she connects with more dancers in the belly dance community - old and new.
View Articles by Angel Thacker
Carmine
Website Jedi
http://www.carmine.com
carmine@carmine.com
Not only did Carmine create iShimmy.com, but he is also a world class musician.
New York City-based mulitinstrumentalist Carmine T. Guida is a familiar face at Middle Eastern dance and music events throughout the country. A dancers' musician, Carmine is appreciated as an enthusiastic, adaptable, and creative accompanist on both doumbek and oud; he plays weekly for belly dancers with several New York City ensembles.
View Articles by Carmine
Dahlia Moon
Writer
http://www.DahliaDance.com
Dahlia@DahliaDance.com
Dahlia has been studying, teaching and performing various styles of belly dance for over a decade. After dancing in Arabic and Turkish restaurants in Osaka, Japan for two years, she and her family settled in Seattle, WA in 2003. She is also proud to be the recipient of three major Belly Dance competition titles: "2007 Belly Dancer of the Universe" ,Southern California; "2007 Folkloric Champion" IBDC, Las Vegas, Nevada; and "2006 Double Crown Performing Artist", Portland, OR.
View Articles by Dahlia Moon
Dawn "Davina" Devine
Author
http://www.davina.us
davina@davina.us
Dawn Devine is an internationally ac-claimed costumer, dancer and author of “Costuming from the Hip”, a guide to designing and making belly dance costumes. She owns and runs her own independent publishing company, Ibexa Press, a growing firm with a backlist of eight titles and more on the way. She has been sewing professionally and performing dances of the Middle East since the mid 1980’s. She is well known for her charismatic performances and incredible veil technique.
View Articles by Dawn "Davina" Devine
Denise Mannion
Writer
http://www.pangiaraks.com
pangiaraks@yahoo.com
Denise is co-founder of the original Troupe Mandala, and Director of Troupe Mandala-California. She has been performing and teaching for…."a long time" and has taught workshops, danced, played keyboards and zils all over the US for the last seven winters, in Mexico, along with her husband, Oud player Pat Olson as the group “PANGIA”. She has presented quality events for Shasta / Siskiyou County, sponsored by the Arts Council and teaches classes at College of the Siskiyous. When not working at music or dancing she works with disabled students at the College of the Siskiyous and is the Director of the College’s Annual Performing and Visual Arts Clinic. She is the keyboard player for “PANGIA” and is the co-producer and artistic director of their five CDs.
View Articles by Denise Mannion
Elviza
Staff Writer
http://www.elviza.biz
elviza@elviza.biz
Elviza has studied Middle Eastern Dance for over a decade in her native Miami, Florida where she has enjoyed participating in the incredible explosion of the popularity of belly dancing. She has been happily performing every weekend since early 2004 at UVA Restaurant in addition to a long list of other venues and special events, as well as teaching regularly at various studios. She is producer of the annual ‘Elviza’s Evil Halloween Belly/Dance Spooktacular’ and is currently forming the new troupe ‘Rockabelly Hippies’ which will include her children Symphony and Rhythm. Her obsession with music and dance influences and pervades every aspect of her life, and she is honored to add writing about those subjects as another way of sharing that interest with others.
View Articles by Elviza
Hadia
Staff Writer
http://www.hadia.com
hadia@hadia.com
Hadia is one of Canada's natural jewels. “She has the energy of a five
year old, the wisdom of an old woman and the ageless spirit of a true dancer.”
Hadia is considered by all who see her as a dancer’s dancer - in every sense of
the word.
Hadia has lived and
performed through the Middle East and has studied and worked with many of the
great masters of oriental dance and Folklore. Her understanding and mastery of
the very soul of Raks Sharqi and her innate ability to weave the subtle nuances
and textures of oriental music into movement have earned her an international
reputation as an exquisite performer of impeccable quality. Her ingenious
teaching skills draw upon her multi-faceted 37-year career as an artist of
Middle Eastern, Flamenco, Jazz, African/Afro-Brazilian, Polynesian and Salsa,
as well as her 15 years as a registered practitioner and instructor of
massage/manual therapy. She skilfully applies her extensive knowledge of
anatomy and kinesiology to create thorough, clear and disciplined breakdowns of
all techniques.
Hadia has certainly
demonstrated her tireless dedication to her dreams, while continuing to inspire
those around her to follow in her graceful footsteps.
View Articles by Hadia
iShimmy Contributor
Contributing Writer
zaina@zainahart.com
We have many wonderful contributing writers who offer their works only occassionally. Each writer has their name at the beginning of their articles and at the end there will be an e-mail address in which you can contact them.
View Articles by iShimmy Contributor
Jenee - Designs by Janie
Staff Writer
http://www.designsbyjanie.com
janie@designsbyjaie.com
Janie Midgley is actually one of the first contributors to The Belly Dancer Magazine back when it first started as a paper publication. Now she returns to share her knowledge of costuming with the readers. No stranger to writing about Belly Dance, she was co-owner & writer for Wiggle Hips and has written numerous articles on Belly Dance subjects for several magazines. She is the author of several books, the latest being "Costuming on a Budget" and "Building a Belly Dance Wardrobe" Vol. 1.
Known Internationally for her designs, which include The Comfortable Body Stocking and her creations in silk. She now makes her living designing and creating Belly Dance costumes and costume pieces as well as fashions and purses. She also owns her own publishing company.
Janie is also the co-owner of Wiggles of the West Belly Dance Competition now held in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has been in love with Belly Dance since she first started in 1973 and the passion continues.
View Articles by Jenee - Designs by Janie
Leyla Najma
Staff Writer
http://www.leyla-najma.com
leyla@leyla-najma.com
Leyla Najma is owner of Leyla Najma Productions which offers Online Belly Dance instructional videos that connect the dots and makes learning belly dance easy. Leyla produces videos for all levels of dancers whose membership site offers belly dance on-line classes, advice, interviews of amazing dancers and artists, articles, and history as well as a vast library of videos at dancers finger tips! Leyla is an accomplished writer, sharing her experience on her own web-site, various publications, and now with iShimmy readers.
View Articles by Leyla Najma
Maia
Staff Writer
maiaraqs@comcast.net
Maia has been dancing since 1996. She's taken classes, workshops and intensives in many styles and dance forms, performed with a circus, as a restaurant "house dancer" and watched untold hours of video of the Egyptian greats. Next to her family and friends she loves this dance the most.
View Articles by Maia
Masala
Author
Masaladance@hotmail.com
Masala, resides in Fort Mohave, Arizona. Masala is an avid writer and performer who engages the audience the moment she steps on stage with that elegant styling and oh so playful attitude. She is as engaging when she puts pen to paper, as you will see in her offering for our Quarter Star Dancer, Aradia. She serves as our translator extraordinairre at Rakkasah each year - - translating for our many German friends. We hope to continue to see her on the pages of The “Belly Dancer” Magazine as well as the stage.
View Articles by Masala
Minea
Staff Writer
mineah2006@yahoo.com
Minea has been a belly dancer for 7 years now. She started to dance while attending the university and has performed in European festivals and competitions (in Budapest), and also helped others to prepare for performances. She creates her own coreographies and costumes. Her other interests at her study of psychology, graphology and photography (she is also a published photo model). Minea works in an elementary school, developing training groups to help children develop their personalities.
View Articles by Minea
Nizana
Author
88nizana@netscape.com
Nizana, from the Spokane, Washington area, has been a regular writer for the Belly Dancer Magazine since the second issue came out. She is the Director of Desert Silk Dance Company, and choreographs most of their routines. Nizana is a certified Beginning and Intermediate Belly Dance Instructor, and teaches various workshops and classes in eastern and central Washington. Nizana continues to study with regional, national and international ME dance instructors and attend and perform at as many events as she can. Nizana works with local and regional performers in different collaborations, and loves the joy the dance brings.
View Articles by Nizana
Oberon
Author
http://www.deniseamatodesigns.com
OberonMagic@comcast.net
Born in Adelaide, Australia, Oberon lived in Portland, OR where she passed away July 30, 2011. Oberon was an accomplished Interior Designer in high demand. She had been Belly Dancing for about fifteen year and had just hit the workshop circuit, already in demand. Oberon was the “O” in the OZ, and the other half of the Zainy Adventures Duo. Her wit and flambuoyant writing made it exciting to read the Dancer to Dancer interviews on iShimmy.com, The “Belly Dancer” Magazine. She had a wonderful ability of bringing out the best and most exciting information from those she interviewed. She will be missed by her friends and family but lives on here on the pages of iShimmy and always in our memories.
View Articles by Oberon
Princess Farhana
Author
http://www.princessfarhana.com
pgehman@earthlink.net
Princess Farhana has performed, taught and written about Oriental Dance for sixteen years. Trained in the classical Egyptian style, she is also well- known for her high-concept belly dance fusion performances. Her majesty has appeared in Egypt, England, France,Switzerland, Belgium, Mexico and Canada, as well as all over the US, and danced at concerts with Amr Diab, Hakim, Natacha Atlas, and Alabina, and in videos for Sheryl Crow,Ricky Martin, Madonna, Truth Hurts and many others. Princess Farhana has also been featured in movies (as an actor as well as a dancer) and in documentary films about Oriental dance, both performing and as an interview subject. Along with director Augusta, she has produced seven instructional/performance DVD’s. Her warmth, enthusiasm and adventurous spirit - both on and off stage- captivates audiences and students alike.
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Savanah Radaelli
Staff Writer
blondebananafish@gmail.com
I am a freelance writer; my works include short stories,
articles, and more. I have a blog that contains some of my other writing called
wordwhittler.com. I have been immersed in the world of Belly Dancing since
birth and have loved every moment of it. I love writing and Belly Dancing, so
this is a way I get to combine the two.
View Articles by Savanah Radaelli
