Discover more about the artists who will participate in the second
BellyFusions festival: Aepril Schaile, Anasma, Ariane Vega,
Cie Desert Sin, Gwen Booth,
Leï TheNight, Lily Tsai, Cie Manhattan Tribal,
Patricia Alvarez, Cie Saada, Sophie Ménissier, Wendy Buonaventura,
Yara de Zutter.
The show will also welcome the following
guest artists:
Cie Ambre, Karine Ghalmi, Mihrimah Ghaziya, Cie Nejma, Cie Urban Shamans.
Aepril Schaile
Aepril is a multi-talented artist : a musician and composer,
a writer and story-teller, an astrologist and ... a witch ! Inspired
by traditional and folkloric oriental dances, she offers a dramatic
approach impersonating a ghost, a widow, a murderer or a seducer.
Her performances transcend female archetypes with creativity and
drama.
- Website : http://aeprilschaile.com
Anasma
Anasma is a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer
who regularly performs in Europe and the United
States. As a member of Bellyqueen, she works on a fusion between
Middle
Eastern Dances and Ballet, Flamenco, Popping and
Locking, Hip-Hop, Modern Jazz, Chinese and Afro Haitian. Being
herself half Tunisian
and half Vietnamese, her message is universal:
meeting and sharing.
- Website : http://www.anasmadance.com
Ariane Vega
Ariane Vega is a Canadian dancer and choreographer mixing influences
and styles but looking for authenticity. She was awarded a diploma from
the Dance School in Quebec where she trained in ballet, contemporary and
modern jazz. She trained in Oriental Dance with Yousry and Nourhan Sharif
and uses the dance as a new form of expression.
- Website : http://www.arianevega.com/
Cie Ambre
This Paris-based dance company is composed of three different
but complementary dancers-choreographers (Anouk Hingant,
Yasmine Louati and Marilyne Giorno) who are working on
the expression of
joy in the dance and the communication with the audience.
- Website : http://www.compagnieambre.com
Cie Desert Sin
Weaving stories through movements between the beauty and the
grotesque, Desert Sin has drawn its own creative world experimenting
without boundaries since 1999. Oriental dance is mixed with a wide range
of dance
forms, drama, cabaret offering a unique entertainment. Their
popularity is growing in the USA, especially with their latest show 'the
museum of
women"...
- Website : http://www.desertsin.com
Gwen Booth
Gwen Booth brings a theatrical approach to her oriental dance
offering fusions between modern and classical styles. She
is elegant and versatile and also combines Burlesque which
is particularly developed in the UK.
- Website : http://www.elegantbellydance.co.uk/
Karine Ghalmi
Karine's choreographies are based on the evolution of
Oriental dance. Traditional movements having travelled through time,
it is now time to talk about mixing culture and gesture. The body
becomes "clay" and is used for this sensorial experiment
melting oriental and contemporary dance.
- Website : http://www.karineghalmi.com
Leï TheNight
Lei TheNight is a fully trained dancer and has been mixing
styles from an early age : modern jazz, contemporary dance,
oriental dance, african dance, salsa, hip hop... Thanks to her teachers
and
the emerging leaders of Wacking in Europe, Japan and New
York, she has developped her own style, Belly'Wacking which is rich,
unique
and explosive.
- Website : http://www.myspace.com/leithenight
Lily Tsai
Lily was born in Taïwan and grew up in Huston (USA) where she
studied music and developped her musicality. She has travelled in
Europe, New-Zealand, Egypt, Lebanon and Asia where she started studying
and then teaching oriental dance. In 2003, she discovered Tribal
style which she included in her own style leaving her a great freedom
to create and express herself using dances of the world.
- Website : http://www.lilybellydance.com
Cie Manhattan Tribal
Created in 2007 and directed by Mimi Fontana, Manhattan Tribal
is the first ATS company based in New York. They've also been a FCBD
Sister Studio since 2009 where they teach the style developped by
Carolena Nericcio. Manhattan Tribal features Mimi Fontana, Kate Reid,
Heather Bondra, Leigh-Ann Eliseo, Debbie Lakis & Stephanie Rubino-Ginsburg.
- Website : http://www.mimifontana.com/manhattantribal
Mihrimah Ghaziya
French dancer, teacher and choreographer, Mihrimah Ghaziya
is based in Germany. She has trained in contemporary, Chinese and
Japanese dances as well as oriental dance. Her style, based originally
on
a cultural and musical approach of different aspects
of the Arab world, has been enriched by numerous readings and a deep
reflection
on this art which she mixes with other influences without
leaving Oriental roots out.
- Website : http://www.mihrimah-ghaziya.de
Cie Nejma
The Compagnie Nejma explores fusions between oriental
dance and other forms of dance such as Indian, ballet,
contemporary dance and hip hop. Created by Veronique
Ben Ahmed in 2003, they offer
an open approach for all the audiences, especially the
young ones.
- Website : http://www.compagnienejma.com
Patricia Alvarez
From Spain, Patricia Alvarez offers an elegant, harmonious and
expressive dance linked to tradition. She explores the
origins of oriental dance confronting them to the power of Flamenco
and the
energy of Gypsy Dance.
- Website : http://patricialvarez.blogspot.com
Cie Saada
Saada Tribal Group is the first Tribal Dance company
created in Spain with 8 dancers, musicians and
a professional singer. Tribal Style is mixed with the power and dynamism
of
the founder Kerensa De Mars. This company is unique
with their ritual dances, their use of weapons and their fusions
with
other oriental techniques.
- Website : http://www.saadagroup.com
Sophie Ménissier
Sophie Menissier has been dancing in Gypsy, Jewish and
Oriental dance companies. She has now developped her own style, mixing
the Gypsy spirirt, Oriental curves and a contemporary approach. Her
dance is expressive, lively and colourful, highlighting the power
of traditions and the freedom to dance.
- Website : http://www.isao-concept.com
Wendy Buonaventura
Wendy Buonaventura is a worldwide acclaimed writer, choreographer
and dancer. While a documentary has been devoted to her reseach on
British TV, she keeps working on new projects based on world culture.
Her performances mix narratives and dances, exploring cultural myths
and feminine sensuality. Author of the famous book "Serpent of
the Nile", she is also the artistic director of the Sirocco Festival
in Britain.
- Website : http://www.buonaventura.com/
Cie Urban Shamans
Urban Shamans: a Tribe looking for their roots, a burried knowledge,
as if tatooed in the collective memory. Lead by Julie de
Saint Blanquat, they experiment oriental dances fusions as a necessary
break from
the anciant codes and their bewitching repetitions. A marginal
aesthetic.
- Website : http://www.urban-shamans.com/
Yara de Zutter (Cie Maïnumbi)
Yara de Zutter is Peruvian and Loran Dubois-Ramirez is
French with different origins.They've been teaching African
dance for many years, combining dance and music to create
bridges between
cultures. A lively exploration of Oriental gestures,
spirals and undulations to West African drumming.
- Website : http://www.yvytu.fr