*Jill Parker, CA
Jill Parker, Mamma of the modern tribal fusion bellydance movement is an award winning teacher/choreographer, founder of Ultra Gypsy Dance Theater, and director of the Foxglove Sweethearts. She’s an original member of Fat Chance Belly Dance, and with over two decades of experience, has trained the top bellydancers in the genre. Jill’s big heart and deep love for this intoxicating form shine through in her classes and performances. She’s an exceptional teacher with a knack for demystifying this sensuous dance, making it accessible to new dancers while offering insight for refinement and subtlety to the most advanced dancers.
In this workshop Jill offers insight into her trend setting approach to Bellydance through the use of energetic technique drills and stylish combinations designed to support your performative skills. Class will begin with yoga and conditioning designed for you to bring into your own practice, safely building muscle awareness, isolation, flexibility, grace and postural alignment, ever important elements for a stunning performance. You’re sure to find Jill’s workshop environment challenging, focused, encouraging and most of all FUN!
*Amel Tafsout
The legendary Amel Tafsout, meaning “Hopes of Spring”, is an inspirational master dance performer, choreographer and one of the finest exponents of North African traditional and contemporary Maghreb Dance of our time. The knowledge of her culture and her experience in many dance styles and music make her very unique. Amel’s signature arm work is reminiscent of Flamenco yet also retains the grounded feel of the Amazigh-Berber tradition – combined with her fabulous hip work creates an ethereal dance that is powerful from the Earth. She explores the rich tapestry of movement and rhythm that has woven over time between Spain and the Maghreb, Africa and the Middle East, The Mediterranean Sea and Europe. She has mesmerized audiences around the world with the earthy fluidity of her dance, her expression, her stunning stage presence and great spirituality. Fluent in 5 languages she is always aware of the impact that cultures have in art and how that can be expressed in dance. With an M.A degree in Sociolinguistics, Tafsout is graduating at the University Of Eugene, Oregon.
Brought up in Algeria, Tafsout was fascinated by dance and music since childhood. She grew up among the finest traditional dancers and musicians of her native country.
She studied dances of her neighbor countries as well as Middle Eastern, European folk dance, African and Afro-Cuban, Flamenco dance while traveling worldwide.
She uses her expertise to lead highly successful master classes in dance, drumming and singing for students from various countries with different backgrounds, such as professional dancers and actors, women, elders and children.
She has developed a new experience in teaching, which combines Dance, Singing and Drumming.
This creativity has enhanced the spontaneous fusion between Dance and Music – Sound and Vision. Her research focuses on the Ritual in Maghreb dances as well as looking at dance as a healing form.
‘Amel will seem to you like a voyager between countries, cultures and languages (…).her teaching technique focuses on sharing the spiritual energies (…). Each of Amel’s movements come from inside and is charged with pure energies. While Amel, the Berber woman, moves closer to the souls of the women, they in turn become more aware of their own strength and are able to recover their spiritual balance through dance. The word ’healing’ is not mentioned but what happens here is nothing less than that.’ Gizella Hartmann, in ’Orient Magazine’, Germany, nr 1, 2002.
In her early twenties Tafsout moved to Germany where she founded the Pan Arabic dance company ‘Banat As Sahra’. In the late 80s Tafsout moved to London, U.K. where she taught and performed at various dance and music festivals and founded “The Tafsoutettes” dance company.
While still performing and teaching worldwide Amel is living in the U.S.A. Tafsout has lectured, danced, taught, sung and conducted anthropological research in many countries. She also published many articles related to dance and Maghreb women in academic and popular magazines.
‘Watching a performance by Amel Tafsout‘ Strong woman, passionate, formidable cultural ambassador, internationally acclaimed, spiritual, Medicine woman, patient, gentle, academic, linguist, powerful ambience surrounding her’ – All true. But there is the rest: the humor!’ Marian Watson ‘Watching Amel dance, is a cathartic experience. (…) She dances from the very core of herself. Sensuality is expressed as power and generosity. She has a direct stare, a presence that can only come from the true knowledge of herself and her art. She is a unique performer and there is no one else who dances like her.’ Beatrice Parvin, in Habibi magazine, Vol.18. No 1. 1999, Santa Barbara, U.S.A.
Having worked and lived all over the world, unsurprisingly, migration has been a constant theme in Tafsout’s work. Contact: www.ameltafsout.com or ameltafsout@gmail.com
*August Hoerr
August taught himself to play accordion as angsty teenager, and after discovering Middle Eastern music, began working with Tribal dancers in 1999. In addition to The Mezmer Society, August is a member of the quartet Ashes in Order, maintains a career as an internationally represented figurative painter, and travels in the US and Europe teaching and performing. He is the president of the Institute for the Advancement of Occultism and Aerophonics (previously Asheville Accordion Club), and he has released albums with the cinematic trio Soora Gameela, and Greek fusion band Makari. When not running away with the Accidental Circus, August lives in Asheville, North Carolina. He is currently finishing his first solo album.
www.augusthoerr.com
*Claire Dima
Claire Dima is a life long crafting enthusiast and dancer. Claire has been bellydancing since 2000, and feels that she has just started learning the fundamentals of the art form. She is excited to continue her study with Sparrow in Baraka Mundi; every practice is a revelation! Baraka Mundi is also part of the Bandit Queens project, slated to entertain at TribO in 2011.
*Darbuka Dave
Darbuka Dave is considered an excellent instructor and performer by his contemporaries, known for technical precision and emotional expression on percussive instruments. He performs and teaches at shows and workshops throughout North America. Dave can also be found performing with his hometown music and dance ensemble, Lumani of Huntsville, AL, with the Day Late and Dollar Shortkestra, and with the Mezmer Society to name a few.
Dave’s talents extend far beyond his skills as a percussionist. In addition to being a hilarious guy to stand next to at a party, he displays a wide range of other “talents”.
Don’t rule anything out!
*David Maguire
Finding his way to Bellingham from Buffalo via Portland, David began playing music at age 11, taking violin lessons while a public school student in East Aurora, NY. Under the influence of Bon Scott era AC/DC, David soon ditched the violin for electric guitar when he turned 13 in1983.
From hard rock and metal to psychedelia, to blues and bluegrass, David followed the trail back in time of American traditional music, and came to own his first ukulele in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead concert in Pittsburgh circa 1988 (5th amendment rights preclude further details…. suffice to say it was a non-duplicitous goods for goods transaction). It was in this period that David learned the mandolin and dobro, as well.
A veteran of rock, folk, grunge/noise, bluegrass, Cajun, blues and old-time bands, David currently divides his time between playing lead guitar and lap-steel in an outlaw/ honky-tonk style country band called Hoss, and teaching guitar and mandolin lessons In Bellingham, Washington.
*Jeremiah M. Soto
Jeremiah M. Soto started composing and producing music in 1985, learning piano and the fundamentals of music theory. From 1985 thru 1991, Jeremiah composed several works in the alternative electronic and gothic genres from 1985 -1990. From 1991-1995, Eventide was formed with 3 other members writing Medieval Arabic infused music similar to Dead Can Dance. With the demise of Eventide, Jeremiah began studying Arabic percussion and began his solo endeavors as Solace and formed the independent record label, Eventide Music Productions, focused on releasing cutting edge Middle Eastern dance music. As Jeremiah’s popularity grew in the Belly Dancing community, he discovered is drum master Souhail Kaspar and became classically trained in Arabic Percussion, such as the dumbek, riqq (middle Eastern Tamborine) and the frame drum. Jeremiah has taught hundreds of student in the Classical Arabic style percussion all over the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia with more workshops to come. Over the years Jeremiah has licensed his music for film documentaries and countless DVD’s and CD production companies like Cinepartners, World Dance New York, Belly Dance
Super Stars, Goldhil Home Media, Hollywood Music Center, Ahora Corportation Japan, Dakini Records, Six Degrees Records, Latex Records, Demon Music, MacMillan Films, Clubstar Germany, & The Hit Music Company. Jeremiah has also written and produced 10 CDs under his alter ego Solace; “Rhythm Of The Dace” (eve01), “Shawaza” (eve03), “The Gathering Season” (eve04), “Ahsas” (eve05), “Satya” (eve06), “Iman” (eve07), “Balance” (eve13), “Nagari” (eve18), “Opium Head” (eve23), “Dirty Ragas” (eve23B), “The Medusa Crown EP” (eve27), “Gorgon Days” (eve28). His record label Eventide Music Productions has produced CD compilations such as “Strange Flesh” (eve16), “Waltzes, Glitches and Brass: The New Sounds of Vaudeville” (eve26), “Vadalna: Solace Remixed” (eve08), and “Moon Moth Mixes” (eve20). Solace is growing into other countries, Mags and More in Germany signed a 3 year contract to manufacture and distribute Solace music exclusively in Europe.
*Khalima
Khalima is a Richmond, Virginia based performer and instructor of Fusion and Egyptian Orientale bellydance. She is the owner of Illumination Dance Studio, Richmond’s only studio dedicated to Middle Eastern Dance in all it’s forms and incarnations, and is the producer of Raqs Luminaire, an annual Theatrical Fusion bellydance stage show, exploring themes of light and dark through dance and story, in a literal and metaphorical sense. She is also one half of Sekhemti, an ancient-modern dance duo combining bellydance and the incredible yoga artistry of LeVar Carter; together they enact theatrical ancient and new mythological tales and embody the gods and goddesses of yore.
Khalima pulls together her background in music and a lifelong passion for writing, metaphor, and things that shine into emotional, musical, and narrative renderings of bellydance. Her improvisational fusion of Oriental style, energetic movement theory, precise isolations and fluid movement is combined with both non-traditional and traditional music, creating unique performance experiences. Khalima has been lovingly described as poetry in motion and as being the music.
Always hungry for knowledge and ways to grow, Khalima began prenatal yoga teacher training in November 2010 with Leslie Lyttle of OmMama, and will begin the Suhaila Salimpour format March 2011. Her foundation in Egyptian and Oriental style bellydance began with Najia of Philadelphia bellydance and world-renowned Sahra Saeeda. Khalima completed Journey Through Egypt 1, Cairo Style 1, several of Sahra’s workshops, and continues to attend these programs to deepen her knowledge of anthropology, history, and movement. Starting in Spring 2010, Khalima began studying with Tribal and Fusion dancers to get a different movement perspective.
In class, Khalima combines her love of physical expression and ritual to create a safe and nurturing environment for her students. She provides a solid physical foundation for learning bellydance form, and encourages her students to grow into their own bodies and experiences to heal and unlock creative potential. Khalima’s years of experience as a licensed professional body piercer have given her a strong foundation in guiding people through fear and into a new sense of ownership over their bodies and future. She is known for her gentle yet lively demeanor and “bedside manner”, which she applies to her dance instruction to augment the learning process.
*Melissa Blazen, Children’s Program Director
Melissa Blazen comes back to our camp this year excited to provide a nature-based program for all ages of children. Melissa attended Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work from 1996-2001. Melissa has worked with all ages of children in many different capacities since that time. Recently she worked at Friends of Mine Preschool Co-operative, in Asheville, as the teacher/director for 4 years. She is a certified yoga teacher with experience teaching preschool and elementary aged children. She also teaches CPR/First Aid/AED and Blood Borne Pathogens for the Red Cross. In her spare time she enjoys reading, singing, playing guitar and celebrating the seasons with her family. Melissa is again this year dedicated to playing and learning with our children outside in the beautiful mountain setting that we provide.
*Samantha Riggs
Samantha Riggs is the Founder, Artistic Director, Choreographer and Dance Captain for Portico Dance Company www.facebook.com/porticodanceco. She was also the founder and director of the highly acclaimed Boom Boom Bollywood www.boomboombollywood.com and Sexy Scallywags Dance Circus www.sexyscallywags.com. She has performed and choreographed with Jamila Lotus www.jamilalotus.com Renaissance bellydance troupe and Fyrae www.fyrae.com fire arts troupe and was the assistant director as well as a core dancer, teacher, musician and choreographer for Domba www.dombatribal.com Tribal Fusion Dance Troupe (winners of the 2006 Zaghareet “Best Troupe” award) from 1996 until their retirement in 2006. Samantha has traveled the world teaching Bollywood Style Dance, Bhangra, Tribal Style Bellydance, Tribal Fusion and Fire Arts. She has sold out classes at TribalFest since 2005. Her innovative “Minnat Kare” choreography won Boom Boom Bollywood first place in the Aashiyana All-Indus Dance Competition in 2007. In the past couple years she has taught to sold out classes and performed in the UK, Texas, Oregon, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Washington and California. Her other artistic pursuits include directing and narrating the recorded and live hip hopera productions of The Passengers and The Resurrectors by the Black Tommy Band.
For Samantha, Art is really all about Love and working to try and benefit all sentient beings in any way possible.
Samantha is also a tall ship sailor and gunner. She can often be found somewhere off the west coast of the United States or Canada, 70-90 feet in the air in the rigging, hauling like mad on a halyard, happily covered in pine tar or firing the black powder cannons of the brig Lady Washington. She has moved to Bellingham, Washington in order to begin a life of seasteading and collaborative community performing arts projects.
Samantha teaches weekly dance classes in Bellingham and has recently formed Portico Dance Company to perform traditional and original pieces in the styles of Bollywood, Bhangra and Tribal Belly Dance and to explore fire arts. Portico is the name of the amalgamation of troupes and projects she has created over the years and is named after the community nexus-house in which she lives which is called “The Porch” (Portico is an Italian word referring to a porch supported by columns). The troupe is based in Washington but includes collaborating artists in Arizona and California.
*Suzy Salwa Philips, Chef
I was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon until the age of 16, when I moved to the United States. I inherited my passion for cooking from my amazing mother,Salwa Farah, who taught me many traditional Middle Eastern/Mediterranean/North African recipes. For over the past 15 years I have absorbed many elements from other world cuisines, to create a diverse palette. My love for life and hunger for knowledge comes through in my cooking. I have lived in Asheville, NC for 8 years. I host and produce a cooking show, Gypsy Queen Cuisine, on youtube and public access when I have spare time, which I would rather do than anything, I cater, teach cooking classes and work as a private chef. It has been a dream of mine, since I was a little girl to host my own food show and have a restaurant to share my food with the community.
*Zi’ah Ali
Ziah Ali, Director of Awalim Dance Company, is an internationally recognized Tribal bellydance performer, instructor, and event producer. Her dynamic style is technically complex, historically informed, musically sensitive, and keeps the pure joy of bellydance front and center in every performance.
Originally studying with Shakira Masood Ali at Sirrom School of Dance Houston, Texas, Ziah spent five years as a true camping nomad, traveling the nation learning from movement teachers. These studies in Persian, Rajisthani, North African, Turkish Rom, and Egyptian styles inform Ziah’s vibrant fusion.
Since putting down roots in Atlanta, Georgia in 1999, Ziah has worked to cultivate a community of well-informed and ethical dancers in the region. This total commitment to professionalism, sustainable technique, artistic discipline, and endurance has shaped the face of Tribal in the Southeast and beyond.
Now international, Ziah remains invested in her local community. Her dance company, Awalim, is in its tenth year, continuing to evolve and setting a high standard for polished performance. Ziah maintains both an ongoing local teaching practice and a student dance company.
She hosts seminars with other notable instructors, and produces ongoing events at the Red Light Cafe, a significant performance forum for professional artists in the region. Her newest love is studying the frame drum and davul, percussion instruments that allow her to stand and move.
Ziah is the founder and producer of TribalCon, her innovative and award-winning annual Tribal festival. Her critically acclaimed “Yalla! Yalla!” features Awalim live and is available on DVD. To learn more about Ziah, Awalim, TribalCon and more, visit www.awalim.com