NC Belly Dance Photo Contest & Album!

We are compiling a "2012 Year In Pictures" photo album for our Facebook fan page and the NCBellydance.org website and would love to include your dance photo!

You can also vote for "The Most Liked NC Belly Dance Photo of 2012" - the photo that receives the most "likes"  will be displayed on the main page of NCBellydance.org AND the cover page of the Facebook fan page for the entire month of January absolutely free! (regular retail value: $40)

To qualify to be included in the 2012 Year in Pictures Photo Album:

1. You must be a dancer currently residing in North Carolina or a photographer who has taken a photo of a NC dancer.  
2. You must "Like" the NCBellydance.org Facebook fan page.
3. Photos must be no larger than 256k, ideally in JPG format, and emailed to haala@ncbellydance.org
4. Dancers: please include name of photographer (if known) for photo credit.   Photographers: please include name of dancer (if known) and location photo was shot.
5. There is no limit to the number of photos, but they must have been taken between January 1, 2012 and the present.
6. By submitting the photos, you are granting NCBellydance.org permission to display them on Facebook and on NCBellydance.org.  (You continue to retain all rights to your photos.)

We reserve the right to reject any photos that we deem inappropriate for general audiences or that do not meet the qualifications listed above.

Once your photo(s) have been received and added to the online Photo Album, we will notify you ASAP so you can begin getting the word out (sharing on your Facebook timeline, emailing friends and family, announcing in class, etc.)

The contest will close on midnight (Eastern Standard Time), Tuesday, December 18, 2012 and the winner announced on Wednesday, December 19, 2012.

For more information on how to vote, visit the Voting Page.

If you have any questions, just reply in the comments field, or email haala@ncbellydance.org.

Thank you for participating, and good luck!

Vote for the Most Liked NC Belly Dance Photo of 2012!

How to Vote:

1. "Like" the NCBellydance.org Facebook Fan Page (if you haven't already)
2. Visit the 2012 North Carolina Belly Dancers: A Year in Pictures photo album and "like" the photo(s) that you want to win!

It's perfectly ok to "like" several photos, if you just can't decide on one :)

Make sure to get your vote in by midnight, Tuesday December 18, 2012!

NCBellydance.org will announce the winner on Wednesday, December 19, 2012.

If you are interested in being included in the photo album, or want more information about the contest, then visit the Contest Page.

For questions or assistance in voting, email haala@ncbellydance.org.

Thanks for participating - tell all your friends!

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Kaitlyn

After seeing her first glimpse of Indian dance in "Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom" and her first bellydancer in a music video by Prince, the seeds were sewn that would spark the fascination for culture and dance in Kaitlyn's life. 

Growing up, Kaitlyn studied ballet, jazz, tap and gymnastics and dreamed of one day being a professional dancer. It seems that dreams do in fact come true and in the most surprising ways. Little did she know way back when she was just a little girl toting “Dance” magazines to school, that instead of wearing a tutu, she would eventually be donning a coin belt as a bellydancer when her dreams were finally realized. 

Becoming involved in Middle Eastern dance in 2000, Kaitlyn has striven to educate herself and educate and encourage others to help them find the beauty and fulfillment of bellydance ever since. 

Sometimes teacher, sometimes performer, at all times Kaitlyn endeavors to be an advocate for the art of bellydance and stand up for the rights and ethical standards of bellydancers everywhere.

Currently Kaitlyn is performing monthly at Marrakesh in Jacksonville and she is very proud to be the creative director of her student troupe “Apsara”, with whom she hosts the annual “Down East Bellydance & Drum Fest” in New Bern, NC.

For more info: www.kaitlynbellydance.com

Here's what Kaitlyn had to say about NCBellydance.org:

Having been a bellydancer in another state, I was blown away at the amount of organization and professionalism that I found when I was researching the dance community in NC when I had decided to relocate back to my native state. I knew right away that there were some truly amazing things going on and I couldn't wait to be apart of it. What this site does for NC bellydancing is immeasurable and it is the glue that holds us all together.

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Maysameh!

Maysameh (Candy Heafner) has been belly dancing since 2000.  In 2003, Rhythmic Essence was started in her basement with 10 girls.  Over the years, Rhythmic Essence has grown into a thriving studio located in historic downtown Newton, NC!

She received her American Tribal Style General Skills Certificate in October of 2007 and in June 2009 she was awarded Middle Eastern Dance Leaders Society (MEDLS) "Star Belly Dance Teacher of the Year."

In 2011, she successfully completed Keti Sharif’s international A-Z Original Personal Techniques Course and was one of 8 girls chosen to appear in Keti Sharif's Pulse8 Belly Dance Fitness DVD series recorded in Los Angeles, CA.  In June of 2012, she was featured in Keti Sharif's latest choreography DVD featuring 30 belly dancers world-wide.  She mainly follows under the teachings of Keti Sharif involving concentration in A-Z, A-Z Advanced, AstroBelly and Pulse8 Belly Dance Fitness. 

She takes pride in her studio rules that have kept her classes going strong through the years:  No negative energy, no competition and no drama are allowed.

Prior to owning her belly dance studio, Candy was a certified Personal Trainer and certified in Cardio Kick Boxing, Stability Ball, and other fitness programs. She instructed various aerobics classes, toning classes, Women on Weights and pre-natal. 

She is a mom and a full time nursing student at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, NC.

To find out more about the studio and class offerings, log onto www.rebellydance.com

Here's what Maysameh had to say about NCBellydance.org:

"This site has helped so many people explore the art of Middle Eastern Dance here in North Carolina.  Haala and helpers have invested so much time and effort into making sure the belly dance communities in NC have the most up-to-date information on classes, events, workshops and shows.  I want to express my gratitude for everyone who helps make this site the number one place to go for NC belly dance events!"

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Laylianah Mahasin!

Laylianah Mahasin (Layla for short) has been devoted to the art of Belly Dance since the age of 15.  She has studied many styles of belly dance with world renowned instructors including Hannan Sultan, Kasha of Raleigh, Faun Finley, Zoe Jakes, Sadie, and Yasmine just to name a few.

Laylianah is passionate about both performing and teaching this beautiful art form. 

As an instructor, she prides herself on providing a fun and supportive atmosphere for all her students, and loves seeing their self-confidence develop.  She currently teaches at 4 locations in the Triangle Area of NC: Durham, Clayton, Hillsborough and Raleigh.

As a performer, Laylianah’s goal is to embody the music and engage her audience in a captivating story! Her style can be anything from impassioned and dramatic to flirty and fun, but is always family-friendly.  She currently performs Egyptian, Turkish, and American Cabaret styles at private parties, weddings, galas and corporate events.

For more information on Laylianah, email laylianah@gmail.com or call her at 919-886-5890.  You can also find her class schedule on NCBellydance.org (an amazing resource for all things Belly Dance!).  

Friend her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter for the latest updates on classes and performances.

Here's what Laylianah had to say about NCBellydance.org:

I love NCBellyDance.Org!  I used it before I became a professional dancer as the best site to keep me up to date on what’s happening in the Belly Dance Community.  As a professional dancer, I have definitely noticed an increased amount of exposure.  Most of the calls I get about classes start with “So, I found you on ncbellydance.org…”.  Thanks, Haala for running such a great site!

And thank you, Laylianah, for supporting NCBellydance.org!

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Sharifa Asmar!

Sharifa met Oriental dance in college and since then she has danced through three continents, several islands, a variety of venues, extended engagements in NY/NJ metro area, the Carolinas and Central Florida ~ usually into the wee hours of the morning.

Sharifa dances with playful and effortless musicality, elegant technique and real passion! And her students say she teaches the same way! Her connection to the dance and music is such that audience members often address her in their native Arabic. While best known for her classic Egyptian style, her repertoire also includes Lebanese, Turkish, and Classic American.

A dynamic “teacher’s teacher”, Sharifa is committed to a strong foundation of Oriental dance technique for all levels - beginner through professional. Many ‘already dancers’ transiting through Fayetteville / Ft. Bragg aren't in the right place long enough to learn all they should know for their current level – so filling their skill gaps keeps Sharifa’s skills fresh and sharp.

Sharifa’s own studies are ongoing with the finest the Oriental dance world has to offer.  Sharifa scored a few firsts for the NC Bellydance community when she performed twice for NC Dance Alliance Annual Showcase, and with her Qarisma Dance Co. at the inaugural Charlotte Dance Festival.
Ongoing projects include Oriental dance communities past and present, a narrative of 20th C Oriental dance and teaching dance online.

Sharifa is a history / political science professor in her “spare time”.

[Little known fact ] Sharifa’s very first performance was a Persian wedding and arranged by her first teacher - no preset music or choreo – leaving a special place in her heart for family celebrations and dancing by the “seat of your harems.” Couldn't have been that bad - they asked for Sharifa for their next event.

Here's what Sharifa had to say about NCBellydance.org:

 NCBD is the go-to resource for anything bellydance in NC! It’s a great student-teacher connector and regional calendar!
I have so many students and clients call because they saw me on NCbellydance.org! Thanks for all your hard work and we'll keep that support coming... 

Thank you, Sharifa!

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Twisted Dance Studios!

Conveniently located at 313 South Greene Street in Greensboro NC, Twisted Dance Studios features a large variety of world dance and fitness classes, including belly dance, African style dance, hooping, martial arts, self defense, Tai Chai, and Yoga.

Every year, they sponsor a gala world dance benefit show for the Triad Health Project.  This year's Project Shimmy benefit show will take place on Saturday, September 8 at the Gail Brower Huggins Performance Center in Greensboro College and will include a variety of world dance styles and performers from all over the state of NC.

In 2012, They were voted "Best Bellydancing" by the readers of Yes! Weekly.

Twisted Dance Studios partnered with Three Graces Entertainment in April 2012 to present a fundraising workshop and hafla for NCBellydance.org.   I can't thank them enough for their hard work on this fundraiser, and for all their support throughout the years!

For more information, visit their website at http://www.twisteddance.com.

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Gypsy!

"GYPSY" (Paula Stump) is originally from Lexington, NC and now resides in Winston-Salem, where she is the owner of PR Stump & Stuff, Inc., a promotional products advertising firm. 

She is a former model and actress and after playing the role of Gypsy Rose Lee in the Little Theater's 1978 production "Gypsy", she borrowed her stage name "Gypsy". 

Gypsy has been a student of Middle Eastern dance for 25 years and has taught the dance for 23 years. She has appeared twice with the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra at their "Sunday at the Pops" concert and at "Music at Sunset" where she performed to Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah. 

Her studies have taken her to San Francisco, Atlanta, New York, Seattle, and finally Egypt and Turkey, where she has received training from internationally acclaimed master teachers such as Delilah, Suhaila Salimpour, Nadia Hamdy and famous Egyptian choreographer, Mahmoud Reda.  

For more information, visit her website: www.shimmies-r-us.com.

Here is what she had to say about NCBellydance.org:

NCBellydance.org…the premier online resource for everything having anything to do with belly dancing in North Carolina!  If you don’t believe it, just Google any combination of “belly dance in North Carolina”, and see for yourself.  Haala’s tireless dedication and continuous hard work for the past ten years has certainly paid off, by positioning the site at the top of the search engine results.  Quite often I have been contacted about classes and/or performances, and when I inquire as to how the caller found me, I am told they saw my information/listing at ncbellydance.org!  Thanks to one of the most selfless, generous and supportive, kind-hearted and lovely people I have ever had the good fortune to find myself in the company of.

Thank you, Gypsy!   I appreciate your support!

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Amara!

Woodland Willow Photography

Amara  began bellydancing in 2002 as a way to get back in shape after having her son. She is a busy mom of 3, and finds that bellydancing gives her freedom of expression and enjoys dancing while her husband plays for her.
 

She is known for her expressive style and using the music to tell a story through her dance. She enjoys dancing to all types of music but prefers dancing improvised to live music. You can often see her performing with her husband Andrew, who is a member of the Lost Nomads, a local Middle Eastern band.  

Her style is American Orientale and she often dances with Wings of Isis, sword, and veil, and more recently- fire.

She is a professional portrait and wedding photographer and visual artist and finds that creativity helps inspire her dancing. 

 Here's what Amara had to say about NCBellydance.org:

 'I am so glad to have NCbellydance.org in our community. It is my go-to when I am looking for fun events or workshops around NC and find it is such a valuable resource to all dancers.'

We are glad to have you in the community too, Amara!

For information on bellydance or photography, check out her websites at: www.electricshimmy.com and www.woodlandwillow.com.

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Mena!

Mena has been dancing since 2005 and started teaching in the fall of 2009. 

Although she doesn't like labels, she does consider herself a fusion dancer, being exposed to many different types of dance and fusing them all together into her own belly dance style. 

Teaching has been a huge, but rewarding challenge.  Her group of students, the Gypsy Belles, includes ladies from all over NW North Carolina and SW Virginia.  They are such an inpsiration.  Her classes are Wednesdays in Elkin, NC and Thursdays in Galax, VA. 

Although she teaches a great group, Mena will always consider herself a student.  She has been fortunate to study with some true masters; Professor Hassan & Kyrria Mazzin from Egypt; Leyla Amir from Las Vegas, Caroline Afifi and our own Luci Jennings from Winston-Salem. 

Her greatest mentor and friend has been Samra from Winston-Salem, whose influence is without description. 

Along with teaching, Mena manages to perform as often as possible.  She has performed everywhere from huge stages with a jumbotron to small retirement homes.  

Here's what she had to say about NCBellydance.org;

NCBellydance.org has a great resourse in finding various workshops throughout NC and beyond.  Last year, when my family and I went to Atlanta for baseball, I checked the website for workshops and viola, there was a workshop listing for Mahmoud Reda, another master, the same weekend I was in Atlanta.  It worked out perfectly.  I'm also able to get lots of info about Shimmy for a Cause this June where myself and the Gypsy Belles will be performing. 

For more information about Mena, visit http://www.menadancer.com

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Three Graces Entertainment!

Three Graces Entertainment brings the beauty of authentic island dances to luaus, festivals, and more.

Under the direction of Teresa Dickerson (Saphira) and Beverly Whitt (Kharma), Three Graces Entertainment strives to promote diversity, cultural dance, and positive body image. Both are troupe directors, troupe students and teachers within the company that holds classes ranging from Bollywood and Raks Sharki to Polynesian and Tribal Fusion.

From a new student's first hip drop to the seasoned dancer's undulation, all dancers are encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and realize their full potential. Three Graces Entertainment performs in North Carolina and beyond and currently holds classes in Winston-Salem and Boone with plans to expand in the future.

Saphira performed at the NC Bellydance fundraiser this past November to thank Haala for all that she does for the NC dance community. NCBellydance.org is certainly a valuable resource for students and performers alike!

Three Graces Entertainment and Twisted Dance will be co-hosting "Our Big Fat Spring Hafla", a benefit hafla for NCBellydance.org, on April 28 in Winston-Salem NC.

For more information on Three Graces Entertainment, visit http://www.threegracesentertainment.com

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Deirdre!

"Deirdre was first enthralled by a belly dancer at Disney's Epcot Center when she was a mere thirteen and although it took her fifteen years to get around to lessons, she's been a passionate student of the dance ever since. She's an American Cabaret dancer who takes a little from the best of Turkish, Egyptian and Tribal Fusion, her elegant style alternates with a playfulness that's appealing to many audiences.

With Deirdre, there's a natural fluidity to her movements that makes you wonder how much is planned and how much is improvisation. After a while you don't care and just get lost in her evocative dance." --Jamie Anderson

Deirdre was our instructor for the 2010 Annual Fundraiser, and she had this to say about NCBellydance.org:

"Haala's hard work has created a go-to source for events, performers and instructors - I love that even events in other states list on NCBDs calendar, and it's my first resource for local belly dance!

It was a privilege to contribute to keeping NC BellyDance funded by teaching at the 2010 NC Bellydance Fundraiser, and a pleasure to work with such wonderful ladies!"

Thank you, Deirdre - it has been a pleasure to work with you too!

For more information about Deirdre, visit http://www.veilandcoin.com.

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Nayna of Charlotte!

Nayna is a multifaceted dancer who brings warmth, excitement, power and playfulness to every performance. She fell in love with bellydance in 2002 while learning from Yasmine (Charlotte, NC), and quickly progressed to the professional level of performance and teaching. Dedicated to continuously improving and evolving in her art, Nayna draws upon the influence of a diverse array of master dancers such as Rachel Brice, Saida, Bozenka, and the guidance of her mentor, Suhaila Salimpour. As a result, she is comfortable and proficient in the Egyptian, American Cabaret, and Tribal Fusion styles of bellydance. In addition to dancing, she has acquired a love for fire arts and enjoys fire spinning (poi) and incorporating other fire props (such as fire fans) into her performances.

While mesmerizing to watch on stage, Nayna's first love is teaching. New students find her classes to be productive and challenging while also fun and more importantly, non-intimidating. Her friendly but firm teaching style keeps classes engaging and students find themselves striving enthusiastically to nurture the power and beauty that bellydance brings out in every person.

Nayna is Level 1 certified in the Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance, danced 6 years as part of the the award-nominated Magic Hips Dancers, and is a founding member of award-nominated Spirit of the Lotus dance troupe.

When I asked her for her thoughts about NCBellydance.org, this is what she had to say:

I couldnt be more thankful for Haala and all she does for the bellydance community! The NCBellydance.org website is such a wonderful resource for those already involved in the dance or looking to get involved.

And as for Haala herself...I heart her!!!

A very nice sentiment from our Valentine's month sponsor!

For more information about Nayna, visit her website.

To see a listing of all our current sponsors, visit the NCBellydance.org sponsors page.