Star Instructors

Denise Leclair

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  Denise started bellydancing in 1995 in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

  While she loves to shimmy with Egyptian cabaret, her true love has been with folkloric and tribal styles like Turkish ROM and Ghawazee.  Today, Denise is shaking it up with BOOMER BELLYDANCERS to the likes of Santana and the Rolling Stones! .

  When she isn't masterminding Bedouin Beats, or immersed in some fabulous Indian, or Turkish workshop she is probably organizing a dance event or going to one. Passion is passion.  Her advice? " You are never too old to start dancing.  Just give yourself permission and I will lovingly take you to the next level. "

Tania

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  Tania began bellydancing in 2001 in Prague, under the fabulous Renata Milgrom at Zambra Studios. She has been fortunate enough to take classes with many renowned local and international bellydancers, and to have been made president of the fabulous dance troupe, Raq-a-Belly dance! Her obsession with Tribal Fusion began in 2005 when she took a workshop with Rachel Brice and solidified when she started taking workshops under Dark Fusion master, Ariellah Aflalo. She started teaching bellydance full-time in 2008. Her Fusion classes are structured mostly on the movement style of the Indigo and Ariellah. Her main goal is to create a fun, warm atmosphere where her students can play while they work. She has her Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification so she can make your body not just groove, but groove safely. For more information on Tania or her classes, check out Tania's Belly

Shahenda

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  Shahenda has been involved in the Edmonton belly dance community for over 8 years now. She has been teaching for 7 years & performing professionally for over 5 years. Shahenda teaches part time classes throughout Edmonton & metro area.

   

  Check out Shahenda's blog at http://shahendabellydance.blogspot.com/

   

  Shahenda has had the pleasure of performing live on stage with the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble at the Winspear Centre as well as for a CD release party with local artist Wendy McNeil.  In addition, she has appeared on Global TV, CBC, Access, NAIT TV & the Life Network (Slice).

   

  Always on the quest for continual self-improvement and knowledge Shahenda has participated in workshops with some of the finest Oriental dancers in the world including: -Hadia -Venus -Jillina -Jalilah -Beata & Horacio Cifuentes -Dina - and more.

Saskia

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  Zaena’s love affair with bellydance began early on in life and she became a life long devotee in 1998, while living in the Netherlands.

   

  Since returning to Edmonton in 2000, she has continued her ongoing explorations into the joys of Middle Eastern dance and its many cultural facets including Improvisational Tribal Style and Tribal Fusion, Turkish and Egyptian.  

   

  She has a special fondness for any form of improvisation, including dancing with not one,  but two swords! She has been teaching since 2005, performing since 2002 and is the artistic director of Luna Dance Fusion. Prior to that she was a founding member of the dance collective Zaghareet! Tribal Bellydance.

   

  She has studied with instructors like Margot Vosser (The Netherlands),  UNMATA and attended workshops with Yasmina Ramzy, Helene Eriksen, Sahra Saida, Kami Liddle, Gypsy Caravan, Tribal Feat, Urban Gypsy, Sabine of Tribalation, Elizabeth Artemis Mourat, Lee Ali, Mardi Love, Zoe Jakes, Onca O'Leary, TribalTique, Gypsy Fire.  

Tatiana

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   Tatiana has been studying and performing Middle Eastern Dance for over 16 years, first starting her studies with Isis Dance Productions. She has had the honor of performing for local recitals, corporate functions, fundraisers, restaurants, local celebrities, weddings, and parties.

   

  Tatiana has been dancing ( forever!) since the age of 7, and studied and performed with Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Alberta Zirka Ukrainian Performers. Her training includes Ukrainian dance and ballet technique.

   

   

  Tatiana's favorite genre of Middle Eastern Dance is Raks Sharqi, particularly Egyptian style, and she has attended workshops with Hadia, Dina of Cairo, Aziza, Jalilah, Jillina, Yousry Sharif, Beata & Horatio Cifuentes, and Yasmina Ramzy.

   

  She completed Level 1 teacher training with Hadia in 2002 and taught regular classes for 3 years. She has also been teaching workshops for over 10 years. She is excited to be teaching again, and thrilled to join Bedouin Beats.

   

  Check out Tatiana's website! and watch her perform at the Carrot Cabaret Nov, 2011

Donna Cucheran

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   Donna Cucheran, level certified 1 from the Suhaila Salimpour certification program is also actively working on her certification with Jamila Salimpour's teaching Certification.

   

  Once achieved Donna will be the first Canadian to hang Jamila's dancing certification on her wall!  Jamila is not only a mentor but is a close friend of Donna's now.

   

  One of the first tribal dancers in Edmonton, Donna's life changing moment came in 2002 when she started the Suhaila program.  She hasn't looked back since.

   

  Between teaching bellydance, she was a founding member of Zaghareet! and now is the founder and Artistic Director of Nomadic Tapestry.

   

  Bedouin Beats is delighted that Donna has joined us!

Masani St Rose

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   Masani St. Rose - A native Calgarian who immersed into dancing at the tender age of 3, specializing in West African and Caribbean dance. Upon the introduction to dance, Masani found passion for the West African culture and style. It was through training under Michèle Moss-Johnston at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, she was able to build her foundation. Still working very closely with Michèle Moss-Johnston and various other artists from Guinea, West Africa, she finds every opportunity to take master classes from artists from various regions of Africa including, Congo, Uganda, Ghana, Mali, Guinea and Zimbabwe. Throughout the years, Masani has worked with various studios and professional groups across Canada. It is her mission to keep the art and culture alive from soul to sole!

Nadia

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  Nadia was born and raised in Lebanon where she grew up watching the big stars of oriental dance such as Nagwa Fuad, Suhair Zaki and Nadia Jamal on local TV. In Canada, she has participated in dance wokshops with Hadia, Yasmina Ramzy, Beata and Horatio, Amir, Nath Keo, etc. She was lucky to participate in a full week workshop with Amani in Beirut (Amani’s Oriental Festival). She has been teaching oriental dance (Raqs Sharqi) in Edmonton for more than a decade now. She was artistic director and choreographer of the Canadian Arab Cultural Club dance troupe for 10 years during which the troupe was invited to perform in Vancouver, Colorado and Florida. She currently is artistic director and choreographer of Al Jabal Lebanese folkloric dance troupe in Edmonton.

Karen Davison

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  Karen Davison, co-artistic director of Raq-a-Belly dance! is one of our instructors for beginners to bellydance. Karen has an extensive dance ranging from modern dance to Raqs Sharki and Tribal Fusion, and really any other dance that catches her eye. Karen performed extensively at the 2009 FRINGE Festival where her choreography was featured.  We really don't think there is any dance she couldn't do and have lately seen in her Flamenco!

Brandi

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  Brandi first began her journey in belly dance in 1999 in Saskatoon, SK.  She found an ad in a University newspaper for a bellydance class with DancEgypt in Raqs Sharki and hasn't looked back.  She was a member of Oriental Dance Arts in Saskatoon from 2000-2005 where she had the opportunity to learn and perform Raqs Sharki, Persian, Nepalese Temple, American Tribal Style and other dances.

  
  In 2005 she moved to Edmonton, where she became a member of Zaghareet! Tribal Bellydance from 2005 to 2007.  Although Brandi still dabbles in other forms of bellydance, American Tribal Style has become her favourite form of bellydance and has become a passion.  

   

  Brandi began teaching American Tribal Style classes in 2006 and directs the troupe Three Eyes Tribal.  In April of 2010, Brandi traveled to San Francisco, home of ATS, to take the General Skills for American Tribal Style Certificate Course, a 20 hour, 4 day Intensive with Carolena Nericcio and Fat Chance Belly Dance.
   
  We are very excited to announce that Brandi is now an accredited Fat Chance Belly Dance instructor and the only ATS instructor in Edmonton to have accomplished this.  Congratulations Brandi!

Marie Habib

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  Marie Habib joins us from Three Eyes Tribal, which is Edmonton's premier American Tribal Style troupe. While Marie is an accomplished and acredited ATS dancer, she is continuously upgrading her skill set in Raqs Sharki and other dances. 

  If her dancing doesn't win you over then that dazzling smile will!

  Three Eyes Tribal's Marie Habib has been a student of Brandi's American Tribal Style (ATS) classes since 2008. She received ATS General Skills certification in 2011. Marie also studies Oriental Bellydance. She is very excited to teach ATS Foundations at Bedouin Beats!!

Elvira Kotuk

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  Elvira is one of our brightest dance stars in the Edmonton bellydance scene.  She is also a mom to 2 adorable kids too and knows how to make learning fun.

   

  In her own words..."My love for dance began with 15 years of Ukrainian dance (Chumak/Vohon/Cheremosh), I dabbled in Italian Folk, Salsa, and West African as well as studied Folkloric Dance at the U of A.

   

  I truly became enamored with Middle Eastern dance when I saw my first belly dance performance in 2005 and started to pursue it seriously after having a family in 2010.

   

  As well as a member of the troop Edmonton Bellydance Ensemble (Move Studios), I am currently studying with Aurora Ongaro (Move Studios) and pursuing Suhaila Format certification with Donna Cucheron (Bedouin Beats). "
   

Beth Ingram

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  While we are waiting for Beth to get us her bio, we thought we would tell you what we know about her...

  Beth is a dancer's dancer.  She works hard to excel and has a lot of fun doing just that and sharing with those around her. Beth has spining those poi for at least 5 years and knows what is involved with transitioning dance moves to poi dance.  We are delighted that she agreed to share her knowledge of poi dance with our students this summer!

  You will also find Beth dancing with Three Eyes Tribal.  She would be the bendy one that we are all amazed with as she breezily goes from vertical to a a Turkish drop. 

  You gonna love Beth.

Nina Infinity

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  Nina Infinity has been passionately pursuing various types of dance since she was young; however, her heart was truly captured when she tried hooping for the first time at a summer music festival in 2007.

  Since then, she has spent countless hours in the hoop, unearthing the precious treasures of the amazing art: limitless creativity, open expression, confidence, positivity and determination.

  Feeling the call to share these gifts with the world, Nina established Infinity Hoopdance and is thrilled to offer classes and workshops, community events, professionally handcrafted hoops and performances.

  She is also a certified group fitness leader with AFLCA and a licensed HoopGirl instructor. Nina’s mission is to inspire and evoke the inner dancer within all whom she meets!

  Bedouin Beats is delighted to have Nina join us this summer!