Karen Davison

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!

Stephanie Shideler

Please welcome our newest dancing goddess.  Stephanie is a professional dancer who has graced many stages and restaurants.Her dancing prowess is beautifully balanced  with her charm and grace.She's just darn nice and we are delighted to welcome her to Bedouin Beats as an instructor for beginners to bellydance.

Brandi

 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.  

Maya Christina

Maya Christina began her dance career nearly two decades ago as a teacher at the Cassandra School and member of Jawaahir Dance Company in Minneapolis. An award-winning international dancer and choreographer, Maya Christina has performed in nightclubs, theatres, music videos, and film. She specializes in raks sharki, American classic bellydance, folkloric Mediterranean-region dances, and dance fusion. Maya is an ongoing scholar of Egyptian folkloric dances and has studied, performed, and taught Saidi technique internationally for over 15 years. She was a zill student of master zill players Z’Helene of Austin, TX and Zarifa of Charlotte, NC, and specializes in zill tones and musicality. Maya’s classes focus on technique, musicality, expression, and stamina through a mixture of traditional dance class techniques, illustrated lectures, homework, and guided instruction.

Masani St Rose

 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!

Andrea Wilson

 Andrea began taking bellydance classes in 2001 thanks to her sister's influence and an employer's fondness for playing Arabic music at full volume.  She started her journey with Raqs Sharki but later discovered Improvisational Tribal Style bellydance in all its permutations and combinations.  She is fascinated by all dance forms and isn't afraid to look goofy trying out classes like Flamenco and West African dance.  She loves to encourage her students to relax and have a great time, letting the music soak into their bodies as they learn all the amazing things they are capable of doing.  Dance gives life so many blessings, the best ones being confidence and the creation of an open-hearted, inclusive community.  Andrea tries to take as many workshops as possible to expand her knowledge and get more tricks to teach her students.  Some of her favorite workshops have been taught by Paulette Rees-Denis, Rachel Brice, Sadie Marquardt, Unmata, Gypsy Fire, Urban Gypsy and Mira Betz. 

Sheryl Theriault

While Sheryl thinks about what she would like in her bio, I am going to give you a sneak peak at our newest instructor.  Sheryl has been dancing for many years.  She has been a teacher assistant for many years.  Her organizational skills are exceptional. There is not a move or choreography or piece of music that isn't properly filed and within easy reach.  Her standards in dance and in teaching are the highest and we are very lucky that she has joined our instructor family.

Meanwhile we know she will come up with her own bio but now you know from our perspective.

Denise Leclair

Denise started dancing in 1995 in the San Francisco Bay Area with instructors like Alyne Hazard, Malia and with specialty workshops with Leila Haddad (in Israel), Joan Kafri, Carolena Nericcio, Khadejah and Mustapha El Oueslati (in Tunisia) and Hadia. While she loves to shimmy with Egyptian cabaret, her true love has been with folkloric and tribal styles like Gypsy and Ghawazee. Moving back to Edmonton in 2002 she discovered that tribal hadn't really arrived yet to Edmonton shores and so began the journey here...and the fun. Today, Denise has solid roots in American Tribal Style but uses those movements in choreographed tribal folkloric dances. When she isn't dancing, teaching, creating choreographies or taking Flamenco or Indian dance classes, she is probably organizing a dance event or going to one. Passion is passion. You can read Denise's article on dancing in Tunisia at Gilded Serpent, a terrific online bellydance magazine.

Jodi Doesburg/Nuwayrah

Nuwayrah started her Middle Eastern dance career at Isis Dance Productions (Edmonton) in 2002 after accumulating considerable experience in musical theatre and martial arts. Although her discipline is now largely Raks Sharki, she also has a strong leaning towards Tribal Fusion style. Jodi continues to build upon her repertoire and has taken workshops with artists such as Beata & Horacio Cifuentes, Nath Keo, Amir Thaleb, Hadia, Sabura, Sonia, Petite Jamilla, Kami Liddle, Gypsy Caravan, Unmata, & Ariellah. When not teaching at Bedouin Beats Ltd, Nuwayrah can be found performing at a variety of events with Edmonton's most diverse Middle Eastern dance troupe, Raq-a-Belly dance!

Saskia Zaena

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.  

Shahenda

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.

Tania

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 www.taniasbelly.ca

Judith Garcia

Judith Garcia has been teaching Dance for 30 years. She has studied with Angel Munos in Jerez De La Frontera (Spain) Dolloris Hemenez in Madrid. Teo Morca in Bellingham Washington and Conchita De Pechtel in Edmonton. Judith was an apprentice with The Alberta Ballet Company in 1979 and started student teaching at 15 . She has performed for many years with her husband, flamenco guitarist: Oscar Jose Garcia. Judith is founder and artistic director of "Flamenco En Vivo", a flamenco dance troupe formed in 1999. She has staged many full scale productions in both flamenco and ballet.

Judith brings a passion and love for flamenco in her teaching style . This love for the art form is then transmitted to her students, who find themselves dancing far longer than they first expected !

Zena Ursuliak

Bedouin Beats is delighted to have Zena on our team for all of us who will have the opportunity to tap into her extensive knowledge and practice base of yoga.

Zena was first introduced to yoga in October, 1969 at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. All it took was one yoga class and two weeks later she quit university and was on her way to India! Zena has been teaching yoga since 1971 and has taught in Australia, Nepal, India, USA, Canada, Germany and Japan. She was the secretary of the Yoga Association of Alberta for four years and taught for ten years at the Okanagan Summer School of the Arts in Penticton, B.C. She loves yoga!