Below you will find the program of performers at the Summer Dreams show on 19th January 2020.

We would like to say a big THANK YOU! to all who donated the prizes to our Bushfire Raffle. All monies raised from the tickets sold for the raffle will be donated to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal and be used across all states of Australia where the Red Cross is helping to bring comfort and relief to residents, holiday makers and fire fighters (volunteer and enlisted).

In alphabetical order:

• Ailish Lyndon
• Angela McWhinney
• APB Dance
• Caroline Miller
• Caterina Fizz
• Cindy
• Cleopatra’s Drum
• Club Rakasa
• Dorothy Maricic
• Gabriella
• Helen Patrice
• Hip 2 Hip Belly Dance
• Isabel Jackson
• Jrisi Jusakos
• Miss Fisher Photography
• Nikki Sterel
• Restore Wellness Yoga
• SAS Hairdressing St Kilda
• Verdessa Fairy

Set A

• Jrisi Summer Intensive Workshop Performers
  Untitled is a collaborative piece facilitated by Jrisi Jusakos. The Summer Intensive participants were given choreographic tasks, dance problem solving and group/partner work. The first three sections have been completely created during this weekend with the finale being an added bonus set choreography by Jillina of Bellydance Evolution.
  Dancers are:
  – Jrisi Jusakos
  – Kristina Finnie
  – Emily Nicholson
  – Crystal Xao
  – Adella Bhaskara
  – Carla Lee
  – Elena Afanasew
  Music edited by Tristan Baker
  – “On the Nature of Daylight” Max Richter
  – ” A New Generation” Max Richter
  – ” Sowar El Habiba” Hossam Ramzy
  – “Immortal Desires Finale” Paul Dinletir
• Coral Dawn
  Coral Dawn is a Melbourne based Bellydancer who resides in the hills of Belgrave. Cofounder of Subgenre, certified in the Salimpour format and Krysails program with Kami Liddle. She has traditional Oriental Bellydance background as well as in Swing Dance, Hip-hop and Jazz. Combining these dance aesthetics and drawing on inspirations from the Bellydancers of the ‘Golden Era’, she has created her own unique modern Fusion of these dance styles. Whether she is performing at festivals around Australia or local Melbourne events, she feels an underlying sense of gratitude, love for her dance journey and feels very honoured to dance this art form.
• Prue
  Prue has been bellydancing professionally for 18 years. She is passionate about sharing her joy of dance through performing and teaching. Prue was a founding member of the Underbelly Dance professional troupe, is the founder of Bellique Bellydance and co-founder of the Far East Bellydance Collective.
• Lotus
  Lotus is a collaborative group of professional performers (musicians, singers, dancers and performance artists) and collective who come together to perform, workshop and fuse ideas as well explore the kinetic arts. Lotus is all inclusive, and is non-discriminatory, is artistically fluid, allowing everyone’s input to shape a choreography, as well as mentoring each other, highlight and supporting each individual’s performance and artistic pursuits.
• Helen Patrice
  Helen Patrice started belly dancing in 1989, and has continued her love of dance ever since, with big gaps to wander far afield, as a mother and grandmother, Reiki Master, writer, and tarot consultant. She returned to dance in 2019, and is enjoying exploring it on a new level. She thanks Melusina for helping her develop this choreography, and hopes that every person present can shake off the labels that confine them, and radiate.
• Elena Bellydance
  Elena, professional bellydancer, performer, choreographer and instructor shares the stage with her students. Their traditional and modern belly dancing performances are filled with passion, charm, and wonderful levels of elegance and high energy.
• Amanda PB
  Amanda’s love of all things music started in 198*mumble* when she was young and sitting on her grandfather’s knee at the piano. She came to dance as an adult, but hasn’t let that stop her from doing everything she’s ever dreamed of and more. She is currently certified Suhaila and Jamila Level 2 in the Salimpour School of Belly Dance, hosts Suhaila Salimpour and other high level Salimpour teachers to come to Australia, is a founding member of the Melbourne Salimpour Collective, teaches at APB Dance, is one half of the Far East Belly Dance Collective (who are running this show if you’ve not heard) and somehow in there still has a life, family and friends.
  
• Aqua Moon Fusion
  Aqua Moon are a Tribal Style Belly Dance troupe hailing from the Foothills of the Dandenongs. Aqua Moon are a strong and vibrant collective of women from all walks of life – working collectively to celebrate culture, art, movement and the feminine form, creating magic within the moment, forever chasing that elusive state of Flow.
  

Set B

• Cleopatra’s Drum & Vittorina Bellydance
  Vittorina began her bellydance journey at the age of 19 after she saw a belly dancer perform at a family event. She was hypnotised by the melody of the music and the diverse ways the body could respond and bring the music to life. She has been dancing for 13 years and her biggest interest in bellydance is the music and how the body emulates the rhythm.
  Evy is the founder of Cleopatra’s Drum, and an accomplished Egyptian percussionist and teacher who brings more than 18 years of experience from Australia and her birthplace Egypt. Her specialty is the bellydance drum solo where her love for both ancient art-forms radiates in a truly exciting and engaging performance.
  Together they will be performing the hit Egyptian single “Summer (El Sef)” by Mahmoud El Esseily Ft Mostafa Hagag, followed by a live and original Egyptian Drum Solo by Evy Yannas.
• Isabel
  Dance teacher and facilitator, performer, researcher since c.1990 Based in Victoria and studied and performed locally with local, national and international dancers.
  Isabel is living proof, if any was needed for this audience, that the love of dance never leaves even if you leave the dance performance scene to do other things. For Isabel, this song Oyoun Albi (Sweetheart) by Najwa Karam exemplifies the drawing power of emotional connection of music and dance. 
• Belly Dance Evolution
  This piece was originally performed in the Belly Dance Evolution “Fantasm” show, performed in Sydney in 2019. It was choreographed by Jillina and has been re-staged with some of the original cast for you today.
• Melbourne Salimpour Collective
  The Melbourne Salimpour Collective is an officially sanctioned performance group of the Salimpour School of Belly Dance (California, USA). It is made up of dancers who are all students of the school and each member holds at least one Level 1 certification. They learn remotely via online classes, skype video reviews and in person when they are able to travel or when those teachers are here in Melbourne.
• Alchemy Extension
  Janelle is a professional dancer & teacher with 25 years experience in Belly Dance, Commercial Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, Tap & Musical Theatre. Her troupe Alchemy Extensions consists of dancers who have discovered their love for this art form later in life and embrace all the joy & benefits that belly dancing can bring.
• Joanna Angelidis
  For the last 20 years, Joanna has danced in numerous different forms – from ballet, to jazz, to musical theatre. She found her true passion in bellydancing two and a half years ago and has never fallen in love so hard with a dance before, especially Cabaret bellydance.
• Entwined Belly Dance
  Entwined Bellydance is the project of Laura Entwined, an accomplished dancer, instructor, choreographer and performer with over 15 years of experience. Established in 2009, the dance company runs successful weekly classes in Melbourne’s north covering dance conditioning, yoga, traditional, tribal and fusion bellydance. As a troupe they perform all over Australia, bringing embodied female expression and theatrical performance artistry to the stage.
  

Set C

• Bluefire Bellydancers
  Bluefire Bellydancers are a group of passionate women who hail from the Western suburbs. They continue to introduce women of all shapes, sizes and abilities to bellydancing through their colourful and beautiful performances to modern and traditional music.
  
• Tejomaya
  An established fusion bellydance duo based in Melbourne, Australia, the Tejomaya ladies are seasoned performers and artists who perform both locally, interstate and internationally. Tejomaya indicates one is full of effulgence, a brightness so incredible it dazzles and overcomes. Sarah Moulton and Bek Kelly combine their years of movement study in different formats to create a dance and performance style like no other. Be prepared to transcend the mundane through the beauty of fusion bellydance.
• Rahtna
  As you might already know or will be able to see on the night, this is not actually a solo performance. However, normally with a duet the second dancer does something helpful for the performance. Whether this is the case this time remains to be seen. Either way, please enjoy this Modern Baladi, choreographed by Marta Korzun.
  
• Nikki Sterel
  Nikki has been part of the bellydance community for around 10 years but has been dancing for 8 years after having a break to have her daughter. She has performed at several community events both in a troupe and as a solo dancer. She has trained with Zabelle, Maisah, Prue, Ekaterini, Marina Bistrin, Briohny, Trisna and Amanda. She enjoys the many aspects of bellydance and has recently studied both barefoot and beginners flamenco with Senes Flamenco. Prior to discovering her love of bellydance, Nikki enjoyed ballroom dancing completing several medal examinations with Latin American being her favourite style.
  
• Bellique Bellydance
  Bellique Bellydance is a vibrant student troupe featuring women from all walks of life. Directed by Prue and based in the Dandenong Ranges, they have performed at festivals and events across Melbourne.
• Annette Appere
  With a love for traditional and tribal belly dance styles, Annette has been proudly training under the Salimpour format for the past year. To honour the late Hossam Ramzy and to showcase her inspiration for middle eastern music, Annette brings a warm and flirty flare to the stage with a revamped drum solo choreography from her early belly dance days in 2012.
• Melbourne Belly Dance
  Vibrant, glamorous and authentic, Melbourne Bellydance is the home of professional Middle Eastern entertainment in Melbourne.
  Melbourne Bellydance believes in Being Bold and Feeling Beautiful, and that dance is for everyone, any age, any culture, any shape or size.
  Partnering with Strut Entertainment Group, they offer weekly classes, performing groups and private lessons for all levels from Beginner to Advanced, from their dance studios in Alphington and Richmond.
  They invite you to come and experience the joy and community of dancing with Melbourne Bellydance for yourself!
• Jrisi Jusakos
  Jrisi heralds from Sydney and is the director of the Hathor Dance Theatre, a teacher with over 20 years of experience under her belt and a producer of many amazing shows including both Belly Dance Evolution shows that have been in Australia as well as Bellyqueen’s Journey Along The Silk Road. She has a Bachelor of Dance and a long history in not only belly dance but many other styles including contemporary, jazz, ballet, flamenco and latin, just to name a few.