Female

45

I'm a French woman, living in Lille, a nice Northern city of France, close to Belgium.
I'm a graphic designer, and love to dance for my pleasure. I've been doing belly dancing for more than 3 years, and flamenco during 4 years. I started belly dance after having feet pains due to small flamenco shoes. My feet got hurt and stll worry me, I hope I'll be able to keep on dancing.

Since 2008 I've been following an ATS inspired tribal dance class, with zills playing. Amel Ibtissam is my teacher. We students and she have been performing a few times in venues, free festivals, indoor and outdoors, with musicians, the Aqsaq Trio. I enjoy this a lot. We also work on our costumes and I love that creative side too.
I was completely convinced by tribal dance and ATS when I saw my friend Lisa and her dance mates from the Mystic Jewell studio perform at an art market in Chandler, AZ, in september 2007. I was there for vacation. I saw them dance and got really moved. Videos on internet hadn't got me this way. After that I really wanted to practice back in France.

I've been also very lucky to participate to the biggest Tribal Dance Festival in France, Tribal Umrah, that was launched for the 1st time this summer, on the Basque Coast. It has been an incredible experience, that went much higher and better than what I expected. I knew it could be good, it was awesome. Teachers/artists were amazing, beautiful women and inspired artists, students were friendly, the organisation crew devoted, warm, fun. I learnt a lot and shared beautiful moments of grace, love and humanity.

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I've also started to use my voice in a creative way lately.
I've been following flamenco cante workshops, learning to sing bulerias, soleas por bulerias and tarantas,
I love to sing flamenco, and would like to really find my way there. Of course I need to learn Spanish too, that would help. :)

I've been also very happy and proud in participating to the project of Heidi and the Naughty Knickers, from Tempe, Arizona, for the 2008 Rakkasah West Festival. They needed a French voice to say some poems in English, that would be mixed to the musics of their choreography, and I did it. It has been a huge pleasure to do that and a great satisfaction when I heard the result and saw them dance on videos. I wish I could see them perform for real, this would be very moving.

I'm a huge music fan, of all types of music.

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My belly dance teachers are:
• Amel Ibtissam (Lille, France)
www.amelibtissam.com/index.html
fr.youtube.com/watch
• Nejma (Lomme, France)
• Nadia Saiji (Paris, France)
nadia.saiji.free.fr/Danse_orientale.php


I followed workshops with :
• Kami Liddle
• Ariellah, with Jennifer
• Tjarda and Maya from the Uzumé
• Quinn Donovan and Lexi of Gypsy Fire
• Amy with Shelly of Unmata
• Frederique, with Bonnie

My flamenco teachers were:
• La Zambrana (Lille, France)
penalosflamencos.free.fr
Some sample of a beginners class, learning the fandango
www.dailymotion.com/video/x5...lle_music
• Eva Mendez (Paris, France)
www.e-mendez.com/
• La Tami, Tamara (Belgium)
• La Elquita (Belgium)
www.la-barraca.be/aelquitafr.htm
www.colorcaliente.be/

Love gypsy musics from all continents.