Bali Millis Preview and Information: BALI INFO - Asian Belly Dance Festival Artist Line Up

Bellydance Evolution is a world-class dance festival & show, featuring top artists in the field of Middle Eastern dance & music. Each artist brings their own unique style to the event, making this an extraordinary collection of diverse styles of dance & music. These master instructors share their art with students and professionals each day of the festival and the troupe

of artists perform nightly in an amazing theatrical show like no other. There is also an online dance competition for each festival to give 5 local dancers the opportunity to be part of this truly unique show. Our goal is to not only entertain people of all backgrounds but to also educate them about this beautiful ancient art form.

About the show: Middle Eastern dance takes on a whole new form in this mythological tale of passion, jealousy & a love that transcends time. The All Star cast features some of the worlds best Middle Eastern Dance & Musical Artists and bring to life characters like Medusa, Thor, Apollo, Aphrodite, Pandora & Persephone in this original story by Brandi Centeno.

JILLINA (Bellydance Evolution Creator)

A Master dancer, instructor & choreographer, Jillina has devoted her life to dance. In 1999 she started her own dance company, Jillina’s Sahlala Dancers and then, in 2003, she joined the Bellydance Superstars where she served as the artistic director and main choreographer until 2009. She continues to serve as one of their principle choreographers. In the spring of 2009 Jilllina started Bellydance Evolution, for which she is also a producer, co-creator and performer. Jillina pulls from a strong dance background in Middle Eastern, Folklore, Jazz, Ballet, and Hip Hop to create a colorful Middle Eastern fusion Repertoire. Jillina travels extensively, teaching seminars and performing in concerts. Her talents have taken her to England, Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Mexico Brazil, Argentina, Canada, France, Italy, Monaco, Germany, Belgium, Brussels, Austria, Holland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Luxembourg and Egypt, gaining her recognition by the dance community worldwide. Jillina has won numerous awards from IAMED and the Giza Academy, including Best Modern Egyptian Dancer, Best Instructional Video, Best Dance Company and Dancer of the Year. Audiences around the world admire her artistic interpretations, understanding of the culture, and innovative style. Jillina has appeared on a number of television programs, including, “Dancing With The Stars” in the fall of 2008. She has co-produced 9 instructional DVDs, which, due to their success, are now offered in 5 different languages. She has also been featured in numerous award winning Performance DVDs. Through her years of professional teaching experience, Jillina has mastered the art of dance instruction to artists of all levels. Whether she is coaching someone individually or teaching a group of 1,000 students, she has a special ability to connect with people on and off the dance floor. Jillina serves as the teacher to some of today’s most admired stars. Annual trips to Egypt allow her to progress in her art as well as keep up with all the modern trends. As a master instructor, she upholds the integrity and tradition of this ancient and beautiful art form while incorporating her signature style. In the summer of 2009, Jillina was invited to be a featured performer in the prestigious Ahlan Wa Sahlan closing Gala, in Egypt; an honor which has never before been awarded to an American. Currently Jillina owns Evolution Dance Studios located in Universal City, California, USA. Evolution offers classes in all forms of dance – everything from bellydance to ballet, salsa to zumba, tango to tap and hip-hop to fire dance. The studio provides rehearsal space to some of Hollywood’s top artists and serves as a focal point for the Los Angeles Dance Community.

Workshop Themes:

Percussive Precision - Move your hips with intricate precision and embody the spirit of Arabic rhythms. Learn the techniques and drill the combinations to create an exciting and powerful drum solo

Contemporary Oriental - Egyptian style choreography. Emerce yourself in this delicious music with flowing floor patterns, articulate hip work and an emphasis on instrumentation. Learn how to translate different rhythms not just through movement, but also through emotional expression.

Juicy Pop Song - This Arabic song is full of juicy bits and broad dynamics. Combine useful combinations and funky floor patterns with personal expression. From dramatic accents to slow and smooth moves this choreography will enhance your range of motion and emotion in dance.

KAESHI

Of Chinese descent, Kaeshi Chai was born in Brunei and brought up in New Zealand and Australia. She co-founded the New York based dance company, Bellyqueen, with Amar Gamal in 1998 and is it's current artistic director. In 2004, Kaeshi also cofounded

"PURE (Public Urban Ritual Experiment)" www.puredance.org , a healing dance and music community, which has rapidly spread into many branches all over the US and internationally. Kaeshi has performed and taught all over the world including the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Bali, Trinidad, Australia and extensively throughout Asia. In 2003-2004, she performed with the first professional touring belly dance company in the world, the "Bellydance Superstars" and held the position of dance captain for the 2004 US & Canadian Spring tour. She can be seen in the following DVDs, "American Bellydancer", "Bellydance Jam" and "The Bellydance Experience" by Bellyqueen, "Live in Paris at the Folies Begere", and "Crazed: The Bellydance". In her spare time, Kaeshi studies Mandarin, enjoys traveling, and drinking Soy Chai

Lattes.

Workshop Themes:

Special K Choreography – Kaeshi teaches choreography to a song named “Special K” composed by New York based Middle Eastern band. This piece has a heavy Tribal Fusion influence, using many upper and lower torso isolation techniques, creating exciting staccato pops then melting seamlessly into serpentine moves.

Turkish 9/8 Karsilama

Authentic Style – Kaeshi will explain how to listen, clap and play finger cymbals to the famous 9/8 rhythm from Turkey and teach authentic dance movements used by Turkish gypsies and Turkish folkloric troupes. Story telling gestures and their meanings will also be explained.

SHARON KIHARA

A seasoned performer, inspirational teacher and exotic personality, Sharon Kihara is known the world over for her avante-garde sensibilities, as well as for her graceful and powerful technique. She comes from a strong background in western dance, beginning with Ballet as a wee tike and continuing to perform with University

Modern and Jazz dance companies throughout the nineties. But her true love came in the form of Bellydance, first witnessed by Sharon as a child in it’s Cabaret form, then as Tribal Style in the mid nineties, and, as her mind had been blown beyond all hope for repair, she decided to pursue this art form with full enthusiasm.

Since then, Sharon has joined the Bellydance Superstars, beginning in early 2004, and has been touring internationally full-time ever since. She has taught and performed in over 35 countries to date with many more on the horizon; has shared stages with acts such as Missy Elliot, the Black Eyed Peas and multiple Circus and Fire Arts troupes, and co-headlined with the Bellydance Superstars on the main stage at the prestigious Glastonbury festival, alongside the White Stripes and Coldplay.

Workshop Themes:

Welcome to the Cult! Tribal Fusion Bellydance Technique: - Identifying and configuring the building blocks of movement, Tribal Style! This class is ideal for the newer Tribal dancer, or a dancer experienced in other styles of belly dance, who wish to try their hand at Tribal! We will break it all down to the nitty-gritty, demystifying the keys to clean, precise isolations, smooth slow movements, rockin shimmies, hands and arms, and proper posture and alignment of the body. Fresh new combinations will be taught as well! A yoga mat is helpful to have, & please dress as though you are going to a yoga class.

The Body as an Instrument: Fresh Drum Solo Ideas - In this workshop we will learn to work with the sounds of traditional drums, Tribal style! Developing a sense of rhythm and musicality is key- we will work on listening skills, basic rhythms, and practice translating sound into movement! Many moves, including locks, shimmies, and turns will be drilled,and the grand finale is a petite drum solo choreography! All levels welcome, some experience is recommended.

How to Eat Glass, Play Beautiful Music, and Other Fine Tricks - This class revolves around an original choreography designed for the advanced beginner to professional level dancer. Class will begin with a short yoga warm-up and a practice session of “optical illusion” dance moves- it’s not exactly magic, but almost! Learn some tricks to safely executing difficult looking moves and postures with ease. The choreography itself incorporates Zagat (finger cymbals!), and we will practice our basic rhythms before we begin our journey into the dance. Get ready for a dance that emphasizes gooey undulations and circles, turning technique, shoulder isolation and languid extensions. Please dress for yoga and don’t forget your cymbals!

OZZY

Ozzy has been studying and playing the Egyptian Tabla professionally for eight years. Being an Israeli born, half Moroccan, half Egyptian, Ozzy is proud to be a practitioner of this traditional Middle Eastern instrument and is fascinated by its effect on bridging cultural gaps as well as uniting friends and family with the joy of rhythm. His showmanship and style is also reflective of his hot-blooded roots, having grown up in Miami where the Latin dance and music scene influences his play. With a focus on Middle Eastern drumming for bands and dancers, Ozzy has performed with renowned groups such as Hahbi'Ru, Zatar and Qadim and Bellydancers such as Ansuya and Jill Parker. Ozzy continues to perform and teach in Miami where he resides.

Workshop Themes:

1. Middle Eastern rhythms for drummers and dancers.

2. Learning the Doumbek, for beginners.

3. Intermediate Doumbek rhythms and combinations.

ELIZABETH STRONG

Elizabeth Strong is one of the top belly dance fusion artists on the dance scene in San Francisco. She performs as a soloist as well as a collaborator with other great dancers including Rachel Brice, Zoe Jakes, Jill Parker and Mira Betz. In over a decade studying and performing, Elizabeth Strong has traveled frequently

to Turkey and Eastern Europe to study dance and culture, always returning to her home in the San Francisco Bay Area for further inspiration. Elizabeth works with local artists and musicians, participating in everything from very traditional Rom and Jewish events, to absurd circus, and cutting edge performance art. Elizabeth’s recent works include: choreographing and performing in Ultra Gypsy’s 2006 Undulation, collaborating and performing with Rachel Brice, Mardi Love and the Toids in the Pogonometric Revue Tour in 2006, performing at California’s Herdeljezi Festival presented by Voice of Roma in 2006 and 2007, and a recent tour with the Bellydance Superstars. Elizabeth Strong has performed and taught throughout the United States and Europe at some of the foremost tribal festivals.

Workshop Themes:

Tribal Fusion with Elizabeth Strong - Enhance your strength and technique! The beauty of Tribal Fusion involves fine control, and a stylized approach to movement. This workshop focuses on stretching, strengthening, and a strong basis in technique. Isolating different parts of the body, or layering, will be a focus, as well as control of slow movements. All will be practiced in a few different Tribal Fusion dance combinations.

Turkish Roman Funsion - The more you know, the more confidently you will express your unique voice. Elizabeth draws from her extensive knowledge in Turkish Roman ("Gypsy") stylings to give you a basis in the form. From this background, we learn a fusion choreography, integrating traditional folkloric movements with modern belly dance and jazz elements. This workshop is sure to broaden your repertoire and expand your knowledge of rhythm.

LOUCHIA

Louchia hails from Moldova, west of the Black Sea just south of Russia. Raised in a family of famous musicians, her father is an internationally renowned composer and her mother is a nationally renowned singer. At the age of 6, Louchia began studying ballet and gymnastics. At 16, Louchia entered the

professional dance college of the National Folk Ballet of Moldova, Jok. For 3 years, Louchia trained in Classical Ballet, Folk and Character Dance: Moldavian, Russian, Gypsy, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Romanian styles. Louchia has Bachelor degree in Dance/Choreography from Institute of Art in Moldova.

Since arriving in the US in 1994, Louchia has devoted 5 years to Kalinin's Russian Gypsy Theater, performed at Bill Gates’ birthday party, danced for 3

years with the Aman American Folk Ensemble, and has danced for 8 years with the Pars Nation Ballet (Persian), led by former Principal of Theater of Ballet of Iran Abdula Nazemi. In 1996 Louchia met bellydance superstar Jillina. She became Louchia’s primary bellydance teacher, and invited Louchia to join “Jillina and the Sahlala Dancers” in 1998. Louchia is an award winning bellydancer and has earned titles such as: the

GAMAL Dance Award for Solo Dance/Persian Interpretative Style in 2003 and Belly Dancer of The Universe Competition, 1st Place in the Egyptian category and 1st in for Drum Solo and also won the People’s Choice Award in 2006. Besides bellydance, Louchia has mastered the dances of Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Russian Gypsy Styles. Louchia mesmerizes audiences with her solo performances. She performed and taught in Japan, Brazil, Indonesia, Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Korea and Poland. Louchia’s charismatic, elegant and professional talent illuminates the stage as both solo artist and company performer. By merely glancing at her sparkling mosaic green eyes, one can clearly see that eternally curious and talented spirit that is Louchia.

Workshop Themes:

Persian Dance - Of the ancient form of Silk Road Dances. Persian dance emphasizes upper body, arm and hand motion, kneeling, graceful ascents; spins and turns epitomize the style. The dances of the region reflect the rich legacy of many indigenous and foreign cultures of ancient Silk Road.

Armenian Dance - Like the Persian Silk Road Dances. Regal and dramatic style represents women dances of West Caucasus.

Wrist circles, hand undulations and dynamic arm movements create intricate spatial patterns around the body and face.

HEATHER AUED (BDE Co-Director)

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Heather began dancing at the age of five. Studying modern jazz & ballroom, ballet, hip-hop & contemporary. At 9 years old she was invited to join a Los Angeles based performing group, where she quickly became one of the lead dancers. By the age of 13 Heather was already an Award-Winning choreographer & a lead dancer in 3 different dance companies. That same year she performed at the Rose Bowl along side Cirque Du Soleil & Smokey Robinson for over 40,000 people. Heather graduated from High School at 16 in order to pursue her career full time. Also a professional singer, Heather has recorded with Grammy Winning Songwriter Michael Jay and Oscar Winning Songwriter Joseph Brooks. She also toured the Caribbean as the lead singer on the Freewinds ship. At 18 Heather was cast by Kenny Ortega (Dirty Dancing Choreographer and Michael Jackson’s final tour Director) to dance on the Fox TV show “Grounded for Life” which earned an Emmy nomination for Best Choreography. That same month she was invited to join the International Dance Company, “Jillina’s Sahlala Dancers”. Having fallen in love with Middle Eastern dance, she put all her focus on learning the art form and quickly became a lead soloist for the Award Winning Dance Company. She is currently the Assistant Artistic Director & Manager for the group and can be seen on numerous Bellydance performance DVD’s as well as Jillina’s “Shape Up & Hip Out” DVD. In 2008 she was featured on “Dancing with the Stars” along side Jillina and the Sahlala Dancers. In 2009 Heather helped Jillina launch Bellydance Evolution and is also the Co-Director of the show.

Workshop Themes:

Ballet for Bellydancers - A modern twist to the traditional boring ballet class. Learn how to make your bellydancing more powerful & easier to do, when you incorporate basic ballet moves to your bellydance. You will also learn how to properly stretch and condition your body to have a long lasting dance career. (This is an Open Level Class, no prior ballet experience needed)

Bollywood Fusion - This workshop combines the undulations and shimmies of Bellydance with the exciting signature moves of Indian Bollywood. Drawing from contemporary and Folk Indian dance, along with Bellydance, this fusion workshop will add a fun, energetic choreography to your repertoire.

ZURAB DUDASHVILI

Born in 1978, October 26 in republic of Georgia, Tbilisi. Zurab graduated from high chool in 1996. In 1984 he became a student in the junior dancing ensemble "GORDA", and graduated from it 1996. Upon graduating he joined the Georgian state dancing ensemble "MAMULI", and enrolled in the Georgian State Choreographic School that same year. In 2001 he became a prima dancer in the Georgian State Academic Ensemble of Dancing and Singing "RUSTAVI". In 2004 he joined The Georgian State Dance Company as a prima dancer. In 2008 he went to New York, and joined in New York dancing ensemble "CRANE". He is also the founder of the Georgian Modern Dancing Group "SWORDS".

Workshop Themes:

Georgian National Dance - The beauty and originality of the Georgian folk dance is perhaps due to their ability to reflect so many different aspects of Georgian life. They are divided to their origin and content into ritual and ceremonial, work, game, and comic dances. Each dance portrays the life of the different region in which it originated.

GURAM BUCHUKURI