I have been performing bellydance since 2002 in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. My main influences include Mira Betz, Jill Parker, FatChanceBellyDance, Rachel Brice, my mentor Hannan Sultan, and my first teacher Nandana. My goal is to incorporate all contemporary styles of bellydance into a holistic melange. The majority of my background has been in Tribal Fusion bellydance, but I also study Modern Egyptian and whatever else I can get my hands on!

I have been dancing since I was 4. Like many little girls, I took ballet and jazz classes, along with a bit of acro. When I was 12, I quit ballet due in part to what I perceived as a sinister level of criticism over young girls' bodies. I had just moved to North Carolina and left the open, relaxed studio where I had always studied behind in New York. I suppose the transition to a more traditional studio never exactly worked out for me.

When I was 15, my mom started taking bellydance classes. At first I thought it was very odd and wanted nothing of it (if nothing else, simply because my mom was doing it). Of course, eventually I broke down, admitted it was sort of cool, and agreed to start taking lessons myself. I was 17 at the time.

As a neophyte I obsessed over my mother's VHSs taped from festival shows. I watched performances from Ultra Gypsy, Zafira, Awalim, FatChanceBellyDance and Gypsy Caravan over and over again as if I could absorb their grace and power from my television set. From time to time we would drive out to Asheville to take workshops from people like Jill Parker and Heather Stants. Meanwhile I took classes with my teacher Nandana, who learned most everything she knew (at that point) from Zafira. What I learned from Nandana became the basis for everything I do, my perspective and my point of reference.

After studying Tribal exclusively for a few years, I decided that I wanted to learn more about some traditional styles of bellydance. Since then I have studied with local instructors Aziza Fadwa and Gozde, and I continue my studies with Hannan Sultan.

I am committed to my pursuit of bellydance as an artform. I strive constantly to be a better dancer-- not necessarily a dancer who can do jaw-dropping stunts (although those are nice too), but someone who dances as naturally as most people breathe. I hope to grow a little closer to that goal every day, every time I practice.