Americanistan
Photo by Jeff Obermann
Americanistan performs music inspired by the Middle East and Mediterranean. Bellydance music is their specialty. Ethnic instruments such as the kanun, harmonium and ney flute are paired with the rhythms of the dumbek, tambourine, and frame drum.
Americanistan frequently appears in shows featuring their music as well as performances by special guest dancers. They also perform at concerts, festivals, workshops, belly dance shows, parties, weddings, and other special occasions.
Americanistan is available for studio work for film, plays, radio, etc. They can create the exotic, ethnic sounds you are after, on your time line. All of Their musicians are adept at improvisation and composition. Americanistan can play anything from authentic ethnic tunes to music that creates a mood.
Website: http://www.americanistan.com/
Dunyah
Dunyah has been rocked by the music and dance of the Middle East since 1976, when she saw her first live performance. Her world changed on that day, and she has been an avid student of the dance and music ever since.
She is or has been a solo dancer, troupe dancer, troupe director, band member, band director, workshop instructor, event producer, webmaster, writer and producer of 5 CDs with Americanistan. She plays bass dumbek, Arabic tambourine, tar drum, zills and harmonium, an acoustic keyboard from India.
She met her husband, Wayne "Omar" the same year that she discovered the dance. She likes to say that these two are the longest-lasting love affairs of her life. Besides their creative partnership in Americanistan, the couple has raised two children, an endeavor that has also demanded great creativity and resourcefulness, but, like music, is infinitely rewarding.
Website: http://www.americanistan.com/id75.html
Grace Constantine
Photo by
Golden Belly Award-Winning Grace Constantine is a celebrated shamanic and theatrical belly dancer who has performed and taught dance workshops for illustrious venues such as Columbia University, Tribal Fest, Woodstock Festival, and the California Renaissance Fair. She won Zaghareet Magazine’s Golden Belly Award for Best Kept Secret in Belly Dance in 2008. She is the owner of 'the Lair' private belly dance studio, and a staff writer at 'From the Hip' magazine. Grace is the artistic director and lead dancer of the Deviant Dance Company, based in Portland, Oregon USA.
"To watch Grace Constantine perform is to leave the mundane behind and be initiated into a realm of humor, beauty, ecstasy, and creativity. Grace is a mystical experience seasoned with a fine sprinkling of absurdity. It doesn't get any better than that!" ~ Pam Anderson
”Grace Constantine is the embodiment of narration through movement... her ability to portray emotions and ideas through dance is breathtaking, inspiring and always playful!” ~ Sushila Battagione
“Grace is an inspiration to me because she takes dance and creates a powerful performance that can be many things: exotic, strange, beautiful, and humorous.” ~ Tenya Spillman
“Grace Constantine is truly an entertainer with the ability to react to an audience and engage them. She isn't just presenting stuff on stage, she is presenting with an awareness of her audience.“ ~ Saqra
"Grace is that kind of Artist that has the indefinable "it" quality which is a combination of beauty, power, mysticism and a wealth of worldly experiences. She has the ability to weave you into her spell while surrounding you with love and captivating movement. She is a highly inventive designer and choreographer and has developed a very original movement style. As a Photographer that has been all over the world I can say that she is one of the most alluring and interesting people I have shot.“
~ Scott Belding
“Grace's artistry is mesmerizing. It draws from a fusion of many artistic dance styles that range from very dramatic to fun and mischievous. She performs with a playful openness you rarely see today." ~ Tatseena
Website:
www.graceconstantine.com
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Constantine.Grace
Most recent performance video, Salon L'Orient October 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uORzw7QUi58
Grace Constantine & Deviant Dance YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DeviantDance
Ilia Wilken
Ilia Wilken, our Mistress of Ceremonies, is no stranger to the stage. Her dance career began in the early 70's where she graced the stage of dozens of Hollywood's prestigious nightclubs for over 10 years. She taught Le Dance Oriental for many years throughout the Pacific Northwest. She is now a resident of "old town" Ridgefield, WA of which she calls "the little town of her dreams".
Jenza
Jenza at Coco's International Nightclub - 1979
Jenza and her daughter, Elayssa today.
JENZA was encouraged to begin training in Belly Dance by her mother Samira, a well-known costume designer and dancer in the 70’s. Jenza, began her professional career on October 3, 1977. She was hired as a house dancer on the spot by Lou Shelby of the Cascades and will remember that day as long as she lives. It was her first and favorite boss and venue. Working a grueling 7 nights a week, Jenza went on to be a house dancer at The 7th Veil, Coco’s Nightclub, Ali Babas’, Sahara Supper Club, Aladdin’s, The Apadana, The Moroccan House, Marrakesh, Casa Del Sol, and Little Armenia. She also had regular appearances in places like Cabaret Tehran, The Fez, Haji Babas, Athenian Gardens, and Byblos to name just a few.
Like many Hollywood dancers of her time, Jenza had opportunities to dance in films and appear in parties for dignitaries and other famous people. One such notable performance was for the Prince of Oman at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1979. She appeared in the comedy film, Stooge Mania staring Josh Mostel, son of Zero Mostel.
Jenza quickly became a hit as an instructor and workshop teacher all over California and also nationally. In May-June 1986, Jenza was the first foreign dance instructor invited to teach and perform on a tour of New Zealand’s major cities. While in New Zealand, she was interviewed by Veronica Allum on the City of Auckland’s fine arts radio show. Her visit was also reported on in The Wellington City Magazine.
Jenza married, and her beautiful daughter Elayssa was born in 1980. Jenza continued her career as a professional nightclub dancer working constantly until 1994. Jenza continues today as a local instructor in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys, Caifornia. She also supports her dancing daughter’s creative endeavors with Elysium Dance Theatre, and her mother Samira’s wonderful costume design on the Etsy Shop “EyeofTheMoon”. It’s all in the family!
Website:
http://www.jenza.com/Kalila
Kalila has been expressing her love of Middle-Eastern music and dance since 2002. She has danced professionally at events, celebrations and venues throughout the greater Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, including the Crystal Ballroom, Alberta Rose Theater, the Aladdin Theater, Kolbeh and Pasha restaurants, The Blue Monk, the Blue Tangerine, and taste of Athens. She is an in-demand entertainer for weddings and events, and has been featured at Portland's Mississippi Street Fair, the West Linn Arts Festival, and was one of two dancers chosen to share the stage with Grammy-nominated band, Brothers of the Baladi at the 2010 Portland Music Awards.
Marguerite
Marguerite has been an international performer of Middle Eastern Dance and a professional magician since 1977. In the 70’s and 80’s, she could be found at the Gypsy Cellar, Mt. Ararat, The Magic Lamp, Saadoun’s, Guy Fawkes, The Athenian, and a house dancer at Little Armenia, The Moroccan House, Hassan’s Café, and the Marrakesh. She has been in a multitude of theatrical productions like Big World Fun at the Ford Theatre and IAMED’s Belly Dance Live. In addition, she was featured in Titanya Dahlin’s highly acclaimed Scheherazade, The Veil Behind The Blade. Over the last few decades she has taught innumerable seminars on dance, performance, balance, and consciousness in Germany, Palestine/Israel, China, the USA, and Mexico. As an example of her travels, in 2011, she presented “Veil Magic”, “Cultural Learning’s for 9/8”, “Whirling”, and “Recipe for Improv” as workshops on Oahu, Hawaii for Malia DeLapena’s Belly Dancers In Paradise. As a scholar of dance, she has performed, taught, and conducted research in North China and Inner Mongolia on dance, Shamanism and folklore. In May 2005, she presented at the 11th annual conference on central and Inner Asia Studies through Kent University in Toronto. In August 2005, she presented and published at a conference in Inner Mongolia on Central Asian spirituality, dance and gender. Recently, in Los Angeles and Orange County, she has acted as a cultural advocate and sponsor for vanishing traditional forms of sacred dance and practice. To this day, Marguerite continues to teach Middle Eastern Dance locally and internationally; as well as perform Magic at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
See performances by Marguerite on her Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/gypsymagicdancer
Website: http://www.gypsymagic.com/home.html
Rachelle came across a middle Eastern dance class at the YWCA in Portland Oregon in 1972. It was taught by an exotic Jordanian women called Badawia and it didn't take long for Rachelle to become Hooked for life! In a few years Nemra Khan (first name picked by husband and second name Badawia's actual family's name) was introduced to the Greek nightclub community. Nemra continued to study with some of the great masters such as Jamila and Suhaila Salimpour, "Bobby" Farah, Morocco and many more. Badawia still remained her inspiration for the soulful interpretation of the dance later to become known as American Cabaret. To this day she tries to take at least one workshop a year to stay inspired even if it with some of her former students such as Aziza and Rachel George!
Over the years Nemra has performed in Ethnic clubs and special events, entered contests (winning a few) and judging for over 25 years. She still teaches, leads workshops, coaches and choreographs. And performs the last Friday of the month at the Touch of Athens Greek restaurant in Vancouver Washington.
Nemra is very excited and honored to be included in this Wonderful venue. Thank you Jenza for all the hard work you have done!
Rebecca Conant (Far'ha)
Respected and renowned for her authentic performance, costuming, and attention to detail, Far'ha is often asked, "Where did you learn to dance like that?" (Sometimes in the language of "the old country”!)
Inspired by the swan-like arm movements of Dame Margot Fonteyn and International Folk Dance, Far'ha (aka Rebecca Conant) somehow landed in a Belly Dance PE Class instead of Ballet.
The list of instructors is long and varied. The regions include Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, the Levant, Saudia Arabia, Turkey, Armenia, Greece, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgizstan, and finally Spain (Flamenco). Beyond dance technique, the studies included researching the costuming, textiles, culture, and music.
Website: http://www.flowersbyfarha.com/
Stephanie Sandmeyer
Photo by Gary Stallsworth
Stephanie’s bellydance roots began in her childhood, smack-dab in the middle of suburbia. Originally taught by her mother Nancy and friends, Stephanie tagged along to bellydance rehearsal, proudly dressed in her mini-bellydancer regalia. Over the next twenty years, she visited and revisited bellydance with many instructors and several troupes, complimenting her learning with years of experience in theater arts and music performance. In 2008, she began studying in Grace’s advanced class and was asked to join Deviant Dance in 2009. Stephanie brings authenticity, creativity and non-conformity to her sultry jazz and ballet influenced style. She views bellydance as an expressive art form and applies to it her basic philosophy of life and art: Love what you’re making, work hard on it technically, and most importantly, with candor and humor, make it a reflection of what and where and who you are. Stephanie has published numerous articles on bellydance and is the force behind the new quarterly bellydance magazine ‘From the Hip’: www.newsfromthehip.com.
Zahara
Zahara has been belly dancing for about 5 years. She has an extensive background in Tahitian and Hula, and used to teach it voluntarily for the Elmonica Polynesian group. She has won several different categories between La Danse Orientale and Belly Dance USA including Hobbyist, Semi Pro, Troupe and Rising Star. She frequently dances with the troupe Tres Chic Mystique and Gypsy Mystique.
