Moonjelly Belly Dance Teachers
Moonjelly
Moonjelly is a fantastic, reassuring teacher, brilliant dancer, and one of the most fun and inspiring people you are ever likely to meet – an opportunity to attend workshops or classes with her is a fantastic experience. Moonjelly workshops are popular throughout New Zealand.
Highlights of her extensive dance career include following the Gypsy trail around NZ, Rock Videos, performing with live music in small spaces and precarious places, and being a mascot for a Travel company.
Her current dance direction is leading towards recognizing the need to nurture and retain Middle Eastern dance in the classical and folkloric roots. Moonjelly underpins her passion for dance with sound historical and theoretical knowledge.
Her teachers and inspirations include Denise Enan, Cassandra, Hadia, Shamira, Carolena Nerricio, Megha Gavin, Katherine Ferguson, Aisha Ali, Hossam Ramzy & Serena, Orit Maftsir and the great women at the Honalulu Federal Penitentiary!!!
Taryn
My name is Taryn, dance name Vashti. I've been dancing all my life, and bellydancing since 2005. I learn and perform a variety of styles, including orientale and Tribal fusion.
I started bellydancing when I moved to Wellington, because I thought it looked like a fun way to keep fit. I was right, but 'keeping fit' quickly slid to the bottom of the list of reasons why I dance. Bellydance is fun, social, elegant, energising, and strengthens self-esteem, positive body image and muscles like nothing else. Plus there are beautiful costumes involved!
Nicola
I am passionate about bellydancing because it is such a beautiful sensual dance form which is accessible to anyone. I love that there is always something new to learn or improve on, as, once you have mastered the basics you can take years refining your dance.
I first started dancing in 1996 after I answered an add in a local newspaper and went along as a bit of a lark. After a couple of years I taught a community course and some workshops. However it wasn't until moving to Wellington and discovering classes with Moonjelly in 2004 that I really developed my dancing and started to get a better understanding of the history of culture of this dance. Since then there has been an ongoing whirlwind of classes, workshops with teachers from around the world and performances in a wide variety of situations and locations.
I like watching all dance styles, however my dance tends toward the more classical Eygptian Orientale style and I'm also enthusiastic about the more modern upbeat Sharbi style. I really love the improvisational nature of bellydance and the freedom of expression that comes from this.
"...The moment one knows how,
one begins to die a little.
Living is a form of not being sure,
of not knowing what next or how...
one leaps into the dark!"
Agnes de Mille, dance Choreographer