"You only see a dancer like SamiTe' every 10-12 years and it changes the whole art."
-Alexandra King Director of the UCSB Middle East Ensemble and Troupe Seher.
"Dance is an expression of the
heart and soul. Truly magnificent performers dance from this place. Fusion Bellydance aims to
shift paradigms ... transcending the limitations of body consciousness and
opening to a realm greater than ego.
This realm touches the soul of any audience, inspiring people to remember the passion that burns within. Blessings.,,,: SamiTe, Asheville, NC.
SamiTe conducts regular classes in Asheville, and is available for performances at your next party or event:
"Samantha Riggs workshop in Asheville, NC on Nov. 3,2007. SamiTe' performs Modern Fusion Bellydance to a remix of Carmina Burana...."
Bellydancing Venues in Asheville
Hookah Joes
Flavored tobacco hookah bar. Belly dancing with live music from 9 to 11 p.m. on Sundays. Live web cam! Located on Commerce Street.
Jerusalem Garden Cafe
"... The restaurant evokes the more sensuous spirit of the Middle East in its decor and entertainment, from the billowy, brightly colored fabrics draped about the ceiling of the main dining room and the entirety of the "tent" room where diners lounge on pillows at low tables, to the live belly dancing offered on weekends. Beaded chandeliers provide a romantic lighting scheme, and the music swells and undulates to a bright but sultry Arabic beat ...."
Zambra
"... Zambra is a gypsy dance of celebration, Arabic for 'flute', a wild bird, Flamenco danced at a family gathering, a Moorish festival. Zambra is a group of talented people in Asheville, NC creating a feast for the senses, presenting contemporary twists on the food of Spain and North Africa andserving hundreds of wines from the land of the sun; the Iberian peninsula. Zampra is a tapas bar & restaurant in downtown Asheville...." . Traditional Spanish and North African cuisine, with a creative twist, together with our wonderful selection of Spanish and Portuguese wines and sherries. Located at 85 Walnut Street, under Malaprops.
Click on each of the dozens of categories to the left to uncover what makes the Asheville area so vital, so intriguing and so, well, UTTERLY BLISSFUL!
Explore the Bliss of Belly Dancing
Lehnga Lengha Tribal Choli Bellydance Bollywood Skirt "... a craze this season! The choli has a
striking hand block-printed pattern in Blue along with Black and Golden
Rod and is elegantly embellished with hand sewn silver beads, metal
sequins, droplet beads & large mirrors all over. The choli has drawstrings on both sides for adjustable waist comfort. Lovely petite floral & geometrical motifs adorn every inch of the choli. The gorgeous Lehnga is full flowing and has a huge bottom span of 140"!.."
Bellydance Banjara Top Authentic Gypsy Choli Tribal Bra "... An authentic backless Banjara choli Bra (Top) that is guaranteed to
delight! 100% handcrafted by the nomadic Banjara community in Southern
India, this choli provides a glimpse into the skills of the women
artisans who put it together over a period of few weeks. Scores of
Cowrie shells along with the very unique Banjara hand embroidery using
cotton threads combine together to create a visual treat. Collectors
and Belly dancers will find this exquisite work of nomadic art a
wonderful addition to their collection...."
Mirror Tribal Banjara Textile Trim Belly Dance Belt "... A rare, authentic vintage hand-embroidered belt with mirrors and coins
from India. This unique piece is made of cotton, and has a row of coins
and beads. This belt must be about 20-30 years old but is in good
condition. No holes, no rips, no thread abrasion, no stains. The
mirrors are all kind of blurry and aged-looking but none of them are
missing. Along the bottom is a row of coins from India...."
Dance Bra Cover, Silver Color "...Decorative silver-tone coins adorn this metal mesh bra cover, accented
with colored beads. The oriental chain mail design makes this a sturdy
piece. It is a one-size-fits-all, with shoulder and torso chains that
hook in the back. This piece can be worn by hooking the chains, but it
is recommended to sew this cover to your bellydance costume. The coins
fully cover the front, creating a dazzling show of light and sound when
you move....."
Asheville's Bellydancers...
Amanda
".... Combining American Cabaret, Modern Egyptian, and her own style of 'tribaret', Amanda creates breathtaking belly dance performances that leave audiences spellbound. Amanda's sharp, precise technique and layering, keen musical awareness, and vivacious enthusiasm for the art of dance shine each time she performs..." Amanda is available for parties, special events, weddings and shows.
Baraka Mundi
"... Live Music and Dance Ensemble ... 'The Bandit Queens of Bellydance... have been the source for Tribal bellydance in WNC since 1999. Onça, founder and Director of the company, is Certified in General Skills by Carolena Nerricio, originator of American Tribal Style bellydance.... Catch us dancing 'Live with Bandit Attitude' at Zambra every month (call restaurant for dates & details), and at various restaurants around town...." Teaches classes in bellydance at the Asheville Movement Center on several weekday evenings. Can be seen performing at Atlanta's Tribalcon, will appear at the Zafira Dance Company workshop at the World Grotto in Knoxville... Onça tours with Raquy and the Cavemen, along with the Awalim, Devyani and Dandasha Dance Companies in November..." plus many more venues.
Atlanta's Tribalcon event... with Onca and Baraka Mundi performing...
Kristi Renee
"... Explorer, adventurer,lover of the deep mysteries of life! Throughout my journey of life I have studied and performed many different forms of dance and movement. I have also spent many years in the field of natural healing and energy attunement. The past few years of my life I have enjoyed integrating my studies together into the temple bellydance I perform, teach, and share with others...."
Mizilca's Transformational Bellydance
"... unique approach to preserving the tradition of bellydance as a women's sacred form of movement, brought forward into a spiritual practice, a fitness regime, a social concurrence, and a performance art... Mizilca's signature style of teaching, dancing, and living. It is her unique approach to preserving the tradition of bellydance as a women's sacred form of movement, brought forward into a spiritual practice, a fitness regime, a social concurrence, and a performance art. She draws upon Middle Eastern dance, American tribal, classical forms, tai chi, mythos, and yogic applications of the chakra system. The principle behind this blend is one of creating internal flow, through a central axis and into two coupled spheres, one radiant and one magnetic.
Moving these spheres through and about the body is a practice of connecting with one's own vital energy flow. Practicing these techniques in the outdoors is especially potent, as the intention is to dance the ecstatic union between Heaven and Earth...."
Tribalesque
"... specializes in traditional and modern ethnic dance styles from the Middle East, India, and Latin America. We have combined these influences to create our signature style. Our performance repertoire is suitable for festivals, weddings, parties, clubs, and any other special occasion..."
Bellydancers within an Hour or Two's Drive of Asheville
Kiss My Shimmy
Professional Mid East Dance Troupe led by Zahira based in Greenville, SC.... available for festivals and special events.
Asheville Area... and Regional... Tribal Bellydancing Events
"Performers, night owls, families, all together in a gorgeous mountain setting, with incredible whole foods cuisine and four days of arts programming, poised to inspire everyone from the serious bellydancer, to the tiny tot.
"Dance, drum, study, and play with artists of renown. This year’s staff comes from all corners of the nation: California, Arizona, Maryland, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and more.
"Triboriginal takes place at Camp Merri-Mac, a lovely campground on a lake just outside Asheville, NC, with sleeping cabins, a theater, authentic and awesome world cuisine, child care, hiking trails and more!
"In addition to the extensive schedule of dance, music and cultural programming oriented to our adult community, we are committed to the artists of the future, with three days of children's programming and activities. Our Children’s Program Scholarship fund is slowly growing, and we look forward to being able to offer future assistance to our Tribo families!"
Tribalcon
"... a three day convention of dance and music workshops. We are the Southeast's favorite place for Tribal belly dance and
drumming workshops. We are also your main one stop shopping for tribal
jewelry, music and costumes with three rooms of vendors. Our goal is to
bring the best in Tribal to the Atlanta area...." Atlanta is a short 3-1/2 hour drive from downtown Asehville.
Discover the Bliss of Tribal and Fusion Belly Dancing
Doumbek Technique and Rhythms for Arabic Percussion, Bellydance, and Drum Circles "...Learn to play doumbek (dumbek, darbuka) with New York's most beloved
Arabic percussionist, the master instructor, the one and only Amir
Naoum!
If you are a beginning drummer, this DVD will serve as a very accessible, friendly and solid introduction to the art of Middle Eastern percussion.
If you are a dancer, Amir Naoum's clear introduction to the most popular bellydance rhythms and their more subtle variations will help you learn to recognize the rhythms, even in their most sophisticated forms. ,,"
Beats Antique: Tribal Derivations "... This is a great CD. I just used the music to dance at a show. A real
crowd pleaser, and fun to dance to. I agree it brings bellydance into
the 21st century, yet it also maintains "real" bellydance rhythms..."
Belly Dancing: The Sensual Art of Energy and Spirit "...Belly dance is pure sensuousness and has enchanted humans since ancient times. Yet beyond its erotic aspects, belly dancing offers many physical and emotional benefits. On the physical level it helps with muscle stiffness, autonomic nervous system disturbances, mobility of the abdominal region, and strengthening the back, which in turn enhances the bodys overall posture.
Belly dancing also relieves menstrual problems and has been shown to be extremely useful during pregnancy and childbirth. On the emotional side belly dancing increases the libido and has enabled women to overcome self-esteem issues and regain healthy feelings of sensuality and sexuality.Belly Dancing covers all aspects of this ancient art, beginning with its origins and mythical connections to the moon goddess. The authors provide practical instructions and easy-to-follow photographs for the most important dance movements as well as guidance in costuming and related accoutrements. Additional information on foot reflexology and Indian chakras aid the further understanding of the art. The book also contains recipes for Middle Eastern perfumes, cosmetic creams, and food as well as suggestions for musical accompaniment...."
Belly Dancing Basics "..Sumptuous color photography combined with comprehensive and detailed
easy-to-follow instructions demonstrate a unique way for women to get
and keep fit while expressing their sensuality through Belly Dancing.
Would-be dancers who have longed to learn the intricacies of this
ancient dance form can now experience the pleasure of learning and
mastering all the basic steps, putting together an individualized
routine and adding magic to their performance with veils, swords, and
the tiny finger cymbals known as zills ...."
The Secret Language of Belly Dancing "...Bellydance is incredibly popular today, but many prejudices remain
about this art because it is not understood deeply enough.... Maria Strova, renown dancer
and teacher, reveals the inner meaning of this dance, far beyond the
taboos of the body and the imaginary images of the harem - where the
dance is erroneously considered to have originated. This confusion has
influenced, not always in a positive way, the image of bellydance even
today. But where did bellydance originate? What inspired its gestures,
what is the meaning of the veil, the jewel on the navel or the
serpentine movements?..."
