TEACHER BIOS

She is the creator of ITS (Improvisational TEAM Sync), a dance vocabulary language where dancers from all corners of the globe can come together and dance spontaneously, creating something amazing right in the moment of her ‘lead and follow’ technique.
www.unmata.com

An ever-evolving artist, she has trained extensively as a musician, dancer and contortionist. As an instructor, she enjoys teaching virtually any fitness format but currently is expanding her training in nutrition, lifestyle design, mindfulness and emotional intelligence techniques in order to expand her skills as a fitness, wellness and lifestyle coach.

Ebony’s playful spirit flavors both her performances and her approach to teaching belly dance since 2003. A combination of strong technique, musicality, and innovation are the foundations of her colorful dance presence. Ebony teaches and performs both traditional raqs sharqi and her own dynamic fusion belly dance style, which is fueled by her background in both oriental and urban dance genres.

Along with her love of dance, Ebony is in love with teaching. A founding instructor of Sahara Dance – Washington DC’s Center for Middle Eastern Dance, her students describe her as “approachable” and her classes as “fun” and “challenging”. She teaches weekly classes in both traditional and urban fusion formats and has choreographed for Raqs Sahara, Sahara Tribal, Raqs Caravan West and Raqs Caravan East. Newcomers to belly dance are Ebony’s favorite students, as they are a major source of inspiration to her.

Ebony continues her own regular dance studies and has trained with world-renowned master instructors from traditional raqs sharqi and tribal fusion circuits.
https://ebonyqualls.com

Jill Parker is known the world over as a pioneer in the fusion and folk bellydance genres. She is a lifelong student and lover of bellydance.

Jill influenced the thriving fusion bellydance scene that flourished during the 1990’s and 2000’s in San Francisco. She was an original FCBD member and later founded her own professional trail blazing dance theater company that birthed many of today’s great fusion dancers.

Fusion bellydance would not be the same today without the decades long influence Jill Parker has had on the industry. She was one of the first Fusion dancers to embrace theatricality into her group performances, breaking the envelope of what costuming, music, themes, staging, and bellydance were “allowed” to explore. Her contribution to Fusion and Folkloric bellydance is imeasureable. 

Jill teaches and dances internationally offering classes, workshops, and private lessons between tour dates. She fosters and emphasizes an atmosphere of fun, well-being, and community in all of her classes. https://www.jillparkerdance.com/

HISTORY

​In 1999 Jillina established her own dance company, Jillina’s Sahlala Dancers, currently LA’s premier Middle Eastern and world-fusion dance entertainment company. From 2003-09 she served as Artistic Director and Main Choreographer for the Bellydance Superstars, performing with them in over 700 shows across a dozen countries. Highlights include the main stage at Lollapalooza, The Follies Berger in Paris, The Queen’s Theater in London and Theatre Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco.

In 2009 Jillina created Bellydance Evolution with the goal to take Middle Eastern dance to a higher level.  Bellydance Evolution has appeared in over 20 countries and was a featured company at the Mawazine festival in Morocco, performing for the Queen of Morocco.  In 2016 Jillina & Bellydance Evolution were commissioned to produce “Le Voyage de Scheherazade,” a multi-national, multi-discipline collaboration between Moroccan, European and American Oriental and ballet dancers with the Orchestra Philharmonique de Maroc.

Jillina has won numerous awards from International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance and the Giza Academy, including Best Modern Egyptian Dancer, Best Instructional Video, Best Dance Company and Dancer of the Year. Jillina has appeared on several television programs, including, “Dancing with the Stars” & “Tsukiri,” a widely-viewed show in Japan. She has co-produced 12 instructional DVDs, now offered in five different languages and distributed by Universal Records. In the summer of 2009 and 2010, Jillina was the first American to be invited as a featured performer in the prestigious Closing Gala at Ahlan Wa Sahlan in Egypt.

In the United States, Jillina owns Evolution Dance Studios located in North Hollywood, California. The studio provides rehearsal space to some of Hollywood’s top artists, including Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, and choreographers from “So You Think You Can Dance,” and serves as a focal point for the Los Angeles Dance Community.

“My passion for dance is driven by a deep desire to connect physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually with the creative artist inside each of us. After 30 years of performing and teaching, I continue to find deep reward in sharing the art of bellydance through coaching, choreography and production.”

Kami’s style is what she calls a modern fusion of an ancient dance. Although she is primarily a tribal dancer, she pulls from the various styles of belly dance that she has studied, as well as modern, hip hop, jazz, and bhangra dance. Her goal is to always be a student of dance and to constantly expand her repertoire.

She joined Bellydance Superstars in 2005 and is a contributing choreographer, as well as having been the director of the Tribal Superstars thru 2012. Most recently, Kami started her own troupe, Gold Star, and has been collaborating with Bay Area band Junk Parlor.
www.kamiliddle.com

Sadie lives in Denver, Colorado. She loves spending time in nature, hiking, camping and adventuring with her family. Aside from dance, Sadie has a deep passion and commitment to living and creating a holistic, sustainable lifestyle and world. She loves to combine her passions in her retreats; bringing the power of nature, dance, music, conscious living and human connection together.

When she is not busy traveling the globe she can be found teaching her award-winning bellydance classes and workshops as well as performing locally in Colorado.
www.sadiebellydancer.com/

Currently Zoe Jakes is touring with her band Beats Antique, a group that has six albums and hundreds of live shows under their belt. Zoe designs and makes many of her own costumes and co-produces tracks with Beats Antique, along with adding set designer and stylist to her body of work. With multiple years and disciplines of belly dance under her belt, she has also studied Jazz, Ballet, Tango, Popping, and Indian dance.

Zoe Jakes is pursuing her desire to bring belly dance to the masses – performing at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo put her in front of thousands of people that didn’t know belly dance from an elephant. Zoe always includes her own Tribal Fusion aesthetic, as well as the many dance forms that have influenced her art the most.
www.zoejakes.com