Instructor Profiles

Regan

Regan is the Principal and Director of Belly Dance Arabesque. She started out as a student of Shamira’s in 2001 and fell in love with the studio and the dance. Her passion has taken her to train, teach and perform all over Australia and the world. Regan is a diverse and multi skilled dancer, teacher and performer of Middle Eastern and World Fusion dance styles including Classical, Modern, Folkloric, Tribal, Tribal fusion, Turkish Roman and Sword dance. She has gained her General Skills and Teacher Certifications in American Tribal Style Belly Dance (ATS) with Carolena Nericcio and is the only dancer in Australia to achieve Level 1 & 2 in Unmata Improvisational Tribal Style (ITS) with Amy Sigil.

Regan is also an experienced and certified Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist and is passionate about keeping women of all ages and abilities moving and healthy. She is also the founder and Director of Divine Elements Belly Dance Company, a successful Belly Dance Performance Art group who has enjoyed sell out shows in 7 Adelaide Fringe Festivals and was invited to perform a 14 show season at the Festival Le Off in Avignon, France in 2011.

Regan has a nurturing teaching style, creating a fun and inclusive learning space for everyone. She is dedicated to the art of Belly Dance and not only believes in its ability to unite women with their own bodies but also with each other. 

Shamira

Shamira has been performing and teaching throughout Australia and overseas since 1986. Her experience and knowledge of Middle Eastern Dance is extensive with trips to the Middle East to learn from some of Egypt’s finest teachers. Shamira has a strong background teaching adults of various abilities and is enthusiastic about imparting her knowledge to others. She has been a regular favourite at the esteemed Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival where she was crowned Queen of the Festival in 2010. As the Belly Dance tutor at the WEA since 1990 and founder of Belly Dance Arabesque in the mid 90’s she has inspired many women to take up Belly Dance, always promoting a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. Shamira’s experience and skill make her a valuable asset to our Belly Dance community.

Rebecca

Rebecca started her belly dancing journey in 1997, expanding to Bollywood dance in 2005. It was a natural progression to further her dancing, when opportunities came up to teach and perform at different functions, including Middle Eastern and Indian Festivals. She continues to attend workshops with Australian and International dancers to further extend her knowledge. Through her willingness to share her love of dance, Rebecca has been able to grow as a person, dancer and teacher.

Rebecca’s ability to easily breakdown moves and then build them into a choreography will have you dancing before you know it. Learning different styles of dance can be challenging, but with an open mind and persistence the experience is very rewarding.

Jenny

Jenny discovered Belly Dance in 2002 and has been dancing ever since. She teaches classical/oriental belly dance, folkloric styles and also American Tribal Style (ATS^®) at the studio, as well as beginner classes for Belly Dance Arabesque at the WEA. She regularly attends local & interstate workshops and festivals, training with teachers from Australia and overseas. In August 2015 she attained her General Skills Certification in ATS with Carolena Nericcio.  Jenny is a supportive & encouraging teacher with a fun-loving nature.  She loves to share the joy of dance in an environment where students can learn & have fun at the same time.

Kelly

Kelly has been exploring classical and modern Middle Eastern dance with the Belly Dance Arabesque studio for 15 years, studying under Shamira and mentored by Regan to pursue performing and teaching.
Kelly has extensive experience in adult learning, and applies a flexible, student centred approach to teaching dance. Alongside teaching clear foundational technique, Kelly loves to encourage students to explore their connection, interpretation and expression of melody, rhythm and meaning that is so rich in Middle Eastern dance and leads student performance troupes for those who are keen to progress their dancing to the next level. Kelly also teaches our beginner classes at the WEA. Whether you are learning dance for fun, fitness, or performance, Kelly will have you shimming confidently in no time!

Sarah

Sarah became infatuated with Tribal Belly Dance in 2005 and has been busy perfecting and refining her technique ever since. She has travelled both interstate and overseas to train with leading teachers. In 2009 she attained her General Skills Certification in American Tribal Style with Carolena Nericcio and is currently studying the 8 Elements Dance Program with Rachel Brice in Portland USA.

Sarah is a member of Adelaide’s Divine Elements Belly Dance Company and has been teaching Tribal Belly Dance at Belly Dance Arabesque since late 2009. Her performance experience includes local and interstate festivals with trips to America and France to perform.

Her specialty is Tribal Fusion and her dance interests have taken her into Contemporary and Hip Hop Fusion. What originally began as an interest in costuming has manifested into something much more, a dedication to her art and sharing that with her students.

Jane

Jane has been dancing with Belly Dance Arabesque since 2010. As someone who loves colour and movement, Jane was immediately drawn to Bollywood dancing from her very first class.

Since then, Jane continues to enjoy expanding her knowledge of not just Bollywood dance, but also the huge range of cultural influences which shape it, such as belly dance, hip-hop and pop music, as well as classical and folk-style Indian dance.

Through classes for beginners at WEA and supporting the other teachers and students of Belly Dance Arabesque, Jane loves being able to share this exciting and ever-evolving dance form with others

Morgan

Morgan has been playing music for over 10 years, working tirelessly at his craft and bringing joy to students and audiences alike. His influences include Middle Eastern Music, Slovakian Music, Gypsy Music, folk tales from around the world. His musical merits include Storytelling, frame drumming, Afrikan & Arabic drumming, Koncovka overtone flutes, singing, gypsy harmonica, Mountain Dulcimer, Persian Setar.

Morgan has a very inclusive way of teaching, showing technique and style along with encouraging his students to find their own voice in the instrument. His Middle Eastern Drumming classes are supportive and open which has evolved into a fun community of drummers. He always welcomes new students and finds delight in playing music for our dancers.