Announcing our 2010 Team of Directors & Staff
This is the group of fabulous individuals who are working countless hours to bring the 2010 Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival together. These people are the hard working, creative, talented, and selfless individuals who believe in the vision of creating an event that celebrates the diversity of our community. This core group of movers & shakers deserve your admiration & appreciation. Feel free to send them a word of encouragement or two ;)
Samira Tu'Ala:
Executive Organizer & Creative Director
Samira (aka Alisa McAffee) started her bellydance life at the age of 17 in Salt Lake City, UT (1991). She dove into the professional realm relatively quickly and ended up migrating to Las Vegas in 1996 where she worked at various local restaurants as well as Ceasar's Palace and the MGM Grand. In 1998, she graduated from UNLV with a B.A. in Health Education and a minor in Women's Studies. After a brief stint in Peace Corps, she returned to the states and started a career as a professional ballroom dance instructor. During her 7 years as a co-owner of the Arthur Murray Dance Studios in Las Vegas, she developed regular monthly events for the belly dance community and started organizing the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive in 2003.
Although Samira has been a dancer since 1991, eventually she realized that her passion was creating community through dance. The regular monthly haflas and the Bellydance Intensive are extensions of her love of the Las Vegas Belly Dance Comnmunity. As her events have outgrown her ability to manage them on her own, she has "collected" some of the brightest and talented individuals to assist her in continuing to provide community dance events to Las Vegas and the world.
Danya Cornelius:
Director of Information & Technology
Danya is a very talented and creative artist who specializes in creating fabulous art & jewelry, bellydancing, and spinning fire and poi. She has a great resume which includes working as a fire safety tech at the BITE show at the Stratosphere in Vegas, performing with Cirque du Soleil, and working as a caricaturist in Las Vegas and Texas. She has helped us with graphic arts at previous Intensives and we are thrilled to welcome her back this year as Director of Information and Technology. Danya is the goddess who manages the shopping cart and makes Samira's life much happier with her witty humor.http://www.seraphinafire.com/
http://www.ravenrings.com/
Carolee Cameron:
Director of Marketing & Vending
Carolee Cameron has been working with the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive since 2004, starting as an incredible instructor and then working as our graphic artist in 2008. This year, Carolee is taking on the roll of both Director of Marketing and Director of Vending. She has vast professional experience in both of these realms as she has worked with the Bridal Spectacular event which is produced bi-annually in Las Vegas. Her expertise and her creativity has really impacted our presence in the larger bellydance community, and we are especially grateful that she wants to be involved more fully this year. Heather Corral:
Festival & Contest Director
Ashtalea joined our team in 2009 and we already can't imagine life without her. She will be organizing all the festial submissions and working with our Tech Director to ensure that the 2 full days of performances run smoothly. She has substantial experience producing belly dance shows through the College of Southern Nevada as well as working as the Stage Manager of the Friday productions for the Intensive in 2007-2008. She is one stellar individual and we LOVE her!! No worries, she will also manage to find the time to teach a class and get her troupe "Ah Ya Helu" ready to perform. She's quite versatile and talented individual.
Paul Aguirre:
Technical Director
Paul Aguirre came to the rescue in 2008 and really helped us coordinate and execute the complicated technical requirements of the workshops and the show at Palace Station. He was so fabulous that we've asked him to join us this year in the newly created position, Technical Director. This is the guy who will be organizing all of the sound & lighting requirements of the workshops, shows, and festival. It's an indespensible position that we are very excited to be creating and we know that Paul is up to the task!!Paul grew up in San Antonio, Texas and has a degree in Wildlife Biology with an emphasis on reptiles and amphibians. He has worked in the Mojave Desert to ensure protection of the threatened desert tortoise and conducted research on the endangered razorback sucker in the lower Colorado River. He is now an Environmental Scientist with the environmental team at NV Energy.
He is the 2007 and 2008 Nevada Adult (old-time) Fiddle Champ and has won or placed in other regional old-time fiddle contests. Paul is a student of Souhail Kaspar and is learning the techniques of playing Egyptian rhythms on tabla and riqq. He is married to the lovely Amaya of Las Vegas since September 2007 and really enjoys all the local events and people of the Las Vegas bellydance community.
Kathy Kosowitz (Reema):
Director of Volunteers
Reema started belly dancing when she was living in the San Francisco Bay Area back in the early 90's, under the direction of Najia Marlyz. Reema moved back to Las Vegas in 1994 and didn't rediscover her passion for belly dance until she discovered local teacher, Shadia, at the Whitney Ranch Recreation Center. Since then I have had the pleasure of studying with Ashtalea, Farasha, Leyla Amir, YaShara, and more recently with Raven and Inara. Reema has also studied martial arts as well as Salsa (her other passion), Hawaiian, and Tahitian dance. Reema is smart, organized, and enthusiastic. We are excited that she has joined our staff. Bart Clouston:
Director of Registrations
When our beloved Shalini had some family emergencies this year, my beloved husband stepped up to take over this position. He's been terrific at fixing all sorts of little issues in the shopping cart and preparing updates and reports. In his "day job", Bart teaches meditation, Reiki, and other forms of energy work. You can visit his website for additional information. www.sahajbartji.com Sandi Curtis (Shamar):
Director of Entertainment
Born and raised Sandi Duke in London, England. Her love of dance began at the age of 2. Trained in Ballet, Modern, Tap and Jazz. Sandi began working professionally at age 11, modeling, television commercials, print ads and acting in plays. Credits to her name include movies and television appearances some of which are The Benny Hill Show and Dr. Who appearing with Peter Cook, the late Dudley Moore and many more.Sandi is joining our team this year as the 2010 Director of Entertainment and will be coordinating all the auditions and organization for the two professional shows at the event. Sandi is a warm, funny, and strong woman who rocks the local scene. We are very happy to have her involved.
Follow us on:
--Suzanna Del Vecchio, Denver, Colorado Save your dry cleaning plastic bag covers. After you iron your silk veil or skirt, fold it lengthwise as few times as possible, so it fits across the width of the plastic bag, then lay it inside the long plastic. Gently roll it up lenthwise and place it on top of your costume bag to take with you to your ...
--Sabeya; Coquitlam, CANADA "Learning and mastering correct technique right from the start will add speed to your progress and will increase your self-confidence, while allowing you to enjoy the feeling and execution of the moves."