Belladonna

Tribal Belly Dance Instructor

Belladonna was inspired to delve into the world of belly dance first by a poem by Diane Wakowski and then by a live performance by Utah-based dancer Talanasea more than 11 years ago.

Unable to find an instructor, she began her training and gained a fundamental knowledge of belly dance on her own while attending workshops and dedicating herself to perfecting her dance.

In 1998, she began performing weekly at Mediterranean Cuisine restaurant in Nashville, Tenn. She also performed at Camel Cigarettes' Casbah Parties from 2001 to 2002. In addition to her regular restaurant performances, she has performed at numerous cultural fairs and renaissance and medieval festivals. After moving to the Washington, D.C., area in 2003, she began performing her signature tribal fusion style dance regularly at the Shisha Lounge in Sterling, Va.

Belladonna has attended workshops with renowned dance professional Suhaila Salimpour and is currently level 1 certified in the Salimpour format. In addition, she has learned from and been influenced by belly dance professionals Rachel Brice, John Compton, Jill Parker, Leila Haddad, and Amy Sigil, among others.

Belladonna strives to communicate her artistic expression through her dance, costuming and musical choices. She infuses her knowledge of and passion for energetic healing in her weekly classes and specialty workshops. She earned a BFA in photography in 2000 and continues to be inspired by many forms of art and dance.