Danielle Belly Dancer and Performing Artist Dancer from Pensacola, FL

Danielle has always loved dance in all its many forms, but her love for Middle Eastern Dance started in Ft. Lauderdale back in 1996 when she was 18. She had the opportunity to take a panel on Middle Eastern Dance at Dragon*Con in Atlanta that year and immediately fell in love. It was in the beginning of 1997 that she found her first teacher, Tasha Banat, and through her, her second teacher, Dawn Moze. So infatuated by this style of dance, she studied at least 4 hours a week, completely immersing herself. About a year later, she was pushed by some fellow dance friends and landed her first restaurant gig, performing at the former Kasbah Moroccan Restaurant in Pompano Beach Florida. She continued to study and perform, taking classes and workshops when she could and during her years dancing in South Florida, she was a regular perfomer at the Kasbah, Culinaro's (now Mykono's) in Boca Raton, and Moroccan Nights in North Miami Beach, with occasional performances at Athena by the Sea in Ft. Lauderdale. She took classes and workshops when she was able, trying to learn as much as she could. In 2003, expecting her first child, she took a short break, focusing on her growing family. In 2004, she relocated to Pensacola and in an effort to kick-start her dancing, fell into classes, workshops and shows again. She's made many great friends in the Gulf Coast dance community and after another short break to have her second daughter, Danielle has jumped back in headfirst. With some exciting projects in the works, expect to be seeing a lot more of Danielle performing in the future. Danielle's style tends toward the "fusion" side of bellydance. While she does not conform to one particular style, she has taken a little bit from every teacher and style she has studied with and created her own unique style of dance. While she will always have a special place in her heart for her classical background, she does enjoy "mixing it up" and seeing the results. Show types vary by event. Private lessons start at $30/hour and most 30 minute shows at events (a full show, including props like sword and veil) averages about $150. Everything is negotiable and Danielle is more than willing to customize both show and price depending on your event.