My Bellydance life began in Clearwater, FL back in 2001 ~ I had a great first Instructor Nadirah, who instilled the foundations and helped me over the years become a local instructor and performer, I worked in local restaurants and taught beginner classes...I studied with Aziza and other Workshop Instructors that came to the area but I think my dancing got to a place were I wasn't really growing or evolving ~ I then took a year and a half break to travel the world with my husband ~ We ended up landing in Portland, OR were I knew I had to find a mentor to help me get inspired and back on track. In 2009, I found Ruby and her passionate teaching style really resonated with me. She was fun and challenging and created a great learning environment for students of any level ~ As a Pilates Instructor myself, I also appreciated her cues of correct body Alignment and Posture ~ Her eagle eyes never miss a thing! She really helped me bring power and passion to my performances and added polishing touches that I was lacking before.

She encouraged me to participate in a my first competition~ 2011 La Danse Orientale ~ This really pushed my dancing to a new level! I had never before done a Turkish Drop and I made it happen in my set ~ The hard work paid off and I won first place! She then relocated away from PDX and generously passed her weekly classes on to me. I then went on to win 1st place in the 2011 Bellydancer USA and 2011 Saqra's International Ambassador of Bellydance Competitions. I still take her workshops whenever available and know that I can always rely on her advice and honest critique. She now has some great Mentorship/Coaching programs in place for students serious about Bellydance and I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a giving, guiding and inspirational Instructor.