Spotlight Dancer/Troupe
Carrie Konyha

Carrie Konyha is an award winning bellydancer, instructor & choreographer who teaches & performs nationwide. Beginning as a gymnast with a passion for modern interpretive dance and later burlesque dancing, Carries lifelong passion and professional involvement with dance eventually led her to bellydance 1993, which she has been studying ardently ever since. Being deeply, spiritually inspired by the feminine sensuality and timeless mystique of this dance, Carrie chose to shift her dance career to focus exclusively on bellydance almost immediately upon being introduced to it. Carrie started her first student dance troupe in 1999 (Gypsy Soul Dance company in Ohio) and has since gone on to co-create 'Syren Dance Co." in Arizona (with Cari Smith and Tiffany Hamby of Anaya Tribal) and her newest project "White Lotus Bellydance". 

Carries formal dance training includes more than 14 years of study in middle eastern dance including classical Egyptian Raqs Sharqi, Turkish Cabaret, a variety of Gypsy dance dialects (Turkish Rom, Ghawazee, Banjara), American Tribal Style bellydance & Folkloric dances of N. Africa. Carrie has additional training in the Indian classical dance, Bharata Natyam, Ballet, Modern dance, gymnastics & shamanic / ceremonial / sacred dance. "Coming from a family of Hungarian Gypsy musicians, circus performers, artists and dancers, music stirs my soul deeply" says Carrie. She was born to live, move & breath music and dance. Carrie has been collectively involved with professional dance performance for more than 22 years. Her bellydance style has been greatly enriched by her experience in performing within the Arabic communities across the country and by working closely with middle eastern musicians both in the USA and in the Middle East. Carries dance repertoire includes traditional Egyptian Raqs Sharqi, Saidi, Ghawazee, Zar, Tunisian, Persian, Khaliji, Turkish Rom, ATS, Tribal Fusion, Single & Double Veil, Finger Cymbals, Acrobatic floor work, Sword and fire props (candle, fire belt, fire sword, fire poi). 

Known best for her authentic middle eastern dance style and for her versatile dance artistry, Carrie has performed with many internationally famous middle eastern musicians & bands such as Grammy nominated Souhail Kaspar, Naser Musa, George Lammam, Rachid Halihal, George Moussa, Enigma , Stigma, Turku, world fusion bands & musicians Rebbe Soul, Jazz Bedouins, Traveler, Greg Reiter , Anthony Mazzella, Eric Zang & Pop artists such as Jermaine Stewart with whom she was a featured dancer in the last music video he produced ("Set Me Free") before his passing away in 1997. 

Carrie enjoys performing anything from traditional style middle eastern bellydance to folkloric Arabic dance, ATS / tribal & gypsy fusion, to the latest in contemporary, electronica, world-fusion styles of belly dance. When she is not traveling, Carrie can been seen performing regularly throughout Arizona. Carrie will be once again performing at the Arizona Renaissance Festival this year from Feb. 7th through March 29th. Come see her show at the Teatro De La Rosa stage. Her international performance plans for 2009 included show dates in Canada and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

Carrie is also the creator of the Gaiadance technique TM (a meditative dance practice), producer of the bellydance instructional DVD series 'The Dance, Vol 1 & 2 and is the owner/director of White Lotus Studios in Sedona, AZ. She is also a certified Yoga instructor and a staff writer for bellydance magazine, Zaghareet. Her current projects include the production of a bellydance fitness DVD.

Please visit Carries website for more info and to see video clips of her performances at www.gaiadance.net, email: carrie@gaiadance.net, phone (928) 282-1587

To contact Carrie Konyah:
email: carrie@gaiadance.net
website: www.gaiadance.net

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