Meet Yasmina   

Yasmina is a performer, instructor and hosted  “The Joy of Belly Dancing” TV show on Public Access TV in Arizona.  She is the 2011 Headliner of the Year!!!!

She has been teaching for the City of Mesa since 1989 and teaches classes at the Mesa Arts Center. Starting in 2012 she will we teaching for the City of Gilbert. Yasmina performs many styles of Middle Eastern Dance and incorporates the use of many props, such as: sword, jug, canes, tray of candles, basket, fan veil and Voi.  Her classes run all year round and consist of beginning and intermediate cabaret, beginning and intermediate tribal style classes.  Check out the Mesa Art Center website for class information and schedule of on-going and special performances of Yasmina.

Her teaching style is of the same philosophy as her dance. She does not want her students to be carbon copies of her, but to learn all aspects of the dance. She teaches both the old and new styles of dance and is continually updating her skills to pass along to her students. She attends dance workshops, seminars and dance contests both in State and out of State to keep abreast of what is happening in the dance world. Yasmina also teaches workshops, in and out of state, with her Veil and Fan Veil class being the most requested.  At Wiggles of the West Las Vegas she taught an Tribal Indian Fusion workshop in 2009, Fan Veil workshop in 2010 and 2011 along with single and double cane workshop.  She has sponsored out of State artists in workshops that were both in dance and Middle Eastern Music.  She was on the editorial staff of Wiggle Hips a belly dance magazine published by Janie and Chris the Two Old Bags which ceased publication in 2004.  Yasmina was featured on the cover of Wiggles Hips in the June/July issue of 1999.  In July of 2004 Yasmina took 2nd place and in 2006 she took 3rd place in the Headliner category at the Wiggle of the West competition.  In 2011 Yasmina won the Headliner category at the very last Wiggles of the West along with taking 3rd place in the Alternative Wiggles category.

Yasmina started her TV show along with her husband and family back in January 1990.  After 13 years of producing the show the City of Mesa decided to no longer support Public Access TV and our show has come to an end in Oct. 2003.   The show was well received by the dance community and general public. The reason for producing the TV show was to show the public what belly dancing is all about and to dismiss the misconceptions of the dance. The Joy of Belly Dancing show was one of the longest Public Access TV shows in the Valley of the Sun.  From the production of the TV show, Seven Veils Productions has branched out and produced five professional dance videos for the market. The first video, “Yasmina, an  American Belly Dance” is a 30 minute performance  tape of seven different dance routines.  The next series of  videos are, “A Night in the Desert I, II & III”.  These videos are also  performance videos.  These videos were live performance shows highlighting dancers from  Arizona. Night in the Desert I & II include eight different dancers performing with a live Greek Band.  Night in the Desert III include seven different dancers performing with a live Arabic Band.  The  fifth video, "Yasmina Live!", is a collection of highlights from the TV show, The Joy of Belly Dancing. All performances include live music from artists such as: Doug Adams, David Korup, Sirocco, Billy Woods and many more.

Yasmina founded Troupe Baladi, a three member dance troupe in January 1994. The performance styles of the troupe were Tribal Fusion, Ethnic and flashy Cabaret. In 1996, Troupe Baladi took 3rd Place in the Wiggles of the West dance competition.  Ambera and Yasmina represented Troupe Baladi at the Wiggles of the West dance competition July 2001.  The troupe took 2nd place in the Mini Ensemble category.  The troupe members have gone their separate ways with new interests in their lives.  

Yasmina left the corp. world and went into belly dancing full time.  Along with Malikah they started Shimmy Bliss Costuming Co. in Feb. 2004 and started creating and importing exquisite belly dance costumes.  Malikah went to pursue her graphics design and photography business in May 2004 and Yasmina took the business on full time.  With the change in ownership Yasmina has taken Shimmy Bliss in a new direction concentrating on the needs of the American Tribal Dancer. 

In 2007 Yasmina found another creative outlet, crafting especially card making.  Yasmina now makes and sells belly dance cards and teaches classes and workshops in card making and crafts.  Check out dates of up coming craft/card classes and workshops.  To custom order belly dance cards contact Yasmina.

Schedule of performances and events (on-going and special)

Sat., Feb. 4, 2012 - Yasmina will be teaching slow combinations workshop from 10 - 11:30 a.m., voi (poi & veil) from noon - 1:00 and drum/zills from 1:30 - 2:30 in her home studio - more info

Tues. Feb. 28, 2012 - Yasmina's Mesa Arts Center classes recital 7:00 - 9:00 (Mesa Art Center, Drama Room, 2nd floor, 1 N. Center, Mesa, AZ 85201) - contact Yasmina for more info, yasmina@joyofbellydancing.com

Sat., March 3, 2012 - Yasmina will be teaching traveling combinations workshop from 10 - 11:30 a.m., candles from noon - 1:00 and drum/zills from 1:30 - 2:30 in her home studio - more info

Tues. Wed., Thurs. March. 20, 21 & 22, 2012- Yasmina's Mesa Arts Center classes start - class and registration info

Sat. March 24, 2012 - Special workshop with Yasmina, Creating a Drum Solo Choreography with Yasmina, 10 - 11:30 a.m. in her home studio - more info or contact Yasmina, yasmina@joyofbellydancing.com

Sat., April 7, 2012 - Yasmina will be teaching shimmies workshop from 10 - 11:30 a.m., floor work from noon - 1:00 and drum/zills from 1:30 - 2:30 in her home studio - more info

Sat. & Sun., April 28 & 29, 2012 - Yasmina will be teaching two workshops, Demystifying the Veil & Tribal Asian Fusion  at Weekends of Workshops sponsored by Zina (Plaza de Anaya, 524 W Broadway Rd., Ste 107, Tempe AZ 85282) - contact Zina, 602/326-3068 or more info

Sun., Sept. 9, 2012 - Yasmina will be teaching, Putting it all Together workshop at the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive from 3:00 - 5:00

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Non Dance Related Workshops

If you like to craft as much as I do I hold monthly card/crafts in my home studio plus I will be teaching monthly classes at the Mesa Art Center. 
If you would like to take one of the workshops please contact me, yasmina@joyofbellydancing.com or 480/962-6303

Home Studio Workshops 

February 11^th – Minor holiday cards, Valentine, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving. You can substitute birthday, thank you, etc. for any of the cards and learn some new techniques.

March 10^th – Tags! We will be making tags and learning some techniques with distressing inks and put them all together to make a tag mini album.

April 14^th – Bayered Embossing Technique – we will use this technique to create cards, tags and more.

May 12^th - Collaging; we will create a one page book using lots of techniques with tags, collage, distress inks and embellishments. We will turn these one page books into a star book.

June 9th - Cigar Box - we will have fun making a cigar box into a purse or a handing box to hold what ever needs holding ;-)

July 14th - More flowers - we will create flowers from paper, material and more to embellish cards, hair, scrapbooks, albums and more.

August 11th - Faux Soldering - we will be creating pendants to wear, use in crafting for cards, tags, books and more.

September 8th - Alcohol Inks - learn fun techniques using alcohol inks on paper, glass, dominos and more.

October 13th - Holiday cards - we will be making 5 holiday cards from "oh how cute" to the "classic" card and of course a shaker card :-)

November 10th - More Boxes - we will be making several boxes in all shapes and sizes with a few unusual shapes.

December 8th - 2013 Calendar

Workshops are held at Yasmina's place in downtown Mesa.  
Please call and reserve your spot since space is limited - 480/962-6303.  
Workshops are 3 hours in length from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Workshop fee is $20 (bring scissors and glue I supply everything else)

Check out my blog to see what we have made in the past.

Mesa Art Center Classes

Card Techniques 2 - Techniques to enhance your greeting cards and other projects. Techniques will include: Direct to Paper, Misting with Markers and Diamond Fold Card
F Feb 17 / 6-9 pm $21

Mini Albums - In this class you will be creating 3 mini albums using 45 records, an album and a CD holder. The 45 records will create a book style album, the record album can be displayed on the wall or in a plate stand and the CD holder is a great gift to give to someone special. We will be creating a cover to hold a CD that contains music or family photos.
Bring to class scissors and your favorite glues. If you want to bring photos you may; not necessary for class. Supply cost $5 to be paid at class.
CAW12PC014-01 T March 6 / 6-9 pm $21

Altered Books Workshop - An altered book is an art form that allows one to recycle and transform an existing book into a new work of art. Altered books can also be thought of as a journal or scrapbook. Take a theme, a trip, a hobby or an experience in life and create an altered book to tell your story. You will learn in this workshop how to create numerous pages and various techniques such as collaging, stitching, cutting windows, tags, folding pages, adding inserts, shadow boxes and more. You will use paints, glaze, stamps, paper, pictures, fiber, tags and more to create your unique altered book.
Bring to class a hardback book you would like to recycle along with scissors, your favorite glues and a theme in mind. If you don’t have a theme no problem. Books will be available if you don’t have one to recycle.
Supply cost $5 to be paid at class.
CAW12PC013-01 T March 13 & W March 14 / 6-9 pm $37

Card Techniques 3 - Techniques to enhance your greeting cards and other projects. Techniques will include: Paper Buttons, Poppin' Pastels, Scallop Edge Medallion, Stamped Acrylic Block Background and Surprise Pop-up Card
F March 16 / 6-9 pm $21

Card Techniques 4 - Techniques to enhance your greeting cards and other projects. Techniques will include: Bargello, Crimped Diamond, Double Embossing, Faux Fabric, and Free Standing Card.
F April 20 / 6-9 pm $21

Flowers - More flowers for your cards and other projects.  Some of the flowers will included rolled, ribbon, loopy and more.
F May 18 / 6-9 pm $21

register by calling the Mesa Arts Center box office, (480)644-6500, or drop off your registration at the Art Studios at the Mesa Arts Center lobby.
late registration call (480)644-6500
brochures are at the Mesa Arts Center or visit the Mesa Arts Center website, http://www.mesaartscenter.com/index.php/classes/visualarts.

Gilbert Parks & Rec. Classes

February 10th - Unusual Shape Cards 
These whimsical cards are fun to make and give; that is if you can part with them J We will be making a baby onesie card, apron card that holds a recipe card, hexagon flower card, purse with a surprise inside, cup cake card and a special Valentine card.
Please bring scissors and your favorite glues and tape.
65587 F 2/10  6-8:30 pm $17

March 2nd – Paper Craft Techniques 
Lean some cool techniques to enhance your greeting cards, scrapbooks, ATC and other projects. The techniques you will learn in this class will be applied to greeting cards. The techniques will include: Direct to Paper (3 different methods), Misting with Markers and Diamond Fold Card; a total of 5 cards.
Please bring scissors and your favorite glues and tape.
65588 F 3/2  6-8:30 pm $17

City of Gilbert online catalog 
City of Gilbert online registration 
If you this is your first time registering for a class or you have questions please call (480) 503-6200 (Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)

Check out my blog to see what we have made in the past.

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[top 3  photos by Gina Cinardo]
[headliner photo by Joe Mac]
[sword  photo by David Reynolds]

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