Kalash Bios

Kelley
When Kelley started looking for a dance class, which would be fun and keep her fit, little did she know she was about to embark on the most amazing journey of self discovery and that she would become completely engrossed in this dramatic and eclectic style of dancing.
The historic cultural roots, rhythms and music together with the camaraderie, costumes and jewellery encompass her love of delving in to the past, re-cycling and making new from old, as well as her passion for travel and all things tribal.
Kelley initially taught herself using the FatChanceBellyDance DVD’s but whenever possible attends ATS workshops - including Tribal Pura 2008 with Megha Gavin & Carolena Nericcio herself.
In 2009 and again in 2010 Kelley visited the FatChanceBellyDance Studios in San Francisco to attend the intensive General Skills Course and Teacher Training - she also took the chance to cram in as many classes with the fabulous FCBD ladies as she could.
She now holds two General Skills Training Certifications and is a certified FatChanceBellyDance teacher. As a Sister Studio she is dedicated to presenting pure ATS as created and developed by FatChanceBellyDance director and master teacher Carolena Nericcio.

Heidi
Heidi's background includes ballet and modern dance, singing, playing classical violin and an interest in Egyptology. She has played many times in public, the most notable venue being the Royal Albert Hall, London which she describes as an unforgettable experience. At the Northcott Theatre in Exeter she was lead violin of a symphony orchestra. She has toured Germany with the orchestra and was also the member of a string ensemble and the lead in a string quartet. More recently Heidi has tried classical Indian dance, African dance and has had Djembe drum lessons.

After a couple of years of traditional Egyptian belly dance classes, including some tribal fusion workshops, she discovered the Kalash tribe. Having already attended ATS workshops with Sam Hasthorpe, she had a basic understanding of the dance form. Heidi loves the way you can meet other dancers who know the ATS format and dance together straight away.

Amy
Amy has been bellydancing since 2005, originally taking lessons in a cabaret/fusion style class for a bit of a laugh with friends she soon became hooked and remained in the classes for two years before feeling the need to spread her bellydancing wings. In the summer of 2006 Amy attended the first Raqs Britannia in Manchester, taking classes in tribal fusion basics with Sharon Kihara and has taken a number of tribal fusion and ATS workshops since. Amy became involved with Kalash in April 2008 through friends from previous classes, and her love of the ATS style of bellydance really blossomed.


Sarah
Having first taken up belly dancing, Welsh stylie, in Bangor in 2004, Sarah found it the perfect accompaniment to Muay Thai boxing and a good excuse to carry on wearing jangling things and bindis (not that Sarah ever needs an excuse)!

Sarah had tried several styles of belly dance - Egyptian, Turkish, and Cabaret - but has finally found her calling in American Tribal Style dance. After attending several tribal workshops in both fusion and ATS with Sam Hasthorpe she was hooked, and was invited to join Kalash in 2008.

She loves the earthy and often dramatic form that is the FatChance format. Since being fully educated on what it means to be an ATS dancer, introduced to Carolena Nericcio’s work and having come to terms with ‘following the rules’ she’d so loved to break, Sarah is happier than ever.

Dancing on/off for the past 5 years, due to moving all over the place in search of all things marine (mainly sea anglers) in her day job as a Marine Zoologist, Sarah has recently returned from several months of travel in China. She can't believe how much she's missed whilst she's been away, not least her fellow Kalash members, and is looking forward to a busy performace calendar for the rest of 2009.


Elly
At 17 years old Elly is our youngest troupe member. Having started Turkish/Egyptian belly dance at the age of 13 it soon became an important part of her life and she was enthralled by the world of belly dance and stumbled across tribal style while surfing the net one day. She was completely spellbound by the earthy and snake like movements of tribal fusion and the dramatic and striking poses of ATS.

After getting to know Kelley at her Turkish belly dance classes, Elly was delighted when she was invited to join a little group of self taught ATS dancers in spring 2008. Here she got to know all the wonderful (and sometimes eccentric) ladies that make up Kalash, and - after falling in love with the costumes and elaborate jewellery - she knew that American Tribal Style was the dance for her.

In the summer of 2008 Elly attended her first belly dance festival (Raqs Britannia) and, unaware of the popularity of the dance, was swept away by the incredible underground network of belly dancers in the UK. Since then, she has attended many workshops in both tribal fusion and ATS and has fully immersed herself in the dance. ATS has become her greatest passion and now after several stage performances is feeling like a real dancer.


Vanessa
Vanessa has danced and performed from a young age, with an early interest in ballet, contemporary and amateur dramatics. However she re-discovered her real passion for dancing at University, where she happened to come across a Salsa club. Vanessa has been dancing Salsa for 7 years and teaches locally. She also enjoys Flamenco.

After attending a local bellydance class in 2007, Vanessa enjoyed the fluidity of bellydancing, initially starting classes as she felt it might help her flexibility for Salsa dancing. Since joining Kalash she has found a real passion for ATS and the freedom to dance as a group without having to learn choreography. She particularly enjoys the buzz of performance, the dressing up and the great sense of fun of being able to get together with lovely people and just dance.


Angie
Angie joined Kalash as a result of our Oasis Get Togethers. Like us she had no one within easy reach to dance with and came along to just join in and have some fun. Maybe she got more than she bargained for as she now dances with us every week and has been well and truly thrown in the deep end with several performances under her tribal belt already. However, she's quite used to performing and in her 'other life' she appears in a comedy cabaret act as a cleaning lady complete with Marigold's, flamenco frilly apron and Y fronts as a duster?!!
Having arrived in England from New Zealand Angie led a very nomadic lifestyle, she spent 10 years travelling the length and breadth of the country in her horse drawn bow top caravan, we really hope she decides to stay and settle down with us. So far so good!

Sukuli
Introducing Sukuli - meaning student in the Kalasha language. Sukuli is the name given to our students in the Levels 2 and 3 class. These students are encouraged to perform in the chorus alongside Kalash when space permits. Six of the students are beginning to take part in focal groups and one has taken on the role of apprentice to our performance troupe.
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