| |
| Lisa began learning Middle Eastern dance in 2003 when she first picked up an instructional VHS video on a whim for $8 at Wal-Mart. Quickly realizing the need for real life instruction, she signed up for a bellydancing class at a gym in Mobile, AL. The instructor passed out flyers for a Petite Jamilla workshop/show and hafla which was being hosted by Zuri Middle Eastern Dance Company of Mobile. She attended this as her first live bellydance performance and was enthralled. Since the class at the gym turned out to be more geared towards weight loss than dance technique, she sought out Zuri instructors and began taking lessons with them in Egyptian folkloric and cabaret styles. After a 2 year hiatus from dancing from 2004-2006, she resumed her classes with Zuri and focused on the Egyptian cabaret style and began performing regularly at Dough Joe’s Coffee and Kolache café in Pascagoula, MS. |
|
 |
But it was a performance by Moria Chappell of the Bellydance Superstars in late 2006 that changed the direction of her focus. After seeing Moria’s tribal fusion performances on the Raqs Carnivale tour, Lisa began seeking out ways to learn this new style of bellydance. It was a tremendous challenge since no one taught or performed it on the gulf coast at the time. She began ordering instructionals from Fat Chance Belly Dance in order to learn the tribal format and an endless supply of obscure materials on a variety of other dance forms to experiment with as a fusion element - including vaudeville, flamenco, classical Indian, bhangra, Tunisian and hip-hop.
From 2007-2008, Lisa acquired a massive amount of debt traveling in order to further her studies. During this time she attended workshops instructed by Moria Chappell, Bastet, Margo Abdo O’dell, Gypsy Caravan, Sharon Kihara, Ariellah, Mira Betz, Elizabeth Strong, Onca O’leary of the Mezmer Society and Zoe Jakes. She has performed in shows all across the southeast. She also does choreography and costuming for performances at events such as Pascagoula’s Relay for Life, the Zonta Arts and Crafts Festival, the Jackson County Fair and others.
|
|
Since 2008, Lisa has been performing regularly at the Purple Café, a Lebanese restaurant and hookah bar in Mobile, AL. Her most recent activities include workshops with Mardi Love and Suhaila Salimpour as well as collaboration with Baklava Belly Dance of Mobile for a performance at the mullet festival in Gautier, MS.
|
 |
|
| | |
