The MEDANZ 2007/08 Committee

The Executive

President - Kim

I'm Kim, and I am extremely proud to be able to represent you as the President of MEDANZ.

I have been dancing since the late 80s, and my love of cabaret only increases as the years go by. My particular passion is veil, and I am keen to continue to learn new styles and uses for the various veils we have available today.

Outside of dancing, I am an accountant with four-footed furry children. My husband is very supportive of Middle Eastern dance, and can often be seen in Auckland behind the video lens.

I look forward to being able to participate in the smooth running of the society for another year, so if I can help you with anything MEDANZ, just "zagareet".

Vice-President - Fatina

I am currently vice-president for MEDANZ and this has got to be the best committee position there is. As long as the President turns up for meetings, there is very little actual responsibility, but being forced to work closely with the President so that, in the unlikely event of her being unavailable you can step in, means you get to know all about what is going on.

For those of you who don't know me, I am a dancer and dance teacher based in Auckland. I run "Art of Bellydance" with the able assistance of Angie, Bronwyn, Andrea, Suezy, Melissa and, from next term, Carla. I am blessed with a great team of dancers to work with.

Until the start of this year, dance was my sole income. I gave up the day job 3 years ago and was able to enjoy life and give dance my full attention. However I am shortly off to Egypt for a 6 week trip where I am going to take classes with the Cairo dancers as well as attend a week-long Teachers intensive with Mahmoud Reda and Farida Fahmy. To pay for this I have had to give up my life of leisure and take a day job! As I hadn't slowed down the teaching, this meant I have been working 15 hour days on a regular basis. However. I have the money to go shopping!!

I lead a very boring life. I have lived in the same house for 30 years and have been married to the same man for a bit longer than that. I have 2 adult children, one of each, two cats, and a house full of half made costumes.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the MEDANZ festival next April.

Liz Irvine

"Art of Bellydance"

Secretary - Sufiye

Hi my name is Kathryn. Just south of Timaru is Pareora and that's where my husband Grahame and I live. A small town with a lovely country outlook. We have one grown son. I am extremely lucky both my husband and son are behind me 100% with my belly dancing.

I started dancing 10 years ago when Tarazad a dancer from the North Island came to Timaru. Pity was she was only able to stay for one year. When she left, all of us who wanted to carry on dancing made a point of meeting at least once a week. It slowly got to the stage by the end of the year that 3 of us seemed to have taken over teaching the classes. The group became the Beledi Middle Eastern Dancing Group and those of us who wished to perform became the Sisters of the Sands Slowly the other 2 teachers have moved away (Kara being the last one, has moved to Athol, a wee place down South) and now I am taking the classes. I have a passion for Belly Dancing and try to make sure that this is passed onto all of the students.

This is my 3rd year on the committee, second as secretary.

Treasurer - Janine

My name is Janine Irvine and I am your new Treasurer!

I have grown up with Belly Dancing; Liz (my mum) teaches so I've seen many women coming out of their classes having a wonderful time and seeing the obvious excitement in them performing in shows.

A little about myself, I am employed as a Financial Accounting Manager, I have an eight year old son, my partner and I have just bought a house, and somewhere in amongst that I enjoy going for walks and lots of shopping.

I have started at an interesting time in MEDANZ, a new President, and the transition required to adopting New Zealand International Reporting Financial Standards, I am sure to be kept busy.

I look forward to meeting you in the future.

Ordinary Members

Angie

Hi, I'm Angie and have been serving on the MEDANZ committee for a couple of years now. I have been on the workshop sub-committee for festival and look forward to another year on committee.

I have been dancing since 2000 and attended my first festival in 2001 and haven't missed one since. I attend the Art of Bellydance School where I teach cabaret, fusion and tribal classes. I am the leader of Tribal Instinct, Art of Bellydance School's tribal performance troupe, and also have performed with Sultans Choice and Sahara Dawn, both under the Art of Bellydance.

I live on a 10acre 'lifestyle' block, 10km out of Waiuku, Auckland, with Brian, my husband, 16 cows, 20 chickens and a renegade daughter.

Bronwyn

My name is Bronwyn and I have been dancing with the Art of Bellydance School and Liz Irvine (aka Fatina) for 5 years. I have always been interested in dancing and had thought bellydancing would be fun but didn't have the 'nerve' to do anything about it for a long time, thinking only young skinny women did it, (I am definitely not that) then I saw Liz dance at a restaurant, and as they say, that was that.

I have been a member of the MEDANZ committee for two years, also serving on the subcommittee for MEDANZ festival. I am part of the Art of Bellydance cabaret troupe 'Sahara Dawn' as well as the tribal troupe 'Tribal Instinct'. I have taught tribal basics and really loved it, as well as cabaret beginners and beginners plus classes. This year I have started teaching a class more designed to keep moving, a low impact type of fitness with the movement focussed on belly dancing moves.

Belly dancing takes up a lot of my time, as all you addicts know, learning new steps and choreographies, practicing and teaching, but it is all worth it; to be able to perform in shows and let my alto-ego shine.

I have been to dance and drum workshops with Hossam and Selina Ramsey, drumming with Anne Harkens and two different drum workshops with Yeow from Australia. I have attended weekend dance workshops with Amera, Barbara Wolfkamp, Shamira, Tina Hobin and Hadia when she came over for the festival a couple of years ago, these are just some to mention. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the workshops at the festivals I have attended which have included a lot of great talented New Zealand teachers.

Melissa

A life-long self-trained dancer, I took the plunge and tried a beginners bellydance class in Spring 2005. It was mad and crazy love at first sight! I was drawn right away to the very rooted and earthy styles of the dance form including Tribal, Gypsy and Ghawazee. As I have grown and begun to find my own dance feet, I now also find myself playing with ways to bring my spirituality into my dancing. In this respect I find myself increasingly influenced by modern dancing, the chakras energy system and the idea of using the body to create sacred shapes.

I feel fortunate and blessed to have been given the opportunity to join the team of teachers at the Art of Bellydance last year and I am now enjoying developing the holistic dance side of the school. Currently I offer a non-dancing class on increasing and developing dancer self-esteem and confidence as well as beginners stylized movement class.

I am pleased to join the committee and can't wait to attend my first MEDANZ festival next year!