Act one

1. Shimmy Shakers

Song: It's Time to Play by Artem Uzunov

There are many beautiful instruments in Arabic music, but drum solos focus on only one: the Darbuka (the drum). Even though there are less instruments, the energy is high. This is an opportunity for dancers to show off their moves (especially accents and shimmies) and their sense of energy and fun. Clap along and lose yourself to the rhythms.

IG: @melbournebellydance @cocoella_studio

Facebook: @elisabellydancer @cocoella_studio

2. Zabelle

Song:“Amar Ya Eskendereya” by Mohamed El Helw

Zabelle has chosen a piece about Alexandria and of its high-class women. The associated folklore costume and head scarf of pompoms that represent flowers is not worn for this piece. Zabelle is a passionate artist who applauds belly dance with sincerity and grateful for the opportunity to share her art. Weaving her signature style into this Egyptian crafted song.

IG: @Zabelleydancer

3. BellySeemo

(accompanied by drummer Nashat)

Song: Baha Sultan Beraha Ya Sheekha

Street oriental dance with modern Arabic song.

Facebook: @ElenaFosteriDancer

4. Blue Mystique

Song: "Song of the Caged Bird" by Lindsey Stirling.

Emily and Janelle love collaborating to bring their choreographic ideas to life. They are both trained dancers, actors and singers, and they endeavor to make their storytelling performances both meaningful and entertaining, for themselves and their audience. This performance is a story of trust, growth and finding one's wings.

IG: @bluefirebellydancers @janellebellydance

Facebook: @Bluefirebellydancers @janelle.bellydance

5. Kirsty

Song: "Helw yabaladi" by Mohamed Shahin.

Helwya baladi, meaning The sweetest baladi. This song is about a girl so beautiful that when she walks, she sets the earth beneath her feet on fire. Like much of the music in the baladi genre, the song is very accordion heavy.  In comparison with Oriental dance, baladi can be said to be more earthy and sensual. Baladi is considered a folkloric style, and therefore the dancer is wearing a costume that is a nod (albeit stylised) to the traditional Egyptian clothing piece sometimes referred to as a galabeya.

Facebook: @Siduribellydancer

6. Lillim

Song: "Zurna" by Troyboi x Jon Casey

Experience an electrifying fusion of hip-hop and fusion belly dance in a performance that blends urban street dance flavours with the precision and grace of fusion bellydance. Prepare to be mesmerised with dynamic shapes, full power energy and a lot of sass!!

IG & FB: @lillim.performance

7. Kazumi

Song: "Nostalgia Baladi" by Ilahun

Baladi dance is a traditional dance style from Egypt. It incorporates elements rooted in the region’s culture and traditions, allowing dancers to express their nostalgia for the hometown, just as the title suggests.

IG: @kazuminazihah

8. Coco Ella Troupe

Song: “Entaha” by Balquees

This song is all about letting go. And whilst there can be sadness in loss, there is also power, freedom, and strength.  This is a modern take on cabaret belly dance. We have kept the basis of traditional moves and combined them with dynamism and drama.  

IG: @melbournebellydance @cocoella_studio

Facebook: @elisabellydancer @cocoella_studio

9. Musa

Song: "Akdeb Aleik" by Warda

The artist is an Algerian singer and is considered an enchanting performer, known as the Algerian Rose. Musa will be dancing to this music, similar to the Persian Cabaret Arabic Dance that was performed in Iran in the 1960s and 1970s.

IG: @mohsensalehi1988

10. Rita

Song: "Al Sayaada" by Mahmoud El Leithy

Saidi dance is a folkloric dance style of Egypt, originating from upper Egypt, the people of the said/upper Egypt originate and date back to ancient Egypt. This folkloric dance is danced with a stick often referred to as Tahtib (the men perform this at weddings, like a martial arts style of dance where they mock fight with the sticks in a show of proudness among their families). Saidi dancing is earthy, lively, energetic and a proud dance. The women dance Saidi in a way that imitates the men in a more glamourous way.

IG: @ms.rita.a

Act Two

1. Azura

Song: “Misirlou” by Artem Uzunov (Pulp Fiction version)

This fantastic track by Artem Uzunov is a unique rendition of a very famous and well-loved Bellydance song, Miserlou. This act brings together Azura’s multiple Characters as an Entertainer.  It combines choreographic ideas from different time frames, genres and cultures, and shows just how wild and free life can be out on the open plains! Aside from her profession as a Bellydancer, Azura is also a Children’s Entertainer, Face Painter and Fine Artist.

IG: @azurasoasis FB: @azurasoasis

2. Carla Lee

Song: “Farah Mejance” by Matias Hazrum

Tonight, Carla will greet the audience with her graceful entrance piece, Farrah Mejance, choreographed by her beloved teacher Alisa Shine. Carla appreciates being part of this great cause and wishes everyone a great night!

IG: @carlalee_bellydance

3. Antaresia

Song: Varshaver by Balkan Bump and Clozee

The original version of this track was written by four-piece San-Francisco based 'MWE' who blend Egyptian, Balkan, Turkish and Greek influences into an eclectic mix. The version on the song you will hear tonight has been remixed by an electronic music producer (Clozee) and a Balkan band (Balkan bump) into a fusion piece that mixes modern electronic sounds with more traditional instruments and musical stylizations.

Facebook: @Antaresia

4. Azadeh

Song: "Mabrouk" by Balghees salem

Khaleegy style is a mixture of modern style and traditional folkloric dance from the Persian Gulf countries. The name of dance ‘Khaleeg / خلیج ‘means gulf in Arabic. It is danced barefoot with a costume called a thobe being an important aspect of this dance. Dancers move the thobe to create undulating figures resembling the sea waves. The hands also make figures with different meanings: representing sea creatures like fish or turtles or they also can represent feelings. The hair, apart from the thobe is the main element used to dance Khaleegy: women let their long hair dance, moving it from side to side, back and forth and in circles. The meaning of this dance is related to the sea and water and showing the region's beauty and richness.

IG: @_azadehazin

5. Shimmying Flames

Song: “Ya Habibi” by Mohamed Ramadan, and “Tabla Solo” by Mokhtar Al Said

Shimmying Flames are dancing to Mohamed Ramadan’s Arabic pop song worldwide hit “Ya Habibi”. The song is all about love, heartbreak, and spending time together. They will follow this up with a fun song featuring the Arabic hand drum “The Tabla”.

IG: @shimmyingflames

Facebook: Shimmying Flames Belly Dance

6. Chris

Song: “Hijaz Raks” by Omar Faruk Tekbilek

Chris is dancing to a classical Turkish oriental song by virtuoso Omar Faruk Tekbilek, called "Raks Hijaz". He is dancing in his own individual style today: with a classical Turkish oriental base. Classical Turkish oriental includes the use of elaborate and ornate arm and hand movements, various shimmies, chest undulations, various spins, large chest and hip accents, floor work, as well as head movements and gestures.

IG: @chris_of_melbourne

7. Hikaru

Song: “Fu Rin KaZan” by Hiromitsu Agatsuma

Hikaru Shine is a bellydancer from Japan and is currently based in Sydney. Tonight, she is going to perform a Japanese fusion bellydance, which fuses Japanese essences into bellydance by dancing with fans. The song she dances to is “Fu Rin Ka Zan”, meaning “fast as the wind, silent as a forest, ferocious as fire and immovable as a mountain.”

IG: @hikaru.shine

8. Melbourne Salimpour Collective

Song: “Entranceof the Princess” by Hamoudi Ali & Syncopations (Suhaila Salimpour)

Opening the perform will be a homage to the dancers of the golden era of Egyptian cinema with a piece originally composed for Nagua Fouad. This will be followed by a kick ass drum solo, with a twist.

IG: @melbsalimpourcollective

FB: @melbournesalimpourcollective

Act Three

1. Dantilla Troupe

Song: Raksah Iskandarani

The Dantilla dancers present a version of a lively Alexandrian style. Some may refer to it as Folklore. In essence it is presented for the stage as anon-traditional style costume to educate and promote the Egyptian folkloric dance. The costume is a short very well decorated frilled dress adding headscarf that represents flowers. This style was first choreographed by Mahmoud Reda and the costume worn and designed by the creative team which included Farida Fahmy and her sister. This choreography is by Zabelle.

IG: @Zabelleydancer

2. HoneyBea

Song: "Chrysalis Pt 1" by Solace, and "Omar's Chocco" by Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Komodo remix)

Experience the mesmerizing beats of Solace, Omar Faruk Tekbilek and Kodoma, as HoneyBea explores and becomes one with the melodies that effortlessly weave throughout their pulsating rhythms. Her Performance is a blend of crafted choreography and spontaneous improvisation, showcasing the captivating art of Fusion Bellydance, a contemporary development of Folkloric and modern dances from the MENAHT area and the world.

IG: @honeybea_fusion

FB: @honeybeafusion

3. Onwaree

Song: "Zay el Asal" by Tony Mouzayek

I will be performing to Tony Mouzayek's version of a romantic song Zay El Asal (like honey) which is one of the most famous classic Arabic songs originally sung by a Lebanese singer "Sabah" This version will be more upbeat while remains emotional and earthy. Choreography by Alisa Shine.

IG: @shihtzuhyper

4. Mila

Song: “Sihir Leyla” by Gaston Chaade

A unique combination of the softness and grace of classical oriental dance, combined with the freedom and ease of folk rhythms. The dance pleases the eye with its variety, uniqueness of performance, where the dancer fully shows herself, all her imagination and dissimilarity to others.

5. Isabel

Song: “Akdeb Alyak” by Safaa Farid

Isabel’s early bellydance tended to be in what was called ‘cabaret’, but now more popularly called ‘Tarab’ and associated with ‘golden era’ or ‘classical’ styles. For Isabel, the attraction of belly dance was, and still is, its ability to explore the human condition and give physical form to the emotional story of music. Tonight, Isabel is dancing to Akdeb Alyak (meaning, I’d be lying to you). Made famous by Warda, this version is sung by Safaa Farid. In the Tarab style, this song reflects on the nature of love and the lies we might tell ourselves.

IG: dancessence_aus

FB: @dancessence

6. Vanessa

Song: "Leyla" by Ferqat Al Tooras Orchestra

The Golden era of bellydance is based on a dance style from the early-mid 20th century in Egyptian movies when Egypt was producer of one of the largest producers of movies in the world. During this period, many actresses and dancers became famous in Egypt and globally. The old Egyptian movies were full of magic, here's a piece inspired by it.

IG: @vanessamorgan_bellydance

7. Maggie Liu

Song: "Ahwak" by Abdel Halim Hafez.

This is a beautiful and emotional love song, which was originally from a classical Egyptian movie, about a girl falling in love with a guy, who is going to marry her older sister. She wrote this song to express her feeling of heart break.

IG: @Maggieliu_oriental_dance

9. Vittorina

Song: “Trrr Photo” by Artem Uzunov

Drum solos are Vittorina’s favourite type of track to dance to because you can lose yourself in the hypnotic sounds of the rhythms played by the tabla/darabuka drum. Drum solos is the chance of the dancer to show off their skills, hitting all the accents and playing with the rhythms. The dancer becomes one with the drum and the body emulates the rhythm.

IG: @vittorinabellydancer

FB: @vittorinabellydancer