~ The Life of a Daring, Dynamic Dancer ~

Ariellah

Ariellah studied classical ballet extensively with the Royal Academy of Dance of London for twelve years, beginning at age three. After a break from dance that included graduating from UC Davis and two years in the Peace Corps on Africa's Ivory Coast, she returned to the United States eager to learn the dance of her Moroccan ancestry.

Trying her hand at belly dance had been a lifelong goal, and was a natural extension of Ariellah's dance career and life experience. Her pursuit of belly dance began with the Folkloric style of Janine Ryle, who studied with San Francisco belly dance institution Hahbi'Ru. Ariellah eventually became a part of Janine's troupe, Danse Maghreb in which she performed mostly Algerian Berber dances. With Ariellah's roots grounded firmly in the culture and tradition of North Africa, belly dance was a natural fit for her. Janine encouraged her desire to learn from as many sources as possible, and suggested that she take classes with Rachel Brice, who is currently one of the most sought after belly dancers in the world and is currently touring internationally with The Bellydance Superstars and The Indigo. Ariellah began studying Tribal Fusion belly dance with Rachel Brice in early 2002 and became a founding member of Rachel's Indigo Belly Dance Company in 2003.

Ariellah is currently busy teaching and performing all over the world. She is an icon in the Tribal and Dark Fusion belly dance community and has been featured in several different magazines, radio shows, and articles all over the world. In 2004, Ariellah won first place in the Star Fusion category of Sirens In Sanity's belly dance competition, Enchanted Camelot, held in Benecia, CA. Ariellah was also featured in the first of its kind, "Gothic Belly Dance: The Darker Side of Fusion" DVD; released in spring 2006, with the sequel, "Revelations" released in the fall of 2007. Ariellah was also featured on the performance DVDs "Bellydance Underworld" and "Tribal Revolution". Currently Ariellah's first instructional DVD, "Contemporary Belly Dance and Yoga Conditioning" is one of the top selling and top rated belly dance DVDs on the market today. Please check out the reviews at: www.amazon.com.

Ariellah's style reflects and infuses her personal interpretation of Middle Eastern belly dance, with a modern, dark flavour, that is uniquely her own. She is widely known for her strong stage presence and unrivaled technique. Her performances are designed to mesmerize and invoke emotion and the darker, more passionate side of dance. Ariellah believes her style emanates from the passion and contentment that belly dance has brought to her life, as well as the infusion of her lifelong involvement in the gothic subculture, allowing her to fully express herself in a unique and beautifully dark way.

As a classically trained professional dancer, Ariellah understands the importance of each event to which she is invited, and she strives, with each performance, to create just the right mood.

Morrigan Productions. May not be used without permission.