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Ayesha first began teaching and performing Bellydance 30 years ago in California. Her main teacher was Karima, a former student of Jamila Salimpour. In 1979, she and Denise Mannion formed Troupe Mandala which went on to win numerous awards on the West Coast. In 2003 she reformed the troupe and changed the name to Ayesha's Oasis Dance Co., which also went on to take first place in 3 major competitions.
Ayesha is known for her intricate (and fast!) zil playing. She loves to try to stay ahead of the trends by creating innovative and exciting choreographies for her troupe. Her husband, Gordon, is a drummer extraordinaire! He plays for the troupe and is the drummer for Pangia on Volumes I and II. Together, dance and music are a major part of their lives. However, they also run two business, Hot Spring Spas of Southern Oregon and Ayesha's Oasis Dance Studio and vending business.
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Deborah Rennie joined Troupe Mandala (now Ayesha's Oasis Dance Company) in January 2003, after dancing with Yalla Habibi, Ayesha's second troupe, for a year and a half. Prior to moving to Oregon in 2000, Deborah danced with Sherry Brier's troupe, Mystic East, in Mill Valley, California for 8 years. She had the privilege of taking her first Middle Eastern dance classes in 1972 from Jamila Salimpour. Now, a veteran of 10 Rakkasah troupe performances and numerous other performances, Deborah loves the friendships and fun of dancing with the troupe.
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Known to her friends as "Sammy, Yeah!" or "Dances with Penguins," Samiyah is an accomplished dancer who divides her time between home in Medford, Oregon, and a worker dorm at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. In 1995, she began dancing with Ayesha and Troupe Mandala, now known as Ayesha's Oasis Dance Company, and has performed in three of their many 1st place achievements. Samiyah and sister AODC dancer, Idena, are also Tasseled Camel Bellydance, performing around Downtown Medford in the summer and at historical re-enactment events, most notably the Society for Creative Anachronism. Samiyah loves performing at parties and functions, and she enhances her crowd appeal with exciting finger cymbals, sumptuous veils, sassy cane and dramatic sword dancing. She loves her AODC and Tasseled Camel sisters, too!
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Maia is an award winning Bellydancer based in Medford, Oregon. A dynamic dancer with a flair for fun, Maia is best known for her on-stage charisma and technical ability. Dancing from a very young age, she has been a member of several professional troupes in the Rogue Valley and San Francisco Bay area, embracing styles as divergent as Jazz, Modern, Tap, and Ballet, as well as the art of Bellydance. Maia is a natural stage performer, and her enchanting style is beloved by audiences everywhere she entertains.
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Following her intense life-long fascination of bellydance, Fiji started dancing under the instruction of Chris Dahl after moving to the small town of Fort Jones in Northern California. With a strong foundation, and desiring even more of the dance, she was fortunate to have found Ayesha in Medford and began classes with the imagined goal of at some time being good enough to dance with Ayesha's troupe. Her dream came true when she was asked to fill in for an absent member for one performance and then a month later was invited into Ayesha's Oasis Dance Company in 2006. Fiji loves to perform both solo and with troupe and now can't image life without the dance!
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Idena loves being a woman, and finds belly dance the ultimate medium for expressing her feminine story! She has been a dancer and choreographer for various theater productions, and a member of Troupe Shalimar and Aiwa She Raqa of Ashland, Oregon. Asya was her first teacher (1995-1997) and since then she has enjoyed the privilege of studying with many of her dance heroes, notably the brilliant star Ayesha. As a soloist or with her Tasseled Camel or AODC sisters, she livens up many festivals and celebrations with her artistry and moxie. "It is an honor and a delight to be in the company of such excellent dancing friends and I look forward to many happy dancing seasons as part of AODC."
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Because of her love for dance, Sherrie started her dancing instruction off with a little bit of jazz and then stepped into some boot-stompin' country line dancing for run. She became very fascinated with Bellydance, having a desire to experience a more soul-touching type of dance for herself that was sensual, graceful, challenging, interactive and fun. She started her bellydancing in 2002 under the instruction of Chris Dahl in Fort Jones, CA. After moving to Medford, Oregon in 2003, she continued her instruction under Ayesha. "I love to choreograph my own solos and design my own costumes." Sherry loves performing, both solo and with others. Her goal was to one day be a member of Ayesha's troupe, which came to fruition in 2008.
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~AWARDS~
as Ayesha's Oasis Dance Company
2006 ~ First Place ~ Wiggles of the West Competition (Reno, NV)
2006 ~ First Place ~ Bellydancer of the Year Pageant (Danville, CA)
2005 ~ First Place ~ Bellydancer USA Competiton (Canyonville, OR)
2005 ~ People's Choice ~ Bellydancer USA Competition (Canyonville, OR)
2004 ~ Second Place ~ Double Crown Bellydance Competition (Portland, OR)
~HONORED ALUMNI~
of Ayesha's Oasis Dance Company
Zanjabil ~ ~ Alizarine ~ ~ Saroya Ahlaam
of Troupe Mandala
Aisha Aroosh ~ ~ Alizarine ~ ~ Amara
Denise Mannion ~ ~ Kendra ~ ~ Oneida ~ ~ Saroya Ahlaam
Ayesha@ayeshasoasis.com
Copyright © 2006- 2008 Ayesha's Oasis Dance Company. All rights reserved
R & D Web
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