Charles

Photo by Amanda Charles' dance background starts in High school modern dance classes in 1972. At the University of Utah he took a few more modern dance classes, and a few years of non-majors Ballet (Alexandria of Zarandeo was in these same ballet classes). He started bellydance classes in the Summer of 1977 at the U of U. He has danced in an amateur modern dance group, a folk dance group, and a few Oriental dance groups. Over the years, He has performed at some small events in the West, and the Mid-West United States. Currently he is taking Flamenco classes (from Solange Gomes). His interest include dance, bellydance, and playing musical instruments especially Middle Eastern instruments, including the Doumbec. He works with organizing the ConDuit Science Fiction Convention, and is in charge of the bellydancing at this event. His intermediate level class is a performance level group, and they have been learning choreographies they can do for public performances. "I characterize dance in a similar way as I do the music. An Egyptian cabaret type music I think of as being performed in an upright, fast hip, with lots of down type accents. I have been trained in Utah, with a strong West coast Jamilla school type style. My teachers such as Nushaba, Sonya, Kismet, Aziz(from a quite a while ago) were all west coast Jamilla type teachers. My class performances tend to have a "Light Rain" and "Desert Wind" sort of music, which I call "American Belly Dance music." -Charles His performances tend to use a lot of props (sword, cane, cape), and floor work in what he considers to be an "American" style. Charles also works with lighting at local bellydance shows.