And teaching in various dance studios
gives Kelly a chance to observe other forms of
dance, which also informs her own belly dance.
“Watching other dance forms makes me see how
I can make things [in my own dance] a little
more exciting.”
Drawing from all those sources of inspiration,
Kelly said she has developed a personal dance style
that she likes to think of as “classic with a twist,” or
maybe, “modern oriental.”
“The feedback I get after most of my
performances is how elegant and effortless it
looked,” she said. “That’s what prompted me to
make shirts that say ‘Keep Calm and Shimmy.’
“The legends that inspire me most are
Suheir Zaki and Samia Gamal,” she continued.
“Watching them is a reminder that ‘less is more.’
There is a beauty in simplicity. But I still love to
jazz it up, too.”
While the list of dancers who inspire her is
long, ask Kelly who is her role model and her
answer is short and sweet: her own teacher,
Virginia of Miami.
“She has been quite the role model for me
throughout my dance career,” Kelly said of her
teacher. “She has been my mentor and my guide.
She has so much knowledge to share.”
“I am very thankful to still have her in my
dance life after such a long time, and happy to have
the honor of being one of her proteges,” she said.
While she has been lucky to have experienced
many high points in her career, both as a performer
and a teacher, Kelly said the accomplishment of
which she is most proud is having had the chance
to “share my knowledge and my artistic vision in
the art of Oriental dance with so many students who have
such a great desire to learn.”
Between teaching and performing, Kelly has no problem
staying busy, and the coming year will be no exception.
“I am very excited about 2018,” she said. “I will have
the honor of touring with Virginia’s theatrical production,
Reflections, and internationally with Wa Nour Al Ayun,
going to Asia, Europe, South America and some cities in
North America. Our first stop will be Tokyo, Japan, where I
will be performing and teaching.”
She will also be one of the instructors at the Rakstar
International Festival in Miami in the fall of 2018.
For now, she is content to travel and perform around the
world and at home. But some day, Kelly said, “I do dream of
having my own school and studio one day. And I have faith
that day will come.”
TAMMYE
Tammye Nash is a professional journalist and
amateur photographer living in Fort Worth,
Texas. She takes classes with the Drums of Isis
and loves watching belly dance shows.
July 2017
The Belly Dance Chronicles
35