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Rosanna started bellydancing on a whim in 2002 with Amelia Moore of Seattle. She really wanted to take flamenco, but bellydance was the only thing that fit her schedule! Prior to bellydancing, Rosanna had little dance experience, though she was very musical since a young age and always loved dancing. Her most significant prior dance experience was 2 years of Irish Dancing around the age of 6! After moving back to Toronto 2003, she continued her studies with Yasmina Ramzy at Arabesque Academy. After taking classes for a year at the studio, she was a guest artist with the Arabesque Dance Company for one performance at the Ffida Grand Scale Event in 2004, and became a substitute teacher. In 2006 she became an apprentice with Arabesque Dance Company and started teaching regular Egyptian style classes at Arabesque Academy. She performed in their 2006 production of Asala at Toronto's Premiere Dance Theatre and can be seen on the DVD as well as heard playing finger cymbals on the CD.
In 2005 Rosanna started exploring Tribal
Fusion as well as studying Suhaila Salimpour format. Although she
still enjoys Egyptian Folkoric dance and music, and even occasionally
performs Cabaret, she wanted to incorporate other dance, music, and
costuming elements into her repertoire. Since there was little in
the way of Tribal Fusion in Toronto at this time, she took whatever
workshops possible and taught herself from videos. She started hosting
her own Tribal Fusion workshops in Toronto as well as starting the
Dark Side Tribal Fusion and Alternative Bellydance Performance Nights
with Audra Simmons of Cleopatra’s Bazaar.
After becoming involved with bellydancing,
Rosanna also started learning Lindy Hop with Alana Hock and Caitlin
Wellman at the Swing and Tap Academy of Toronto (formerly Dance With
Alana). Her interest in vintage dances led her to join the Flappettes,
who specialize in Charleston as well as other Jazz and Burlesque styles.
This has been a major influence in her bellydancing, oddly enough
forming a unique fusion between Charleston and Saidi! Another major
influence is popping, as well as other funk styles such as locking,
tutting, ticking, liquiding, and digits. Rosanna primarily taught
herself through watching friends and videos. She credits her friends
with being one of her biggest influences and inspirations, as much
as any big name dancer. Another influence is Ethiopian Eskista, or
shoulder dance, which she has learned from Saba Alemayahu Asfaw, and
would like to explore further. She has also become a big fan of Yoga
and sometimes even takes ballet classes.
In 2007 she left Toronto for San Francisco
to pursue bellydancing more seriously. Currently, Rosanna primarily
studies with Suhaila and Jamila Salimpour. She has also taken classes
and workshops with Rachel Brice, Mardi Love, Zoe Jakes, Sharon Kihara, Jill Parker of Ultra Gypsy, Frederique, FCBD, and Amy Sigil of Unmata.
She is immensely inspired by these lovely women and studies with them
whenever possible.
Probably her most unusual bellydance experience
was choreographing group numbers for the Miss World Canada 2006 Pageant.
Rosanna loves sewing, and has constructed all of her tribal costumes,
including hand beading fringe and medallions. Rosanna also has a Master’s
in Environmental Studies and collects insects.
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