My first memory of formally dancing was at the age of 7 where I took my first Jazz dance class. That was the year I found my ultimate passion of dance, and it’s been in my blood ever since. I remember spinning and leaping all over the house on any hard surface I could find. Throughout high school, I simultaneously lead in cheer. This is where I was able to apply my choreography skills that I learned in Jazz class by choreographing field dances. Besides studying feather, fancy and grass styles through my tribe and free-style club dancing, I didn’t have any more formal training until the age of 21 when I discovered Belly Dance. I studied under Paulette Rees-Denis and Jane Archer from 1997-2004. I fell in love with the camaraderie of dancing with women who fully accepted and supported each other. The mind, body and spiritual component was something new to me, where I learned to improvise outside of choreography in both group dancing and as a soloist. I felt free being able to create spontaneously in a structured framework of group dancing. I think it was the first time I felt in the “present moment,” and it fulfilled my spirit. I studied and performed in professional troupes such as Sister Caravan, Apsara, Mandala, The Jezabellies, and The Tiger Lilies. After some experience teaching at Euphoria Studios, Full Spectrum, and Act 1 School of Dance, I started teaching Belly Dance, yoga and Pilates at Southwest Community Center, under Portland Parks & Recreation, where I was able to apply my own Belly Dance fusion work. That’s where I found a collective of amazing students and founded Ghaziya13. I will forever be a student of the ever-evolving art of Belly Dance and I continually learn from my teachers, peers and students. Although I actively study and perform in the Belly Dance community, my first love is teaching and being part of a dancer’s unique transformation.
Ahndine has studied, performed, and taught various styles of the ever-evolving art of belly dance for over two decades, with American Tribal Style and Neo-Tribal Style as her foundation. Additionally, Ahndine has been studying and teaching yoga practices and modalities. Throughout her movement journey, she has discovered herself through her Native American roots, respectfully acknowledging animals and totems (our 4-legged, no-legged, winged, crawling and swimming friends as our first movement teachers) In addition to her love for animals; Ahndine is drawn to Mama Ocean and was named after a siren of the sea. Through a heartfelt and academic approach, she is also passionate about building awareness and appreciation for Indigenous tribal cultures here in our own backyard. Onstage, you may see her fuse Eastern and Western Indian dance styles in her work as Warrioress, to expanding her studies in the Folkloric, Fusion, Cabaret and Theatrical belly dance world. Ahndine is also an award winning performer, who placed 1st in the Showmanship category at the Grand Diva contest. Ahndine is a conscious dancer and yogi and a critical thinker who is committed to cross-cultural awareness and moving from the inside out with an open heart and mind, and she is honored to pay her experiences forward through instruction and collaboration.
Additional information about Ahndine, who was a panel member on the topic of Cultural Appropriation and Exchange in Dance, Navigating Performance and Instruction in a Global Community, hosted by the Portland belly dance Guild, Spring of 2017:
As a Native American tribal member, I found myself connecting my North American heritage to Middle Eastern tribal belly dance language, also a form of tribal expression. The use of the word “tribal” in the lexicon of belly dance discourse warrants attention with its usage and meaning, as well as the acknowledgment of tribes in the USA as part of “Western” culture. I’m honored to be part of a conversation that addresses colonized mindsets in what we call belly dance or performance art. Working in “Indian Country” for organizations such as the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, and through my Indigenous studies at PSU, I felt compelled, through my Cultural Competency training, and as an Inspired Native, to tell Native stories through what I know (the forum of dance and performance art) where I use universal body language to express myself as Warrioress. As I continue to grow in dance, I am passionate about learning about cultures to help build bridges of understanding. We don’t learn unless we share and exchange.
Ahndine teaches weekly classes at Southwest Community Center for every size, gender, and age. Her choreographies range from controlled energy to fast-tempo pop and locks, where you will learn how to improvise your dance to find your passion and style! Her classes focus on isolations, technique, musicality, and rhythms, allowing your body to react organically and your heart to shine! Ahndine is also available to teach private lessons to groups and individuals. Ahndine is an active performer and is available to perform and teach at private parties and events, festivals, and retreats. Outside of troupe collaborations with Habibi Amor, including hosting International Belly Dance shows via Zoom and social media platforms from 2020 to 2022, Ahndine continues her belly dance education, including, earning a certificate of completion from Jillina’s worldwide belly dance Evolution, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Experience, where she was cast in the Portland production in the summer of 2023.