Founder, Artistic Director, and Choreographer Julianne Battaglia:

It has been almost a decade since I first wrote my "bio" for the site. Funny thing, the more things change the more they stay the same......

"Smitten" is still the word which best describes my reaction to the first up close and personal encounter I had with "belly dancing". A local belly dance class was performing at my neighborhood shopping mall. I was mesmerized by the way they used their bodies and spirits to express the most exotic and beautiful music I had ever heard. I approached the teacher and immediately signed up for her class (thanks Lisa Davis |<lisa.htm>| ) which was offered through the local Continuing Education Program. I was hooked! I was shown a whole new way of physical expression, quite a paradoxical experience from the alternate nights I spent pursuing a black belt in Kodakan Judo. (I still remember my dad saying:

"So what... now you want to learn to dance so you can lure men close enough for you to beat them up!?!")

In that dance class filled with exotic music and graceful movement, I was enveloped with the feeling that I had "come home"! That was about 33 years ago and the obsession is still constant.

I somehow managed over the years, as a single mom, to raise a beautiful daughter. She is grown and married now and surprisingly well adjusted considering her formative years were spent amidst a plethora of sequins, glitter, fringe, drums, tambourines, swords and such. The anecdotes stemming from the experiences of mommy/dancer are endless. If you have not had the experience yourself, just ask any dancer/mom and persuade her to share some of her humorous tales of joy and horror.

I don't believe I will ever get tired of experiencing how other dancers hear and interpret their music so I still take every opportunity my time and budget will allow attending seminars and workshops.  My dance and music research horizons have now expanded to include Egypt and Morocco!

I have always been involved in some kind of artistic expression both visual and kinetic. I took ballet and tap as a child and twirled my way through my teen years as a majorette. It was during those twirling years that I discovered my penchant for choreography. I made up dance moves to everything from John Philip Sousa for the majorette corp. to songs by Ricky Nelson....for me!

I love to teach, but mostly I love to experiment with dance styles and dance fusion. It would get very boring for me if I were to allow myself to become complacent and cease the personal challenge of stepping out of my comfort zone. One of my favorite approaches to choreography was inspired by a "one liner" from comedian Stephen Wright. Of course, my troupe members always laugh when they hear it but it is surprisingly close to the truth: "Let's try this....I saw it once in a cartoon once."

From the bottom of my heart I want to thank my troupe of "paper clip" dancers (whole other story!) for trusting me and having the patience to work with me on some of my flights of fantasy!

To help fill my daily 47 minutes of spare time.....I have added doumbek drumming to my obsessions. I study it, play when I have the opportunity, and teach it. Often I am torn between dancing with and drumming for Sahara Silk performances. It is always a tough decision. I look forward to the day when cloning becomes available to the general public!

Through this avocation, which has also served as my personal therapy, I have been blessed with the opportunity to know some of the most joyous and spirited people imaginable.  They have become the best friends that anyone could hope for. 

Some details of my mundane life:

·         I am wife to a brilliant and supportive man who has resigned himself to living with sequins, swords, cymbals, and a sarcophagus! And who, thankfully, spends much of his time building and maintaining our web sites.

·         I am the proud mother of a beautifully spirited and artistically inspired daughter.

·         I am a retired Civil Service Department of Defense employee and now a free lance Graphic Artist. My new focus is to pursue my dream of spending more time in the Fine Arts field of drawing and painting.

·         I have earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Fine Arts and in Graphic Design.....these were fun.

·         I have earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology...this one was hard work!

·         I am still a computer nerd "wannabe" inspired by my computer genius husband who does magical things in cyberspace that I can never even hope to understand!

Back