Yanika - Dance ResumePerformance/Employment/Instruction: 2007- current - Freelance Performer and Instructor - gigs have included online workshops, festivals, Glenwood Vaudeville Revue, Art Fusion Studio, LA Staples Center, Avalon nightclub, The Music Center (Downtown LA), Kodak Theater, Burning Man festival, LA Burning Man Decompression, Hollywood Bootleg Theater, XIV nightclub, The Syrop Loft, corporate event entertainment, miscellaneous performing arts and consulting. 2008 - Sunset Montessori Preschool - Los Angeles, CA - dance and movement for children, ages 2-6. 2007 - American City College - Cairo, Egypt - general dance instruction, 1st through 12th grades. 2006 - MO Entertainment - Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt - go-go dancer, ensemble choreographer. 2005- 2008 - Layla and the Lotus Dancers - Dancer, choreography assistant - Bellydance and other ethnic-styled performances in LA, Las Vegas, & Egypt: restaurants, nightclubs, corporate events, and touring with Middle Eastern recording artists. "Classical Egyptian Cabaret" style, along with international influences such as Armenian, Turkish, Latin, South Asian, Spanish, Saudi Arabian, Indian, American Tribal. 2005- 2006 - Woman's Club of Hollywood - Theater producer and dance director for community events and children's productions, classes for all ages, fundraising and creative projects. 2003- 2005- Just Like Mom's Preschool, West Hollywood - general dance instruction, kindergarten level. 2002- 2005 - UCSB Middle East Ensemble, Santa Barbara - Troupe dancer on tours and concerts at college campuses, festivals, fundraisers, educational events. Repertory including traditional, folk, court, ancient, ritual, and popular dance styles from Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Israel. 2004- 2005 - Senior Honors Project on Vaslav Nijinsky “I Danced Frightening Things” - a self-written/directed one-woman show about the infamous Russian ballet star of the early 1900's. Received grant to travel to NYC for extensive research at Lincoln Center archives from which choreographies were reconstructed and movement styles incorporated into performance. 2001- 2003 - Merhaba Folkdance Group - Dancer, Student President On-campus UCSB student club meeting weekly to dance Bulgarian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Romanian, Greek, Israeli, and various international folkdances. 2001- 2004 - Zdravitsa Bulgarian Ensemble - Dancer, Santa Barbara professional dance troupe. Stylized Balkan folkdances for festivals and workshops such as the Santa Barbara Multicultural Festival. 2002- 2005 - Seher Dance Ensemble - Understudy, Professional Middle Eastern dance troupe in Santa Barbara, specializing in tribal and cabaret-style bellydance. 1998- 2001 - TANZA World Dance Company - Principal Dancer, Youth company performing in LA festivals and schools. Repertory including British, Irish, Scottish, African, Polynesian, Balkan, Mexican folkdance. |
Training: Ballet: Yuri Smaltzoff (LA), Galina Morozova (West Hollywood). Lisa Goldshine (Hollywood Performing Arts High School), Delila Moseley (UCSB). Jazz: Keny Long (Hollywood High), Recreation Center (UCSB), The Edge Studios (LA). Contemporary: Nancy Colahan, Christopher Pilafian, Tonia Shimin (UCSB). Contact Improvisation: Stephanie Nugent (UCSB) Tap, Hip Hop: Christopher Scott (LA). International: Six years at Mendocino Folklore Camp (Balkan, West African, Brazilian Samba, Contra/square/mixers, Swing, Country Western, Vintage Ballroom). Three years at Mendocino Middle Eastern Camp (Arabic percussion, Persian court dance, Saudi hair dance, Sufi whirling dervish, Egyptian cane, sword, candle, other props). Uzbek folkdance with Vilovat Akilova: “People’s Artist of Uzbekistan,” Turkish dance with Ahmet Luleci. Persian dance with Robyn Friend, Ph.D, and Helene Ericksson, Ph.D. Macedonian dance with Ljupco Manevski, of "Tanec," the national ensemble of Macedonia. Oriental/Raqs Sharqi/Bellydance: USA: Alexandra King, Jillina and the Sahlala Dancers, Morocco, Souhail Kaspar, Sahra Kent. Egypt: Raqia Hassan (Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival), Aida Nour, Dina, Katya, Lucy. Physical Theater, Movement, Clowning, Mime, Yoga: James Donlon, Michael Morgan (UCSB), and always, personal study. |
