Ruby is an award winning and internationally recognized bellydancer and instructor who has been dancing for nearly eight years. She continues to build on her expertise, eager to study and practice bellydance in new ways. She travels nationally and internationally to gain a traditional flair that makes her dance style authentically diverse. Her passion for bellydance has taken her to Turkey where she spent six weeks intensively studying Turkish Roma (Gypsy) dance as well as Turkish Oriental and Folk dancing, Mexico where she led a weeklong bellydance retreat as well as Canada and around the U.S. where she has learned from some of the best teachers in the world. A few of Rubyís influences are Delilah, Artemis Mourat, Sabura, Suhaila Salimpour, Amy Sigil and countless unknown Turkish dancers. From these various sources of inspiration Ruby creates a fusion of bellydance flavors where American Cabaret, Egyptian, Turkish Roma (Gypsy), Oriental, Tribal, and Folkloric styles combine in a unique and stylish interpretation of the dance. Her devotion to improvisational dance gives her performances a raw and energetic quality. Ruby has extensive training in Kung Fu (a belt-less system) and is also a certified Pilates instructor. This background in Kung Fu and Pilates lends an athletic precision to her passionate and sensual performance style. Rubyís combined precision, spontaneity and skill has resulted in critical acclaim by several world class bellydancers and won her the title of 2007 Emerald Rain Gypsy Stylist. As president of WWU's Bellydance Club, Ruby has hosted local workshops and performances that featured international bellydance wonders Delilah (2004) and Dalia Carella (2005). Ruby currently teaches Bellydance levels 1-3, Pilates and Core Fusion (her own blend of martial arts, bellydance and pilates) at Western Washington University, Core Kinetics movement and Pilates Studio and in her home studio in Bellingham. |