Paulette Rees-Denys of Gypsy Caravan
Paulette Rees-Denis is the Director of the Gypsy Caravan—Portland, Oregon's acclaimed contemporary tribal bellydance troupe. Having found her soul dance in the Tribal Style of bellydance, she has been teaching weekly classes in Portland, and workshops internationally since 1991.Her tribal styling is a fusion of several influences based on dances from different countries and modern day—urban,folk, ritual and trance, modern, among others. With a classical dance background, Paulette has created a rich blend of contemporary dance which is esthetically pleasing, spiritually grounding and physically rewarding. This dance evokes a feeling of ancient times, of family, of personal freedom, of group spirit and camaraderie, bringing dancers together in total acceptance and support of each other. The beauty of the dance is that it's also different for everyone and every body. Having brought Tribal Style bellydance to the Pacific Northwest, Paulette continues to enrich the dance community in a variety of ways. In 2000, she opened her own dance studio, Caravan Studio - A World Of Dance, with her husband and fellow Gypsy, Jeff Rees. In her commitment to teaching and educating the community about tribal bellydance, Paulette brings other internationally recognized master teachers and styles of 'world dance' to Portland. She is the creator of Tribal Quest NorthWest, a five day festival of tribal inspired music and dance in Portland with teachers and performers from around the world. Since 1998 she has published a quarterly international journal, "Caravan Trails", with art, interviews, reviews, and more about tribal and related dance styles. Paulette collaborates on a regular basis with poets, storytellers, musicians, and actors, to create multimedia dance and theater productions, and produces award-winning videos and cd's. Visit GypsyCaravan.us!

Elizabeth Ostteen of Tribe Marrakech
Elizabeth Ostteen is the founder and director of Tribe Marrakech. She has been teaching and performing bellydance since 2002. In addition to performing and creating within Tribe Marrakech and teaching up to 8 belly dance classes a week, Elizabeth directs her student troupe, Tribe Marrakech Express, and performs as a solo dancer. She also teaches Tribal Fusion style workshops and performs throughout the United States. In 1998, Elizabeth opened her own business, which by 2001 was incorporated into a storefront. She taught drum classes and hosted circles within the import shop. By 2002, she began directing Tribe Marrakech Drum and Dance Troupe, which consisted of student drummers and dancers who accompanied Elizabeth’s dancing and her husband, Ocean’s drumming. In 2007, the business expanded to include 2 storefronts, both of which have their own intimate dance studio- Marrakech in Evergreen and Paprika in Golden, Colorado. In addition to teaching, performing, and owning an exotic import business, Elizabeth and her husband Ocean are also responsible for producing and promoting Elevation, an event which has been bringing tribal style teachers to Colorado since 2003. Elizabeth’s collaboration with her dance partner, Chris Chambers, tops off her best artistic and creative endeavors. Teaching, creating, and performing are the things that Elizabeth feels most passionately about. Tribe Marrakech has performed with as many as 20 dancers, which has included drummers, musicians, and student dancers. Visit EvergreenTribalArts.com!

Carmine Guida of Djinn
Carmine is an accomplished instructor, teaching doumbek both nationally and internationally. His students compliment his lively and engaging teaching style and his ability to make complex technique and intricate rhythms easy to learn. Located in New York City, Carmine is a member of several music ensembles including Middle Eastern fusion group Djinn, playing Brooklyn's own "East Coat Tribal style music ranging from Traditional Middle-Eastern to an experimental blending of traditional instruments with electronics and beat boxing. His talents are also showcased in the traditional music group The Turkish Band Camp All Stars. "Teaching is my passion. I have the wonderful job of traveling the world teaching people how to play doumbek. It brings me great joy to have someone who has never played a musical instrument before be able to play several rhythms after just one class. My specialty is teaching drummers and dancers how to work together. I love my job." Carmine's work is also featured on over a dozen CDs and four DVDs, including his recently released doumbek instructional. Visit Carmine.com!

Melissa Murphey of Ishtar
Melissa Murphey has been an avid clarinet player for 16 years. Her fascination with Classic Bellydance music began in late 2001 after taking some bellydance lessons. Since then she has studied Middle Eastern and Mediterranean music exclusively. In April of 2006, Melissa formed the Classic Bellydance Band, Ishtar. Melissa is the organizer for Jalsah Pittsburgh, a participatory Middle Eastern live music and dance community event. The Jalsah brings together like-minded individuals who wish to dance to, drum, and/or play Middle Eastern music together in a casual setting. Melissa also teaches classes on Understanding Basic Middle Eastern Rhythms for the Non-Drummer and classes on Middle Eastern Music Ensemble where she covers makams (scales), taksims (solos), folk songs, basic rhythms and how it all fits together. Her influences include: George Staphros, Mustafa Kandirali, Gus Vali, Barbaros Erkose, Ferdi Nadaz, Soren Baronian, Husnu Senlendirici, and Selim Sesler. Visit Ishtar-music.com!

Blue Lotus Tribe
Chicago's Blue Lotus Tribe is one of the up-and-coming forces in the tribal bellydance world.  Heralded for their tight improvistaional skills, original choreographies, impeccable technique, and party-like stage presence, Blue Lotus Tribe is working hard to bring the Midwestern tribal scene to the forefront.  Each member of Blue Lotus Tribe has an extensive background in tribal and tribal fusion dance, but they are also all accomplished in the art of Egyptian style bellydance.  Most of the dancers of Blue Lotus Tribe have studied for several years with internationally recognized Egyptian style dancer, Jasmin Jahal, among others, and they have all become professional solo artists of Egyptian style bellydance.  Blending Egyptian technique, composition, and musicality with the tribal movements, music, and aesthetic, Blue Lotus Tribe has successfully created a new twist on tribal, taking it to the next level and calling themselves "Egypto-Tribal Fusion Bellydance."  Blue Lotus Tribe continues in their quest for new inspiration and ideas by traveling across the country and taking classes with the masters of both Oriental and Tribal bellydance, creating a bridge between the two that honors the ancient art of Middle-Eastern bellydance while still moving forward with today's modern tribal fusion movement.  Apart from their popular local performances and workshops, Blue Lotus Tribe has had the honor of teaching and performing around the country to enthusiastic students and appreciative audiences. Visit BlueLotusTribe.com!