Past Dancers
Rachael Gollub, has been studying American Tribal Style Belly Dance for 6 years. She first discovered ATS belly dance at the age of seventeen when she attended a local show at "Cleopatra's Café" while living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Rachael was immediately entranced by the powerful and amazingly synchronous movement of the Mosaic Dance Company. She had never witnessed an expression of such power, beauty and solidarity. The following week she signed up for classes with Myra Krien and studied consistently with her during the nascent stages of her SEEEDs (Self Expression Empowerment and Education through Dance) program until moving to Prescott, AZ to attend College. There she attended classes with Terri Hardin and Troupe Salamat. There, she was invited to be a part of the performing troupe. Throughout her tenure with Troupe Salamat she gained experience in a wide array of performance opportunities and traveled both nationally and internationally to assist in teaching workshops. In addition to her dedicated studies in Arizona, with Terri Hardin, she has participated in countless workshops to supplement her dance vocabulary with the wisdom of some of the greatest performers/teachers in the field. Some of these include: Kami Liddle, Paulette Rees-Denis, Ava Fleming, Carolena Nericcio, Amy Sigil, Sharon Kihara, Rachel Lazarus-Soto, Heather Stants, and Donna Mejia. Her love and appreciation for this dance inspired her to author a self published book about Troupe Salamat, which explores the unrivaled benefits of this dance. To her, this dance has become akin to religion. She believes that it has the power to inspire, motivate, and unite women from all walks of life, cultivating a truly unique understanding of community. Currently, she lives in the small mountain community of Idyllwild, CA. She aspires to bring the same joy and body consciousness she has enjoyed through the study of this dance to others living in the area.
Dana Launius is an advocate for good food, a clown, communitarian, domestic god, artist, urban homesteader, amateur theologian, dancer and so much more. From roller skating every Friday in elementary school to middle school dances and being a club rat as a teen, Dana has always been a dancer. Dana received no formal dance training before she began studying Bellydance in 2003 when she moved to Prescott AZ to attend Prescott College. Dana currently living in Oregon to continue her education.
Cheryl Swan, is a certified massage therapist who uses her talents to care for the needs of the dancers. She is also the Troupe treasurer. "Belly dance had taken me on an amazing journey of self-exploration and acceptance. The sisterhood of Troupe Salamat and the evolution of a personal spiritual practice are gifts that I will always keep close to my heart."
Cindi Gonzales, has been dancing since December of 1998. "Little did I know that when I started bellydancing for exercise I would begin a journey of self-awareness, one that integrated my spiritual self and my physical self towards a path of healing. I am also able to connect with a community of women where we can all speak the same language and are companions on the same journey. As a perinatal nurse, I am blessed with the celebration of life and honor the divine feminine."
Tammy Bannister is a current student at Arizona State University. She is working towards a degree in Accountancy and CPA certification. She has been a payroll manager for six years. Tammy's first exposure to bellydance was in September of 2001. She started taking Terri's class in October and instantly fell in love with Tribal Style. "I felt more in touch with my spiritual self and gained confidence about my physical self after the first class. I love dancing with so many women, taking in all that they will teach me about the dance and about my journey through life. Besides the great spiritual benefits, the physical conditioning feels great and never gets boring. I have grown and expanded my mind many ways in the first year that I have been involved in 'The Dance.'"
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