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SYDNEY Sarah Hamilton, Sarah is a graduate of the VCA where she trained in Contemporary and Classical dance and was a dance teacher in the Melbourne community for several years. Sarah has been a professional member of the international Hilal Dance School since 2000. Sarah’s work in Hilal Dance includes performances at the Gallery of NSW & the National Art Gallery, performances & workshops at the Azeviche Percussion Festivals and the Steps in Time music festival. Sarah has presented two full length dance programs in Sydney, Mizmar in 2007 and Imago in 2008. Sarah performed with the Hilal Dance Company’s Oscillations in the UK and Germany 2008 Tanzhous, Dusseldorf in 2009 and Casula Powerhouse Sydney in May 2009. Sarah currently facilitates the training for Hilal Dance Professionals in Australia and gives workshops. visit myspace. |
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CANBERRA Rachael Hilton, Rachael studied dance teaching through Queensland University of Technology and has been teaching in Canberra for over a decade. Rachael began her training in Hilal Dance in 1996 and was invited to become an Associate of the Hilal Dance organisation in 2003. Rachael coordinates and participates in local events throughout Canberra, including workshops and performances given by guest teachers Alessandro el Bascioni and Sarah Hamilton. In addition to her Hilal Dance activities Rachael actively supports the Canberra dance community as a board member and volunteer for the Canberra Dance Theatre. Rachael teaches weekly classes in the heart of Canberra and private classes can be arranged upon request. |
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Melissa is a qualified Occupational Therapist based in Canberra and has worked for many years in the area of mental health recovery. Melissa has studied a variety of dance forms as well as the use of dance in therapy and has always been passionate about dance, both as an art form and a medium for creative expression. Melissa began Hilal Dance classes with Rachael Hilton in Canberra in 2003. Since this time, regular classes with Rachael have been complemented by workshops and training with Sarah Hamilton. Melissa has attended many of the workshops offered by Suraya Hilal or Alessandro Bascioni in Australia since 2003 and attended Hilal Dance Week in Dusseldorf in 2005. Melissa was invited to join the Hilal Dance professional course in 2008. Melissa assists with training in Canberra and is particularly interested in the expressive potential of Hilal Dance through choreography and improvisation. “Suraya Hilal has created a framework and dance vocabulary that is easy to access as a beginner but offers layers of complexity to explore. I have found many forms of dance to be overly constrained by convention and taxing on the body but Hilal Dance incorporates bodywork to train the body in an integrated flow of movement and breathing that strengthens the body. Hilal Dance draws on beautiful traditions and exciting contemporary ideas and I am inspired by the continual evolution of the dance by Suraya and others.” |
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MELBOURNE Natalie Poole, Natalie teaches weekly classes in Brunswick, Melbourne. She also teaches private classes for students wanting a sound introduction to Hilal Dance, or who would like to intensify their learning. Natalie has danced since she was a young child in ballet and contemporary and showed a particular strength in national character dances including Spanish, Hungarian and Asian dances. "I really feel I have come full circle, expressing the earthiness and poise of Egyptian dance." Natalie works as dance therapist with mothers and babies, and supporting women through pregnancy and birth. She brings this knowledge and curiosity for the body - its alignment, and the mind - its expression, into her learning and teaching of Hilal dance. Natalie has taught dance in schools, TAFEs and university and at several Melbourne dance studios. Natalie's most recent Hilal Dance performance was for the guests of the International Dance Therapy Conference in Melbourne. |
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WOLLONGONG Marianthe Loucataris is a multi instrumentalist, composer, percussionist and recording artist who specialises in creating live and recorded work for dance, theatre, film and multimedia works. Her dance training includes Egyptian Dance 1992-1994 with Helen Way, Kuchipudi (South Indian Classical) dance and rhythm-training, performing and composing music for Nikki Shephard (1994-1998); movement physical theatre 1988- 91. In 1999 Marianthe met Ibrahim el Minyawi and began to focus on learning rhythm and drumming, receiving an Ian Potter Foundation grant in 2001 to study with him in London. She has been training in Hilal Dance with Sarah Hamilton in Sydney and at yearly workshops with Suraya Hilal since 2005. Sarah Hamilton (choreographer/dancer) and Marianthe (musician/dancer) work together as Mozaic Dance Company and have created 2 programs, Mizmar (2007) and Imago (2008). In 2009 Marianthe performed drum, piano and piano accordian works live in a short season of Oscillations/Imago, performing with Suraya Hilal and Sarah Hamilton in Sydney. She became a professional in May 2009 and is currently working towards obtaining her Hilal Dance Diploma. She is currently teaching both the drum and dance in Wollongong Australia as well as developing her song work (Mahri Autumn) and instrumental works. She believes dance and music are vital cultural practices which maintain the health and well being of individuals and communities. www.mariantheloucataris.com |