This year marks 30 years since Amera opened the doors of our wonderful Palace. Starting work in our classes already, creating an exciting show to celebrate this milestone!

Last Saturday, our ‘Vote With Your Hips’ Winter Hafla with Inspire Bellydance was a resounding success! A joyful afternoon of dressing up, socialising, eating and dancing for each other and our friends and family.

Congratulations to our dedicated and beautiful students on their amazing performances.

Have a fabulous holiday! See you all back the week starting Monday 18th July 2016.

Ali has made a quick trip over to Egypt for the second time this year to bring you what we all want and need… beautiful Egyptian costumes! 23 boxes have been packed and shipped and there’s going to be a party when that boat comes in!

Meanwhile, there are a few exciting new treats in store already. Call Ali for an appointment over the holidays to see some new bra and belt sets, velvet and tasselled hip scarves and lovely patterned floaty skirts.

Shimmying into 2016, and yet again, the teachers at the Palace are bursting with new bellydance wisdom to share. We are looking forward to seeing all our lovely students again. Come and join our happy dancing gang at the Palace!!!

Term 4 Starts at the Palace Tuesday 6th October and runs until 14th December. We will be partying on at our annual Christmas Hafla, Sunday 13th December, from 2.30pm. This Spring term is a great opportunity to learn bellydance and drum, and share with your other students all you’ve learnt, at our wonderful annual event.

Join Johara and Ali for a 5 week course in Arabic Rhythm and Dance starting Saturday 18th July.

Saturday 11 am Intermediate Class – Rhythm Interpretation, and introduction to zill playing.

Saturday 12pm Advanced Class- Drum Solo Choreography and Zills.

All with live drummer AND dance teacher.

Ali has returned from her shopping trip to Cairo and the shop is bursting with new goodies. Gorgeous hip scarves in printed fabrics, mother of pearl drums, professional costumes and lots of pretties!! We are looking forward to the Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival and are offering extended shop hours, plus a stall at the Festival Follies day on Sunday 3rd May. Be sure to come, and say ‘hello’!

It’s been great to see so many familiar Palace students, back after the Summer holidays, and to meet all our lovely new students too! It’s always an honour and a joy to share this beautiful dance form, with students, for the first time. Last week we went on the road to the Newcastle Bellydance Festival, an awesome event bringing together dancers all over Australia, and we are starting to prepare for our own Sydney festival, the Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival in May.

Ali & Cristie at Newcastle Bellydance Festival

What an awesome year, capped off by a most fabulous Christmas Party. How we danced! How we partied!!!

Dancing at the Christmas Party

But the dancing doesn’t stop. January is full of activities at the Palace. Saturday 17th January is Cynthia’s Sizzling Saturday workshops (see ‘What’s On’ for details). Following by Jrisi’s Summer Intensive, a Palace drum jam party on Friday, 23rd January, and then Devi’s ATS appraisal workshops from the 30th January.

Term One at the Palace starts on the 2nd February. See you all there!

Ten weeks of bellydance and drum fun, have begun, for Term 4. Our teachers are full of energy and inspiration with lots to share. We are excited about our upcoming Christmas Party, and are working on some lovely choreographies. There are plenty of performance opportunities so come and join the fun!