About My Background
•	My Mother, Gloria English:  
•	My mother was a classically trained ethnic dancer, who specialized in Modern, Oriental, Spanish, Latin, and Tropical dance forms; 
•	Studied under many teachers, including Serena, Jose Limon, Jose Greco, and La Meri.  
•	Performed with the Kansas City Civic Ballet and Baroque Modern Dance Co.  
•	Trained in KC under Ms. Tanya and Irmgard Altwater.  
•	Danced professionally in Chicago, NY, but most of career was in Mexico City, Acapulco.  
•	Taught both professionally and academically.  
•	Later she had her own professional company, the Gloria English Dancers, and we had our own dance school, the Nikoria Academy.  
•	Together, we est. the first dance school offering Middle Eastern Belly Dance lessons, performances.  Also taught in other studios, including RanchMart Dance School (as partner with former KC Ballet alum, Judy Gillespie), TC Dance Studios, Jewish Community Center, Metropolitan Community Colleges (all branches), various YMCAs, community centers.  Also trained a team of teachers to teach different levels of dance.  Trained Zaina Ali of Tasso's.  
•	About Me:  
•	Grew up with dance.  Was classically trained as an ethnic dancer, who specialized in Mid-East, Modern, Oriental, some Spanish, Latin, Polynesian, and Tropical dance forms; 
•	Studied under many teachers, including Serena (NY), Jose Limon, Jose Greco, and Ibrahim Farrar (NY).  Also:  Electra, Dahleena, Melanie (all of Chicago); Bert Baladine (SF); Ozel Turkbas; Jameela Salimpour and protege Aida; Morocco; 
•	Taught seminars with Electra, Ozel Turkbas, Serena, Morocco; 
•	Danced with the UMKC Conservatory and Baroque Modern Dance Co.  
•	Danced professionally in Chicago, NY, SF, Las Vegas, but most of career was in KC. 
•	Taught professionally & academically.  In academia, became my mom’s Dance Assistant.  
•	Taught various workshops around the country, including MI, AL, Chicago, and Las Vegas.  
•	Choreographer, teacher, performer, and Dance Mistress for the Gloria English Dancers, and co-founder of the Nikoria Academy.  
•	Also taught locally for various community centers, Flamingo Dance Studios, TC Dance Studios, Farrety Dance Studios, Jewish Community Center, Shalimar's Middle Eastern Dance Academy, City in Motion, Amore Dance Studio, among others.  
•	Started as semi-professional performer at 12 yrs old, & professional dancer at 15 yrs old. 
•	Still perform and teach.  Grad student/instructor at UMKC, in computers, psych, sociology.  
•	Oriental and Middle East Dance Experience:  
•	Been doing Oriental dance since 12 yrs old.  Been performing Mid-East since 15 yrs old.  
•	Most of my training was from my mother, her teachers, and her Lebanese students.   
•	Took various workshops during teen years, as an ethnic dancer with my mother.  
•	Began performing Oriental in mid teens as a professional, as part of my ethnic dance skills.  
•	Travelled around the US performing and teaching, including NYC, Chicago, Omaha, San Francisco, Seattle, and Las Vegas.  
•	Still perform and teach for local events, parties, and restaurants in the KC area.  
•	Learned dance both as strict dance form and as dynamic dance form.  Ancient & new.  
•	Received additional training mostly in NYC with Ibrahim Farrah; also took lessons with Melanie, Dahlena both of Chicago; Jamila Salimpour, Aida (her protege), Burt Baladine all of SF; 
•	Highpoints of Middle East Dance Career: 
•	Performed for Republican National Convention (by invitation).  
•	Had own Belly Dance Lessons cable TV show (briefly) on American Cablevision.  
•	Various local TV appearances.  Numerous local radio appearances.  Including KCMO Mike Murphy final show before moving to St. Louis.  
•	Worked in most Greek and Mediterranean restaurants in KC area, including Grecian Gardens, Tasso's (fill-in), Zorba's, Greek Isles (guest spot), Olive Tree, Gus's Greek Restaurant, Cafe Nile, Azel's (both KS and MO locations), Jeruselum Cafe (Westport); Vedah's, Cafe Cedar, Kabob House; Georgia's; Smuggler's Inn; Cafe Merjion; 
•	Briefly held the Guinness Book of World Records for Marathon Belly Dancing, later broken by Scheherazade of London.  
•	Taught National Seminars with Electra (Twice), Morocco of NYC (Twice), Ozel Turkbas of Turkey and NYC, Serena of NYC, Jamala of NYC, Aida of SF, held in Minneapolis, MN, Lancing, MI, Columbia, MO, Huntsville, AL, Indianapolis, IN, and Las Vegas, NV.  
•	Notable performances include those with Eddie Kochak in NYC, Raja Zahr in Seattle, WA, with Serena in Chicago and Las Vegas, Morocco (numerous times and locations), Ozel Turkbas of NYC, Electra of Chicago, Bert Baladine (numerous times and locations), Ibrahim Farrah in Chicago, NYC, Las Vegas.  
•	Currently teach Middle Eastern Belly Dance at Amore Dance Studios, 39th & Pennsylvania, KCMO.  

Notable Accomplishments: 
•	Opened first Mid-East Dance school in KC (with Mother).  
•	Trained a number of professional Dancers who went on to teach others.   
•	Performed in major KC Mid-East local restaurants.   

Contact Info: 
•	EnglishN@umkc.edu
•	KCDance.com, Mike Strong, 816-444-4459
•	http://WebmediaWorkshop.com/My/

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About the Dance, 4 Approaches to the Dance
•	Dance as Exercise, Aerobics, Fitness
•	Dance as Culture, An ancient Ethnic dance form (before religion influenced) 
•	Dance as Cabaret performance 
•	Dance as Culture, Neo-Traditional Dance Form (Popular Culture, Fusion) 
•	Dance as Culture, Improvisation (dynamic, growing dance form; part of pop culture there)

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