Uncommon Hips Dance Showcase

Overview

Iona (Lotus Studios, owner/ director) and Naima Sultana (Raks Sultana, owner/ director) invite you to enjoy an evening of independent, original dance works by their students and local world dance choreographers. Join them in exploring a variety of genres and styles that are inspired by bellydance and world dance, and celebrate the power and magic of Uncommon Hips!  All ages are welcome.

About the Directors:

Iona is one of the founding members of Spirit of the Lotus Dance Company, is the Lead Instructor for Lotus Bellydance, directs Amani Lotus Student Troupe, and has taught various bellydance workshops and group lessons.  While her primary style of dance learned was Egyptian Cabaret, she has a big love for fusion belly dance.  She is a graduate of the Rachel Brice’s first class of 8 Elements of Bellydance Approach Phase 4: Transmission, and is a certified 8 Elements Datura Style Instructor. Iona's warm smile and energy on the stage captivates her audience instantly and is well known for her finger cymbal technique.

Naima Sultana is a performer and instructor from Charlotte, NC, who's had a love-affair with Mid-Eastern dance since 1994.  With a strong background in ballet and jazz, she loves the wide range of styles that bellydance offers, from Orientale to folkloric to fusion.  In addition to solo work, she also performs with the collaborative company Spirit of the Lotus, is a member of Kamilah's Roses of the Realm troupe at Carolina Renaissance Festival, and has had the honor of performing with Jillina Carlano’s Bellydance Evolution professional touring company in the NYC/Boston, European, and West Coast tours of “Alice in Wonderland” in 2015 and 2017 as well as the new “Fantasm: Odyssey of Dreams” productionin the 2017 European, Atlanta, and East Coast tours.