Rose is a belly dance performer, teacher and choreographer based in Australia.  She started to dance 13 years ago as a way to escape the stress of her job as a nurse.  That ‘escape’ has turned into a lifelong obsession and career.  Not only is Rose one of Australia’s premier belly dancers, she is also a sought after teacher and choreographer.   She performs nationally and internationally and has appeared on several Egyptian television programs over the years.  Her style is varied, as are her influences, but her main mission is to introduce the art and beauty of belly dance to mainstream audiences.  Read on to learn more about Rose and her approach to teaching and performing belly dance.

Bellydancefinder: Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your background? What do you do when you aren’t dancing?

Rose: I was born in Australia to Italian migrants.  I started belly dancing 13 years ago mainly as a hobby to get myself away from the stress of nursing!  Now, I’m a personal trainer and Pilates instructor as well.

Bellydancefinder: How did you become exposed to belly dance? How old were you?

Rose: I saw an ad for dance lessons with Keti Sharif at my local gym.  I remember thinking that I’ve seen her somewhere before and it turns out that we went to the same high school!  What started as a once a week class with Keti turned into a lifelong obsession and career!

Bellydancefinder: Who is your belly dance role model?

Rose: Too many!!  Many of the local dancers that I used to watch when I was in my early stages of dancing made a huge impact as they were extremely supportive, namely, Keti Sharif, Alma Sarhan and Eva Cass.  From then Mona Said caught my eye and the ‘Rose’ emerged!! She was innovative and passionate!

Bellydancefinder: What kind of influences has shaped your dance?

Rose: I’m quite a strong and powerful performer and I’m instantly drawn to strong powerful music, particularly drums, that ‘lifts’ me and propels me into the dance so to speak. I feel the energy that the music generates; it goes through me, inspires me and gives rise to a passionate performance.  Live music, in particular, has the ability to take me to a higher place wherever that may be!

Bellydancefinder: What drives you to teach belly dancing? How long have you been teaching?

Rose: I’ve been teaching for 10 years.  Watching my students grow and implement what they’ve learned inspires me to keep creating and learning myself.  I believe that it is important for students to understand the fundamentals of bellydance first and foremost before they go out and perform.

Bellydancefinder: How would you describe people’s interest in belly dancing in the Australia? Has it changed over the years?

Rose: Belly dancing is huge in Australia!  We love it! We’ve worked hard to maintain a high standard of dance and for it to be taken seriously. Our aim is to educate the general public that this is a true art form worthy of respect.  It is fantastic to see the dance brought to the stage where people begin to appreciate it as quality entertainment and not titillation dance!

Bellydancefinder: What has been your greatest challenge in teaching your students to dance, especially those who may not have had exposure to belly dance from a young age?

Rose: Improvising, dancing off the cuff and creating their own choreographies is very hard for some.  People become inpatient and just want to learn a choreography that they can use rather than exercise creativity to choreograph their own piece and/or improvise.  As previously mentioned, learning the history and fundamentals including rhythms of the dance whilst learning the actual moves is paramount and is the key to unlocking that problem.

Bellydancefinder: What single piece of advice would you give your students?

Rose: Be creative and explore your own dance style.  Rather than set aside time to practice, which can be too much pressure for some, I encourage people to put on some music and just jam around the house.  It’s the best way to explore, with no pressure.

Bellydancefinder: How do you spend your free time?

Rose: Free time????  Ahahahahaha!!  Seriously, I like to spend it with my partner and family.  Keeping fit and weight training keeps me real.  It’s important to get ‘away’ from it all sometimes.

Bellydancefinder: What puts a smile on your face?

Rose: Watching people dance and being themselves, especially in class.  It’s important to have a relaxed atmosphere-it makes for a better learning environment.  Oh! And my partner, he’s a spazzo!

Bellydancefinder: What tries your patience?

Rose: Waiting in a cue, especially at the airport, arrrrggghhhh!  Don’t get me started!!

Bellydancefinder: Name one thing you could not live without?

Rose: Food!  Seriously, I’m Italian so it is all about the food!!

Bellydancefinder: What is your favorite travel destination?

Rose: Home!  I travel so much that I just love coming home. Ok, maybe Bali just to get away.

Bellydancefinder: If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

Rose: To end racism and abolish religious extremism in all religions.