Belly Dancer Kaylah - Melbourne
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 Belly Dance News

2/3/2015

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Next in the series of articles on "Health and Fitness", Assiut and Tie heard from Kaylah who can drum solo non-stop for hours and owes it all to running - read all about it. Published in Assuit & Tie Belly Dance Club Melbourne, October 2014.

The Top Six Things I Love About Running by Kaylah, Melbourne Bellydancer

When I tell people I am a runner they often ask why? What is there to love about running? Well here are my top six reasons that fuel my love for running.

1. It’s Convenient and Always There
One thing I love about running is you can just put on your shoes and run. Besides sneakers and sports clothes, I don’t need any special equipment and, wherever I am – at home, the office on my lunch break, travelling, in the city or country – I can run. I also run to work two days a week. It takes about the same time as driving or public transport but is a whole lot more enjoyable, plus I save on parking and transport costs.

2. Seeing Places I Wouldn’t See Otherwise
I love seeing new places and outdoor running allows me to do this.  The visions of some of the new places I’ve seen stay with me –a beautiful beachside trail, a lantern-lit street in China Town, a misty mountain ridge, a wet rainforest or, even something as simple as the houses around my suburb.

3. Clarity of Thought
Running is when I do some of my best thinking. It’s one of the activities where I can work through and leave behind all the emotional junk from the day. It’s similar to how it can feel dancing in your living room with no one watching. Running after a hard day at work can help me overcome stress.

4.  The Joy of Participating
Participating in running events is so much fun and the people are great. The types of events I have participated in vary from short course runs, night runs, long courses and triathlon. I also participate in other endurance activities such as cycling across the Nullarbor and trekking in the Everest region. When I first entered these events many years ago I was relieved when I discovered how friendly and supportive everyone was. At first I was worried I might be not good enough or too slow, but after a few events I saw people of all ages and fitness levels were there to participate just like me.

5. Challenge
I love the physical and mental challenge. Yes, while puffing, overheating and struggling up a huge hill I actually love it (though sometimes not until after). I had a conversation with some friends who also participate in endurance events and were discussing how modern life makes everyday tasks so physically easy. We agreed that perhaps there is something built into humans to seek out the challenge of physical hardship through sporting pursuits.

6. For Fitness
Running helps maintain my cardio fitness. I also do weight training, swimming, cycling and a lot of stretching to reduce the chance of injury.    The improvement in my cardio fitness has in turn helped my dancing. I don’t get so tired performing multiple shows per night. Not long ago someone asked me what it feels like physically when you are doing a triathlon. The best way to describe it is to take what it feels like when you have finished your fastest, longest drum solo and multiplying that by fifty. Needless to say, I have no fear of long drum solos now.


Kaylah has been participating in endurance events and adventurous pursuits for the last 20 years. She is also a member of the Melbourne belly dance community and runs a dance business as a performer.
Belly dancer Melbourne - Kaylah
Belly Dancer Kaylah of Melbourne
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Belly Dance News 2015

1/2/2015

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Belly Dancers in Melbourne
Maribyrnong Leader Newspaper Feb15
Dancers Kaylah & Sianna along with drummers, were very pleased to present  a dancing and drumming show and roving entertainment in Ascot Vale and Yarraville as part of the Cricket World Cup Tour.

The day featured cultural dances, face painting, and food trucks and was a great day out for family. The 2007 ICC World Cup trophy won by Australia, was also on display.
Our group with the World Cup Trophy
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Belly Dance News April 2014

22/4/2014

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Maribyrnong Leader Newspaper Published 22 April 2014

Belly Dancer Mebourne, Maribyrnong
Top times and belly laughs - Belly dancer Kaylah from Maribyrnong will be performing at the Conscious Living Expo. 

Move over Shakira, belly dancer Kaylah will have women shimmying and shaking to a healthier lifestyle this weekend. The Maribyrnong dancer will be performing three shows during the Conscious Living Expo at the Melbourne Showgrounds. 

Kaylah said her performances were based on the traditional bellydance style from Egypt. She said Egypt is often considered the home of belly dance, which exercises the muscles in the abdomen, back and through the legs.

"It's very elegant and a lot of women are able to connect with it" she said. "Bellydance is great for flexibility and an excellent form of exercise and helps increase self-esteem".   

The expo will also feature health experts, authors, psychics and mediums. 

Star Newspaper - Footscray, Yarraville & Braybrook Cover Page Published 22 April 2014

Hire bellydancers in Melbourne



KAYLAH Lena knows that the exotic art of belly dancing can be life changing. The Maribyrnong resident, who started out her dancing career in ballroom, soon found the structured nature too confining. Then she discovered belly dancing more than 10 years ago, and has shimmied and shaken to exotic Middle Eastern tunes every day since.

Today, Ms Lena performs up to eight times a week for a range of corporate functions, birthdays, engagement parties, weddings, hen’s nights and other events. She also provides one-on-one tuition for people wanting to get in touch with their inner belly dancer.

Ms Lena will perform at the Conscious Living Expo this weekend at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

By CHARLENE MACAULAY
Star News Group


Good Friday Appeal - Belly Dance Show and Kids Belly Dance Workshops 

Kaylah recently teamed up bellydancer Sianna and drummers Bellyslap to provide belly dancing workshops for children at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre as part of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal 'Kids Day Out'. A fun filled day was had by all and we are pleased to contribute to the a total of $16,846,396 that was raised on the day.
Arabian Nights Melbourne
April - Shimmy for the Kids
Kaylah performing to "Prophecy Mix" during Sianna's Good Friday Appeal at " Klub Vojvodina" in Albion, Melbourne on Friday 11 April 2014.  

A dinner dance to raise funds for the Good Friday Appeal. Hosted by Sianna and friends - a night of delicious food, a grand floor show featuring belly dancers, competitions and lots of dancing.

April - Collingwood Harvest Festival 2014

Dancers Kaylah & Sianna were very pleased to present their show and belly dancing workshop at the Collingwood Harvest Festival. The wonderful drummers from Bellyslap provided the music and got the crowd and children dancing.
Multi-Cultural Week Entertainment Melbourne
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Dancing Like an Egyptian

10/6/2013

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Published in The Shimmy - Newsletter for the Organisation of Middle Eastern Dance in Australia - April 2013.

In December 2012 I travelled to Egypt to participate in two very different dance programs. I love the Middle East and have visited many times. This was my second visit to Egypt and I was extremely excited.

At the time there was a political situation in Egypt, and some dancers decided not to travel there. I did my research and, although I cancelled a scuba diving trip off the Sinai Peninsula, I kept my plans to attend the dance programs and felt safe during the time I was there.

Sphinx Festival 2012 – Red Sea Odyssey

The first program I participated in was the Sphinx Festival held at the beautiful coastal resort town of El Gouna, five hours drive from Cairo. Here the sun was shining every day, the water was turquoise blue and the sand was a dazzling white.

Keti Sharif organised the festival with the theme of “Water” expressing fluidity and flow in Egyptian dance. Workshop instructors included Mahmoud Reda, Farida Fahmy, Liza Laziza and Essam Said.

Sphinx Festival Egypt - Belly dancer Kaylah Melbourne
Sphinx Festival - Participants
A busy schedule filled the five-day program with morning yoga, dance workshops, cooking classes, costuming talks, a beach photo shoot, Bedouin music under the stars, a boat trip on the Red Sea, dance performances and cultural tours. I didn’t want to miss anything … so I did everything!

The majority of the dance workshops consisted of technically challenging choreography. I particularly enjoyed learning Mahmoud Reda’s “Ahsan Nas” choreography which includes various folk styles. I bought the DVD so I could revisit it once I returned home. I also really enjoyed Liza’s workshops, which covered improvisation using emotion and expression.
Mahmoud Reda Workshop Egypt - Belly dancer Kaylah Melbourne
Sphinx Festival - Mahmoud Reda Workshop
I took the opportunity to perform at the Poolside Bellydance Party for festival participants and residents of El Gouna. It was an honour to perform before Farida and Liza sitting in the front row.

After the festival I stayed for an extra rest day at El Gouna where I booked a Hamam – a luxurious Turkish bath, and a sunset camel ride to take in the final views of the Red Sea.
Belly dancer Kaylah - Melbourne
Spinx Festival - Beach Filming
Embodied Bellydance Intensive – Return to the Source

The second program was Return to the Source held in the village of Abu Sir, an hour out of Cairo near the pyramids – a five-day program organised by Maria Sangiorgi.

Here we participated in activities that included a camel ride to the pyramids, dance workshops, exploring village life, a tour to Saqqara Pyramid, a private show by a Baladi band, meditations by the pyramids and a session with the Mazaher Ensemble.
Egypt - Bellydancer Kaylah Melboure
Return to Source - Camel ride to Pyramids
All the participants stayed in a large family guest house with a dance area covered by a beautiful dome-shaped roof. The family were very friendly and welcoming, though the women were still a little shy with guests. We were treated to some delicious home cooked food.
Egypt - Belly dancer Kaylah Melbourne
Return to Source - Workshop in the Dome
The dance sessions were focused on learning to understand the body to create movement and individual artistry. We worked with a lot of world music to find expression, and with Baladi progression music for improvised dance. The techniques  we learned were useful for helping to better understand my body, connect with my dancing, and allow me to open up emotionally.
Egypt - Return to Source Belly Dance Workshop
Return to Source - Participants
My trip to Egypt was certainly challenging, particularly when I was sick for several days with a head cold and stomach upset. The weather too was much colder than I expected. But I understood that this was part of my journey and it soon passed.

What I will always remember, apart from the dancing, is being part of a gathering of amazing women from around the world.
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2013 Belly Dance News

8/4/2013

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Belly Dancer Kaylah Melbourne - Star Newspaper Footscray
Star Newspaper Cover Page - Footscray, Yarraville & Braybrook.
2 April 2013


Swing Shift
This belly dancer has shimmied her way across the world. This Maribyrnong resident Kaylah switched from ballroom dancing to belly dancing more than a decade ago and hasnt looked back.

Dancer shimmers, shines
KAYLAH tells her customers she lives in an Arabian harem. While in reality Maribyrnong is the place she calls home, the belly dancer shimmies and shakes to exotic Middle Eastern tunes every day, and has performed her moves all over the world.

Kaylah started out her dancing career in ballroom, but soon found it was too structured for her. Then she discovered belly dancing more than 10 years ago. “It (ballroom) had to be perfect all the time, and I discovered belly dancing and it looked very free and fun,” she said. Kaylah took up the craft with gusto and was soon picked up by a dance troupe when they saw her moves. She spent a couple of years performing with the troupe before going out on her own.

Today, Kaylah performs up to eight times a week for a range of corporate functions, birthdays, engagement parties, weddings, hen’s nights and other events. Last week she took part in the annual Good Friday Appeal with performances at Etihad Stadium.

“Belly dancing is really forgiving when it comes to body size, so women of all shapes and sizes make
beautiful belly dancers,” she said. “It’s really good for your self-esteem. I’ve had some women cry when they dance, because they’re not used to being so in tune with their bodies.”

She also provides one-on-one tuition for people
wanting to get in touch with their inner belly dancer.
Kaylah told Star belly dancing was becoming just as popular among Westerners as Middle Eastern
people.

By CHARLENE MACAULAY
Star News Group

Kaylah Belly Dancer Melbourne
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