Over the years I have been thankful to be invited to perform my belly dance show at many Harmony Day Celebrations across Melbourne. 21 March is Harmony Day and it is a day to celebrate Australian multiculturalism. Harmony Day is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background.

How to celebrate!  Let’s come together with friends and family and through schools, workplaces and our wider communities to celebrate our diversity on and beyond 21 March.

We can organise Harmony Day Entertainment in most parts of Melbourne, be it for your school, workplace, women's groups, community centre, aged care facility or fitness centres. We can also provide dance shows and group workshops for people with disabilities. 

Cultural dance shows include: Egyptian Bellydance, Arabian Nights Belly Dance Show, Turkish Bellydance, Bollywood Dance, Greek Belly Dance and more!

We are available on Harmony Day, or other times throughout the year for you to celebrate. Our dancer is available on weekday timeslots during the day! Perfect for centres and facilities during the day.

To enquire, please CLICK HERE to fill out the form. We will get back to you soon.

Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Day. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. Australians can choose to wear something orange on 21 March to show their support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia.

Need more ideas, inspiration or help with organising an upcoming Hens Night?

This expert guide "How to Host a Fabulous Hen's Party", written by party planning extraordinaire Fiona Amarasinghe of Easy Breezy Parties, provides you with practical advice on everything from selecting the venue, communication with guests, budgeting, through to games to play on the night and more, to help ensure your Hens Night runs smoothly and is enjoyable for everyone.

With over a decade of experience as a professional belly dancer and having organised hundreds of Hen's Parties, Fiona's guide can help you save time and money while giving the Hen a party she will love.

What sort of party?
Consider the hen’s personality – does she like to hit the town, have quieter time with friends, try new things? The lead-up to the wedding is a stressful time and an activity that makes her relax or laugh will be well appreciated. Here’s some themes you might consider:

• Pamper Princess – organise a trip to a health retreat, or have service providers come to you. Consider hiring a manicure/pedicurist, masseur, henna artist, yoga instructor.
• Dancing Queen – Invite an instructor for an hour’s workshop – try Bellydance, Bollywood dance, burlesque, hip hop. Either travel to a studio or have them come to you. Create a whole party theme around the Middle East or Bollywood, with matching decor and food. You could also invite a tarot reader or henna artist.
• Wine And Dine – Organise a trip to a winery for a tour, tasting and dinner. Or line up a fabulous restaurant followed by a function room at a glamorous bar.
• Naughty But Nice – Visit a pole dancing studio, or have a lesson in burlesque dance. Try some home shopping of the sexy lingerie variety. Enhance the atmosphere with some naughtily named cocktails.
• Try Something New – Book a lesson in sailing, golf, cooking or wine tasting, art or craft. Or try a balloon flight, ferry day-trip or regional tour.
  

Before the day

• Put some thought into decorations, and allow twice as long as you think you’ll need to set them up! Try these ideas:

• Create a harem atmosphere with swathes of hung material, cushions, coloured lightbulbs and an oil burner or incense.

• For an exotic pamper environment added potted palms, ferns or bamboo; bowls filled with water or pebbles and floating candles; bamboo table runners; even a ‘sounds of nature’ CD.
• Just for fun, cover the front door and entrance-way with ‘danger,’ ‘crime scene’ or ‘hens party’ banners (available at party supply outlets) and fill the room with helium balloons.
• If you’re using a function space, ask the venue what special decorations they can provide (such as table settings and candelabras), or arrange a time to come in and set up your own.
• Prepare for any party games you might play.
  

Running the party

• Provide name-tags for everyone. You can make it fun by giving each person a character, such as ‘Princess Holly’ or ‘Nutty Aunty Jenny,’ or letting them choose their own.
• Allow at least half an hour for people to arrive and mingle before formal activities begin.
• Consider having an ice-breaker activity, to help everyone relax and get to know each other. A dance lesson or similar activity is great for this, especially if everyone joins in. It will also give guests something to talk about afterwards.
• Have a few games up your sleeve, in case there’s a lull. Some ideas include:
  • Who’s That Girl? -  A quiz about the hen that everyone has to answer (this can be done with teams calling out the answers, or with everyone writing down their answers, later tallied up). To make up the quiz, ask everyone to email a memory or little known fact about the hen in advance.
  • Who’s The Man? - A quiz about the groom, which the hen has to answer. Before the date, ask the groom to name his favourite film, the first thing he said when meeting the hen, what brand of shaver he uses, etc. Then ask the hen the same questions about her groom – if she answers incorrectly, she has to perform some forfeit.
  • Peg Legs - At the start of the party, give everyone four clothes pegs, which they can clip onto their clothes. At any time during the party, if a guest sees another guest cross their legs, she can take one of their pegs. At the end of the party, the winner is the guest that has the most pegs.
    

Top Tips for a Successful Hens Party

• Set the date and communicate it early.
• Sort out the following early on:
  • Basic outline of activities and time frames.
  • Approximate budget, and how money will be collected.
  • Book in venues and service providers.
• Nominate one person as the chief co-ordinator and point of contact.
• Before the day:
  • Plan your decorations...and leave twice as much time as you think you’ll need!
  • Organise name tags.
  • Do any preparation required for games.
• At the party:
  • Allow for late arrivals before formal activities begin.
  • Use an ‘ice breaker’ activity to introduce guests.
  • Have a few games up your sleeve in case there’s a lull – but don’t overdo it! Allow time for unstructured socialising.

Keep the focus on the hen some of the time, but allow her to relax and enjoy herself un-harassed.

Belly Dance or Bollywood Party

For an unforgettable girls' night in Melbourne that's glamorous, energetic and just a little bit cheeky, you can't go past a Bellydance or Bollywood Hen’s Party Package with Kaylah!

Party package includes:

• A short, professional dance performance to inspire your guests.
• A dance lesson - we'll have everyone swaying those hips and shimmying in no time. 
• A fabulous costume for the hen to wear, plus colourful scarves for all guests wear at the party to add some bling. 
• A gift bag for the hen – containing a coined hip scarf and a music CD of the latest Bellydance and Bollywood beats.

Workshops last for one hour and are suitable for women and girls of all ages. We'll come to your home or venue, or can arrange studio hire.

For more information request a quote here 
or contact Kaylah on [email protected]

Hints For A Successful Bellydance or Bollywood Dance Workshop

“What space do I need?”

• Ideally, everyone should be able to stand with their arms outstretched. We can work in more restricted spaces, but this may limit what we can do.
• If you’re in a restaurant, book a private function room, away from curious onlookers. Guests need to feel comfortable to fully participate.
• Clear away low-hanging decorations, such as balloons, and ensure the floor is free of objects. No slippery carpets, please! Also push back furniture and keep drinks/food well out of the way. We’ll be moving a lot, so we don’t want any accidents.
• Outdoor spaces can be great in good weather. However, uneven ground, pavers, broken concrete or wide-set wooden slats are not safe surfaces to dance on. You’ll need to supply power for the CD player.
• Studio hire can usually be arranged across Melbourne. Allow ~$80 hire charge, and give as much advance notice as possible. Hired studios usually don’t allow food or drink at the venue, so arrange to meet elsewhere for refreshments before or after.

“What time should we book the workshop for?”

• Allow at least an extra half hour after your party start time for latecomers, as our dancers may have subsequent bookings and can’t run late.
• It’s not ideal to eat a full meal right before the session. Light snacks and a glass of wine are fine. Evening sessions often work well before dinner or slotted in between entrees and main course. Note: if you’re relying on restaurant service, allow extra time for them to start serving late. Don’t plan on combining your eating and dancing time together.

“What do we do about the music?”

• We’ll need a sound system capable of playing CDs or with mp3 connection, at sufficient volume, and within easy arms reach (not behind the bar or in another room). Our dancers will happily bring their own system upon request.
• Expect to make some noise! If you’re in a public venue, make sure the management and other patrons are OK about this.

“Can we keep the activity a surprise?”

• Yes! Let us know in advance and our dancer can text or call you upon arrival. You can usher her into a private room to put on her costume, then she can burst out with a surprise performance.

“Can everyone participate? Is it a safe activity?”

• Absolutely. Bellydance and Bollywood dance are suitable for women and girls young and old – even men are welcome to try, too! Pregnant women experiencing a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy should also be able to do most moves, but should let the dancer know of their condition. There are a few moves that should be modified.
• We highly recommend removing high heeled or slide-on shoes for dancing. We cannot accept liability for any injuries caused if shoes are not removed.
  
  

© Easy Breezy Parties 2016
Article by Fiona Amarasinghe of Easy Breezy Parties. Posted by Kaylah Bellydancer Melbourne with permission from the author.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

We will be soon reviewing the movie "Just like a Woman" featuring Sienna Miller. The actress dons a brunet wig and undertook 3 months of dance training to learn some moves for the film. We will be sharing our reviews soon. Have you seen it yet?? Let us know what you think?? 

Night of the Awalim Show & Workshops - Melbourne 13th-15th April 2012

I was very excited when I heard that Yasmina of Cario was coming to Melbourne for a bellydance show and series of workshops. I had heard fantastic reviews of her workshops overseas and now after participating in her sessions I know why! She is great - as a performer she really knows how to light up a room and as an instructor she is friendly and generous in her teaching. 

The Friday night show at the Thornbury Theatre was a real firecracker – enough to spark up any dancer thinking of retiring to the couch for winter! The show
featured the beautiful Yasmina, Shamira from Adelaide, Amera from Sydney, many Melbourne dancers and the crowd favourite; Yasmina’s 10 year old son as the MC who managed to charm us all!

Yasmina’s style is Egyptian Oriental with her own individual flavor. I enjoyed her dances as well as her unique and colorful costumes. My favourite routine of the night was Yasmina’s funky Shaabi piece with a lot of cheeky attitude. To reflect the street-style of the dance, Yasmina wore fitted denim jeans and a
denim bellydance bra, both covered in sequins, hearts and crystals!!
 
I participated in 3 of the workshops over the weekend; Cairo Technique, Egyptian Film Session and Shaabi. I found Yasimina to be an excellent workshop teacher, taking time to explain the various techniques and how they fit to the music. I believe the workshops sold out, which is understandable considering the quality of the tuition.

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from Yasmina of Cairo and would like to thank Barbara and all the ladies at Bellydance Kizmet for their hardwork organising it all.

2011 World Belly Convention - Korea
Kaylah and drummer Yeow are excited to be travelling to the World Belly Convention in Korea in June. They are participating in belly dance and folkdance workshops with Tamallyn Dallal, Momo Kadous and drumming workshops with Karim Nagi. Kaylah & Yeow will also be performing their live drum solo at the Closing Dinner Party. More details on the World Bellydancing Convetion here.

Finding the Heartbeat of Middle Eastern Dance Through Drum 
Published in the Newsletter for the Organisation of Middle Eastern Dance in Australia, March 2011

I’m Kaylah, a belly dancer from Melbourne. Over the past few years I have been learning the Egyptian tabla and the Moroccan bendir, which is a type of frame drum.  I would like to share some of the wonderful insights I have learnt as I progressed through my journey learning drumming and how that has changed me as a dancer.

Understanding of the Music
I have always been told that our aim as the dancer is to interpret and express the music. Middle Eastern music is quite complex, so what a wonderfully challenging job that is!

This is hard to explain, but I’m sure you dancers understand what I mean. I had been listening to Middle Eastern music for so many years, that over time I had got the ‘feel’ of how songs went.

In drumming classes I learnt how song structure works, how the rhythms are repeated, the common patterns and how all this fits together.  It explained ‘why’ the songs sound like they do.  I learnt the kind of music where each rhythm is played.  It is said the heartbeat of Middle Eastern music is the rhythm. Suddenly it all made sense in a logical way and added to my ability to feel the song. I love Middle Eastern music even more now because of this!

It’s so Much Fun!
Learning the technique has been challenging however, with practice, my drumming became more fluent and sounded better. Performing has been great fun, I have met fantastic people and I have even drummed for some of you dancers!

Dance Improvisation - Not so Scary Now
Knowing the rhythms provides me with comfort while I’m dancing as I have an idea of what to expect next in the music.  If I know the rhythm I can stick with that or follow the other layers of the music and let them take me where they will, then I can always come back to the rhythm.  

Over the years I have been performing as a dancer, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to dance with many live bands. Some of them I have known the musicians, others I was not familiar with their music. Drumming has helped me because even if I didn’t know the song, being familiar with the rhythms gave me confidence to get in the moment of the music, listen with my whole body and let the music come out.

Zilling – No problem!
Before drumming I had rarely used zills in my dance sets for fear of party guests stuffing their ears with serviettes!  I have found that the drumming patterns easily translate to zills and they just automatically flow out while I am dancing. I love zilling now and it adds a really lively atmosphere to a dancing show.

Cultural
Learning the history, background and stories behind the rhythms is really interesting. I love the story of the fellahi rhythm used amongst villagers to play their fast folk songs and imagine them dancing on their farms in Egypt!

Communication with and further respect for musicians
I can speak the musician’s language and know what they mean by ‘the song starts off with pure baladi phrases, followed by powerful masmoudi and strong saidi rhythms’.  Knowing this in advance, even without hearing the song gives me indication of how the song may feel.

It also gives me the option to ask for something in particular when planning a show with musicians e.g. in addition to the popular songs that the band enjoy playing I sometimes ask for a slow, dramatic chiftetelli to give me a bit of a breather and break up a very fast paced set.

I also see how passionate the musicians are. Just as we dancers train for many years, investing time, money as well as blood sweat and tears into our art, so do musicians. As the show approaches when we are planning and rehearsing, so are the musicians. The effort they put is enormous and we are eternally grateful and appreciative.

I started out on this journey not knowing where it would go, just knowing that I love Middle Eastern music. I now know I have truly found the heartbeat of Middle Eastern music through drumming. From one dancer to another, I say to you, if you have the opportunity to take a drumming class or workshop, go for it.  I know you will love it and you can even borrow my drum!!

Kaylah is available to teach workshops for bellydancers on "Dancing to live drumming" as well as "Introductory Drumming for Bellydancers".

Belly Dance Performances and Belly Dancing Workshops in Melbourne and surrounding areas. Hire a belly dancer for Birthday Parties, weddings, Hens Nights & More. Contact Us

18-24 February 2011 - Australian Body Art Awards - Daylesford
Kaylah will be performing at the Australian Body Art Awards! 
A week of National Face & Body Painting competitions and public performances at the Daylesford Town Hall.
Free face painting for children on Saturday 19th February between 9am to 10am at The Rex Arcade Daylesford.

The Australian Body Art Awards & Face/Body Painting Convention will be held in Daylesford Victoria from 18th to 24nd of February 2011. It is Australia's Face & Body Painting event of the year!!! For the first time in Daylesford, the public will be able to experience the live art form unfold.  Painted models will be performing on stage at The Daylesford Town Hall on Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th of February at 8.00pm.  

There are competitions in Face Painting, Body Painting, UV Body Painting & Special FX. These National Titles are affiliated with The World Body Painting Association. Daylesford will be hosting this unique event annually, attracting the best face and body artists in Australia and the World. Competitors are from all around Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia & Korea. The Australian Body Art Awards are the most prestigious awards in the country for Face & Body Artists.

Daylesford Town Hall, 76 Vincent St., Daylesford. Contact us for more info.

Saturday 19 February 2011 - Werribee Wetlands Community Festival
Werribee Wetlands Community Festival is an annual event that aims to celebrate and promote diversity and harmony throughout Wyndham. You are invited to enjoy an evening of exciting local talent, dance and workshops that promise to entertain all members of the community. Come along to taste the amazing food and join in the fun!

Belly dance demonstrations and ‘come and try’ bellydance workshops presented by Kaylah & Sianna accompanied by their live drummers.

Time: 5pm to 10pm - Belly dance workshops every 30mins
Venue: Heathdale Glen Orden Wetlands Mel Ref: 206 C3
More Info:Here

Sunday 5 Febuary 2011 – Wholistic Festival of Life - Preston
Come and visit the Expo and meet with up to 50 Exhibitors who will be offering Tarot, Angel Cards, Crystal Ball and Palm Readings. See a huge selection of Crystals, Stones and Jewelry, as well as Natural Therapies products and Health Foods.  Free bellydance workshop at 1:30. Darebin Arts Centre, Cnr St Georges Rd & Bell St, Preston, Melbourne.

January 2011
We were delighted to put together an extravagant bellydance floorshow for an all women's group at an Afghani Engagement Party.  We were also busy with several birthdays, surprised a CEO at his farewell function, performed at an Israeli wedding, danced at an Egyptian Theme Party, ran workshops at several Hen's parties as well as a show at an engagement party at the Grand Star Receptions, Melbourne.

In early February we had the joy of performing with Lebanese singer Louis Kattoura and his band at a wedding.



Belly Dance Performances and Belly Dance Workshops in Melbourne & surrounding areas. Hire a belly dancer for Birthday Parties, weddings, Hens Nights & More. Contact us to enquire.