Caroline has been studying Arabian dance for 17 years and teaching for over 11 years. With Caroline Afifi she has co-taught residential courses, hosted dancers trips to Cairo and directed bellydance showcases. She has taken part in the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, appearing in the theatre show Sabrine and co-choreographing the Adara troupe.Caroline has studied with many local teachers as well as national and international teachers, as well as regularly attending festivals and workshops to update her skills and knowledge. Caroline believes regular trips to Cairo have helped her understand current trends in Egyptian dance and bring that knowledge to her teaching. She was also a dancer in Funoon Aljazeera folkloric dance company.Prior to taking up Egyptian dance, Caroline studied ballet, tap and modern dancing and completed her student ballet teaching qualification.Caroline is a warm, cheeky and vivacious dancer making her popular with fellow performers and students.
Kathy is a JWAAD accredited bellydance teacher, performs professionally through the Book-a-Belly bellydance agency as part of a duet with Carrie called 'Aayla Ras' and was a member of the Funoon Aljazeera folkloric dance company.Dancing of various genres has always been a part of my life. After dancing as a child, I became a qualified teacher of modern, tap and ballet. Later on, I took up Latin American dance and was in a squad of a highly successful Latin American Formation Team, performing in displays and participating in competitions. After becoming a primary school teacher and mother of two children, I had a period of 10 years with no dance and missed it!Then my sister found a belly dance class and ask me to go with her. I discovered the most beautiful genre of dance. This dance is a learning journey for me. It helped me to rediscover myself and that I am not just a mum and teacher! It helps me to keep fit and I have also met so many lovely and interesting people. It is a dance for any woman to enjoy and I strongly recommend it'.
Esther first started bellydance in 2000 at Edinburgh University under the tuition of the now Cairo-based bellydancer Lorna Gow. Not one to resist a freebie she was lured in by a free taster class and was hooked until she left university.Post-university travels and a lack of funds lead to a short hiatus from dance but she was drawn backagain by teachers Carol Hall and Caroline Afifi when settled in Liverpool.Esther particularly loves modern Egyptian, earthy Saidi and Shaabi bellydance styles and as a qualified makeup artist she also enjoys glitzing up her own and other dancers faces. She is currently a dancer for The Taste of Cairo bellydance agency and performs at restaurants, weddings and various corporate events (including the Labour Party conference). She also performs regularly and has taught workshops for Caroline Afifi's Casino el Layl. Esther was also a dancer in Funoon Aljazeera- a Middle Eastern Folkloric Dance Company Happy to consider herself an eternal student she continues learning through trips to Egypt and workshops from many of the bellydance greats. Esthers passion and joy for the dance is reflected in both her performances and teaching style.
Rosie first went to an introductory class in 2005 with Caroline Thorpe. She was instantly hooked, just like when a musician first picks up an instrument. She says "I couldnt do very many of the moves but I knew that I would be able to as it all made perfect sense". Rosie's first paid public performance was at a Moroccan themed night in a gastropub in 2007. Since then she has performed at: Unity Theatre, Casino el Layl, many haflas, birthday parties, in a marquee in Dorset, castles in Northumberland and Cheshire, a bedouin tent in Malpas (!) various restaurants in Cheshire and Manchester, village halls etc. She has also danced with Baladi Blues Band at the Baladi Boutique in Mollington in July 2011. Rosie is an experienced teacher, having taught at numerous introduction to bellydance workshops, classes/workshops on accents, arms, entrances, workshops on posture, confidence-building, presentation skills and even public-speaking (all using techniques from bellydance). Rosie is very passionate about Egyptian Dance, its benefits and culture which brings the experience alive for her students. One of her students said "I really enjoyed my classes with Rosie and, with her great teaching approach, I was able to attempt some steps and moves with confidence". Rosie is also a member of Funoon Aljazeera and Middle Eastern folkloric dance company.
Kathy Kathy is a JWAAD accredited bellydance teacher, performs professionally through the Book-a-Belly bellydance agency as part of a duet with Carrie called 'Aayla Ras' and was a member of the Funoon Aljazeera folkloric dance company.Dancing of various genres has always been a part of my life. After dancing as a child, I became a qualified teacher of modern, tap and ballet. Later on, I took up Latin American dance and was in a squad of a highly successful Latin American Formation Team, performing in displays and participating in competitions.After becoming a primary school teacher and mother of two children, I had a period of 10 years with no dance and missed it!Then my sister found a belly dance class and ask me to go with her. I discovered the most beautiful genre of dance. This dance is a learning journey for me. It helped me to rediscover myself and that I am not just a mum and teacher! It helps me to keep fit and I have also met so many lovely and interesting people. It is a dance for any woman to enjoy and I strongly recommend it'.I started going to a weekly Bellydance class in January 2006. I'd always fancied learning to Bellydance, and really enjoyed it from the start.
I first went on Caroline Thorpe and Caroline Afifi's trip to Cairo in 2007, and from then on have been in love with Egypt, and with Egyptian music and dance. I have performed at various shows including; Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, Unity theatre Showcase, Casino El Layl, and Raqs Brittania.In July 2008 I was thrilled to be asked to join the Taste of Cairo Dance Agency. Since then I have danced in restaurants, and at parties and events. I relish opportunities to learn from other dancers, and the buzz I get from performing. I was a member of the Funoon Aljazeera dance company which tours performing Middle Eastern folkloric dance
Carrie is a JWAAD accredited bellydance teacher, performs professionally through the Book-a-Belly bellydance agency and was a member of the Funoon Aljazeera folkloric dance company.Carrie has been dancing since a little girl. From the age of just 3 years old Carrie learnt ballet, tap and modern stage. At 21 she took a 15 year break from dance. About 7 years ago, while trying desperately to find some form of regular exercise that was fullfilling, she went to her very first Egyptian belly dance class and instantly fell in love! From that point Carrie has studied Egyptian dance on a regular basis with both UK and International teachers and continues to do so. Carrie is also a qualified JWAAD Arabic dance teacher, specialising in Egyptian, which is her passion. She is a professional Egyptian dancer for dance agendy 'Book A Belly', performing at a variety of occasions from private corporate functions to weddings, parties, performance platforms, theatre shows and fundraising events.
Carrie's has great passion and love for this beautiful, sensual and exciting art form. She throughly enjoys teaching this dance and strives to make lessons enjoyable for students of all abilities. She says 'this dance is for everyone, it's about the way the music excites you, the moves are a natural connection and give you a wonderful sense of wellbeing'