Join Jersey City ~ Hoboken Bellydance Meetup @ the Journal Square Cafe to see Paola Blanton tonight, Sat March 28th @ 11:30. Paolo will be doing one long set of 10 songs. Paola Blanton?s roots are in the Folkloric Dances of her native Macedonia and the Balkans. She began bellydancing in 1992 in Chicago before her career as an educator took her to Brazil, where she immersed herself in Raqs Sharqi for eight years, to continue her journey studying and teaching worldwide. She now works in theater and dance productions and festivals worldwide. For the past five years, Paola has studied the dance legacy of Isadora Duncan, which opened a whole new level of expression, intelligence and grace to the art of Oriental Dance. Currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Paola weaves her eclectic background into a unique style taking from the earthiness of Balkan, the universality of Duncan, and the influence of great Egyptian masters such Mahmoud Reda, Aida Nour and many others. Her work is increasingly featured at international festivals. International dance scholar Paola Blanton hails from Macedonia, the US, Brazil, and most recently, Malaysia. Her life journey has taken her around the world as part of an international teaching team with her husband Gary. Paola?s roots are in the folkloric dances of the Balkans. Her passion for Oriental Dance ignited in Chicago, 1992, taking her on an epic journey of discovery. On the way, her personal style bloomed in South American and Asian-flavored varieties, but always centers on her enduring love of Middle Eastern dance and music. She has worked in theater productions, TV shows, onstage, and performed for royalty. (CV available upon request) But she?s very at home in the studio and her heart pours into her teaching. Her belief is that dance can help each one of us unlock our own inner secrets, and that?s what she?s really excited about. In 2005, she discovered the teacher who would change her outlook on dance forever. Isadora Duncan?s philosophy crystallized the practices, attitudes, and skills of the Dancer of the Future, ?one whose body and soul have grown so harmoniously together that the natural language of that soul will have become the movement of the body.? To the pursuit of this state, which makes any dance form more intelligent and genuine, Paola dedicates a great deal of her energy. Her aim is to lure students into an evocative world of rich imagery, expression, and enjoyment through dances composed in the spirit of love ? love of music, dance, and dancer. She believes you can never really learn to ?dance for someone? until you?ve learned to dance for yourself. Paola welcomes you on a musical, rhythmic, kinetic, magical journey. From folklore to fusion to conceptual, you will find unique elements and approaches that she welcomes you to make your own. Spirit, emotion, technique, and style are rendered in a well-researched, inspiring, yet lighthearted format dedicated to student discovery and enjoyment. http://yalla-bina.net/ Journal Square Cafe ~ Cafe Il Salimaniya Our Official Meetup Place! Join Us! 201.217.4411 journalsquarecafe At Gmail Dot Com (2881 Kennedy Blvd~Lowes Theatre Across the Street from Journal Square PATH. Cafe on 2nd floor. Entrance next to McDonald's.) (Logo created by Eberjan Purugganan) Yours in the Dance, Birnur Organizer Jersey City ~ Hoboken Bellydance Meetup