About IONA, Belly Dancer & Instructor

SCROLL DOWN for more about IONA and her PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

AFFILIATIONS

Iona currently teaches Belly Dance classes at Tulane University's Reily Student Recreation Center in New Orleans and at Tapas Yoga and Movement Studio in Metairie. She has had the pleasure to teach belly dance as a guest instructor at Crescent Lotus Dance Studio in New Orleans, at Bayou Shimmy Dance Studio in Baton Rouge  (Thanks, Ladies!), and at Touro Infirmary's Alternative Therapies Center.

Iona is a member of MEDALA and was 2007-8 Vice President of the Middle Eastern Dance Artists of Louisiana, which services dancers and musicians in the state. Iona is a recurrent Emcee for Belly Dance showcases, lending her Theatre skills and humor to the evenings' events.

Iona is the director and choreographer for the Beledi Jewels student troupe in New Orleans and also a continuing performance member of the Betty Karam and the Desert Dancers ensemble. (Thanks, Betty! Smooches!)

Along with dance, Iona works in the allied health field of Speech-Language Pathology. She is a nationally certified, practicing SLP in a school setting and a professional member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

LOCALE

Iona is available for belly dancing performance and instruction in the Greater New Orleans area and most of southeastern Louisiana.  Additional travel is possible. Please check out Iona's Booking Options and email for your specific price quote.

PERSONA

With a background in Theatre production and Fine Arts, Iona truly takes an artistic and audience-focused approach to every performance. While Iona's dance energy is playful and sensual, she maintains a joyful stage persona that is both warm and family-oriented. Her name Iona, 'purple jewel', is a tribute to her grandmother, Iona Meneray, also an Arts enthusiast and New Orleans native.

STYLES

Iona performs and teaches glitzy Cabaret, earthy Folkloric, and Gypsy Fusion styles of Belly Dance, also referred to as Raks Sharki or Danse Oriental. She often incorporates props and balancing to add flair, drama, and grace to performance, including use of Candles and Candle Trays, Cane, Isis Wings, Sword, Veil, and Zils (finger cymbals). Balancing skills are her specialty, including both sword and candle tray.  As a troupe leader and instructor, Iona fosters the students' interests in stage presentation and performance. (for ATS/Tribal instruction & performance in the New Orleans area, visit the gals of n.o.madic or Indudala Tribe )

TRAINING

Iona's performance presence is strengthened by Master's level Theatre training and dedicated study. Iona gives special thanks to her early stage movement/dance teachers for inspiring her to explore other genres of dance: Dollie Rivas and Yvonne Olivier. Iona has studied and performed belly dance since 2001. In Louisiana area, she has trained principally with Betty Karam, Layla Isis, and Shamsi of Baton Rouge.  She has also trained with other internationally renown dance artists like Amaya, Amel Tafsout, Ansuya, Artemis, Eva Cernik, Hadia, Jillina, Morocco, Sahra Saeeda, Sonia, Suhaila Salimpour, the late Serena Wilson, and with percussionists Jeremiah Soto, Tobias Roberson, and Shelly Plaissance. 

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Stage, TV Appearances, and Special Events

Bayou Beledi, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Orleans LA                                       Bellementals: A Pharoah's Dream, New Orleans, LA                                                   Cultures in Motion, New Orleans LA                                                                           DramaRama, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans LA                                         Femme Fest, New Orleans LA                                                                                 Fest for All, Baton Rouge LA                                                                                       Jillina Workshop Showcase, Charleston, SC                                                   Komenka's Ethnic Fallapalooza,  New Orleans LA                                                       Le Chat Noir, New Orleans, LA                                                                                    New Orleans Musuem of Art Odyssey Ball, New Orleans LA                                   Oasis Raks, Lafayette, LA                                                                                    Roast of the Town, Eric Paulsen; Delgado College Benefit, New Orleans, LA               Royal Orleans Hotel, New Orleans LA                                                                          Russian Winter Festival, Jefferson, LA                                                           Tipitina's, New Orleans LA                                                                                      The Villavicencio Show, (repeat guest) NOATV                                                   Winter Wonders Showcase, Battered Women's Shelter Benefit, Baton Rouge, LA

Restaurants

Aladdin's, Covington LA                                                                                     Arzi's, Baton Rouge LA                                                                                              Bank Street Bar and Grill, New Orleans LA                                                              Four Points Sheraton, Metairie LA                                                                             The Grapevine, Baton Rouge LA                                                                                Hookah Cafe, New Orleans  LA                                                                       Phoenicia's Restaurant, Metairie, LA                                                                      Red Velvet Hookah Lounge, New Orleans, LA                                                        Zaynati's Restaurant, Slidell LA