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 Diboll Mind & Body Studio 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 former Bayou Shimmy Dance Studio in Baton Rouge, and at Touro Infirmary's Alternative Therapies Center.
Iona was 2007-8 Vice President of the Middle Eastern Dance Artists of Louisiana, which serviced dancers and musicians in the state. Iona was a recurrent Emcee for Belly Dance showcases in the southeast community, 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. She is also a continuing performance member of the Betty Karam and the Desert Dancers ensemble. She is the owner/ manager of IONA Productions, LLC based in Old Jefferson, Louisiana, USA.
Along with dance, Iona works in allied health as a Speech-Language Pathologist. She is licensed by the Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (LBESPA) and is a practicing SLP in a school setting. She is nationally certified and is a professional member of both American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and Louisiana Speech-Language Hearing Association (LSHA).
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 known as Raks Sharki or Danse Oriental. She employs props to add flair, drama, and grace to performance, including Candles and Candle Trays, Cane, Isis Wings, Sword, Veil, and Zills (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, style, and performance.
VIDEO: Iona has some fun with petit candle tray and the audience,
at a student showcase in Baton Rouge, LA.
TRAINING
Iona's performance presence is strengthened by Master's level Theatre training and dedicated study. Iona thanks her theatre stage movement/dance teachers, Dollie Rivas and Yvonne Olivier, for inspiring her to explore other genres of dance. Iona began belly dance training in 2000 with her first stage performance in 2001 with Betty Karam and the Desert Dancers. Iona studied technique principally with Betty Karam in New Orleans, and also with Layla Isis and Shamsi of Baton Rouge. She pusues her ongoing education and teacher training by attending classes/workshops with internationally renown dance artists including Amaya, Amel Tafsout, Ansuya, Artemis, Eva Cernik, Hadia, Jillina, Morocco, Rachel George, Roxxanne Shellaby, Sahra Saeeda, Sonia, and Suhaila Salimpour, and with percussionists Jeremiah Soto, Tobias Roberson, and Shelly Plaissance. Iona is honored to have had the opportunity to take classes with (the late) Serena Wilson while in New York in 2004.
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Stage, TV Appearances, and Special Events
Amaya's Wise Women Retreat, Albuquerque Bayou Beledi Showcases, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Orleans Bellementals: A Pharoah's Dream, New Orleans Cultures in Motion, New Orleans DramaRama, Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), New Orleans Femme Fest, New Orleans Fest for All, Baton Rouge Good Morning New Orleans, ABC26 Healing Arts International Festival, New Orleans House of Blues: Foundation Room, New Orleans (private) International Food and Music Festival, Tulane University, New Orleans Jillina Workshop Showcase, Charleston Komenka's Ethnic Fallapalooza, New Orleans Le Chat Noir, New Orleans New Orleans Musuem of Art Odyssey Ball, New Orleans Oasis Raks, Lafayette Roast of the Town, Eric Paulsen; Delgado College Benefit, New Orleans Royal Orleans Hotel, New Orleans Russian Winter Festival, Jefferson Shimmy for the Shelter semi-annual Benefits, Baton Rouge Shimmy Showcase 2011, New Orleans Southern Voices: dance out LOUD 4, CAC, New Orleans Tipitina's, New Orleans (private) The Villavicencio Show, NOATV Women Empowered & Loving Life (W.E.L.L.) Benefit, New Orleans Yo Mama's, New Orleans
Restaurants & Lounges: Louisiana
Aladdin's, Covington Arzi's, Baton Rouge Bank Street Bar and Grill, New Orleans Four Points Sheraton, Metairie The Grapevine, Baton Rouge Hookah Cafe, New Orleans Phoenicia's Restaurant, Metairie Red Velvet Hookah Lounge, New Orleans Zaynati's Restaurant, Slidell
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Interviews
Yallah Magazine, FL, 2011
Good Morning New Orleans, ABC26, 2010
The Belly Dance Chronicles, TX, 2010
Where Y'at Entertainment Magazine, LA, 2009
Times Picayune States Item--"Metairie Picayune", LA , 2009
The Villavicencio Show, NOATV, 2009, 2006