Dance is a lifelong journey for me. My love for dance began at age 7 and the road ahead of me is long. My formative years were spent studying ballet and jazz, with a little modern and even hip-hop along the way. My world was rocked when I saw my first up close and personal belly dancer at Marrakesh Restaurant. It was Amy Sigil, although I didn't know it until years later when I attended my first workshop at Hot Pot. Wow! Just wow...I signed up for my first belly dance class soon after. In the years since I have discovered the wonderfully large and diverse MENAHT and Fusion belly dance community we are so fortunate to have in Sacramento and surrounding areas. I have attended classes and workshops from as many dancers and styles as possible, and am eternally curious and excited to learn much, much more. While I have led classes and groups of dancers, I don't think of myself as a "teacher". I am,and will always be, a student who loves to share all that I learn. So come join me on my dance journey and let's move that body!
Ayre Briar has been teaching and performing bellydance for more than 10 years. She has studied a variety of dance formats and has performed in several dance troupes, including the highly acclaimed Bollywood group, the Mona Khan Dance Company.
Ayre Briar
Saturdays - Bombay Jam
Trudie Hegel has over 17 years of study with the best dancers the MENAHT and Fusion Bellydance communities have to offer. Her education has been varied with studies in Turkish and Egyptian dance, Hot Pot fusion and ITS. Trudie is proud to have completed the globally recognized Jamila Salimpour Level 1 certification, as well as other Fusion Bellydance programs. In addition to bellydance, Trudie studied Kahiko Hula with the legendary San Francisco-based Halau o' Keikiali’i and has performed at the Pacific Rim Festival, as well as Harlow's Hula supper shows in Sacramento. Trudie is the creative director of the all-inclusive group of amateur dancers known as Hoi Polloi Fusion Dance, established in 2013.
Kim Bainbridge
Thursdays - Expressions Dance
Trudie Hegel
Owner, Creative Director of Hoi Polloi Dance Studio and the Hoi Polloi Fusion Dance Ensemble dance group
Meet our Instructors, Coaches, Facilitators
JanLowry
Thursdays - Dancing Goddesses
Jan Lowry has a lifelong interest in dance beginning with ballet and then coming to Belly Dance over 15 years ago. She has danced with Azar and Dancers of the Mystic Sun where she obtained her Beginning Teacher Certification. She has also danced with Jewels of the North. Jan has a small troup called The Dancing Goddesses, which is a collaborative troop where all contribute to the dances they perform. She has also hosted a Halloween Hafla in Placerville. Currently Jan dances with Hoi Polloi Fusion Dance.
Jan teaches traditional Turkish and Egyptian for the foundation but focuses on good posture and proper alignment so the dancer flows without risk of injury. She teaches multi level dancers so everyone is welcome. You don't need to know how to dance, but just come and explore movement with us!