Jillanna Babb-Cheshul

Jillanna's students benefit from her extensive study of belly dance as well as her expertise as an artist, art historian, and teacher (of art, art history, writing, and dance). Her classes include cultural and historical context as well as technique and original choreography. She helps students to recognize and move to rhythms and to understand the music of the Middle East, teaching and performing with finger cymbals and tambourine. She began study of music and rhythm at an early age, specializing in piano and flute. Later she added drumming and guitar, and worked for five years as a disc jockey at WREK 91.1 FM Atlanta, where she gained an extensive knowledge of all musical genres.

She has danced and choreographed her own dances since childhood. When she began taking classes and workshops in the art of Middle Eastern belly dance more than a decade ago, she felt overjoyed! Her first years of study were with her beloved teacher Rose Champagne, who influenced her style tremendously and encouraged her love of the dance and Middle Eastern culture.

Jillanna's training includes Egyptian, Lebanese, Greek, & Turkish styles; folk dances of the Middle East and North Africa; and fusion styles (Tribal Fusion and an introduction to ATS). An avid fan of a wide range musical genres, she strives to understand the rhythms, styles, and influences of the artists whose music moves her to dance. She has a University of Massachusetts Masters degree in art history, majoring in Modern & Contemporary European and American art, with studies in Islamic and African art. She was awarded a graduate fellowship in the study of African art in 2000. Her yearning for understanding of the origins and historical development of musical, dance, and performance styles continues to motivate her research.

She is also a professional visual artist; her paintings and drawings have been included in exhibitions and collections across the country. Her undergraduate degree is in fine arts (Amherst College, summa cum laude), with honors in painting (theme: "Visceral Reality"). She currently focuses most of her creative energy into dance choreography and teaching, occasionally working with henna (mendhi) when she is not too busy with dancing.

She has studied with many wonderful professional dancers, including Rose Champagne, Attar Mellea, Emuna, and Leyla Jouvana. She has also furthered her education in workshops with Elizabeth Artemis Mourat, Eva Cernik, Morocco, Liora, Jillina, Alexia, Mahsati Janan, Natalie Brown & Gina. She has been most fortunate to study with Mahmoud Reda as well.

An avid student as well as teacher, she continues to learn & grow by attending workshops, performances, and studying dance and art daily. She enjoys teaching, creating choreography, organizing events, and directing her troupes. She also performs solo and with her troupes and other groups as often as her schedule will allow, and enjoys creating choreography for other dancers and troupes who request commissions.

Teachers:

Rose Champagne: basics/foundation; styles: Arabic, Egyptian (Baladi; Shaabi; Pharoanic); ATS/Tribal Fusion; props: candles, veils, finger cymbals); performance and stage presence; belly dance professionalism.

Attar Mellea: ATS/Tribal Fusion; Veil; performance and stage presence.

Emuna: finger cymbals.

Jillina: Egyptian raks sharki technique and choreography.

Alexia: Egyptian raks sharki technique and choreography.

Mahsati Janan: Egyptian technique; combinations & layering; style comparisons)

Liora: tribal fusion technique; arms and hands.

Natalie Brown: ATS/tribal fusion technique.

Gina: Egyptian raks sharki technique & choreography.

Leyla Jouvana & Roland: Styles: Egyptian (raks sharki; Saidi; Pharoanic; Baladi); Saudi/Khaleegy; Afro-Mambo-Samba-Fusion; Hungarian; Bollywood); Rhythms and Shimmies (extensive intensives, covering more than 15 rhythms, their history/meaning, and how to move to them); arms and hands; 7 veils/double veil; tambourine; private lessons in technique and choreography.

Artemis Mourat: Turkish Oriental technique intensive, including improvisation; travel steps; spins and turns; layering combinations; belly undulations/rolls.

Eva Cernik: Turkish Oriental technique intensive; layering/combinations; travels/spins and turns; abdominal isolations; silk veil technique.

Morocco: Technique intensive and choreography in Tunisian, Romani and Ghawazee styles, with extensive cultural/historical background.

Mahmoud Reda: Classic Egyptian technique and choreography, plus a wonderfully informative question and answer session and beautiful description/lecture about his experiences and background.

"Of course I also study and research independently, and have a large collection of resources in my library, and network of professionals with whom to consult. The actual live workshops are so much better for study, however, and I value them beyond compare. Meeting Mahmoud Reda was a highlight of my life! And I absolutely adore Leyla Jouvana and Roland; as you can see, I've studied with them quite a bit. There is no replacement for these experiences! I've been belly dancing for more than a decade, and will never stop growing and learning! Belly dance is a rich art form, and continues to develop as an art. Art that stagnates dies.. so I embrace fusion and new ideas, and bring my own original ideas to dance and performance art. I also honor and promote the classic and folk styles of belly dance, and credit the cultures and countries from which these styles originated. I am extremely grateful for this beautiful art form that enriches my life, and do love to share my passion for belly dancing. I love belly dance... I am truly passionate and obsessed. Its not my only performance activity; I also act participate in various projects (Monsters Anonymous; Shock Theater; etc) and create performances inspired by DADA and Surrealist art, theater, and vaudeville."

~Jillanna