MEDAH Member Instructors

Lynette Day (Maui)

Lynette Day has been a student of many styles of belly dance since 1998. A former member of Seattle’s Troupe Hipnotica, her interests have ranged from classical and folkloric dance of the Middle East to synchronized group improvisation and American fusion.

Lynette has completed all four phases of study in Rachel Brice’s 8 Elements™ approach, of which she is a recognized official Datura™ Style teacher. She has worked as an occupational therapist since 2005 and enjoys using a therapeutic approach when teaching her students. She finds it important to educate her students on how belly dance can decrease the effects of the aging process.

She currently is the director of Maui Belly Dance Company and has developed an improv vocabulary with her collaborator, Andria Perkins, on Maui. This improv vocabulary includes cued combos with complex and dynamic zil patterns.

Belly Dance and Occupational Therapy are Lynette’s passions and she’s excited to be integrating them!

Check out more about Lynette at her website!

Sammie in Hawaii (Oahu)

Sammie is a belly dance instructor and performer on the island of Oahu. She directs anywhere from 2-5 performance troupes in a given season, and has had the honor of serving as MEDAH President from 2019-2021.

Sammie's love of belly dance began when she joined the student organization, Hill and Veil at Virginia Tech in Spring of 2007. For the rest of her time as an undergraduate, a Master's student, and a Doctoral student, Sammie remained involved with belly dance as a way to stay active, relieve stress, and make lifelong friendships - things that she hopes to bring to all of her dance students.

As a dancer, Sammie continually seeks to challenge herself through participating in workshops and classes with a variety of instructors, creating new choreography, and performing! She has taken a wide variety of workshops with instructors in many different styles - all of which have played a role in her growth and development as a dancer.

CLASSES: Sammie pretty much ALWAYS has classes going on. Her in-person offerings are held at Aloha Dancesport Center in Honolulu (Sunday afternoons), and she also teaches periodic live Zoom classes! Classes are mixed-level and open to beginners unless otherwise specified.

Please contact Sammie for the most current pricing/packaging information, or visit her on social media for the latest happenings! Sammie is also available for private events, lessons, and performances (live and virtual). She'd love to assist in making any event you host more special!

To contact Sammie:

Email: sammieinhawaii@gmail.com

Instagram: @sammieinhawaii

Check out all the latest from Sammie at her Facebook page!

Murat Demirtas (Oahu)

Murat Demirtas has trained at the well known Michael King Pilates and with Roxy Menzies. As an instructor he brings a remarkable sense of body awareness and enjoys sharing his knowledge with students. He hails from a background of dance, gymnastics, pilates and aerobics.

He has taught dance and various movement modalities for the Turkish educational system, professional dance companies and artists. He has performed for many big companies including the Women for Nike Tour.

Based on his belief that every individual is a healer.

Murat’s mission is to create an environment that guides people to evolve into their full potential. His successful classes are a fusion dance and aerobics that helps to bring an awareness of an individual’s inner power. Murat is the perfect balance of creativity and business,

Murat is a well rounded teacher + artist + athlete with a special aura, joyful vibration and spirit that conveys his love of movement.

CLASSES: Murat teaches ongoing Turkish Belly Dance classes at the Still & Moving Center:

Saturdays 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Andrea de Gruchy (Oahu)

BeliRaq Dance Fitness with Andrea de Gruchy

Thursdays at Still & Moving Center

5:45 pm - 6:45 ppm

In-Person and Online Options

from $20

Shake, step, and sway your hips towards better health! Feel the joy of exercise and the love of dance! Since Andrea de Gruchy founded BeliRaq Dance Fitness in 2011, it has captivated fitness seekers with a flair ever since. This unique workout modality uses belly dance moves to engage the whole body.

Let yourself be guided into gentle stretches and body isolations. Add faster movements for a well-balanced cardio workout inspired by the beat of drum solos. A dynamic class, BeliRaq enhances your core muscles, flexibility, and stamina.

The foundation of movement comes from our lower body. As we strengthen muscles in our feet, ankles, legs, and core, we gain better balance and get a more efficient workout. People of all fitness levels can benefit from this engaging, interactive class.

Let BeliRaq be your fitness worth dancing for!

Michael Azure (Oahu)

Michael Azure brings decades of experience in American tribal bellydance and fusion styles. His journey began in 1990 with Fatchance Bellydance in San Francisco, leading him to co-found Ultra Gypsy tribal fusion alongside Jill Parker five years later. In 1998, he established Azure Belly Dance, performing throughout the San Francisco Bay Area until 2017, including a remarkable 15-year run at Kanzaman restaurant on Haight Street.

Now teaching in Oahu, Michael shares his expertise and passion for dance with local students. He is thrilled to be instructing at:

Page Academy of Dance in Kaimuki,

where he leads a weekly class every

Tuesday from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.

Additionally, he performs with his latest group, Lazuli.

Join Michael’s class to explore dynamic movements, cultural influences, and the artistry of dance in an engaging and supportive environment!

Dayl Workman (Oahu)

Dayl is the creative director of Sahara Spirit Tribal Belly Dance. Dayl fell in love with Fat Chance Belly Dance Style during her first class in January 1999 and has been performing and teaching ever since.

Dayl has performed with several professional troupes in Oklahoma (Gypsy Fire), Texas (Tribal Evolution, Wild Sky Tribal) and Sydney (Urban Turban, Tribal Spirit) She has studied the dance form extensively in the USA and Australia, taking classes from such greats as Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman and Megha Gavin of Fat Chance Belly Dance, achieving her Teacher Training Certificate in 2016.

Dayl incorporates zills, sword, veil, flags, fire fingers, poi/ fire poi, and fire lotuses in her performances, classes and workshops. She also facilitates mask making workshops working with dance related themes.

Dayl’s passion for tribal belly dance extends to the love of community, bringing people together to move and dance the same “language”. She believes that creativity is a vehicle for good health, and what better way than to express it than through the art of dance! Dayl creates a great space in which to learn, injecting humour and encouragement in the class environment whilst catering for all learning styles.

Dayl is also a Spiritual Minister who specializes in creating a tailor-made marriage or commitment ceremony that reflects who you are as a couple for your special day.

www.celebrationsbydayl.com/

Email: kiwidfw@yahoo.com

Check out the latest from Sahara Spirit Tribal at their Facebook page!

Suzanne Hamdi (Oahu)

“Dancing is the Joy that comes from your Heart”, is Suzanne’s philosophy. As an avid world traveler, Suzanne has been fortunate to share her love of art & dance on most every continent.

Suzanne Hamdi was named “Hawaii’s Ambassador of Belly Dance”© in Habibi International Dance Magazine 1994. Born in New York and studying dance since 5 yrs old and art since 2 yrs old, Suzanne has been studying Middle Eastern Belly Dance for over 40 years, predominantly in New York City, Egypt and Turkey, and has performed for audiences all her life.

From Suzanne: "Classes will cover Classical Egyptian dance movements as well as North African along with Culture and Musicality. I feel it is important that a new generation of dancers learn the classics that we guarded so dearly and even attempted to have certifications for instructors to pass them on, without success. Now that we Classicists are all Kupunas it is even more important to keep this knowledge alive! The technique training we had via years of ballet and Modern Dance formed our ease into the vocabulary of Danse Du Ventre. This class is for those who are culturally sensitive, curious and would like to celebrate another culture which they were not born into nor lived. We plan to learn at least one choreography per session which we can perform when conditions allow.

Since I was 'Lebanese/Armenian' for 8.5 years also read, and speak Egyptian and Moroccan Arabic it is in my Soul to share with those who want to learn. We will be exploring the meanings of the music and interpretations, as well as emotions behind the word. Which songs are proper to dance to and those that are culturally improper or offensive to perform. There will also be an interactive opportunity after each session where you can ask questions or request topics or music styles you would like to explore for the next class."

Contact Instructor: Dunyavidancer@gmail.com

Check out more about Suzanne at her website!

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