Ellie Maye Belly Dance

What sits beneath a performance? There’s so much breadth and diversity to dancers’ artistic choices, and I kind of love the mystery of perhaps never fully knowing why someone chose that song, that costume, that movement, that prop… I’ve been enjoying learning others’ choreographies a lot this year, but for this event I wanted to just do something that resonates with where I’m at. This improvised Turkish fusion piece carries little threads, literally and figuratively, of things, places and people that I love. It was nice to step out of my “usual” for a moment.

Massive thank you to Sydney Bellydance Collective for their brilliant Bellydance Karaoke event

🎥 Piller Films
🎵 Şaşkın by Emre Altuğ
Costume: Yasso, Cairo

Here's a taste of our Mahraganat medley performance from this years' Newcastle Bellydance Festival back in March.

We had so much fun working on this. The girls trained hard, in a style completely new to them. So proud of you all. 💜

I choreographed this right after my first trip to Egypt so it will always hold special, slightly chaotic memories 😁

A big thank you to the festival organisers, all the teachers, dancers, and supporters for making events like this happen.

💃 Dancers (alphabetically): Ellie, Lisa, Karlie, Katie
💟 Choreography: Ellie
🎥 Tracey Keogh
🎼 Alo Alo - El Leithy and Pousey; & Do You Love Me - Saint Levant & Fares Sokar

✨ WINTER BELLY DANCE - ENROLMENTS OPEN ✨

If watching this video makes you think, “I want to feel that rhythm in my own body”, now's your chance this Winter!

Ellie Maye Belly Dance has run classes in Kiama since 2021, and this term we're opening two class times with a flexible split‑block format so you can choose what fits your energy and schedule.

🔥 Wednesdays 6:30pm - Girl Power Anthems (Arabic + Turkish)
Starts Mon 24 June
Feel‑good technique, fun combos, and a no-nonsense choreography.
Only 2 SPOTS LEFT - open level.

🔥 Wednesdays 7:30pm - Iconic Styles Series
Starts Mon 24 June
A rotating deep‑dive into iconic styles:
• Turkish Romani - expressive, earthy, full of personality
• Melaya - playful, theatrical, veil‑based fun from Alexandria, Egypt
Open level with optional challenges.

Perfect for beginners, experienced dancers, and anyone wanting something to keep them shimmying this winter.

To enrol:
Fill out the short form below - all dates, details, and pricing are inside.
✨ Spots are limited.
https://forms.office.com/r/hTA6RNCMMh

(Video credit: Thank you to Eleni & Rafic for the fantastic drum solo workshop, and Piller Films for their exceptional videography!)

Always a good time with Gulcin and the team at Saltwater Kiama 🤩💗

A compilation of today's performances! Team Kiama performing at Kiama Blowhole and Stockland Shellharbour as part of the global Shimmy Mob initiative. 💟

Incredibly proud of these beautiful ladies who worked so hard to learn the choreographies and perform today to raise awareness of domestic violence in our region. We couldn't have done it without our loved ones and supporters - thank you!

There's still time to donate to local domestic violence services SASSI:
https://www.mycause.com.au/page/395764/help-women-and-children-fleeing-domestic-violence-in-the-illawarra-and-shoalhaven?menu=open

Thank you so much for your support!

🎼 Arabia - Hanine El Alam
😙 Choreographer - Tahani El Helwa (Telma Costa)
💃 Acyel, Alana, Carol, Diana C, Diana W, Ellie, Judy, Kathryn, Karlie, Katie, Naomi, Nurgül
🎥 Jeremy Taylor