Pedralta magazine

Dublin-based Wendy is passionate about dance. She received her foundation training in modern dance and tap as a young child. Originally from Michigan USA, she later trained and performed under the direction of Carolena Nericccio with FatChance BellyDance for several years. She is the troupe director of Rashani World Fusion, who delight audiences both in Ireland and the UK.

Wendy’s leadership and artistry brings vibrancy to the improvised performances of this unique international collaboration.

Donna’s lifelong love of dance has been expressed in a variety of forms including classical ballet, flamenco and jazz. She performs and teaches a wide range of styles but particularly loves the powerful feel of tribal dance. Donna has trained with Carolena Nericcio in San Francisco and with Wendy Marlatt in Dublin.

In 2005 she formed the Midlands-based dance duo Pedralta Dance, with her dance partner Lesley Hogg. Pedralta Dance teach and perform throughout the UK and Europe and are becoming known for their unique brand of Flamenco fusion and their mastery of Saaidi stick technique that they have adapted for improvised tribal style dance.

Donna has been dancing with Rashani World Fusion since 2005.

Lesley Hogg's interest in all dance forms led her to discovering the rich diversity of Middle Eastern dance. She studied with a variety of teachers and has traveled to San Francisco to train with Carolena Nericcio and Dublin to train with Wendy Marlatt.

In 2005 she formed Pedralta Dance along with her dance partner, Donna Gardner. Lesley is an energetic performer with a cheeky humour that endears her to audiences.

Tatiana has always been in love with dance in all its forms and has studied modern dance, jazz, samba and salsa. After a long break from dancing when she left her native Brazil, she fell in love with Tribal Bellydance when she saw Wendy performing in Dublin.

Tatiana has been performing with Rashani World Fusion Collective for over a year now and also performs as part of a TribalFit with Ronelle Tibaldi. Taty is a vibrant and joyous dancer.

Australian born, Nell lives and works in Dublin, where she has been training and dancing regularly with Rashani .She was inspired to Tribal after seeing Wendy dance at a show in Dublin and falling in love with the energy and costumes. She has had the pleasure of dancing with Rashani Bellydance Collective for the last 4 years and takes Tribal workshops in Ireland and the UK whenever she can.

Nell is an evocative, versatile and focused performer, bringing charm to the dance collective.

Kathleen Crowley trained with Carolena Nericcio and later formed a lively tribal belly dance troupe Saaidi, based in San Francisco. She is also a sought after costumier.

Kathleen is an energetic, mesmerising dancer, full of personality and a founder member of Rashani World Dance.

Deirdre Macdonald studied Tribal belly dance in Portland Oregan where she trained and performed under the direction of Paulette Rees Denis of Gypsy Caravan, for five years.

Returning to her native Scotland she became a familiar face on the world dance scene there and wows audiences with her inimitable style and humour.

Hadley Northrop has been a student of FatChance BellyDance for eight years and is a member of their student troupe, NeferTem. She is an oil painter when she's not dancing. Hadley is from California and lives in San Francisco, but spent several years living in England, some of it in Birmingham.

Samantha first discovered bellydance at the age of fifteen. After a break of a few years she rediscovered it when she moved to Devon four years ago. Whilst enjoying the freedom of Middle Eastern cabaret style it never felt quite right - this wasn't the style for her. Then in 2003 she saw FatChanceBellyDance perform at Majma. This was the style she had been looking for!

She did some teaching and performing in the UK and Ireland and now lives in Canada.

Richard's lifelong enjoyment of photography found a new direction when he became involved with Pedralta Dance and Rashani World Fusion. He is an innovative designer and photographer and has enjoyed his first collaboration in digital media, working on Tarab.

Phil Thornton is a prolific composer and musician. He has been producing ambient/chill out music for the last 20 years. In 2005 his 31st album 'Enchanted Egypt' was released (his 3rd collaboration with Egyptian Percussion master Hossam Ramzy). For the last 10 years the music has had an increasingly ethnic/world music flavour taking in sounds and performances from Arabic, Tibetan, Native American, Brazilian Capoeira, Eastern European and Australian Musicians to create a unique and diverse catalogue of albums and sound tracks.