Ariellah studied classical ballet extensively with the Royal Academy of
Dance of London for twelve years, beginning at age three. After a break
from dance that included graduating from UC Davis and two years in the
Peace Corps on Africa's Ivory Coast, she returned to the United States
eager to learn the dance of her Moroccan ancestry.
Trying her hand at belly dance had been a lifelong goal, and was a
natural extension of Ariellah's dance career and life experience. Her
pursuit of belly dance began with the Folkloric style of Janine Ryle,
who studied with San Francisco belly dance institution Hahbi'Ru.
Ariellah eventually became a part of Janine's troupe, Danse Maghreb in
which she performed mostly Algerian Berber dances. With Ariellah's roots
grounded firmly in the culture and tradition of North Africa, belly
dance was a natural fit for her. Janine encouraged her desire to learn
from as many sources as possible, and suggested that she take classes
with Rachel Brice, who is currently one of the most sought after belly
dancers in the world and is currently touring internationally as a
soloist, as well as with The Bellydance Superstars and The Indigo.
Ariellah began studying Tribal Fusion belly dance with Rachel Brice in
early 2002 and became a founding member of Rachel's Indigo Belly Dance
Company in 2003.
Ariellah has become a renown international instructor and performer. She
is an icon in the fusion belly dance community and has been featured in
several different magazines, books, radio shows, and articles all over
the world. In 2004, Ariellah won first place in the Star Fusion category
of Sirens In Sanity's belly dance competition, Enchanted Camelot, held
in Benecia, CA. Ariellah was also featured in the first of its kind,
"Gothic Belly Dance: The Darker Side of Fusion" DVD; released in
spring 2006, with the sequel, "Revelations" released in the fall of
2007. Ariellah is also featured on performance DVDs "Bellydance
Underworld", "Tribal Revolution" and many others. Currently
Ariellah's first instructional DVD, "Contemporary Belly Dance and Yoga
Conditioning" is one of the top selling and top rated belly dance DVDs
on the market today. Please check out the reviews at: www.amazon.com.
Ariellah's style reflects and infuses her personal interpretation of
Middle Eastern belly dance, with a modern, dark flavour, that is
uniquely her own. She is widely known for her strong stage presence and
unrivaled technique. Her performances are designed to mesmerize and
invoke emotion and the darker, more passionate side of dance. Ariellah
believes her style emanates from the passion and contentment that belly
dance has brought to her life, as well as the infusion of her lifelong
involvement in the gothic subculture, allowing her to fully express
herself in a unique and beautifully dark way. As a classically trained
professional dancer, Ariellah understands the importance of each event
to which she is invited, and she strives, with each performance, to
create just the right mood.