June 25, 2010:

Once again, on September 18 and 19, TDA will appear with the Gypsy Caravan at the Annual Lakewood Lions Club Renaissance Faire in Pine Park, Lakewood, NJ.  As usual, the Faire opens to the public at 10am and closes at 6pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday.  We will also have another fine roster of bellydance friends and supporters.

This year's special event will be the occasion of Ashtar's retirement from the stage.  Ashtar intends to continue teaching her classes and coaching the Daughters of Sophia, but she desires to devote her energy to her students and troupe, as well as enjoying her many other interests.

If you are interested in dancing on the Caravan please feel free to contact Ashtar; she is the official Dance Coordinator for the entire Faire for the second year in a row.  Dancers will be given a place on the roster, and receive guidelines for performing at the Faire.  Ashtar can be reached by email at Ashtar@TribalDanceArts.com, or by phone at (732) 206-0699.

February 27, 2010:

In February, Ashtar was asked to review a new dance book published by Bardolph Books in London, England.  "Dance Parallels in the Ghetto" by Rodreguez King-Dorset is a innovative, fascinating look at a little known aspect of dance history.  Ashtar is pleased to have been asked her opinion of a true work of scholarship by an up-and-coming author.  Read Ashtar's review on the "Book Reviews" page.

Also, visit Steve Rogers' "Driving Jersey" page for an introduction to his film interviews of unique New Jersey residents.  Steve gives Tribal Dance Arts pride of place (last place for performers is always coveted as the performance that audiences will remember best), with footage of Vorona and Ashtar dancing at the Autumn 2006 hafla at Om Baby Yoga, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ.

On February 20, Giovanni and Ashtar, as Revolutionary War reenactors, visited New Castle Delaware to attend the Annual Meeting and dinner of John Outwater's Co'y.  Outwater's is one of the two militia brigades the couple belong to.  A tour of the historic houses and cemeteries of New Castle was arranged by Mike Connolly, an Outwater's member and the only full-time employee and member of the New Castle Historical Society.  As a special treat, Outwater's member were privileged to examine and handle 18th and 19th century garments and other items from the Historical Society's collection.  If you haven't been to New Castle, and if you like history, old houses, cemeteries and cobblestone streets, do plan a visit.

Last of all, please note that "Silent", with an opening scene filmed on the Gypsy Caravan (right next to Ashtar's Dance Space), won a nomination for Best Feature at the 2009 Pocono Mountains Film Festival.  Congratulations, Mike and Andrea!

February 25, 2010:

Please note that as of April, 2010, all dance classes at Tribal Dance Arts will be ongoing, payable by the class.  After over five years of continual teaching with no real breaks, Ashtar will be curtailing her teaching schedule in order to refocus her energy and work in her garden.  Look for her this summer at local farmers' markets offering a wide variety of vegetables and herbs for sale.  The Tribal Technique I classes will be taken over, until further notice, by Fatin, one of the founding members of the Daughters of Sophia Tribal Dance Troupe.  Ashtar will continue to teach Tribal III, her ballet classes, and the adult beginner Flamenco class.  Check the "Dance Classes" page for the new Spring schedule of classes.

November 19, 2009:

We are pleased to announce that Ashtar, as Julie Gale, will open an Adult Beginner Ballet Class on December 1, 2009.  The class will be ongoing and will run from 6pm to 7pm on Tuesdays.  There are currently two spots open.  No experience is required.  It will be very helpful to those interested to make sure and attend the first class, as all the background information you will need to get the most out of the lessons will be covered.  Email Julie at Ashtar@tribaldancearts.com, or call her at (732) 206-0699 for further information and to register.  Hope to see you in class soon!

September 21, 2009:

The Lakewood Renfaire is over once again, and, exhausted but happy, all of us at Tribal Dance Arts are sadly returning to the real world.  Fortunately, we can escape into the safe haven of Ashtar's Dance Space as often as we like, to share our love of dancing.

This year, for the first time, Ashtar (as Julie Nuzzo) was asked by Renfaire organizer Don Alemany to be the Dance Coordinator for the entire Faire.  She was happy to take on this additional responsibility and did her best to provide changing space and all the other things that dancers need.  All dancers are welcome on the Caravan Stage.

We heartily thank Don and all of those who helped to make the Renfaire work this year.  Our deepest gratitude goes to the Lakewood Lions Club and the Society for Creative Anachronism for hosting the event.  To all the dancers who shared the Caravan Stage with us, we extend a warm "Thank you".  In no special order, Razia, Sarahe, Fatin, Lluvia, TDA students Edan and Arielle, Sharon F. and (on Sunday) Eva Lucena and dancers from Alborada Spanish Dance Theater helped us to put a full 45 minutes of dancing on the Caravan.  If anyone's name has been left out, please contact us so that we can correct the omission.  Photos will be up soon. P.S. A special thank you to hubby Giovanni for moving the Caravan into a new spot so that the dancers can be in the shade.  Next year's time slot will insure the comfort of all.

We also thank our fellow Rennies who over the years are becoming close friends.  Daniel Greenwolf, magician and fire eater extraordinaire will always have a place in our hearts (and on the Caravan, whenever he likes), the "guys" from Crime and Punishment are fast becoming special friends, and all the SCA folks who greet us so warmly and make us feel at home deserve to be mentioned.  We've already started planning for next year, with a new roster that will include more new dancing friends.

September 1, 2009:

We're having a busy September here at TDA, with performances and special events all month.

On September 12, John and Julie will participate in the Pirate's Day Festival held by the Barnegat Chamber of Commerce in Barnegat, NJ. They will be accompanied by fellow members of the Whaleboat Committee of NJ Milita, Heard's Brigade, manning a booth to raise public awareness of the Privateer Whaleboat Project that the committee has been developing. They will have on display a 17 foot Revolutionary War sailboat with swivel cannon, and "letters of marque" for the children to sign, swearing allegience to the Continental Congress in exchange for the rights and privileges of privateers. They hope to reach all 10,000 visitors between 10am and 6pm in the charming downtown area of Barnegat.

The following day, September 13, Ashtar will appear as a guest artist with Alborada Spanish Dance Theater in their new production, "The Journey", which depicts the connection between the Spanish Gypsies and their ancestral home in India. Ashtar will perform the "Sapera Dance" of the Kalbelia people, who are the snake charmers of the Rajasthani desert. She will share the stage with Arturo Martinez, Nrithyanjali Dance Company, Najma, her friend and colleague Alexia, and of course, the artists of Alborada. The performance will be held at the Richard P. Marasco PAC, 1629 Perrinville Rd., Monroe Twp., NJ 08831 at 3pm. For ticket information, visit www.MonroeTownshipCulturalArts.com, or call the box office at (732) 521-4400.

The following weekend, September 19 and 20, TDA will once again appear with the Gypsy Caravan at the Annual Lakewood Lions Club Renaissance Faire in Pine Park, Lakewood, NJ. As usual, the Faire opens to the public at 10am and closes at 6pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. This year's special guest artists will be members of Alborada Spanish Dance Theater. We will also have another fine roster of bellydance friends and supporters. If you are interested in dancing on the Caravan, or anywhere else at the Faire, please feel free to contact Ashtar; she is the official Dance Coordinator for the entire Faire this year. She can be reached by email at Ashtar@TribalDanceArts.com, or by phone at (732) 206-0699.

On September 27, John and Julie will participate in the Slovak Festival at PNC Bank PAC in Holmdel, NJ (Exit 16 on the Garden State Parkway), demonstrating the art of pysanky, or "egg writing". The event opens at 9am and ends at 6pm. The festival is free and open to the public, and features Slovak food, music, dance, numerous exhibitors, and a soccer tournament.

We hope that our friends and supporters will be able to join us at all of these wonderful events!  Have a great month, and keep on dancing.

July 20th, 2009:

The Lakewood Renfaire 2009 is upon us.  The Renfaire organizers have asked Ashtar to coordinate all of the dancers for the Faire this year.  Anyone wishing to perform can contact her by email at Ashtar@TribalDanceArts.com or phone (see the bottom of any page on this website).  We will do our best to accommodate everyone, with opportunities to perform on the Gypsy Caravan, the Main Stage, etc.  Our aim is to give each performer the most exposure without conflicting with other Renfaire acts and activities.  Featured performers on the Caravan this year will be artists from Alborada Spanish Dance Theater, who will be fresh from their new production, "The Journey". (See below.)

Ashtar will dance with Alborada as a guest artist in "The Journey" on Sunday, September 13, 2009.  Location and time TBA.  She will be performing her favorite solos, the "Sapera Dance" and "Lotus Blossom".  You can see snippets of "Lotus Blossom" on YouTube, artfully filmed and edited by Steve Rogers for the independent documentary film "Driving Jersey".

Posted July 19th, 2009:

Our Summer Hafla for currently enrolled TDA students and their guests was held at 2pm on Sunday,July 19th.  We had a henna party, music, food, freestyle dancing, and a Lia Sophia jewelry show by Fatin, featuring some really nice Tribal style pieces.  Arielle won the door prize of a pair of Lia Sophia earrings, suitable for Tribal wear, and the food, prepared by Ashtar, was declared scrumptious.

Posted July 10th, 2009:

Hope everyone had a marvelous Fourth of July; we did, marching as Revolutionary War reenactors in two parades and participating in the annual festivities at Ringwood Manor at Ringwood State Park.

The Summer Session started this week with classes in Flamenco, Daughters of Sophia Tribal Style Bellydance, and Russian ballet.  To the right is a photo taken recently with some of the Tribal I students.

On Monday we have Flamenco with Eva Lucena at 6pm, for dancers with some training in the art form, a Tribal Technique I class at 7pm which is currently closed at eight students, and a Tribal Technique II class beginning this session which starts at 8pm.  To the left is a recent photo of Eva Lucena coaching some of her student performers in preparation for an outreach show at an assisted living center.

The Thursday Flamenco and Tribal Technique I classes are currently suspended due to the matriculation of students to more advanced classes, but may resume in the near future.  The Thursday 7pm Ballet II class continues.

June, 2009:

Please stop by at YouTube to view the lovely short clips that Steve Rogers (from the independent documentary film "Driving Jersey") put together from the footage he took at one of our Om Baby haflas, some time ago.  There are three videos, one showcasing Ashtar, one featuring Vorona, and one of people just having a good time.  Search for Tribal Dance Arts or just click on the links in the previous sentence.

(And Ashtar/Julie gives an appreciative 'thank you' to Verona for the nice things she said in the video.)

May, 2009:

It has been a year of changes for The Daughters of Sophia Tribal Dance Troupe!

First, Avani is currently on leave, raising a pair of lovely twins, Lauren and Charlotte.  She will return to us soon.  Nadirah is pursuing her career in modeling and film, and continuing her training in ballet.  Our best wishes go with Cascara as she moves into a new phase of her life, looking to join a service organization in order to travel overseas to help those in need.  Likewise, we wish only the best to Amarthi, who has married and moved to California.  Ewahee is following career opportunities which preclude the committment to something as energy and time consuming as a dance troupe.

Although the Daughters of Sophia are on hiatus, there is no lack of activity at Tribal Dance Arts.  Classes continue apace, we plan to make our annual appearance at the Lakewood Renfaire, and our connection to Alborada Spanish Dance Theater is still strong.

We will keep you posted as to upcoming events, and hope you all have a great summer.