Dark Side Tribal
American Tribal Style® Belly Dance
Your Subtitle text
Dancer Bios
Sarah Akemon
Sarah Akemon has been studying American Tribal Style belly dance in Bloomington since 2010. She was a member of Dark Side Tribal's student troupe, The Tribalistas, for two years, and joined the Dark Side in 2012. Currently, she assists in instructing Tribe IUB classes.
Maria Spratford
Maria began dancing with Susan Wenger and the Blue Fire Tribe in Indianapolis in 2009. She fell in love with tribal-style dancing because of its supportive, communal, and non-competitive aspects, where each dancer is encouraged to be the best she or he can be. The result is a beautiful dance that exists because all the dancers connect to play their parts, and that can be shared with dancers around the world. She attended workshops with Fat Chance Belly Dance instructors in 2011 and 2012. Maria also dances with the Black Rose Caravan ITS student troupe in Indianapolis, and with Red Door Vardo Arts (a FCBD sister studio) in Kokomo. In her non-dance life, she is a kindergarten instructional assistant with Carmel Clay Schools. She has made prize-winning gingerbread houses for the Conner Prairie festival of Gingerbread, and loves to read.
Regen O'Neill
Virginia Hojas
Virginia started belly dancing in Athens, OH in 2005. While searching the web she came across the Fat Chance Belly Dance® website, and fell in love. She then started driving three hours once a week to study ATS® with Sacred Shimmy in Columbus, OH. After moving to Bloomington she started taking classes with Ann Shaffer and DST, and was a member of their student troupe, the Tribalistas, for 2 years. Virginia completed her GSATS certification with Carolena Nericcio and Megha Gavin in 2010 and her Teacher Training in 2012. In 2011, she became a Yoga Alliance 200-hr YRT certified Vinyasa Yoga instructor.
Sarah Akemon has been studying American Tribal Style belly dance in Bloomington since 2010. She was a member of Dark Side Tribal's student troupe, The Tribalistas, for two years, and joined the Dark Side in 2012. Currently, she assists in instructing Tribe IUB classes.
Maria Spratford
Maria began dancing with Susan Wenger and the Blue Fire Tribe in Indianapolis in 2009. She fell in love with tribal-style dancing because of its supportive, communal, and non-competitive aspects, where each dancer is encouraged to be the best she or he can be. The result is a beautiful dance that exists because all the dancers connect to play their parts, and that can be shared with dancers around the world. She attended workshops with Fat Chance Belly Dance instructors in 2011 and 2012. Maria also dances with the Black Rose Caravan ITS student troupe in Indianapolis, and with Red Door Vardo Arts (a FCBD sister studio) in Kokomo. In her non-dance life, she is a kindergarten instructional assistant with Carmel Clay Schools. She has made prize-winning gingerbread houses for the Conner Prairie festival of Gingerbread, and loves to read.
Regen O'Neill
Regen has been living in Bloomington since 2000 and picked up Belly Dancing to relax from running the bustling restaurant she owns with her husband. Her hobby soon became a passion, and she started taking classes with Dark Side Tribal in 2009. Since joining the troupe, she remains excited about performing and continuing her ATS education with the wonderful community right here in town. See you on the dance floor!
Virginia Hojas
Virginia started belly dancing in Athens, OH in 2005. While searching the web she came across the Fat Chance Belly Dance® website, and fell in love. She then started driving three hours once a week to study ATS® with Sacred Shimmy in Columbus, OH. After moving to Bloomington she started taking classes with Ann Shaffer and DST, and was a member of their student troupe, the Tribalistas, for 2 years. Virginia completed her GSATS certification with Carolena Nericcio and Megha Gavin in 2010 and her Teacher Training in 2012. In 2011, she became a Yoga Alliance 200-hr YRT certified Vinyasa Yoga instructor.
Heather Perry
Heather started dancing around 1996 and had studied various styles before she found herself caught up in turbans, tassels and group improv. She feels ATS most clearly conveys th
e feelings of camaraderie and communication she feels when dancing. Dance is not so much about what one has to say personally as it is about what one can say with fellow dancers. So while she may study many forms, her heart will always be hung with kuchi bits and cowrie shells. She has worked with several local troupes; starting in Banat Mara, one of the founding four of Different Drummer and finally co-founding Dark Side Tribal in 2006. Heather completed her GSATS with Carolena and Megha in 2012. Other pursuits include SCA fencing, sewing, spinning and assorted house-wifery.
Alice Dobie-Galuska
Alice became a member of Dark Side Tribal in 2007 and has been studying American Tribal Style®Belly Dance since 2002. She began to study and perform dance while attending Beloit College in the late 1980's. Alice is a mother of two and works as an academic advisor at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She and her husband and children have recently become "urban homesteaders", living and working in town to grow food for their own use and to share with neighbors.
Tribe IUB
Tribe IU is a group of Indiana University students dedicated to learning American Tribal Style Belly Dance. IU students, staff, and faculty and members of the larger Bloomington community are welcome to join. This group meets on Wednesday evenings for practice and is open to students of all levels. Free of charge (may have to pay fee to access the building). Join the Tribe on Facebook!
