International Circus &
Dance Celebration Workshops
Chinese Folk Dance
China
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Workshop Description: The Red Handkerchief dance is based on traditional Chinese folk music, which consists of many different traditional Chinese instruments. This dance is choreographed by former New York Chinese Culture Center principal dancer Grant Zhuang. The dance depicts the enjoyment of the Chinese celebrating the happiest season, the Chinese Spring Festival.
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Athena He-DeMontaron (CC&DC Alumni) began training in Chinese traditional dance in 2005 under her mother, XiaoSong He, founder and director of the Little Lotus Company in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was a principal dancer and soloist with the company from 2011 until she graduated in 2019. Over her 14 years at the company, she has trained in a variety of dance styles including: Chinese folk, traditional dance, contemporary, and classical dance. Within the traditional dance style she has trained extensively in minority dances such as: Dai, Mongolian, Tibetan, Xinjiang, Miao, and Korean. He-DeMontaron has also won several awards and accolades for her work during her time with the Little Lotus Company.
Belly Dance
Middle East
Workshop Description: Transnational Fusion is an evolving genre reflecting common denominators between North African, Arab, Persian and Turkish secular dance traditions. These classical dance traditions reflect the aesthetic of dances and movements dating back over 3,000 years, and has credible connections to practices of Neolithic and Bronze Age matriarchal traditions. The dance is presently transforming through interactions with new technology in world music, cultural dialogue between the East and West, and intense international interest in American hip hop and electronic music. The resulting movement values a nominal use of space, percussive hip work, lyrical arm and torso work, and emphasizes musical interpretation over movement bravado.
Satya: Finding a colorful and unbridled love of movement at an early age, Satya started formal dance classes at age 14. Her love of the unconventional led her to join the AZ Renaissance Festival in 2005 as a belly dance in a world music and dance troupe. Since then, she has continued her belly dance training, specializing in Transnational Fusion Dancer and now teaches classes and workshops throughout the US. Throughout this time, Satya found a love for the fire arts as well as aerial silks and most of all, lyra. She currently performs and teaches as half of the creative movement troupe, Satarah as well as a solo artist. Whether from the ground, through the air or the flames, Satya’s light burns brightly on stage, bringing a refreshing authenticity and from-the-heart pieces to audiences everywhere.​​
Capoeira
Brazil
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Workshop Description: Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines music, dance, acrobatics, and martial arts to create a unique full-body experience. African slaves developed Capoeira to be form of resistance and preservation of culture during slavery in South America. Today this art is used to build community and foster diversity. During this workshop, participants will be exposed to the fundamental elements and movements of Capoeira.
Reba Bowens: Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Reba Bowens has been working with dance and capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art form incorporating acrobatics, martial arts, music, and dance in Charlotte communities and schools. After attending a public art middle and high school for dance, she continued her dance studies at Winthrop University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She holds a Masters of Arts in Arts Administration from Winthrop University. She has had the opportunity to work with Caroline Calouche, Gaspard & Dancers, Moving Spirits Inc., Triptych Collective, Rachel Barker, Sarah Ingel, Megan Payne, Eric Mullis, and many others. Along with dance, Reba has been an avid practitioner of martial arts. She studied Shaolin Kempo Karate for 14 years and attained the rank of 2nd Degree Black Belt. For the last 10 year she has focused her studies on capoeira which has allowed her opportunities to travel to Russia, Brazil and various places across the United States. For Reba, movement allows for infinite creativity and exploration with body and mind and she hopes that she can share this message with others. Outside of her creative practices, Reba is a nonprofit administrative professional working with various organizations in Charlotte and surrounding areas.
African Dance
Africa
Workshop Description: With a rich and storied heritage that spans millennia, African dance is as diverse as the continent from which it hails. It is a means of storytelling and expression, a language that speaks of community, spirituality, and the human experience. From the rhythmic pulsations of the Djembe to the sinuous movements of the Malinke, African dance encompasses a plethora of styles, each with its own distinct flavor and purpose.​ In this workshop you will learn dance moves from a variety of African countries.
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Nicole Muse-Dennis is originally from Queens, New York where she began dancing at the age of 3. Nicole has studied tap, jazz, ballet, modern/contemporary, pointe, and African forms of dance. Nicole’s teaching and choreography first began as a teenager where she was given the opportunity to choreograph & instruct a class of her peers at her high school. Nicole continued this into college where she was the principal dancer and choreographer for the Association of Rhythmic Talent on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. Nicole also served as the assistant to the director of The Artistic Studio in Winston-Salem, NC. She taught for the Performing Arts Center in Charlotte, NC. Nicole’s resume is full of guest teaching tenures at studios, schools, churches, and workshops. Her performance experience includes theatrical dance performances including being cast as Mary in the National Black Repertory Theater’s production of the Black Nativity and Chris Thompson and the Cultural Ensemble. Nicole is the mother of two daughters. She is a licensed teacher for the State of North Carolina. Her passion is in helping dancers reach new heights by actualizing the beauty and power that they have in themselves.
Latin Dance
Latin America
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Workshop Description: Latin dance finds its roots in the rich tapestry of Latin American culture. Indigenous, African, and European influences blended together, giving birth to a variety of dance forms. The fusion of these diverse elements created the vibrant and diverse world of Latin dance we know today.
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Javier Gonzalez began his career in dance in 2008 studying hip-hop and various Latin Style Dances. In 2009 He became a company member of Ballet Folclórico de las Americas and LeColours Latino Dance.
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He was the principal dancer for the modern department at CPCC Dance Theater from 2010 to 2015. He has also danced with ECHO Contemporary Dance Company and the Moving Poets of Charlotte as well as a guest dancer for Carnaval Carolina, Charlotte’s largest Latin festival.
He has been a backup dancer for Latin artist including Las Fenix, Jorge Celedon and former Miss Universe Alicia Machado. On the side Javier enjoys teaching dance to Latin girls preparing them for their quinceañeras celebrations. He currently is a manager at Brixx Pizza in Fort Mill, SC. ​
Breakdancing
New York, U.S.
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Workshop Description: Breakdancing, also known as breaking, originated in the Bronx in the 1970s. It's a dynamic, acrobatic dance style that's a key part of hip-hop culture. Learn how to breakdance and improve your breaking skills in this workshop with B-Boy Matt Sanchez.
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Matthew Sanchez is a Bboy from the Bronx NY that now resides in Charlotte NC. His classes are made to get you moving, build confidence, pass history, and to give students a new form of expression. He's been breaking since 2009 when he found his first community of dancers. He had rocked the floor before but it wasn’t until he met his first mentor that he learned the culture behind the dance. As he got older, he went on to compete, perform, and share the floor with amazing dancers across the country and even across the globe. In his journey, he found that sharing my love for the dance was just as exciting as the days when he first learned. So now his goal is to share that same feeling with the future bboys and bgirls of the world.​
Mallkhamb
India​
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Workshop/Demonstration Description: Mallakhamb, an ancient Indian sport, combines gymnastics, yoga, aerial acrobatics, and martial arts. Practitioners perform intricate postures and grips on a wooden pole or rope, showcasing strength and agility. Believed to have influenced modern pole dancing and Pole Yoga, its name means "wrestling pole." Played in two forms—Pole and Rope Mallakhamb—the sport demands precision and control. Now recognized globally, it has national federations in India, the USA, Nepal, Japan, and Germany.
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Mallakhamb Federation of USA (MFU) is dedicated to promoting and nurturing the sport of Mallakhamb. MFU is playing a pivotal role in nurturing and developing talent in Mallakhamb. MFU has developed a coaching methodology, state-of-the-art national training facilities, and a supportive community. MFU is aiming to identify and cultivate the next generation of Mallakhamb talent in Coaching, Competing, and Judging. MFU provides structured training programs that cater to athletes of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners.
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MFU has enabled many youths in the USA to achieve their individual goals of competitions, demonstrations, conditioning, Health Wellness, and Aerial Yoga. The federation is committed to preserving and advancing this traditional sport while also encouraging its growth and participation across the nation and worldwide.
