Jillina Artistic Director
Performer, Master Instructor, Choreographer, Director and Producer, Jillina has devoted her life to dance. Jillina founded Bellydance Evolution in 2009 and has served as the Artistic Director and Executive Producer ever since. In 1999 Jillina established her own dance company, Jillina’s Sahlala Dancers, currently LA’s premier Middle Eastern and world fusion dance company. From 2003-09 she served as Artistic Director and Main Choreographer for the Bellydance Superstars and performed with them for over 700 shows in over a dozen countries. High-lights include performing on the main stage at Lolapaloza, The Follies Berger in Paris, and The Queen’s Theater in London. Jillina pulls from a strong dance background in Middle Eastern, Folklore, Jazz, Ballet, and Hip Hop to create a colorful Middle Eastern fusion repertoire. She travels extensively, teaching seminars and performing in concerts. Jillina’s talents have taken her to over 40 countries.Whether Jillina is coaching dancers individually or teaching a group of 1,000 students, she has a special ability to connect with people on and off the dance floor. Jillina has appeared on a number of television programs, including, “Dancing with the Stars”. She has co-produced 12 instructional DVDs, which are offered in 5 different languages. In the summer of 2009 and 2010, Jillina was the first American to be invited as a featured performer in the prestigious Closing Gala at Ahlan Wa Sahlan in Egypt.
See Jillina’s full bio at www.BellydanceEvolution.com
Heather Aued: Director
Heather Aued has been with Bellydance Evolution since its creation in 2009. She is one of the main choreographers and Directors for the company and has performed with them in all three of their productions throughout the USA, Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Heather began dancing at the age of five. Studying modern jazz & ballroom, ballet, hip-hop & contemporary. Throughout her teens she also worked as a professional singer and actor, having recorded for Grammy and Oscar winning songwriters as well as having a guest starring role on Fox’s “Grounded for Life”.
At the age of 18, Heather was invited to join the International Dance Company, Jillina’s Sahlala Dancers. Having fallen in love with Middle Eastern dance, she put all her focus on learning the art form and quickly became a lead soloist for the Award Winning Dance Company. She has been featured on numerous bellydance performance DVDs and was also seen on the ABC show “Dancing with the Stars” alongside the company. In 2015 Heather took a break from touring with Bellydance Evolution to give birth to her second daughter. She has since returned to the company to help choreograph their newest production of Scheherazade.
See Heather’s full bio at www.BellydanceEvolution.com
The one and only, Sharon Kihara
Known the world over as one of the pioneering forces in the field of Tribal Fusion belly dance, Sharon Kihara is regarded as one of the most seasoned and well-traveled artists in the genre, and is known for her avante-garde artistic sensibility that defies replication. She is both a dance and yoga therapy teacher, 200 RYT certified by Yoga Alliance. Sharon began her training at three and by the age of ten, Sharon stumbled upon a treasure- a belly dance performance featuring the world renowned dancers Aziza and Yemaya, and it was indeed life changing. Sharon’s education in belly dance has been eclectic, beginning with the legendary Zamara, grand-niece of Ruth St Denis, in Oregon in 1994; later in San Francisco with Frederique David and Jill Parker as a member of Ultra Gypsy, one of the foremost innovating companies in the earliest days of Tribal Fusion. Later Sharon studied immersively with Suhaila Salimpour as a certified dancer and member of the Salimpour school. In late 2003, Sharon was scouted to perform with the pioneering dance company Bellydance Superstars. Sharon spent over five years on tour as Tribal director, soloist, and choreographer. After leaving the tour to pursue new dreams, she was recruited by Jillina to dance as a principal and choreographer in the unique and critically acclaimed new touring production, Bellydance Evolution.
See Sharon’s full bio at www.BellydanceEvolution.com
Lee Na-Moo: Sinbad
Lee Na-Moo is an internationally renowned performer and an innovative force in the dance community. His performances combine the vibrant art of belly dance with contemporary dance, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and several Asian styles. Lee’s performances elevate this ancient art form to pure artistry, requiring terrific physical mastery and control. The notion of men within this art form is rare; Lee honors the dance with his sincere sense of creativity. With his physicality and emotion, Lee is reinventing this breathtaking art form. Lee has performed at Alhambra Palace, House of Blues, The Aviary, Crescendo Lounge, The Metro, and Buenos Aries-Argentina and has traveled to Spain where he was invite to teach and perform at the 7th International Oriental Festival in Valladolid where he was a favorite due to his well-crafted innovative choreography. Lee studied with Read My Hips directed by Stephanie Barto and still dances with them at Alhambra Palace, and with the Joel Hall Dancers in Chicago. He can be seen in Taproot’s (Victory Records) music video “Release Me”. In October 2010, he won the Chicago Oriental Dance Competition and as a result won a trip to perform with Mario Kirlis in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2012, he auditioned for the Bellydancer Superstars; and through that he was invited to travel to Spain in March of 2013 to perform and teach at the 7th International Oriental Festival in Valladolid. He now studies and dance as a principal dancer with the JHD, 2013-present, and still perform locally as a soloist and guest performer for other troupes.
See Lee’s full bio at www.BellydanceEvolution.com
Margarita Kamjaka: Scheherazade
Margarita is one of the most celebrated dancers and teachers in Latvia known for her flawless technique and elegant style. Dancing since the age of five, Margarita has a strong background in classical ballet. In 2002 she discovered belly dance and has been charmed ever since. She has completed dance education programs including the classes of leading Egyptian master-teachers. In 2012 she finished Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy specializing in Dance and Rhythm. In 2014, Margarita received a Master’s degree in “Dance Pedagogy”. Margarita is a winner of multiple Belly Dance competitions including: “Miss Oriental” Riga, Latvia, “Baltic Cup” Vilnius, Lithuania,“Oriental World Cup” Limassol, Cyprus, “Azure Festival” Riga, Latvia, “The Queen of the Pyramid” Riga, Latvia, “Oriental weekend Portugal”, Lisbon, Portugal, “Heshk Beshk” Bari, Italy, “Cairo Khan” Cairo, Egypt, “Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition” Los Angeles, United States and others. Margarita has performed with Bellydance Evolution all over Europe, United States and Asia and was the understudy for Heather Aued on their 5 week Netherland Tour in 2013. In 2015-2016 Margarita performed one of the lead roles – Cheshire cat in Rome, Italy, and also Queen of the Hearts role in Marrakesh, Morocco and in a 28 city tour of China.
See Margarita’s full bio at www.BellydanceEvolution.com
Ruslan Kurlovich: King Shahriar
Ruslan Kurlovich has been dancing since he was six years old with different folk dancing groups and studios. Ruslan participated in many international competitions and festivals in Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Bulgaria, Belorussia and Slovakia. In 2010 he entered to Jazeps Vitols Latvian Music Academy and successfully graduated in 2014 with a bachelor degree in Choreography and Teacher of Classical Dance. Ruslan danced in Indra’s Reinholde Chamber Ballet troupe from 2011 till 2015. He took part in such acts as Clowns Diaries, Light and Ashes, Sister-World, Paris Songs, Games of Imagination. He also takes an active participation in cultural life of Riga and Latvia for many years. Ruslan has performed in theatrical and musical plays such as Sold Laughs, Little Prince, Esslingen, Herberts. Cukurs. Herberts and many other. Since 2014 he performs in plays at Operetta Foundation such as The Merry Widow and Ball at Savoy. Since 2015 he performed with the Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre. Ruslan joined BDE in September of 2016 for the debut of Le Voyage de Scheherazade in Morocco.
See Ruslan’s full bio at www.BellydanceEvolution.com
Khader Ahmad: Percussionist
Khader Ahmad was born in Lebanon, and raised in Berlin, Germany. He has worked with famous oriental dancers and musicians. His clear and brilliant way of playing and his sensitivity have made him one of the most requested percussionist for years. He worked with popular Arabic singers and musicians such as Ahmad Adawea, Mohammed Mounir, Cheb Khaled and the legend Magdy Al Husseini. In 2012, he founded the band “RAQSA”,specialized in music of oriental dance. In 2014, he started a project named “DUM TAK Revolution” which combines traditional arabic music with modern electronic pop, shaabi and belly dance. The project based in Berlin released the “DUM TAK Revolution” in collaboration with different bellydancers.The second album “DUM TAK Revolution Vol.2” has been released in 2015 in cooperation with Jillina.
See Khader’s full bio at www.BellydanceEvolution.com