Zia
Zia got into belly dancing in the early 1990s through the goddess spirituality movement, taking classes with Barbara Brandt in the basement of Arsenic and Old Lace. She danced for a little while in her local SCA group, and then stopped for 15 years for reasons that she can't recall.
She picked up belly dance again at the beginning of 2007, taking classes with The Goddess Dancing, where she met Kezmaya. During TGD's 2008 summer break, Zia decided on a whim to take an Improvisational Tribal Style class with Phoenix Avathar, because Phoenix was the only teacher with regular summer classes in the area. She fell in love with the style, and coaxed Kezmaya to join her when the next session started. They were instantly hooked, and performed in stART on the Street with Phoenix that September. Zia has been dancing ITS ever since. After Phoenix left Massachusetts, Zia moved on to take classes with Melina of the Daughters of Rhea, Aepril Schaile, Nadira Jamal, and Najmat.
And because being a wage slave and a bellydancer isn't enough, Zia is also a science fiction writer and radio theater performer.
To contact Zia, send an email to zia (at) tassellations (dot) com.
Photo above by Dreamer's Realm Photography. Photos below by RT2 Photography (middle) and Michael Baxter (left and right).
