Bellydance Bliss
Photo by Gus Onebear Batista
AboutSabylla
Drawing from more than 30 years of performance experience in the fields of figure skating, dance, and musical theatre, Sally Boyd, also known by her teaching and stage name, Sabylla, has conjured what she considers the perfect elixir for happiness in her life: the daily practice of bellydance. She has channeled her professional training and experience in marketing and event planning to promote and elevate the art form she first encountered as a student more than 14 years ago. Sabylla has taken advantage of the belly dance instruction available locally, regionally and through her travels to absorb and incorporate in her own art all that is physically, creatively and emotionally nurturing in the dance. In addition to teaching and performing at festivals and private events, Sabylla has been a featured entertainer at the Mirage Restaurant in Knoxville, as have many former students. She was the founder and Artistic Director of the much sought after professional Middle Eastern dance company Dendarah. Sabylla was the first local bellydancer, PRE-FACEBOOK, to create mechanisms to bring the East Tennessee bellydance community together through technology (Yahoo Small Groups KnoxRaqs), and collaborative events such as the dancer tent at Boo at the Zoo, and productions that welcomed all local performers (Caravan Dreams Workshop and show featuring Amani Jabril and Gina Weatherman Nolan.)
Sabylla's early dance training consisted of ballet, tap and acrobatics. Throughout childhood, she pursued and excelled in piano, voice, figure skating, theater, baton and gymnastics. Her musical-theater resume includes lead and featured roles in Godspell, Anything Goes, The Fantastiks, and Hair.
Sabylla began her bellydance training in 2001 with local Knoxville instructor Alexia whom she credits a solid foundation in technique and elegant presentation. She later gained considerable stage experience as a member of Debka's Oasis Dancers from 2004 through mid-2006.
Having attended numerous workshops and intensives across the country, Sabylla finds the best coaching and mentorship to be right here in her own back yard.
Shahira, aka Cynthia Turnage was instrumental in refining Sabylla's flow and stage dynamics. Through her influence, both Sabylla's repertoire and style evolved and deepened in feel and authenticity.
In 2009 Sabylla's focus on dance took a back seat to her treatment and recovery from breast cancer. She had always expressed an "urgency" in her desire to learn and dance as much as possible. Inspite of the severity of her diagnosis, she was able to continue teaching through most of her treatment, a fact she feels served her recovery well. Many surgeries took a bite out of her availability to perform - a sad and isolating reality. A profound experience on many levels, values and ideals pertaining to life goals, relationships, health, body-image were all put to the test, and in the end strengthened.
As a serious instructor and dedicated performer, one never stops seeking to improve.
With the addition of Morwenna and Walid Assaf (Directors of the Arabic Dance Academy, Oceanside, CA) to the Knoxville dance community, Sabylla has found new inspiration and mentorship. Morwenna Assaf is an internationally respected instructor and author, her background being deeply rooted in Farrah Method. Morwenna was steadily mentored by the late Ibrahim "Bobby" Farrah in New York (20 years - 1976 thru 1996) and also studied with La Meri; Yousry Sharif, Elena Lentini, Valerie Camille, Mahmoud Reda and Marta Zorina plus more recently, Amani of Lebanon, have also provided insight, knowledge and inspiration. Mahmoud Reda is considered a pioneer of dance theatre in Egypt, and the most celebrated/influential of all Egyptian choreographers; Morwenna sponsored Master Reda in the United States 8 times for intensives and workshops.
Walid Assaf, Master Percussionist is the other half of this dynamic team, and has worked as a professional musician for more than 40 years. Having performed with AND trained other musicians and dancers from around the globe, Walid's showmanship and instruction are top-tier. Sabylla is grateful for the current ability to learn from these legends and offer her students the same opportunity and legacy. http://www.danceranddrummer.net
Sabylla’s Dance Training/Background
Instructors, Mentors, Coaches, Influences
*Amani Jabril
*Amir Thaleb
*Angelika Nemeth
*Ava Fleming
*Aziza of Canada
**Aziza Nawal
*Bozenka
*Carolena Nericcio
**Cynthia Turnage (Shahira)
*Dahlena
*DaVid of Scandinavia
*Delilah
*Gabby Tawil
*Gina Weatherman
*Hala of California
*Helena Vlahos
*Jillina
*Karim Nagi
*Leyla and Roland Jouvana
**Linda Riyad
*Lubna Emam
*Mohammed Kazafi
*Momo Kadous
**Morwenna and Walid Assaf
*Moria
*Morocco and Tarik
*Ramzi Edlebi
*Samara of New York
*Suzanna Del Vecchio
*Tamalyn Dallal
*Tamra - Henna (California)
*Tito
*Uncle Mafufo
*Virginia
*Yousry Sharif
*Zahra Zuhair
* Workshop(s) or occasional private
** Instructor/Mentor/Coach
Teaching Philosophy and
Guiding Principles
Sabylla realizes that each sister student she meets brings with her different skill sets, life experiences and expectations or goals. Sabylla's approach to teaching is student-centered -- recognizing and respecting that every dancer she has the privilege of training has a unique reason for being there.
Sabylla's goal is to create an atmosphere conducive to learning, creative expression and self-discovery. Her commitment is to share what she has learned and to further her students' confidence and skill at a pace unique to the individual.
Shifting Paradigms One Hip at a Time
A paradigm is a mental model, a way of seeing or a filter for one's perceptions. Paradigms provide us with a frame of reference and the infrastructure for perceiving the world and maintaining beliefs. A paradigm can also be a commonly held belief among a group of people, such as scientists, teenagers, or members of a religious community or political parties -- as examples.
So can learning to dance change the way you see the world, or your SELF?
Have you ever considered if anything you casually hold to be true might actually be limiting your human potential and impacting your self-worth, self-image and self-esteem?
Have you ever stopped to examine your attitudes about aging, physical appearance, creativity, self-expression and "propriety"?
Unexamined, unquestioned attitudes and dispositions contribute to the framework that guides our daily human interactions and our aspirations. Sometimes we have no idea where these assumptions or beliefs have come from (or that they even exist!) -- they're just there --until we trip over them.
For many women, bellydance is a catalyst that triggers a whole avalanche of self discoveries and shifts in attitude. So often, women who have NEVER taken a dance class try bellydance and become almost euphoric with the new personalrealities they allow themselves to contemplate and even consider possible! Endorphine highs aside (the many health benefits of bellydance have long been documented and touted), new positive attitudes breed positive actions and results.
Women who bellydance are like brides -- they're all beautiful. We come from every walk of life and every ethnicity. From ectomorph to endomorph, we begin to give ourselves permission to proudly shimmy to the beat of our own doumbek. We are enormously courageous stepping into the unknown -- yet bellydance is a RETURN to our natural selves -- the rightful acknowledgement and celebration of feminine power, playfulness, sensuality and mystery.
