The Instructors

Alexandra Bourque Snyder

Alexandra performs and teaches Oriental style Belly Dance in the Charlottesville area. She has a strong background in other dance forms, and she discovered belly dance in 1994. Alexandra's classes are inspired by the Suhaila Salimpour Format, in which Alexandra is currently certified at Level II. She directs the Belly dance program at ACAC Fitness and Wellness Center; she teaches the Cabaret belly dance classes through the Bellydance Club at UVa; and she directs her professional troupe, the Alexandra Dance Company, and her student troupe Belly Souk. Alexandra performs regularly at Bashir's Taverna on the downtown mall, and hosts community Bellydance showcases in Charlottesville.

Joy Rayman

Joy Rayman is a Tribal Fusion belly dancer from the Charlottesville area and one of the founding members of Fire in the Belly Dance Company. Originally from Baltimore Md., Joy has been studying the art of belly dance in its many forms for 20 years. She began studying folkloric style and learned to play dumbek while a member of the Society for Creative Anachronisms. Joy has danced with and directed several troupes while beginning to teach dance to a few friends in her spare room. In 1999, Joy moved to central Va. and began teaching classes in Nelson County as well as the Dance Theater of Lynchburg. This is when she met fellow dancer Susan Nicholson and along with Joia Wood the three of them formed Fire in the Belly, Charlottesvilles first tribal belly dance troupe. Over the years, Fire in the Belly has evolved into what is now a fusion/experimental style of tribal belly dance. Joy continues to teach in and around Charlottesville and encourages her students to perform as well. She recently received her certification in level 1 from Suhaila Salimpour and is currently taking classes in American cabaret style belly dance from Alexandra Snyder.