Ana comes from a musical family. Her father taught himself to play the guitar when he was a boy, so the love of music runs in the family. Her mother used to dance the “mambo” and entertained her aunts, cousins and uncles by dancing on tabletops. Her mother still dances at various functions with Ana’s Mirage. Ana has been dancing & performing since she can remember. She and her sister used to dance to rock & roll music at family gatherings, delighting the adults. The girls were naturals at performing. At one time all three sisters, Ana, Blanca & Monica were belly dancing. Blanca dances with Ana’s Mirage group.
Ana started tap dance lessons as a little girl. This year 2004, she attended her tap dance teacher's 97th birthday party---Miss Bea of National City. Her dancing was then followed by Cheerleading in High School, Mexican Folklorico dance, Jazz dance and finally Ana settled into Belly Dancing. Her other dance talents include swing dance, salsa dance, and Mexican “cumbia” dancing.
Her greatest love and accomplishment in dance has been Raks Sharki “Belly Dance”. She can thank her sister for “daring” her to take belly-dance lessons. She had her introduction to belly dancing from a wonderful lady by the name of Francie who taught in a recreation center in National City. Francie told Ana and Blanca that they were “naturals”. From there, Ana took dance lessons with “Kishma” Rose Fedak of Spring Valley, master of the double-sword and intricate veil dance. Kishma helped Ana develop further and give her the “edge” she needed.
Soon thereafter, (six months later) Ana was hired to dance at the Seven Veils Restaurant in Mission Valley. (I can only wonder how I looked!) From there came Call-a-Gram bellygrams, and LiveWires bellygrams. Next, she danced at Athens Market Restaurant downtown San Diego, followed by El Griego Restaurant in Tijuana’s Plaza Rio, Crete Isle Café in Oceanside, Sinbad’s in El Cajon, and was a guest dancer at Troy’s Greek , Georgia’s and the legendary Hajji Baba’s Restaurant, she started the belly dance shows at Mediterranean Cafe downtown San Diego, danced at Oasis Cafe in Bonita and Sam's Grill & Rotisserie in El Cajon, Crystal Ballroom for weddings, Athen's Market Restaurant and the famous Greek Town Restaurant in downtown San Diego.
She has also danced in Ensenada Mexico at San Nicolas Hotel for the Newport/Ensenada Regatta, and was a dancer at “El Griego” Restaurant in Tijuana Mexico, and performed at Tijuana’s Channel 12 Juan Luis Curiel Show. (does this qualify as “international” dancer?), and dances at Dimitri's Greek Restaurant in Tijuana. She has also danced for the Catalina Yacht Club. She has danced the past two years at the "Solo Angeles" Motorcycle Club / South Coast Harley Toys for Tots Ride, where tons of toys are given to the underprivileged children of Tijuana.
Ana has taught belly-dance for the Spring Valley Community Center over 10 years. Currently she performs in the Southern California and Northern-Baja California areas. Ana is fluent in two languages, Spanish and English.
She is director of Ana’s Mirage Dancers and formed the group about 8 years ago. Ana’s “Mirage” Dancers have performed and delighted the audiences at the famous San Diego Street Scene Festival, Mardi Gras "Fat Tuesday" downtown, the Del Mar Fair, Santa Sophia Festival, Multiple Sclerosis Society Walk Fundraiser, St. Jude’s Festival, Holy Spirit Festival, and Blessed Sacrament Festival, and many convalescent homes and elementary schools in the San Diego County area. She has performed for the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District’s Extended Services Program and annual retirement party for the district.
Ana enjoys her dancing as much as her audience enjoys her dancing. As she dances, she mesmerizes her audience. Her audience drifts out into an oasis in the desert, where one can see the moonlight and camels at rest, while the exotic melodies caress the senses and a belly dancer undulates and shimmies in perfect unison to the music.
Highly organized, between entertaining at parties and restaurants, riding the Harley, and enjoying her family, she juggles her dance career and job of teaching dance.
Ana is Secretary and Events Coordinator of the SAMEDA organization, is member of SAMEDTA and MECDA - Middle Eastern Dance Associations. She also serves a liaison to the Spanish speaking community.
Ana's dance training started with Kishma and Francene, followed by Cyrena, Leyla, Rama Ana, and Samera. She has also taken workshops with Fahtiem, Angelika Nemeth, Marta Schill, Marguerite Kusuhara, Jillina, Delilah of Seattle, Rachel Brice, Suhaila Salimpour, Dahlena, Judy Reda, and zills by Leyla Splane. Ana is proficient in zills, veil work and sword balancing and Isis wings. Her motto is "a dancer never stops learning". This year 2007, Ana won the title "Belly Dancer of the Universe - Divine" in the prestigious competition of that same name -- and also was awarded the Halame Congeniality Award & the People's Choice award.
Ana started tap dance lessons as a little girl. This year 2004, she attended her tap dance teacher's 97th birthday party---Miss Bea of National City. Her dancing was then followed by Cheerleading in High School, Mexican Folklorico dance, Jazz dance and finally Ana settled into Belly Dancing. Her other dance talents include swing dance, salsa dance, and Mexican “cumbia” dancing.
Her greatest love and accomplishment in dance has been Raks Sharki “Belly Dance”. She can thank her sister for “daring” her to take belly-dance lessons. She had her introduction to belly dancing from a wonderful lady by the name of Francie who taught in a recreation center in National City. Francie told Ana and Blanca that they were “naturals”. From there, Ana took dance lessons with “Kishma” Rose Fedak of Spring Valley, master of the double-sword and intricate veil dance. Kishma helped Ana develop further and give her the “edge” she needed.
Soon thereafter, (six months later) Ana was hired to dance at the Seven Veils Restaurant in Mission Valley. (I can only wonder how I looked!) From there came Call-a-Gram bellygrams, and LiveWires bellygrams. Next, she danced at Athens Market Restaurant downtown San Diego, followed by El Griego Restaurant in Tijuana’s Plaza Rio, Crete Isle Café in Oceanside, Sinbad’s in El Cajon, and was a guest dancer at Troy’s Greek , Georgia’s and the legendary Hajji Baba’s Restaurant, she started the belly dance shows at Mediterranean Cafe downtown San Diego, danced at Oasis Cafe in Bonita and Sam's Grill & Rotisserie in El Cajon, Crystal Ballroom for weddings, Athen's Market Restaurant and the famous Greek Town Restaurant in downtown San Diego.
She has also danced in Ensenada Mexico at San Nicolas Hotel for the Newport/Ensenada Regatta, and was a dancer at “El Griego” Restaurant in Tijuana Mexico, and performed at Tijuana’s Channel 12 Juan Luis Curiel Show. (does this qualify as “international” dancer?), and dances at Dimitri's Greek Restaurant in Tijuana. She has also danced for the Catalina Yacht Club. She has danced the past two years at the "Solo Angeles" Motorcycle Club / South Coast Harley Toys for Tots Ride, where tons of toys are given to the underprivileged children of Tijuana.
Ana has taught belly-dance for the Spring Valley Community Center over 10 years. Currently she performs in the Southern California and Northern-Baja California areas. Ana is fluent in two languages, Spanish and English.
She is director of Ana’s Mirage Dancers and formed the group about 8 years ago. Ana’s “Mirage” Dancers have performed and delighted the audiences at the famous San Diego Street Scene Festival, Mardi Gras "Fat Tuesday" downtown, the Del Mar Fair, Santa Sophia Festival, Multiple Sclerosis Society Walk Fundraiser, St. Jude’s Festival, Holy Spirit Festival, and Blessed Sacrament Festival, and many convalescent homes and elementary schools in the San Diego County area. She has performed for the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District’s Extended Services Program and annual retirement party for the district.
Ana enjoys her dancing as much as her audience enjoys her dancing. As she dances, she mesmerizes her audience. Her audience drifts out into an oasis in the desert, where one can see the moonlight and camels at rest, while the exotic melodies caress the senses and a belly dancer undulates and shimmies in perfect unison to the music.
Highly organized, between entertaining at parties and restaurants, riding the Harley, and enjoying her family, she juggles her dance career and job of teaching dance.
Ana is Secretary and Events Coordinator of the SAMEDA organization, is member of SAMEDTA and MECDA - Middle Eastern Dance Associations. She also serves a liaison to the Spanish speaking community.
Ana's dance training started with Kishma and Francene, followed by Cyrena, Leyla, Rama Ana, and Samera. She has also taken workshops with Fahtiem, Angelika Nemeth, Marta Schill, Marguerite Kusuhara, Jillina, Delilah of Seattle, Rachel Brice, Suhaila Salimpour, Dahlena, Judy Reda, and zills by Leyla Splane. Ana is proficient in zills, veil work and sword balancing and Isis wings. Her motto is "a dancer never stops learning". This year 2007, Ana won the title "Belly Dancer of the Universe - Divine" in the prestigious competition of that same name -- and also was awarded the Halame Congeniality Award & the People's Choice award.
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