Amethyst
Baltimore, MD
About Amethyst
Amethyst is a small portion of the award-winning troupe, Amandari Dance Company under the direction of Naimah from Baltimore, MD. Their style is best described as ecclectic and eccentric. They’ve been working together for many years to present theatrical mayhem. They have performed numerous times at Raven’s Night and are excited to return.
IG: Naimah Dances
Belladonna – RN Producer
Washington, DC
About Belladonna
Belladonna is a sword pioneer, modern fusion belly dance instructor, performer, and show producer from Washington DC. She is also a certified yoga instructor, fire dancers, director and artist. Inspired by the power and healing dance can evoke she believes that self expression is essential for one’s well being, and hopes her performances inspire others to find a passion they want to pursue.
Brenna Crowley
New York City, NY
About Brenna
Brenna Crowley is an artist, dancer choreographer, instructor and producer based in NYC, and has performed and taught locally and across the country since first walking into her first dance class in 2004.
She has performed as a featured soloist, as a member of Sera Solstice’s Solstice Ensemble, as part of many collaborations including The Bridge Street Project, Mirapiece Theater, The Pop-Up Project, and companies directed by Dalia Carella, Danielle Hutton, Altagracia, and Ayshe. Currently teaching at Bellyqueen School, she has taught at Serena Studios, Solstice Studio and at Ailey Extension. She co-produced the theatrical dance events, the Witching Hour Boo-tique and Baile Noir, with founder Giselle BellydanceNYC.
She also partnered with founder Danielle Hutton on the last two productions of the Love Letters series. She is also a proud ambassador for the dance clothing company D. Webb Designs. When she’s not dancing, Brenna is crafting home decor, listening to too many spooky and true crime podcasts, dabbling in SFX makeup, pretending to work for QVC and wrangling her four turtles and 40 houseplants.
Irina Akulenko
New York City, NY
About Irina
Irina Akulenko is a New York City-based artist, with a burning passion for arts of all genres. Since 2001, Irina explored both Egyptian Cabaret and American Tribal Style belly dance, Classical Indian (Odissi), contemporary, and Flamenco and now enjoys fusing these art forms.
Today, Irina performs on various New York stages and tours nationally and internationally as a soloist fusion dancer; offers numerous online classes in a variety of styles: is a teacher and principal dancer with Bellyqueen Dance Theater and choreographer and Assistant Director for NASA-powered multimedia show Bella Gaia.
Ken Vegas – RN Producer
Washington, DC
About Ken
Ken Vegas is an international Drag King Legend and gender bender. Based in Washington DC, Ken has traveled across the U.S. and abroad performing his captivating and intoxicating style. Ken is currently working on the DragKingHistory.com project along side legend Mo B. Dick and has teamed up to produce shows and perform with the Bellydance Baroness of Blades, Belladonna Boheme.
IG: Ken Vegas
Meta Young
Atlanta, GA
About Meta
Meta Young is an artist from Virginia. She specializes in mythological themes and artworks and enjoys building video games with her brother.
Vimeo: MetaYoung
IG: Meta The Young
Morgana
Madrid, Spain
About Morgana
Morgana is an internationally-recognized Tribal Fusion and Dark Fusion dancer, choreographer, and instructor from Spain.
Her work is very prolific and varied. It is highlighted by her choreographic compositions inspired by stories and characters from films and videogames, her collection of animal-inspired steps, which have resulted from her research on animal mimicry, and especially, her fusion of tribal dance with weapons and martial arts, in which Morgana is a worldwide pioneer.
A dark aesthetic predominates in her work, addressed from multiple angles: from Chinese and Japanese culture, ancient mythology to Science Fiction, the Victorian Era, runic dance, temple dance and rituals in nature.
At the educational level, she has developed the MEW (Morgan East & West) format, a five-level dance program that combines the general basics of oriental dance, Tribal ATS and Tribal Fusion with her own repertoire of steps, and is complemented by professional specialization courses. This format is taught through regular classes in Madrid at Morgan East & West Dance and Performing Arts Center and in various European locations, as well as through thematic workshops around the world.
Morgana is also the founder of Excalibur Dance Company, a dance and stage-fighting company with more than 25 years of experience in Europe, and the organizer of the Spanish edition of the international alternative dance festival Gothla Spain.
Facebook: morganatattoohadaI
IG: morgana_tattoohada
Youtube: MorganaEastWest
Nevermore
NY, OH, PA
About Nevermore
Nevermore is the creation of three professional belly dancers, Calixta Starr (NY), Sarah Joy (OH) and Berna (PA), who have a passion for fusing storytelling with dance to create a unique, immersive theatrical style.
Their collective work spans across a wide array of genres and dance forms, as well as performances at top festivals and pop culture conventions. When these three combine their artistry, they create pieces that boldly push beyond the boundaries of the page, literally dancing the story to life.
When not performing, you can find all three teaching their respective styles locally and online.
Now, “Once upon a midnight dreary…”
Calixta Starr:
FB: CalixtaStarrdance
IG: @calixtastarrdance
Berna:
FB: Berna
IG: @bernadancer
www.bernadancer.com
Sarah Joy:
Linktr.ee: sarahjoybellydance
Osiris Dance
Phoenix, AZ
About Osiris Dance
Osiris Dance: Diosa & Katara
Osiris Dance has shared their eclectic dance stylings with the Phoenix Valley for over ten years. With a foundation of Egyptian Cabaret, Osiris blends belly dance with other genres, including American Tribal, Bollywood, Hip Hop, and Experimental dance forms. They thrive on adding theatricality to their pieces by bringing stories to life through movement, costuming, music, and expression, sometimes by incorporating numerous and unconventional props to their dance.
With over 30 years of combined dance experience, Osiris members, Diosa and Katara perform and teach workshops at festivals and events throughout the country including Raven’s Night 2020, the Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention, The Phoenix Comicon/Fan Fest, film premieres, Phoenix Rising, Amethyst Dance Festival, and more. In addition, Osiris was awarded “Top Tribal Fusion Professional Troupe” and “Top Oriental Professional Troupe” from Amethyst Dance Festival 2020.
Raqs al Taneen
Chicago, IL
About Raqs al Taneen
Raqs al Taneen, or “the dancing dragon,” is an all-male belly dance company consisting of Kamrah and Drake von Trapp.
Together they have over 30 years of dance experience, bringing everything from raqs sharqi belly dance to multiple styles of transnational fusion.
They’ve been composing innovative collaborations for many years, and their individual strengths coalesce into fiery dynamism onstage.
Drake von Trapp:
IG: drake.vontrapp
Kamrah:
IG: kamrahdancer
Shannon Burla
San Francisco, CA
About Shannon
SF Bay Area dancer Shannon Burla is inspired by the seasons and by change…by the crossroads and mist and wildflowers.
She is a certified Bohemian Bellydance Foundations Instructor, company member of Jill Parker’s Little Egypt Dance Company, and director of her own theatrical dark fusion company, The Dancers of Nyx.
You can find out more about her here:
Shannonburla.com
Spirit of Ma’at
Pikesville, MD
About Spirit of Ma'at
Spirit of Ma’at is an urban fusion troupe based in Pikesville, MD that was founded by Rashelle Celestin in 2010.
The troupe is known for its fun and funky choreography that fuses a variety of genres including hip hop, African, dancehall and modern dance with belly dance to create eclectic pieces that are just as much fun to learn as they are to perform.
Inspired by Rashelle’s Haitian roots and incorporating movements from traditional Haitian voodoo dances, Rashelle, Tati, Tisha, Sherlean aka Spirit of Ma’at, are excited to join this year’s Raven’s Night 2023!
Troupe Iyanu
Washington, DC
About Troupe Iyanu
Troupe Iyanu is an urban sword troupe based in he DMV area. Iyanu, meaning “wonder” in Yoruba., prides itself on bringing.a unique, innovative dance to the stage using their blades to tell the story.
Bohemian Blade certified, Troupe Iyanu members bring their prior experience in American Cabernet, ITS, hip hop folklore, and fusion to shape the inspiration of movement they create.
IG: troupeiyanu