Marthyna

Instructor , dancer and choreographer, Marthyna began her education in Oriental dance in 1997 with Claudette Biron (Alia). Following that, she belonged to the dance troupe, "The Sand Roses", for two years. She was co-founder of the very first tribal bellydance troupe in Quebec, "Les Trib'elles" [a pun- Très Belles= very pretty/ Tribe Elles= Tribe of She(s)] which separated in 2009. She is now the artistic director of Les Shuvanies and organizer of the tribal bellydance festival Tribally Yours.

Marthyna is an oriental dancer who loves thinking outside the box. Exploring the different facets of Oriental dance across the Dunyavi, Classical Arab, Turkish Gypsy, Oriental Turkish, Folkloric, Gawazee, Tribal and even Sacred. She aims for a performance that combines technique and emotion.

Since 2000, she shares her passion by giving theatrical performances, teaching and the creating choreographic works. She refreshes herself all the time by following studios and courses given by instructors (professors) of various styles such as Dalia Carella, Elizabeth Artemis Mourat, Jalilah, Helen Erikson, Ansuya, Aziza, etc. Her highy varied path makes her a captivating dancer.

During her pregnancy, Marthyna discovered a new aspect of Oriental dance: that of the "birthing dance". After months of research and two articles in the Québécoise Oriental dance revue, "Papyrus", she did extensive research to demonstrate the benefits of Oriental dance during pregnancy and childbirth.

In December, 2008, the dance Studio Marthyna was born in continuation of Marthyna's dream. This non-profit organization's mission is to promote all styles of Oriental dance, to continue the work of sensitizing the general population to the benefits of this ancestral dance to the body, mind and soul; as well as contributing to the bringing together of different cultures.

Marthyna has explored the tribal dance style since the creation of the troupe, Trib'elles, in November 2003, but she has literally fallen in love with that style. Its spontaneous side and philosophy deeply marked her very rapidly. Marthyna puts all she has into this branch of oriental dance, little known in Quebec, and learns from her colleagues. Thanks to the material from known troupes, such as Fat Chance Belly Dance, Gypsy Caravan, Ultra Gypsy, The Indigo (Rachel Brice), to name a few, Marthyna learns the facets of this versatile and dynamic style. For her, the tribal style represents the solidarity, the spontaneity, the creativity and the passion of dance "altogether".

Web site: www.marthyna.com/

Articles on Gilded Serpent by or about Marthyna

11-26-10 Struggles for Legitimacy, History of Belly Dance in Quebec, an Overview by Marthyna
They were not always accepted by the general public because of the revealing costumes but also because sometimes dancers performed between two strippers. This created a taboo around bellydancing. No one wanted to be caught learning it or performing on stage.