Biography
Jaiyana has been studying dance and movement in many forms from a very young age, including ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom, and tai chi. She finally found inspiration in movement in 2003, when she began studying tribal-style bellydance with Crimson of Troupe Shuvani in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Since moving to Maine, she has continued her study with excellent local bellydance teachers, and has taken workshops with dancers from further afield, including Carolena Nericcio, Autumn Ward, Mira Betz, Heléna Melone, Karim Nagi, the flamenco dancer La Conja, and many others. She is pleased to be part of Maine's prolific and thriving dance & music community. She broadens her movement understanding with other dance forms, especially Flamenco. However, her first love and primary focus remains Improv Tribal Style Bellydance.
She performs regularly at festivals and other events in the greater Portland, Maine area, including the University of Southern Maine's Global Block Party, the Norway Arts Festival, the Portland Farmer's Market, and many others. She has been a regular performer at several restaurants and cafés, accompanied by local musicians Okbari and others. Jaiyana is especially pleased and privileged to have been a special guest at several Naya's Trance stage productions, and to collaborate with Ayperi and Adira on recent perfomances.
Jaiyana holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in History of Science and Women's Studies. In her non-dance life, she is a massage therapist, allowing her to bring an in-depth understanding of anatomy, posture, and movement to her instruction.
Questions? info@jaiyana.com / 207-619-4230