Where and when were you born?
22 September 1976 at Penrith (base of the Blue Mountains), NSW, Australia

How long have you been dancing?
I was first drawn to belly dance after stumbling across a book titled "Belly dance". I spent the next 6 months teaching myself the main basic movements before finally finding the time to attend my first class in 1995.

What other styles of dancing have you done?
Classic Egyptian, Modern Egyptian, Baladi, Sha'abi, Pharonics and Zaar. Other Styles include, African, Indian (Odissi) and Flamenco.

How long have you been doing Tribal style??
I first took an interest in American Tribal Style (ATS) belly dance in 2000 after borrowing a couple of videos from a friend. This friend who was soon to become my teacher was Devi Mamak. I took my first lesson with Devi the following year, and loved it. Towards the end of 2001 I was performing and ATS became my main focus of styles.

What appeals to you about Tribal?
There are many aspects of ATS that appeal to me. Apart from the costume, I would have to say initially what caught my attention was the strength, flexibility and neatness the steps portray. The style displays strength yet maintains gracefulness and the posture is very proud and controlled.

The costume and make-up had an impact, as did the jewellery, which particularly caught my attention. I guess what I like about the costume is how it accentuates the body's movement and the fact it can be altered to flatter any body shape, therefore all dancers look uniform and equal.

The music captivated me also as it is a combination of cultures spanning the globe e.g. The Middle East, India, Central Asia, North Africa and Spain.

What are your interests / hobbies?
The slow movements and floor-work in ATS can require a great deal of flexibility and stamina. I have found that combining Yoga (Iyengar) with my dancing has been a crucial part in building on my ability. Yoga has taught me my body's limitations and enabled me to increase my flexibility immensely.

What do you do for a job?
I work in retail, whilst working towards a degree in pathology.

If Tribal is your current passion, what was your previous passion?
From a young age I was always active and participated in a variety of sports, gymnastics in particular. While at primary school I competed in long distant running at state level, and competed in Athletics as well. A focus in high school was weight training and aerobics. After high school I started dancing and this became my main focus and is still something I am currently passionate about.

What is your personal life like?
Busy.

Where do you see yourself and Ghawazi Caravan in the future?
When Ghawazi Caravan first formed none of us had any idea as to what opportunities would come our way. We have had the opportunity to perform locally as well as nationally. Ghawazi Caravan has performed at weddings, parties, special events and for a variety of community functions. We have even recently danced in a national competition and now to have the chance to perform at the tribal festival in California USA is just overwhelming. In all we have achieved in such a short time it is hard to imagine what's next.

I guess what I am hoping for the future of Ghawazi Caravan is that each of us builds on our own individual technique and keep advancing on working together as a team. Most importantly, I hope we remain close friends-even if leaving the troupe. On a more personal note, I would enjoy having the opportunity to teach and pass on all that I have learnt.

I would love ATS to become more widely recognized in Australia and hope Ghawazi Caravan can continue to inspire others to follow the tribal path.