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DEVI MAMAK
Artistic Director/Founder/Ghawazi Caravan member/Principal
Teacher
Devi Mamak is troupe member and artistic director of the award
winning Ghawazi Caravan, based in the Blue Mountains in N.S.W and is
one of Australia's premier ATS dancers, teachers and choreographers
having studied a variety of various Middle Eastern dance styles for
over a decade as well as Flamenco, Classical Indian and Ballet.
Devi is highly sought after Teacher and performer and is
regularly asked to teach around Australia and N.Z. She has also
taught and performed in Asia and the U.S.A.
Photo by Michael Mamak. Captured Memories

She has also travelled to San Francisco several times to study
with the masters of ATS and has dedicated herself to ATS since 1999.
U.S.A teachers include FCBD, Gypsy Caravan, Ultra Gypsy, as well as
belly dance superstars Rachel Brice and Kaeshi Chai. Devi has also
attended workshopsand or classes with Karen Gehrman, Jessie Gauld,
Colette Hunter, Megha Gavin, Suhalia Salimpour, Kajira Doujamana,
Tribal Feat, Rachel Lazurus Soto, Paulette Rees Denis.
Classes/workshops with Australian / N.Z teachers include Jrisi
Jusakos, Terezka Drinzik, Ruth Brent, Sarah Hamilton, Susan Brown,
Diane Dupont, Mel Rogers, Gintarus, Belyssa and of course her first
teacher, Kaiya Seaton. Devi has also completed two teacher
development courses with renowned Australian dancers, Belyssa and
Terezka. Devi is the first person in Australia to be accepted into
Carolena Nericcio's intensive Teacher Training Course. Devi has now
received her teaching accreditation in the highly regarded Fat
Chance Belly Dance (FCBD) format, with several of Ghawazi Caravan
movements being accepted into the FCBD format. In 2009 Devi was
invited to perform and co-teach the General Skills test with
Carolena in Taiwan.
Devi regularly performs at various functions ranging from
community events, festivals, as well as private and corporate
functions. Devi has also been invited to be a part of major funded
productions such as Unmasked and most recently "The Firebird" where
she had the opportunity to work collaboratively with dancers and
musicians of various styles including Mory Trarore, Emily Cooper,
Colin Berryman, Pandit Ramchandra Suman, John May, Miriam Leiberman,
Elizabeth Cameron Dalman and Keith Kempis.
Other artistis Devi has worked with include Jrisi Jusakos, Karen
gehrman, Tarek Sawires, Andy Bussutil, Skorba, Sekhyl and Hyde,
Solace, Jeff Rees, Bobbi Singh, Al Maha, Karen Wray, Lester Iyves,
Waiting for Guiness, Paulette Rees Denis, Belyssa Radzivanas, Amera
Eid and Hilary Cinis.
Devi holds weekly classes in ATS for all levels and ages in the
Blue Mountains and is regularly invited to teach workshops
interstate, N.Z, Asia and the U.S.A. She is also the Artistic
Director of student troupes, Ghaziya and Ghawazi Girls. Devi has
earned a reputation as a patient and thorough teacher. As a
performer she is renowned for her strong stage presence, as well as
her innovative and colourful choreographies.
Devi regularly sponsors major proponents of ATS from the U.S.A.
and in 2006 hosted the first Australian Tribal and Trance Festival
which was a huge success with participants attending from all over
Australia, N.Z and the U.S. Devi is also a classically trained,
conservatorium accredited piano teacher with 25 years teaching
experience and is a mother of two.
APRIL ERZETICH
Ghawazi Caravan member/Teacher

April has been dancing since she was three when she started Jazz
ballet. She danced with the same school to the age of 16 in this
time studying classical, modern, hip-hop and flamenco.
When finishing High school April started learning Egyptian Baladi
in Newcastle where she progressed to be a troupe performer for
several years and a substitute teacher. Her teaching experience also
extended to workshops for the youth at community centres, one at
Camp Quality, and most recently at Katoomba High School. April has
been training in the American Tribal style since 2002 and performing
with Ghawazi caravan since the beginning of 2006. April has
travelled twice to the U.S.A, once in 2004 with G.C. training with
Carolina, Suhaila, Domba, Jill Parker, Colleena and again in 2005
training for five weeks with Jill Parker and Ultra Gypsy. April also
studied Flamenco in Canada for 6months in 2005. Her performance
experience also includes some solo dancing with acts such as Babylon
Bicycle, Gamalen Nova Kasatria and The Love Lorn Living Party.
CRISTIE FULLER
Ghawazi Caravan member/Teacher

Cristie Fuller has been a passionate American
Tribal Style dancer since 2002 under the tuition of Devi Mamak and
is a member the professional troupe, Ghawazi Caravan.
Along with intensive training and performing with Devi, Cristie has
studied with Carolena Nerricio almost yearly since 2003 including
traveling to the Fat Chance Belly Dance studio, San Fransisco in
2004 and completing the General Skills Certificate with Carolena in
2007. She has taken workshops with Jill Parker, Paulette Rees-Denis
of Gypsy Caravan, Rachel Brice, and many other local and
international dancers.
Cristie has performed extensively, loving to dance at both small parties and
large events such as festivals and stage shows.
After taking part in Devi Mamak's teacher training program in 2008/09, she is
a relief teacher of Devi's regular classes as well as conducting workshops at
festivals such as the Playground Weekender music festival.
Her teaching focus is clear, concise break down of moves, prioritising technique
and posture and how they relate to group improvisation and sharing the
excitement and fun of dancing.
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