The InstigatorBelly Dancer USA has a new home in Salem. The national bellydance competition was acquired by local dancer and studio owner Cassandra Rose Pangburn.
“We’re thrilled to bring this competition and all these talented dancers to Salem, Oregon to share this beautiful art form. We can’t wait,” she said.
Cassandra runs Rose Empire Dance, a local dance company and studio that trains everyone from beginners to award-winning dancers in the art of bellydance. In addition to being a studio owner, she is a professional performer, instructor and multiple troupe director in the Pacific Northwest.
The competition will showcase the talents of dancers from around the country with a special guest dancer from Egypt during a gala event on Saturday evening. Dozens of dancers will take to the stage in a combination of solos and large troupe performances, including headliner Vanessa of Cairo, an American-born dancer who has been living and dancing full-time in Egypt since 2008. She is the first and only American woman to start and operate a production company in Egypt. The reigning Belly Dancer USA 2021, Laura Leyl, will also perform in the gala. She is a multi-award-winning professional belly dancer based in Los Angeles.
The gala show and weekend competition are open to the public. The gala begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 11. Tickets are $20; free for ages 5 and younger. The competition takes place Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12. Tickets range from $10 for daytime events to $45 for the full weekend. Click here for tickets. Activities are all at Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre, 187 High St NE. Learn more at www.bellydancerusa.net.
Image: Belly Dancer USA 2021, Laura Leyl.
