Hello everyone! My
name is Andrea Kitta and I'm the founder of The Neighbourhood Strays. 
My dance experience
is pretty complicated. Because of cultural constraints, I'm only allowed to
discuss the details of my training in a venue where I can see everyone's faces.
The reason why this rule is in place is because Romani (Gypsy) culture is
frequently misunderstood and it is believed that if you can see the face of the
person you are talking to or speak personally to them, you will be able to help
them understand the culture better. If you can't see their face or be there to
answer their questions, your words (or text) may only lead to more
misunderstandings.
In addition to my family
training, I have also studied Egyptian, Turkish, Indian, and American Tribal
Style bellydancing. I am currently certified in the Suhaila Salimpour
Format Level 1. I have my general
skills certification in American tribal style bellydance
from Fat Chance Belly Dance, and have my teacher certification as an
American tribal style bellydance general studio from
Fat Chance Belly Dance.
I've danced in
restaurants, at cultural festivals, at weddings, births, and various other
parties and everywhere else in between! I belonged to The Lotus Dancers of
south central Kentucky from 2001-2003 where I danced with the troupe, performed
solo, assisted with classes, and gave private lessons. When I moved to St.
John's in 2003 to pursue my Ph.D. in Folklore, I began teaching bellydance in
the Grad Room in the Folklore Department at MUN. Those classes led to the
formation of The Neighbourhood Strays (thus named because we were all CFA's)
and classes at Kittiwake Dance Theatre. After Kittiwake closed, we moved over
to The School of Dance and operated our own dance school from 2008-2009.
The bottom line is I
love bellydancing! In 2009 I moved to North Carolina to teach at East Carolina University. Although I am no longer living in Newfoundland, the troupe is going
strong and is around to stay!
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