The Neighbourhood Strays
Gypsy Style Bellydance
The Neighbourhood Strays are a gypsy-style bellydance troupe located in St. John’s, Newfoundland. We perform Atseguin (Eastern European Gypsy) bellydance with influences from American Tribal, Egyptian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Indian, and other forms of dance.
We have received excellent reviews from our audiences and past students, and we are constantly working on new original choreographies to add to our performances. The name “The Neighbourhood Strays” was initially chosen because all of the founding members were CFA’s. Now, however, many of the troupe members are from Newfoundland.
The Neighbourhood Strays Bellydance Troupe was formed by Andrea Kitta. Andrea is a member of the Middle Eastern Dance Association, the GypsyLore Society, the American Folklore Society, and the Folklore Studies Association of Canada. In 2009, she moved to the USA to teach at East Carolina University. For more information on Andrea, please see the founder page.
The Neighbourhood Strays are regular performers at special events such as SummerDance, the Lantern Festival, Mary Griffiths Night, and various multicultural festivals, including the popular International Food and Craft Fair.
We often volunteer our time to perform at fundraising events in and around St. John’s. With a name like the Neighbourhood Strays, we particularly enjoy dancing at fundraisers for animal rights groups such as Beagle Paws and the SPCA. We give back to our community in other ways, as well. In September 2007, we walked as a troupe in the annual Take Back the Night March, and in October of 2007-2009, we formed a team and participated in the CIBC Run for the Cure, and in 2009, participated in the Hearts for Haiti fundraiser.
The Neighbourhood Strays are available for hire for private functions, such as corporate parties and weddings. We also offer workshops as a fun alternative to the usual bridal shower activities, or as a unique and interesting Girls’ Night Out. See our performance information section for more details on hiring for events.
The Neighbourhood Strays are no strangers to media attention. The troupe has appeared on the NTV Evening News with Toni Wiseman, been featured on CBC TV and CBC Radio, and have had many newspaper articles written about us. Our pictures are snapped on a regular basis and are often used to highlight stories with international themes.
In September 2008, the Neighbourhood Strays opened their very own bellydance studio but due to troupe changes in 2009, it was closed. Classes are still available from one of the many dance studios located in Newfoundland. See the links of interest section for studio information.
Founder
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!
Andrea
