Dance and Shantell

In the Beginning...

[As photographed by Brian Atkinson]

Shantell began her dance studies in Moncton, NB, in 1997 under the tutelage of Terry Harper, a Lebanese-style belly dancer. When Terry moved away, Shantell continued dancing in Moncton's Gallery Equinoxx with Cathy Linfield. Cathy was an American nightclub-style dancer and was trained by Maria Morca. Cathy has a strong love of performance, and groomed Shantell to be both a performer and instructor.

When Shantell moved to Fredericton in 1999, she continued teaching introductory-level belly dance. Teaching up to five classes per week and travelling to workshops with numerous instructors around eastern Canada and Maine, she continued to hone her dance skills. In 2000, she began studying Goju-Ryu karate-do and discovered that the strength and discipline of martial arts provides excellent cross-training for dance. Around this time, she also received basic fitness and group fitness theory certification and began teaching fitness classes (dance fitness, and strength/flexibility).

That same year, Shantell self-published a booklet on dance costuming and began vending at a variety of dance events.

In 2001, she expanded her movement studies. She took a kinesthetics course on movement awareness, and began studying Wu-style t'ai chi chu'an, Hung Gar kung fu, yoga, jazz lyrical dance, west African dance, and Martha Graham-style modern dance. Her dance began to evolve into something very different as she applied movement principles learned in her non-dance movement studies. By the time 2002 rolled around, she was performing her own unique brand of fusion at experimental venues. As principal dancer, she performed with Drums & Machines and Freaky Scene for two consecutive years at the Halifax Experimental Music Festival, as well as at several experimental electronic music venues around New Brunswick.

In 2004, Shantell began studying Wing Chun, Praying Mantis kung fu, Ashtanga yoga, American Tribal Style (ATS) belly dance, hiphop, fire staff, and flamenco. Although her performances at multicultural festivals remained more traditional in tone, her performances at belly dance galas became more and more experimental in nature. By the time 2005 rolled around, she was being touted as a tribal fusion dancer. More realistically, her style was better described as North American nightclub/kung fu fusion.

In 2005, she began working with poi, and after mastering the basics, began fusing poi with her dance and martial arts skills. Before too long, she was layering shimmies with her spins, and using chambered kicks to enact direction changes.

In the spring of 2006, Shantell moved to Kitchener, Ontario in order to further develop her dance style and to hone her technique. She began studying classical Egyptian dance, Butoh and contemplative dance, mixed dance classes (with elements of modern, jazz, west African, hiphop, and breakdance), as well as Pilates/yoga fusion. She is also in the process of obtaining her personal trainer certification. With this diversification comes a greater understanding of movement, transitions, and the potential for developing a more individualized dance style. Her unique world fusion dance form incorporates the precise isolations and flow of belly dance, the strength and dynamic movements of martial arts, and the theatrics of fire dance. She believes dance, like literature, is a potent medium of expression, and can be used to convey a powerful visual interpretation of music and emotion. She continues to perform, teach (technique and improvisation), and to create dance costumes. She is in the process of writing another dance costuming book and developing a more codified system of dance instruction.

She is very active in the online dance world, and is the moderator of Canada Raqs as well as a co-moderator of the LiveJournal Belly Dancing Community.

Education

Shantell received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton, NB), with a double major in English (theatre) and Classics (civilization) and a minor in Fine Arts (creative writing). She received advanced fashion modelling certification from the Ruth Barnes Modelling Agency (Moncton, NB) where she studied makeup application and stage presentation. She also worked as a radio host for ten years, and was the music director and specialty music director for two years at CHSR-fm (Fredericton, NB). Her theatre, modelling, and radio background have given her the ability to perform publicly with ease and without nerves. Her radio background has also proven invaluable in terms of music comprehension in a wide variety of genres. She continues to guest DJ from time to time at various clubs under the moniker of DJ ShanMonster.

In 2003 and 2004, Shantell studied metal arts at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design (Fredericton, NB), also dabbling in surface design and textile arts. Her focus was geared toward jewellery and costuming for dancers.

Shantell currently studies American Tribal Style with Valizan of Hamilton, ON and pole dance with a variety of instructors at Impact Movement Studios in Kitchener, ON.

She has also trained extensively in various martial arts including Okinawan Goju-Ryu karate-do (under tutelage of Kyoshi Ken Tallack), Wu-style t'ai chi chu'an (Sifu Martin Kennedy), and Hung Gar kung fu (Sifu Danny Norrad and Sifu Ricky Cote under tutelage of Sifu Jay Tse) at Wei Chin Kung Fu. She has also dabbled briefly in Choy Li Fut, European-style fencing, and tae kwon do. Martial arts has helped her dance enormously, and she recommends it as excellent cross-training for any dancer. It has definitely changed the way Shantell approaches dancing with a sword. She currently studies Wing Chun with Sifu Chuck O'Neil at the Canadian Wingchun Fellowship Kwoon in Kitchener, ON.

Shantell studied Ashtanga yoga with Ruth Merrett at Lifesong Yoga in Fredericton, NB., and also practices Hatha yoga and mind/body awareness on her own and with a rotating roster of instructors.

Legacy

Several of Shantell's students have become performers and teachers. These include the following:

If any are missing, please let Shantell know!

© 2007 Shantell Powell