Sacred Dance Performers 2003

Nikki Williams

Nikki has been a practitioner & teacher of Inversion Therapy since 1996 helping to develop the technique by teaching it in workshops all over the world for the past six years. During the last year she has also performed her healing as an art form in her own show called "Return to the Source" at Festivals and Shows. Nikki also practices as a sound healer, teaching overtone chanting and leading sound journeys. Her band, the Overtone Choir, has just been signed to provide the music for a film score "Touching The Void", and was chosen by BBC Radio 3 "Late Junction" as the leading track on their new compilation CD. The Overtone Choir has just recorded its 3rd CD.

Earthsound

Spencer Wright and Katie Burden, having both trained as therapists & in the creative arts, found themselves catapulted into a huge sound journey. Since their 24 hour "Sound Circle" at Gaunts House in 2002, they have held regular Toning Evenings at Reflexions, London. They are currently developing their projects "Theatre of Sound" and "Sound Circus" with schools and groups including the RNIB. They also offer one to one Gong Baths and healing sessions. Their inquiry proceeds & returns to a meditative centre - sound as healing, as a tool for journeying, for opening new gateways, releasing & transmuting energy blockages, for celebration & for simply for the pure joy of it!

Spencer is an experienced holistic healer, practicing bodywork & sound therapy. He has set up clinics & tutoring within the NHS. Katie is a Reiki Master, musician & accomplished performer.

Chandra & Petra Thagunna

From western Nepal, a delightful couple who have been married for six years. Petra has been practicing Yoga in Katmandu from the age of 14, and has trained in Bangalore at the Parashanti Ashram. She started teaching in Nepal, then two years ago they were sponsored by the Beacon Centre to come to the UK where they are presently running the Kingston Yoga Centre. Today they are going to do a demonstration in "partner yoga".

Quincy Charles

Quincy is an Indian Classical dancer of 7 years dance and stage experience. His initial training started at the age of 16 in the West Indies under the guidance of Smt Susan Mohip, a disciple of Bhaswati Misra (senior disciple of Pt. Birju Maharaj). After taking up permanent residence in the United Kingdom in 1997, Quincy continued training under Sushmita Ghosh at the Bharata vidya Bhavan in London. Quincy is now the disciple of Smt Jayashree Acharya, an established dancer choreographer and a most senior disciple of the Kathak maestro, Pt Birju Maharaj. He has also received some training in tabla and harmonium to enhance his understanding of Indian music and laya under Sri Shiv Shankar Ray, an artist of great international repute.

He has performed extensively in the UK, including at the millennium dome, the Royal Festival Hall, the Leicester Dance Conference, for the then Prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago Mr Basdoe Panday, and most recently the Queen's jubilee celebration in 2002 as part of Akademi's dance troop.

Joice Pereira

At the age of seven, Joice started to dance at the Centro Mineiro de Dancas Classicas in Brazil, which is a classical ballet school associated to the Royal Academy of London. She spent 13 years studying there and enjoyed professional experience under the direction of maitres from the National Ballet of Cuba. She has also training in modern and contemporary dance (Cunningham, Limon, Contact Improvisation, and Release Technique), and in Bharatanatyam (Classical Indian Dance). Currently she lives in England, and is a post-diploma student in Bharatanatyam at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London.

Since 1995 she also has been performing and teaching aspects of traditional folk and popular dance of the Arabic countries under guidance of the renowned Lebanese teacher Brigitte Bacha in Brazil. She has been involved in all productions of the professional group (focusing Belly Dance and Folk) and was a regular performer at Vila Arabia in Belo Horizonte-Brasil. In 2001 she was invited to teach at the One World Festival, and in collaboration with the percussion ensemble Kunundrum, she lead several success workshops and performances. Under the production of Turquoise Arts, she adopted the artistic name MAYA. She has been teaching weekly in Brighton, and also has been performing in its world music concerts productions.

491 Tao Warriors

The Tao Warriors are part of a community art project in Leytonstone (The 491 Gallery) from where they run workshops and events. They are touring the festivals this summer performing an eclectic range of dance routines, poetry, music and circus skills. The team is a group twelve of performers, five of whom will be at the Kingston Green Fair: Natalie Warren, Vitoria, Prinul, Sedek Garcia, and Mary Parsons.

The State of Grace reflects the spirit reached through art performance. The audience will be invited in the second half to join the team and learn the basic steps of Capoera. Capoera is a combination of Brazilian martial arts, dance and singing that originated from Angolan slaves.

Ravi

The man remains relatively anonymous, keeping his published biographical information to a minimum, dropping his surname and, I suspect, adopting a new name altogether. He's thus a child of the world who plays everything from kora and berimbao to the tibetan bowls and celtic harp. The track is prefaced by Ravi's message "May these sounds enhance your meditations, relaxations and other inner jouneys, bringing you power light and love" BBC Radio3 presenter Verity Sharp on RAVI.

Ravi has been involved in world/fusion for over twenty years, having worked with: Dr John, Talvin Singh, Phil Manzanera, Nigel Kennedy, Suns of Arqua, Tribal Drift, Loop Guru, Jon Lord, The Yardbirds, Daevid Allen, Sitar Funk, Frankie Armstrong, the opera singer Janet Perry, Pete Lockett, Deva Premal and Miten, Prem Joshua, top traditional musicians from India (Hari Prasad), Madagascar (Justin Vali), Morocco (B n'et Houriat), Sardinia (Cordes et Cannes), Hungary (Vasmalom), DJ's Sasha and BT and at the Real World recording week.