I study, teach and perform bellydance (or as it is also called; oriental dance, raqs sharki, and many other colourful names). Recently I have taught taster lessons to a hen night and a women's group. If you are interested in inviting me to perform, teach or both, please get in touch.

I took my first bellydance lessons back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth (1996) and I was only 16. My teacher was a wonderful woman whose name I have, sadly, completely forgotten now. What I do remember was that she lovely, full of energy and pregnant at the time, quite heavily so towards the middle of the block of lessons.

She took, at most, 2 weeks off to have her baby then returned to teach us. I thought that was pretty amazing and remember that the other women in the class who had gone through birth thought that it was really amazing.

She gave a performance to 'Mysterious Ways' by U2, which happened to be the song that made me want to learn bellydancing (on the Zoo TV tour, U2 had a dancer on stage with them during that song who bellydanced - my first experience of ever seeing the dance). I was hooked.

I've since been taught by Hilary Thacker (Edinburgh), Jillanna (Chattanooga, USA), several members of staff at Zanzibar (Chattanooga, USA), Petite Jamilla (Atlanta USA, member of the Bellydance Super Stars), Rajaa Ben (Italy), Leyla Jouvana (Germany) and Juliana Brustik (London).

I've performed at La Fête de la Musique with Dunya Ensemble in Edinburgh, on stage in Tennessee at the Merrybellies Summer Oasis and at private events in Scotland.

Among other cities, Shelley Skipper Bellydance may serve the following Scotland SL areas: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Isle of Mull, Aberdeen, Isle of Skye, Isle of Islay, Inverness, Dundee, Blairgowrie, Cairndow, Johnstone, Pitlochry, Ayr, Crieff, Dingwall, Kilmarnock, Paisley, Perth, Shetland, Stirling, Tranent, Auchterarder, Bathgate, Beith, Callander, Cupar, Dumfries, Dunfermline, Duns, Falkirk

More Info: Shelley Skipper Bellydance