Navel Gazers

Belly Dance Melbourne

Joyful Exotic Soulful

Welcome to Navel Gazers Belly Dance Melbourne classes where your Belly Dance dreams come true! Belly Dance Melbourne is one of the premier dance academies for traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern dance in Australia, with over 25 years in the industry. We offer very high quality, enjoyable classes in Egyptian Belly Dance and Tribal Fusion and stunning professional performances.

The Movers and Shakers

Unleash your wild heart and embrace your sensual soul at Navel Gazers Belly Dance Melbourne!

Discover your passion for the beautiful, ancient art form of Belly Dance through encouraging and sensitive instruction from the very best in the business. Navel Gazers Belly Dance Melbourne classes are renowned in Australia for exemplary instruction in all levels of Egyptian Belly Dance and Tribal Fusion at three studio locations; Blackburn Nth, Malvern and Mitcham (private lessons). Whether you're just starting out or you already have Belly Dance experience you'll find Navel Gazers Belly Dance Melbourne is a welcoming and tranformative dance school.

The studio is run by director Melusina who is a powerhouse in the Middle Eastern dance world. For over 25 years Melusina has been one of the most sought after and influential performers, instructors and choreographers in Australia with a strong presence in Orientale dance internationally. Melusina has performed in Egypt, America and New Zealand and has studied under many masters in traditional Egyptian and contemporary Tribal dance styles. She has become known for her powerful, emotive stage presence and impeccable technical skill. Regarded as one of Australia’s foremost instructors and choreographers, Melusina is also known as one of the most generous and fun. She has taught in several countries and frequently travels around Australia teaching and performing her unique styles.

From 2000 Melusina was one of the principal teachers and performers at Underbelly before she branched out in 2009 with Navel Gazers Belly Dance Melbourne. She is artistic director and creator of the Tribal format, Red Belly Black which was one of the first Tribal Fusion formats to ever launch in Australia. In 2020 Melusina completed a year long Egyptian dance and music study course with Keti Sharif and is now a certified teacher in A-Z Original, A-Z Advanced, A-Z Teaching Courses and Somatics for Belly Dance.

Melusina's passion for Belly Dance and Tribal Fusion and her vast wealth of knowledge and experience allows her to enrich her students, many of whom have become well known teachers and performers.

Belly Dance Classes

Belly Dance Melbourne Classes

Spring / Summer Term 2020

Potentially starting October 26^th

Awaiting government advice due to COVID-19. Updated regularly

6 Week Term

Navel Gazers Belly Dance Melbourne Classes Timetable

Due to COVID-19 restrictions only 10 ppl are allowed to attend per class due to the size of the studios. Therefore all classes must be pre-booked/pre-paid to secure your place. A high level of hygiene & safety measures will be maintained at all times

Monday Classes (Malvern)

6:30-7:20pm Beginners Belly Dance
7:20-8:10pm Intermediate Belly Dance
8:10-9:00pm Advanced Belly Dance

Thursday Classes (Blackburn Nth)

6:30-7:20pm Tribal Style Foundations Lvl 1 *
7:20-8:10pm Tribal Fusion Movements & Drills Lvl 2
8:10-9:00pm Tribal Fusion Advanced Lvl 3

Friday Classes (Blackburn Nth)

6:45-7:35pm Beginners Belly Dance
7:35-8:25pm Intermediate Belly Dance

* Tribal Style Foundations requires a minimum of intermediate level Belly Dance experience.

Earn Frequent Shimmy Points

All Navel Gazers students who take a Full Term of Belly Dance Melbourne classes can earn Frequent Shimmy Points. Just attend all classes consecutively within the same term and you are entitled to 10% off another Full Term purchase in the following term. If you miss your regular class but make it up in another class in the same week you can still earn points. Dedicated students are rewarded and you get more shimmies for your dollar! Conditions apply see below.

* FREQUENT SHIMMY POINTS are only available with a Full Term purchase. Only students who attend all weeks consecutively (week by week) within the same term are eligible to earn points. 10% will be subtracted from a Full Term purchase in the following term if points were achieved. Not valid with Half Term or Casual purchases. Limit 1 per person per term.

Class Pricing

FULL TERM – 6 x 50 minute classes: $110

HALF TERM – 3 x 50 minute classes: $58

CASUAL CLASS/TRIAL CLASS – 1 x 50 minute class: $22*

* All new students are entitled to a $22 Trial Class. After the Trial Class, if they wish to continue, that $22 goes towards a Full Term payment

All classes must be pre-paid to secure your spot in class!

Class Descriptions

BELLY DANCING is a mesmerisingly beautiful ancient art form originally from the Middle East. Egyptian Belly Dance is distinctive for its sinuous undulations, rhythmic accents & curvaceous movements. Belly Dancing allows each dancer to create expressive movements that reflect their own individuality, musicality, & passion. Popular for health, fitness, sensuality & fun, Belly Dancing is accessible for anyone at any age. It is a relatively low impact dance which helps to strengthen & tone muscles whilst allowing for personal and spiritual growth & enjoyment. Belly Dance Melbourne classes strive to provide quality, uplifting Egyptian Belly Dance lessons for everyone.

Beginners Belly Dance (0 - 3 months) introduces you to the foundation movements that make up the basic Egyptian Belly Dance repertoire. Technique is explained & demonstrated clearly & each movement related to historical, cultural & musical context. All movements are danced to music at the end of each class to enable students to practice & get a feeling for the dance form. Ideally all students complete at least 2 terms in Beginners Belly Dance before progressing to Intermediate.

Tribal Style and Fusion

*Prerequisite: Beginners Egyptian Belly Dance*

TRIBAL STYLE BELLY DANCE is a popular modern innovation originally developed in America & is often called ATS (American Tribal Style). It is largely an improvisational style danced in groups & combines folkloric Middle Eastern, Modern, & World Dance steps to create an exciting new dance form. The style repeats simple moves & symbolic gestures in patterns cued by leaders, building with the music & the interaction between dancers. At Navel Gazers a format of moves, variations & cues are taught in this style called Red Belly Black. An eBook about this distinctly Australian take on the style & listing all the moves was written by Melusina to help students learn Tribal. Tribal style is powerful & elegant & often challenging but well worth the effort! It has a strong Flamenco-like posture & gorgeous Gypsy-style costuming. Tribal style is suited to dancers with a good grounding in regular Belly Dance & who love dancing together with others.

TRIBAL FUSION is a cutting edge, ground breaking new style fusing Tribal (ATS) with Contemporary Dance/Ballet, Belly Dance & Street styles. The moves are often serpentine & muscular with sharp accents & smooth, rippling isolations coupled with graceful leg extensions & turns. This style is very new & often quite deliciously dark & has evolved from traditional Tribal Belly Dance as its rebellious half-sister. Fusion is more of a soloist, choreographed dance form that uses contemporary music. The Red Belly Black dance format also covers Fusion so all the moves we use can be found in Melusina’s eBook which can be purchased here: Tribal & Fusion Belly Dance eBook

Malvern Studio

Monday Classes held at:

Hit The Floor Studios, Level 1, 245 Glenferrie Rd, MALVERN

Blackburn North Studio

Thursday & Friday Classes held at:

Suite 1, 36 Joseph Street, BLACKBURN NORTH

Latest News

New Studio in Blackburn North

I’m very excited to announce that when we return to in-studio classes we will have a new location in Blackburn Nth. The new studio is in a quiet area just off Middleborough Rd and near the Eastern Freeway which will make it easy for anyone travelling from the city. There is plenty of parking and bus routes nearby. The studio itself is light and airy with mirrors and amenities. We’ll be sharing the studio with Bayou Wing Chun martial arts.

Video Classes Available

During the COVID-19 lockdowns here in Melbourne we continued classes via pre-recorded video. All videos remain available via a private You Tube link for any students wishing to learn in the comfort of their own homes. There are about 35 Videos in different levels (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced) and different styles (Egyptian Belly Dance, Tribal Improvisation, Tribal Fusion) covering technique, mini-choreographies, sequences and cardio workouts. For example, there is a full set of 9 thirty minute lessons for Beginners covering all the basic moves. For more information about the Video Classes contact melusina@bellydancemelbourne.com

When will Studio Classes Resume?

The current Victorian Government plan for reopening Melbourne businesses states that “indoor physical recreation facilities” may reopen on OCTOBER 26^th provided Victoria records 5 or less new COVID-19 cases over a 14 day period. If classes can resume then social distancing, hygiene and mask wearing must be maintained until 23^rd November.

Contact

Business Name: Navel Gazers Belly Dance Melbourne

Teacher: Melusina

ABN: 93982668148

For more information contact Melusina

PHONE: 0424 867 775

EMAIL: melusina@bellydancemelbourne.com

Belly Dance CLASS ENROLMENT

A pleasure that lifts the spirit

After a year of Navel Gazers belly dance classes I can’t say enough about how impressed I am with Melusina as a teacher. Her ability to skillfully explain techniques combined with her warmth and humour make every class a pleasure that lifts the spirit. She has total empathy for every student’s level and confidence in their dancing. She corrects us very considerately and clearly loves to see us improve. I have had dozens of dance teachers in other styles over decades and Mel is outstanding among them as well as being a beautiful dancer and soul.

Marion Jamieson

Melusina’s teaching style is fun, professional and thorough

Melusina’s teaching style is fun, professional and thorough. Melusina is so committed to her school, she puts on concerts twice a year which are so magical and a wonderful way to demonstrate all we have learned through the year. My dance class is often one of my favourite times of the week and I’m so grateful for all that Melusina does to make this possible.

Arcadia Clover

Mel is a fantastic teacher

I’ve been dancing with Melusina at Navel Gazers for at least 3 years now and I cannot rate the classes high enough. Mel is a fantastic teacher who not only has helped me to rebuild confidence in my dancing abilities but has also pushed me outside of my comfort zones in the most supportive and loving ways possible so I can reach my potential every time..! Thank you Mel!

Adela Savu

I keep going back.

I have done two terms of belly dancing with Mel, and I found her an absolute gem. Informative, positive and an all-round great teacher. I have done a couple of different classes with different teachers over the years, and I really love her classes. I keep going back. What more is there to say!

Annette Cashleigh

A welcoming and fun space

I’ve just finished my first term of tribal fusion with Melusina and I feel like I’ve already learnt so much, I absolutely love it! Mel is a talented, thorough and captivating teacher and I’m so excited to continue dancing with her and this tribe. Can’t wait to work my way through the levels as I’m happy to have found a welcoming and fun space to sink in and learn this beautiful art form. Big love!

Stephanie Sivani

Highly recommended!

I love Navel Gazers Belly Dance!! Mel is such a beautiful natural teacher and person, it’s a joy to learn from her! Her classes are fun and relaxed, and with lots of variety. As well as dance, she’s always sharing interesting bits of the history of belly dance. Highly recommended!

Karen Field

Mel is a master and an inspiration.

Highly recommend Navel Gazers! Mel is a master and an inspiration. As a student I always feel at ease and well-supported, and I am constantly learning new things. There is a lot of variety and Mel puts much thought into teaching us both the techniques and the theory. The classes are great fun and I leave each time feeling brighter and more energetic.

Kun Zhao

Inspired and empowered.

I have been attending Navel Gazers Dance classes for a few years now and I am always learning something new. I felt welcomed from the first class and always have a lot of fun. As a dancer of some years I look for a challenge, professionalism and safety in dance classes and Melusina delivers. I walk away from every class inspired and empowered.

Daniel Hayward

I always leave class happy!

I have been having classes with Mel for about a year. I’ve always loved dancing, but never thought I was coordinated enough. Mel is great at breaking the moves down and building everyone’s skills. I always leave class happy!

Sarah Sage

An exceptional teacher

I’ve been dancing with Mel for around 12 years now!!! She is an exceptional teacher, stunning performer and total legend of a woman!! I can’t recommend classes at Navel Gazers enough!!! 12 years and still coming back doesn’t lie!

Kerry Whittle