About Me
My name is Liz, and I teach and perform fusion and group improv belly dance in Syracuse, NY!
I began belly dancing in 2012, taking Raqs Sharqi and American Cabaret belly dance classes at Habibi of the Nile in Buffalo, NY. It wasn’t long after that I discovered group improvisational belly dance and fell in love. I started taking classes with Diana Miranda in 2013, and joined her troupe Relativity BellyDance. I’ve also taken traditional belly dance classes with Maia Alexandra and Oasis Dance Studio, fusion classes with Robyn of Buffalo Fusion Belly Dance, Bollywood classes with Gaitrie of Devi Bollywood Performing Arts, and more! For all of my favorite dancers and teachers, check out the Resources page.
What is Group Improvisational Belly Dance?
Group improvisational belly dance is a type of dance where the performers communicate with each other via body language and cues to create an entire performance on the fly! As a teacher and performer, I am inspired by traditional Middle Eastern dance, North African dance, Indian dance, and Flamenco.
Why the name “Emerald Starling” Belly Dance?
In group improv belly dance, there is a concept called “Flock of Birds”, which refers to the way dancers in a group are able to move seamlessly in sync with each other, the way a flock of birds is able to fly together in formation. In the avian world, one of the most spectacular flock formations to watch is a flock of starlings, also called a murmuration.
As for the “Emerald” part, my favorite color is green, and emerald is a pretty way to say green!
Emerald Starling Belly Dance 