About Ankara Rose "Dance is the hidden language of the soul” –Martha Graham
My mission: "To represent each dance form as a respectable art, upholding traditions while expanding horizons. As a Middle Eastern/Oriental dancer, I strive to bring Belly dance to the stage as a more theatrical art, banish the false opinion many have of the dance form and prove it can be a true, respectable (and tasteful) art worthy of the stage. It has also become my mission to further raise cultural awareness through my fusion of world dance forms; creating community and sharing the joy of dance with others – no matter what country you may hail from or what language you speak".
Ankara Rose (Kristen Walden, formerly Gosciminski) began her training in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, pilates, and acting/theatre, performing her way through high school on selective dance teams and earning the "School Award in Dance". However, it wasn't until she found Middle Eastern dance that she found her true calling. Exposed to Middle Eastern music in a contemporary dance class, she found herself mesmerized by it and began dancing to it long before she even knew there was an amazing dance form to go with it!
Since her discovery of Middle Eastern dance in 2001 (Oriental style, also known as "Belly Dance"), she has immersed herself in its music and culture. As well as her studies in Oriental/Belly dance (Modern Egyptian, Turkish, and American Oriental), she has also studied Folkloric styles, fusion styles, Romani dance (Turkish and Russian styles), Irish Step dance and Scottish Highland. Ankara Rose has studied with world-renowned masters in all her chosen dance forms through regular intensives, workshops, and private coaching. She continually strives upon improvement in order to push her boundaries and those of the art form. Her diverse background and training in many dance forms, as well as die-hard perseverance and deep passion for all dance, has helped her to develop an original and eclectic style uniquely her own. She aims to uphold integrity and raise the public's perception of this beautiful art form Belly Dance, to the likes of other esteemed dances.
Ankara Rose has appeared in stage productions and concerts with multiple top music acts in the Celtic and World music genre. In 2005 she began performing professionally as well as co-founded and directed the fusion dance troupe The Celtic Gypsies, which combined the music and dance of the Celtic world with that of the Middle East, and was the very first to seriously create and perform the innovative "Celtic Fusion Belly dance" style. It was in 2006 that her main focus shifted from mainstream western dance to more intensively towards her love for Middle Eastern and the Celtic dance forms, and streamlined her focus on those forms while also helped run and direct the troupe, taught workshops, choreographed, and performed from 2005 - 2009 alongside some of World/Celtic music's most popular bands (CV available upon request).
In 2010 she moved back to the Southern New Hampshire area where she is currently based out of and continues the world fusion vision, further creating and expanding the Celtic Fusion Bellydance style and format. Since 2011 she has performed regularly as a guest artist with one of the top Celtic music bands on the scene, The Rogues/The American Rogues, at festivals and theater shows throughout the US and internationally. A patient and caring instructor, today she teaches locally in the Southern New Hampshire & Monadnock regions, as well as offering workshops throughout the US. She loves sharing her passion and joy of cultural dances with the world, and especially with her local community and "dance family" tribe of amazing beings that she is honored to spend time with each week!
Other accomplishments/training programs include: Dance Masters of America Teacher’s Training School (State University of New York), and Level I of Sahra Saeeda's "Journey Through Egypt" cultural certification program.
Repertoire Summary:
Ankara Rose's Middle Eastern dance style is an energetic, fiery, yet elegant blend of Egyptian Oriental, Turkish Oryantal, and American Oriental styles, with influence by her western (ballet, contemporary) training. She also is available to dance solely Egyptian Oriental, Arabic, Turkish, Folkloric, Fusion, and American Oriental upon request. She explores the use of various props during her performances including veils, swords, and percussion. Her other specialty and her signature dance style is "Celtic Fusion Bellydance": The combination of Celtic (Irish Step and Scottish Highland) & Middle Eastern/Mediterranean dances.
Since her discovery of Middle Eastern dance in 2001 (Oriental style, also known as "Belly Dance"), she has immersed herself in its music and culture. As well as her studies in Oriental/Belly dance (Modern Egyptian, Turkish, and American Oriental), she has also studied Folkloric styles, fusion styles, Romani dance (Turkish and Russian styles), Irish Step dance and Scottish Highland. Ankara Rose has studied with world-renowned masters in all her chosen dance forms through regular intensives, workshops, and private coaching. She continually strives upon improvement in order to push her boundaries and those of the art form. Her diverse background and training in many dance forms, as well as die-hard perseverance and deep passion for all dance, has helped her to develop an original and eclectic style uniquely her own. She aims to uphold integrity and raise the public's perception of this beautiful art form Belly Dance, to the likes of other esteemed dances.
Ankara Rose has appeared in stage productions and concerts with multiple top music acts in the Celtic and World music genre. In 2005 she began performing professionally as well as co-founded and directed the fusion dance troupe The Celtic Gypsies, which combined the music and dance of the Celtic world with that of the Middle East, and was the very first to seriously create and perform the innovative "Celtic Fusion Belly dance" style. It was in 2006 that her main focus shifted from mainstream western dance to more intensively towards her love for Middle Eastern and the Celtic dance forms, and streamlined her focus on those forms while also helped run and direct the troupe, taught workshops, choreographed, and performed from 2005 - 2009 alongside some of World/Celtic music's most popular bands (CV available upon request).
In 2010 she moved back to the Southern New Hampshire area where she is currently based out of and continues the world fusion vision, further creating and expanding the Celtic Fusion Bellydance style and format. Since 2011 she has performed regularly as a guest artist with one of the top Celtic music bands on the scene, The Rogues/The American Rogues, at festivals and theater shows throughout the US and internationally. A patient and caring instructor, today she teaches locally in the Southern New Hampshire & Monadnock regions, as well as offering workshops throughout the US. She loves sharing her passion and joy of cultural dances with the world, and especially with her local community and "dance family" tribe of amazing beings that she is honored to spend time with each week!
Other accomplishments/training programs include: Dance Masters of America Teacher’s Training School (State University of New York), and Level I of Sahra Saeeda's "Journey Through Egypt" cultural certification program.
Repertoire Summary:
Ankara Rose's Middle Eastern dance style is an energetic, fiery, yet elegant blend of Egyptian Oriental, Turkish Oryantal, and American Oriental styles, with influence by her western (ballet, contemporary) training. She also is available to dance solely Egyptian Oriental, Arabic, Turkish, Folkloric, Fusion, and American Oriental upon request. She explores the use of various props during her performances including veils, swords, and percussion. Her other specialty and her signature dance style is "Celtic Fusion Bellydance": The combination of Celtic (Irish Step and Scottish Highland) & Middle Eastern/Mediterranean dances.
www.AnkaraRose.com - [email protected]
©2011-2023 Ankara Rose World Dance.
Belly Dance & Celtic Fusion Classes, Performances & Workshops - New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New England
©2011-2023 Ankara Rose World Dance.
Belly Dance & Celtic Fusion Classes, Performances & Workshops - New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New England
