BELLY DANCE WITH AIMEE!
Born and raised in Hawaii, Aimee has studied many styles of dance throughout her life including Hula, Ryukyu Dance, Classical Odissi Dance, Salsa, and Belly Dance. She has traveled to many countries including India, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Canada, USA, and Japan to perform and share her love of dance.
Most of her intensive dance training has been in Hula, Classical Odissi Dance and Belly Dance. As a young girl, she trained in Hula under Sonny Ching at his school, Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu. Then in high school, Aimee walked into her first Belly Dance class and fell in love! Mercedes Foster from New York was her teacher for the next 4 years, and always encouraged Aimee to be confident and comfortable on stage. Aimee then moved to Seattle, Washington, and met Dr. Ratna Roy, leading guru in the Mahari Style of Odissi Dance. She trained under Dr. Roy for the next 10 years, and was a member of Dr. Roy’s Odissi Dance company, “Urvasi.” With Urvasi, Aimee traveled to India in 2006 and 2008 to perform at the International Odissi Dance and Music Festival and the Konark Dance Festival. Aimee also taught as an instructor to Dr. Roy’s beginning students at the Urvasi Dance Academy in Seattle, Washington. In 2011, after suffering a dance injury, Aimee decided to move to the birthplace of her mother....Okinawa.
In Okinawa, Aimee was able to begin healing her dance injuries and enjoyed the relaxed lifestyle and friendly people of Okinawa. It was in Okinawa, where Aimee began to reconnect with Belly Dance. She began to teach a small beginning level Belly Dance class, and soon realized how much her soul and her body loved the dance! Also, the women of Okinawa really loved it too! Aimee decided to devote herself to this incredibly beautiful and diverse Middle Eastern art form. She was based in Okinawa, but began traveling around the world studying with masters of Belly Dance for a few months at a time.
After studying abroad, Aimee returns each time to Okinawa to share what she learned with her students. Aimee has studied with world-famous Belly Dance artists such as Bozenka, Aziza, Saida, Sadie, Tamra Henna, Stefanya, Sonia, Amar Gamal, and Issam Houshan.
Aimee has great gratitude towards her family for always supporting her love of dance. Aimee’s great-grandfather was Yuko Majikina Sensei, a famous choreographer and performer of Okinawan Kumiodori who was given the award of Cultural Treasure during his lifetime. Therefore, Aimee's family was always supportive and understanding of her decision to dedicate her life to dance. Aimee now lives in Naha, Okinawa where she teaches Beginning and Intermediate levels of Belly Dance in Ginowan and Naha. Aimee realizes that there is still so much to learn in this art form. Therefore, she continues to study via skype lessons and travel abroad to study with masters of Belly Dance, always returning back to her home in Naha, Okinawa to share the art of Belly Dance with the women of Okinawa.
