In May 2006, Amanda and Hala opened Halanda Studio at 1062 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA. The studio is dedicated to offering a wide range of dance styles and fitness techniques -- ethnic dance, folk dance, dance and theater arts, ballet, ballroom dance, aerobics, yoga, martial arts and more. In addition, Amanda and Hala host dance parties and workshops and welcome inquiries from anyone who needs space for classes, workshops, photo or video shoots, lectures, or any special event -- please see the website for information about events and rental rates. Check out the Studio Calendar for a current schedule of classes and events.
Northern California's renowned Middle Eastern folkloric dance troupe presents folkloric dance from North Africa, the Levant, Turkey, Armenia and beyond. Known for its stunning costumes, energetic performances, and its larger-than-life leaders, John Compton and Rita "Rebaba" Alderucci. Based in San Francisco, Hahbi'Ru has been a staple of Northern (and sometimes Southern) California historical faires, and busy at dance events throughout the state -- including the 2006 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. Amanda has been a member of Hahbi'Ru since 1999 and is often featured as a solo sword dancer.
Through Halanda Studio, Amanda hosts an on-going series of workshops offering diverse instructors from the Bay Area and beyond. Amanda's dance interests range literally all over the map, and she hopes to bring teachers representing as many of these interests as possible -- both for her own education and that of the larger Bay Area dance community. Workshops listed here.
Based at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, Yore is quickly becoming the premier Turkish folk dance troupe in Northern California. Comprised mostly of Turkish natives and Turkish-Americans, Yore presents authentic Turkish regional folk dances and performs throughout the Bay Area, including at the 2004 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. Amanda was a member of Yore from 2003 to 2006, and has been an ardent fan of the group ever since.
Probably the only dance troupe in California dedicated to presenting dances of Algeria, and certainly the only dance troupe in the Western US presenting Kabyle (berber) dances. Founded by Janine Ryle and Jasmyn Mabalatan in 2003. Dances frequently with Algerian/Kabyle Moh Alileche and his Ensemble. Amanda performed with Danse Maghreb in 2005 and 2006.