Message from Oloma

I came across the world of bellydance, when looking for a daily fitness video online. 10 minutes later into a bellydance exercise video I had never felt such a strong connection to the joy of movement. I truly have not looked back since.

After a few years of self-study I decided to move to studio classes for formal training from scratch where I joined the Fleur Estelle School and I loved it so much I never left! All of my energy suddenly went into learning and dissecting the nuances of the movement. Fleur’s choreographies were mesmerising, challenging and such a joy to dance to. I remember many evenings trying to work even harder to perfect every step and drilling techniques until it felt right. Dancing for several hours does not feel like exercise at all to me, it is just joy.

Through bellydancing, I quickly became a big fan of middle eastern music, which I love just as much or maybe more than dance!

Developing with Fleur’s guidance and support as a teacher and as a performer has been a precious and beautiful opportunity. Being able to support others as a teacher in their journey is magical. You get to relive the feeling of enthusiasm and accomplishment with students again and again! As a performer you get to showcase the sparkling world of bellydance and Arabic music to others.

Bellydance has enriched my life in so many ways, from the friends and incredible people I have met as a student, as a teacher and as a professional dancer.

This dance is a great source of happiness, a way to stay grounded and a world where you can always grow and discover new things at any stage and any age.

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Message from Fleur

Oloma oozes grace, love and inspiration. One of the few teachers I know who has a natural ability to simplify and teach clearly even the most complex of movements / choreography. She de-mystifies and makes it as easy for the students to understand,  grasping quicker what is being taught. Oloma adapts to what is needed in the classroom, and instinctively tunes in to students' needs. Anticipating and providing support is innate for her. Ask her a question and she will either spill wisdom there and then or pause and come back to you later with a very thoughtful and accurate response in order to best help you.

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As a student, I'd already noticed Oloma's perceptive nature, with an eye for detail and carefully absorbing what she needed to acquire or how she could further develop, not only for herself but for group dancing. "Teamwork makes the dream work" is part of Oloma's passions. Although she often stood in the back row of the class quietly soaking in the learning, I could feel her presence and radiance. She choreographed her very first solo act alone and dazzled our audience at the Showcase, who thought she was professional already!

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Catch the many choreography gems Oloma has created for our troupe over the years below (scroll down) as well as her mesmerising performances on our YouTube Channel. Even when we are co-choreographing an act together, deep in thinking and planning mode, her movements remain fluid and graceful. Creativity, idea brainstorming and costume discussions aplenty over the years, my respect for Oloma as a performer, teacher and choreographer just keeps on growing. She's a visionary when it comes to costume arrangements, knowing which structure is needed for group formation on stage and knowing what a dancer needs when they are stuck in their development.

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I've leaned on and appreciated Oloma's strong organisation skills over the years helping me run the School Showcase, co-ordinating backstage and remembering details so they didn't get lost in the planning. Multi-talented is her middle name.