Phoenix Belly Dance

Candice Frankland

Principal teacher, choreographer and founder of Phoenix Belly Dance.

Candice Frankland is the Founder and Director of the multi-award-winning Phoenix Belly Dance Company. Her company provides lessons to all levels of students from shiny new Beginners to seasoned Professionals with established backgrounds. Candice also caters for all manner of performances from Hen’s Parties to large corporates, politicians, TV, music videos, and sports stars that demand the highest quality shows. Candice has become one of NZ's most sought after teachers and regularly travels around New Zealand, Australia, and the world to teach workshops

In addition to this, Candice’s biggest passion is working with the dancers in her classes and troupes to develop and challenge them to reach their potential. Candice aims to show her students that belly dance has benefits for everyone, both psychological and physical. Many of her students have found belly dancing to be a catalyst for their personal growth, and becoming part of a caring community. The multiple layers and genres of belly dancing that Candice teaches, allows students to explore and find the styles they are most comfortable with, ones which make them feel beautiful and powerful.

Some of the highlights of her career have been invited to present performances and workshops internationally in Turkey, Fiji, Australia, South Africa, Samoa, Norway, and Spain, as well as landing featured roles in Jillina’s Belly Dance Evolution and BellyQueen’s Silk Road Shows! She has also led her troupe to win prestigious titles such as the Jambalaya multi-discipline dance competition, the Viva Eclektika Asia Vision Cup, and the Corporate Event Guide’s Best Entertainment Company Award. Some of her high profile clients have been Coca-Cola, Sky City, Fairfax Media, Tamati Coffey, Atif Aslam, Phil Goff, the Marians, Jo Parker, and Julian Savea.

Candice is not only a performer and teacher, but also an event producer. Some of her undertakings include: international belly dance tours to the Middle East and North Africa, annual retreats with international guest teachers that are about reminding dancers of the social and fun aspects of the dance, festivals and workshops with local, national and international stars, and theatre shows. She uses many of these opportunities to fundraise for her local women’s shelter, the North Shore Women’s Centre, for whom she is an avid supporter and campaigner.

More than all of these wonderful experiences, it is Candice’s expertise is as a Business Analyst which has given her a wonderful foundation for managing the every day workings of one of the largest Belly Dance Companies in New Zealand. Her greatest responsibility and dream is to uplift and educate the community, share this art form with the public, and produce both modern concepts and preserve the integrity of the cultural roots of the dance. 

Bellydance Evolution Winner: Phoenix Belly Dance's Candice Frankland Voi and Drum Solo        

Oriental Mejanse by Candice

Silk Veil Solo by Candice

Vanessa

Professional Dancer and Teacher for Phoenix Belly Dance

Professional belly dancer and master teacher from Brazil, Vanessa Castro has around 13 years of experience in belly dance. She's the director of her school, 'Studio Vanessa Castro', in Curitiba Brazil. In 2014, Vanessa took her training to the next level, travelling around the Emirates, Lebanon and Egypt to learn more about culture and dance. Her passion for her art form is matched only by her love of teaching it.

Vanessa has something to offer for dancers of all levels- solid foundations and movements for beginners, and advanced technique for the more experienced. Her expert veil work and flowing movements make her a valuable addition to the Phoenix teaching team.

Vanessa of Phoenix Belly Dance performing Modern Oriental               

Vanessa performs modern baladi

Elea

Professional Dancer and Teacher for Phoenix Belly Dance

Elea hails from France, and has been a dancer most of her life starting with ballet, that she practiced for 4 years, and eventually falling in love with belly dance. She has developed her belly dance skills from a variety of belly dance studios and has attended many workshops from well known belly dance instructors  from all over the world, such as Jillina, Aziza of Cairo, Kami Liddle, Diva darina... She is continuously trying to improve her dance style and technique by trying new styles or taking workshops with different teachers.

Elea has performed professionally for many years as a soloist, and joined the Phoenix troupe in 2017. She is always excited to see students shine and learn and does everything she can to help them on their way.

Phoenix Belly Dance's Elea performing a Romantic Ballad    

Elea performing Drum Solo           

Danielle

Professional Dancer and Tribal Fusion Teacher for Phoenix Belly Dance

Danielle is a tribal fusion belly dance instructor with 10 years of tribal fusion belly dance instruction experience. Danielle is also a professional belly dance performer who has been cast in professional music videos and has experience at halls, clubs, and restaurants, and with live bands. Danielle has been part of Jill Parker's dance companies Foxglove Sweethearts and Little Egypt and Ariellah's company Deshret in California and Audra Simmons' company Lavish in Toronto. Danielle earned a college dance certificate in African Heritage Performance from San Francisco City College and holds a registration in dance-movement therapy.

Phoenix Belly Dance Teacher Danielle performs Tribal Fusion Solo               

Setsuna

Professional Dancer and Teacher for Phoenix Belly Dance

Setsuna is from the US and performs, teaches, studies, and revels in dance. A belly dancer since age 15, she has spent most of her life practicing this art form, and continues to learn all she can to make her classes fun and educational. She has studied many other dance forms including Chinese Traditional Dance, R&B, Brazilian Samba, and Afro-Brazilian. Setsuna is an avid researcher and loves to share not only beautiful technique with her students, but also the cultural nuances and roots of the dance. 

Setsuna performing Turkish style and silk fans

Setsuna of Phoenix Belly Dance performs Taheya Karioka Golden Era inspiration               

Samia

Professional Dancer and Teacher for Phoenix Belly Dance

Samia, originally from Argentina, started her studies in Tandil city at the age of 5 in the Municipal Dance School of Tandil, where she attended the Classic Dance Teacher Training College until she was 14. She then started to study Arabic Dances in the Arab Cultural Center in Tandil, under the tuition of instructors Fernanda Alak and Alejandra Ape. At 17 she moved to Buenos Aires city and joined the Arabian Dance School of Amir Thaleb. 

Samia moved to Auckland in 2018 and quickly impressed the belly dance community with her warm nature and impressive talent. Samia is a very kind teacher with an effortless style and a love for Middle Eastern music and dance. 

Pilgrim's Tarab - Samia 

Canela

Community Troupe Dancer and Teacher for Phoenix Belly Dance

Canela hails from Argentina and she has been belly dancing for the last ten years. She fell in love with this amazing dance from day one and ever since that moment, she has been training and exploring different dances and cultures from well known belly dance instructors from all over the world.

She believes that no matter your dance level is, you always have to keep on learning and she is passionate about teaching too.  For many years she has been performing as a soloist  for weddings, restaurants and with live bands.

Canela's knowledge and passion will keep you happy and well entertained during her class.