JJ & The Habibis Laguna Beach Belly Dancers Belly Dancer from Laguna Beach, CA

J.J. & THE HABIBIS LAGUNA BEACH BELLY DANCERS is the umbrella name for a virtually unlimited troupe of performers and musicians which can be adapted to any venue. The core group are JHERI ST. JAMES (a.k.a. "JJ") and up to 10 local dancers. The expanded group includes JJ and up to 100 dancers and live musicians from all around Southern California which can be custom-tailored to suit your needs. Jheri St. James won two trophies in the Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition, Divine Category. She has produced belly dance shows for all of the art festivals in Laguna Beach, belly dance conventions in Los Angeles and San Diego, Renaissance Faires, International Festivals (SOKA University and Irvine Global Village), private parties, and many other venues. For an invite from "America's Got Talent," she and the Habibis ended up 120th in a group of 6,000 auditioners, subsequently declining the offer to continue--we rejected them! With dancers of all levels of experience, from endearing beginners to slick diva professionals, JJ & the Habibis offers sparkle and allure to any event, at the perfect price to suit your budget. We feature dancers of all ages and sizes in lovely costumes, and have a repertoire of 35 dances which represent many different styles and cultures of Belly Dance. (See song list.) In addition, Jheri offers a lecture/demonstration program, "BELLY DANCE: La Danse Orientale from Antiquity Through the New Millennium" that includes: --Belly Dance history --Demonstrations of props such as veils, swords and finger cymbals --Unknown facts about belly dancing as exercise --The importance of Oriental Dance as a social expression for both males and females. This program can be presented by Jheri solo or incorporated into a larger production including troupe dancing. We offer audience participation to make your event more exciting and memorable. Our troupe will dance in the audience, lure audience members to dance with us, give the audience a belly dance lesson (very popular with ladies' groups!), make a birthday boy into a sultan with turban and sword, etc. Kids love our parties where they get to try balancing water cups on their heads and dance with props (sticks for boys; scarves for girls). Jheri teaches classes through the Laguna Beach Recreation Department, at 380 Third Street, Laguna Beach CA on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for four levels of learning--fundamentals, technique, repertoire and improvisation. She is available for performances: solo, with the troupe, for seminars and speaking engagements. Thanks for looking!