Belly Dance and Bollywood
Ethnic and Experimental Dance
in Louisville Kentucky and Indiana

Objective:
Put on the best shows,
Train the best students,
Keep learning and keep dancing!

Ruric-Amari:  Performer, teacher and choreographer. Director of the Samovar dance companies and the Ruric-Amari Dance studio.

Ruric-Amari’s performances, classes and workshops are innovative, professional and compelling. She is a frequent performer at weddings and parties, university functions, city festivals, CD release parties, major charity galas, television programs and dance concerts.   Hundreds of performances at dozens of venues have earned her a reputation as an extraordinary dance artist and entertainer.

Ruric-Amari Dance studio is located in the Clifton Center in Louisville KY, convenient for Louisville, Kentucky and southern Indiana students. Her Body Electric Workshop Series focuses on technique, musicality and improvisation and is presented several times during the year.

The Samovar Dance Company was started in 2005 to provide students with a performance outlet. Samovar has evolved into a high-energy performance group bringing authentic and experimental belly dance to a wide variety of venues in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

Samovar East was formed in 2010 to present authentic Bollywood and group dances from Ruric’s Indic Idiom project. Indic Idiom, now in its third year, was inspired by the life work of La Meri, an American dancer who mastered Indian dance during her tours in the East and went on to perform it in the West to the music of Bach and several of the great ballets.

Samovar Oasis was formed in 2011 to present the dances of Tahiti and other dance arts from Oceania.

Feedback and accolades from students and customers [ HERE ]. Contact information can be found [ HERE ].

Featured soloist and in concert with her dance company, Samovar:

• Caffe Classico (2005-2008, 2011)
• JCC International Arts Festival 2007, 2011
• Club Bellydance in Louisville, 2011
• Miss Jefferson County Scholarship Pageant, 2011
• U of L fashion gala (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011)
• Mediterranean Echoes dance concert in Cincinnati (2006, 2008, 2010, 2011)
• Worldfest (2005 – 2011)
• U of L gala at Speed Museum, 2010, 2011
• River Valley Winery in Carrollton, KY (2008, 2009, 2011)
• Columbus Ethnic Festival, 2010
• Cincinnati Salsa Festival, 2010
• Garden Club of Kentucky convention, 2010
• Georgetown Kite Festival, 2010
• American Massage Therapy Association convention, 2010
• Kentucky Hemophilia Foundation Mardi Gras Ball (2009, 2010)
• U of L International Banquet (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010)
• Ramsi’s Cafe on the World (2005-2010)
• Petra Mediterranean Bar and Grill (2009- 2010)
• La Catalana Mediterranean Restaurant, 2010
• American College of Int’l Physicians banquet (2005, 2007, 2009)
• St Joesph Children’s Home gala, 2009
• Easter Seals festival, 2009
• Shimmy for the Cure Concert in Colorado, 2009
• Lyndon Fair, 2009
• Beledi Extravaganza in Ohio, 2009
• International Festival in New Albany, 2008
• Behind the Veil dance concert in Cincinnati, 2008
• Mellwood Arts Center Mardi Gras Ball (2005, 2007, 2008)
• Nema´s Grille in Frankfort KY (2007, 2008)
• Conglomeration Science Fiction Convention (2005, 2008)
• OIA Christmas Festival (2005, 2006, 2007)
• Twisted Trends 2008 hair and fashion show 2007
• Leo Readers Choice banquet 2007
• Music Cures All Festival 2007
• Derby City Roller Girls half-time show 2007
• Peace Festival on Belvedere 2007
• Derby Eve Ball 2006
• Shriner´s banquet 2006
• Blue River Cafe in Milltown IN 2005
• Showcase of Stars dance festival 2005
• Louisville Mayor’s International Awards Ceremony 2005
• Freedom and the Faces of Louisville concert 2005
• Manoosh´s Mediterranean restaurant 2004

Television interviews and performances:

• WHAS 11: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011
• Barbara Bryant show, WBKI and WYCS, 2010
• WDRB Fox 41: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
• Barbara Bryant on WBKI and WYCS: 2010
• Jim Bulleit of WLKY 32: 2005, 2007, 2008

Instructor:

• Ruric-Amari Dance (2007- present)
• Mediterranean Echoes workshop instructor (2011)
• Home of the Innocents Wellness Fair 2009
• Sullivan University Wellness Fair 2008
• U of L SAC belly dance series Oct 2008
• Jefferson Community College international arts presentation 2007
• Southern Indiana YMCA, 2005 – 2007
• Absolute Dance Studio 2006 – 2007
• Full Moon Yoga 2005 – 2006
• Oldham County YMCA, 2005
• St Matthews Dance Studio 2004 – 2005

Featured soloist in concert with the band UT Gret (2006-2010):

• Kentucky Homefront Live
• Natasha’s in Lexington
• Worldfest
• Jazz Factory
• Uncle Pleasant’s
• Rudyard Kipling
• Mellwood Art Center
• ear X-tasy
• Comedy Caravan
• Zephyr Gallery
• Sequana, Birmingham AL
• The Inferno, Atlanta GA
• Ruby Green, Nashville TN

Guest Soloist at:

• Morocco’s monthly gig at the Lafayette Grille in NYC (Apr & Aug 2008)
• BellyQueen’s weekly gig at Je Bon in NYC (Apr & Aug 2008)
• Folk Tours Camper Caravan concert, Green Lane, PA (2007)
• MEDSOK annual workshop concert (2005 – 2008)
• International Week festivities at JCC (2005)
• Aids Project Fundraiser (2004)

Training:
Since 2003: Middle-Eastern dance and belly dance, preceded by several years ballet and Irish step dance.
Since 2007: Bharatanatyam and Bollywood. Massage therapy school, yoga, Pilates Level 1 mat certification. Fall 2011: Ruric is currently enrolled in a 9-month, 300-hour yoga teacher training intensive.
Workshops, seminars, classes and private lessons with international and regional dance luminaries, including:

Egyptian:

Morocco, Nashwa, Habiba, Karim Nagi, Hadia, Tarik Sultan, Ava Fleming, Jamila Zahran, Mahisha, Sahra Kent, Zahra Zuhair

American Tribal:

Theresa Tomb, Rachel Brice, FCBD, Moria Chappell, Zoe Jakes

Turkish:

Artemis, Dalia Carella, Tayyar Akdeniz, Amani Ali, Elizabeth Strong

Bharatanatyam:

Akila Iyer

Dr.Vasundhara Doraswamy

Persian:

Jo Hadley

Lebanese:

Margo ODell

and:

Ansuya, Delilah, Elena Lentini, Ergallis Kakias, Joe Williams, Kitiera, Laylia, Travis Jarrell