Phoenix (Casey Crater) has been studying belly dance for eight years. She taught at Davidson County Community College for a little over a year. She has also taught at the Advance Dance studio in Arcadia, High Point University, and Bill Daniels Karate School. She has been under the guidance of Gypsy (Paula Stump) for all of her belly dance career as well as Kristie Staton. She has had the privilege of participating in workshops under the direction of Mahmoud Reda of Egypt, the bellytwins Veena and Neena, Aziza (Belly Dancer of the Universe Winner, 2002), Alexandra King of Santa Barbara, CA (Best Instructor, IAMED, 2003) and youtube’s favorite bellydancer Sadie.

Phoenix has performed, as a soloist and in a troupe, at a variety of events including the Lexington BBQ Festival, DCCC’s International Night and at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Winston-Salem, just to name a few.

She has taken this hobby and turned it into a passion that is dedicated to fulfilling the lives of others as it has her own. She loves sharing her knowledge of the dance with others and continues to learn and grow in the art to sharpen her skill and pass it on to her students.

Whether you are looking for a new and fun way to get and stay fit, some new moves for the dance floor or a serious boost in confidence, you will find it through belly dance. Real beauty begins within ourselves; belly dance is just one of many tools used to discover that beautiful goddess within us all.

"I love belly dancing because it provides confidence from the inside out. It is a wonderful workout for the body and mind. It gives you that extra, little burst of confidence you need to go anywhere with your head held high and know that you are a beautiful woman just for being you. I hope you can make this discovery through belly dance. I would love to be there as you do so. You are as beautiful as you allow yourself to be. Put on a hip scarf and come belly dance with me!" -Casey