SHLBAbout

Copper

Johanna ‘Xenobia’

Stacy Reyer

Marcy Skiff

Photograph by Sandy Frasier

Doumbek, Riq, sometimes Alto Sax, possible future with the Fiddle.

Copper began studying music in elementary and middle school, where she learned to play the alto and baritone sax from the well known player Marty Caruso. After a long hiatus from anything dealing with music and dance during most of high school and college, she discovered tribal and classical Egyptian belly dance in 2003. Soon after, she became a percussionist and dancer for Loud Zoo, an improvisational music and tribal belly dance group that performs throughout the Southeast U.S. As her knowledge of belly dance and subsequently Middle-Eastern music grew, she figured that she could incorporate sax and percussion with traditional Middle Eastern music as a member of SHLB. She's currently playing percussion and will eventually bring the sax back into the mix (and maybe even some fiddle). One of her main goals is expanding artist collaboration between dancers, musicians and other artists.

Doumbek, Riq, Frame Drum, Dance.

Johanna’s musical training began at a young age with Suzuki piano lessons and recorder... the basics. In high school, Johanna’s musical exploration took a backseat to more exciting things such as theatre and art. In Turkey in 1996, she discovered the art of belly dance, which became her passion, and eventually her career - now she directs Hip Expressions Belly Dance Studio, and Loud Zoo. The music of belly dance was extremely fascinating to Johanna; she took easily to the zills, and the doumbek soon after. Now she also explores the frame drum and riq. Her only dilemma is whether to dance or play... sometimes she can do both!

Photograph by Michael Stephenson Photography

Flute, Doumbek.

I started playing the flute in 7th grade and continued through high school and college also playing other instruments such as the bassoon and tenor sax. Being a music major let me pursue my passion for music, however I realized having a career in accounting would be a better option for me. After going back to college many years later, I stumbled across Hip Expressions on campus where I became interested in belly dancing. Johanna, the director of Hip Expressions and Loud Zoo, taught me to dance and play the doumbek and I became more interested in music again. After a few years I was asked to join Loud Zoo, a tribal dance and improvisational music group. In the spring of 2009, Melissa, a fabulous clarinet player from Pittsburgh, PA came to the Hip Expressions studio for a workshop. This is when I realized I could use my talents as a flute and drum player for belly dance music other then the tribal improv music that I had been doing. This led to becoming a part of the SHLB.

Doumbek, Riq, Guitar, Shurdi.

More coming soon.