BELLY DANCE INSTRUCTORS
Jaynellen Arrington, Artistic Director
"My JOY in teaching comes from learning yet another method, metaphor or modality from you as a student to help you to continue to learn more easily, and more successfully. Teaching, learning and growing with strong women in a cooperative, supportive team environment is what this dance is meant to be. This is what being in the 'flow' is all about. It is an intimate, spiritual journey, and a humbling privilege to be on it, as well as to share in it with you." ~ Jaynellen
A Recipe for JOY!
Mix a handful of Bohemian flare, a portion of San Franciscan opulence, a sprinkling of Mid-Western farm girl, a splash of Turkish Delight, add a generous pinch of hippy, some L.A. street smarts, and throw in lots of art, culture, and of course a large helping of shiney objects to satisfy the magpie --- Mix it all up and enjoy a rich cultural background with neo western attitudes otherwise known as, Jaynellen!
Jaynellen's Role with DanceCraft
Jaynellen (aka Jayne Arrington) is a transplant to Florida from the beautiful mountain regions of Northern California. She currently hosts a variety of classes and events through DanceCraft as the Artistic Director, with the help of other strong, committed, talented and powerfully amazing women. DanceCraft offers classes and events that bring culture, connectedness and empowerment to those who partake.
She is a certified Master Trainer, instructor, coach & facilitator with more than 35 years experience. She has been teaching the DCBD - DanceCraft Belly Dance style of synchronized, folkloric inspired group improv dance for over 20 years. She is also a certified ATS/FCBD® Instructor- American Tribal Style/Fat Chance Belly Dance, and an ATS® Sister Studio. She has been an avid student of ATS/FCBD® since 2002. ATS/FCBD® Classes are a priority movement under the DanceCraft name.
Jaynellen is the primary instructor for all of the dance classes offered, and the Master Trainer for those teachers who have been certified in the DanceCraft style of group improv. She currently has 3 certified instructors that assist in teaching the beginning classes.
She is also a Certified Master Instructor of Chi Kung/Qi Gong and a Certified Instructor of Tai Chi.
History
Jaynellen has been teaching for more than 35 years, focusing on Middle Eastern dance since 2000. Her favorite instructors she has spent time studying with have been Jamila Salimpour, John Compton, Carolena Nericcio, Kajira Djoumanha and Paulette Rees-Denis.
She has also been a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist since 1990, as well as an NLP-Neuro Linguistic Programming Master. She credits her love of leadership and communication skill challenges and the ability to solve problems and move forward, to these two modalities.
As a recent transplant to Florida from points well North of the greater San Francisco Bay Area, she hosted a culturally diverse, performing, mixed media, fine arts and crafting center, “Temple of the Arts,” which opened in 2006. As the Artistic Director, Jaynellen had the opportunity to host and work with many instructors and talented artists from around the world, as well as direct both professional and student dance companies in Tribal Belly Dance, Tahitian and Fire. Her center also sponsored Flamenco, Capoeira, Hula Hooping, West African and Latin dance troupes, along with Middle Eastern, West African, and numerous other Silk Road musicians and ensembles touring the USA.
Paula Nelson, Instructor
I retired from the United States Army in 1999 with more than 20 years as a Signal Corps officer and retired again in 2011 with more than 10 years as a newspaper editor.
I could not indulge in dance classes as an Army officer so it wasn’t until 2007 that I found belly dance classes I could attend and a group I could perform with as I progressed. Prior to that date, I was absorbing American Tribal Style® [now FatChanceBellyDance®] DVDs and other leaders of the moment. Because I was searching for a specific feeling/style, I traveled on weekends to take classes and perform in student groups from St. Petersburg, FL where I performed both choreography, improv and fire.
Since 2010 and the Karmic connection online with Jaynellen, my dance base has been firmly rooted with DanceCraft. My focus shifted tightened in 2012 when I went to Atlanta to complete a weeklong FatChanceBellyDance® General Skills certification. In 2014 I traveled to Chicago to complete my FatChanceBellyDance® Teacher Training. It is easy to say that the FCBD-style is my favorite so far because of my love of technique. In 2022 I was awarded certification in DanceCraft Level 1 & 2.
Additionally, I have been a student of Suhaila Salimpour since 2011 and have attended many of her workshops. In 2017 I was certified in the Salimpour School’s Jamila Salimpour Level 1 format.
I am an Associate Tai Chi and Qigong Instructor (+350 hours) with the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association as well as holding certifications in Tai Chi, Qigong, and being a Master Trainer in Tai Chi Kung with USA/Defy Aging, Inc. I am currently a student veteran volunteer instructor in Tai Chi and Qigong with the James A. Haley VA Hospital. I also teach community classes focusing on the Yang-style 24 Tai Chi form and Shibashi, plus Healing Sounds Qigong forms online and in-person.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Missouri State University [previously Southwest Missouri State University] in Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies with a minor in Military Science.
I retired from the United States Army in 1999 with more than 20 years as a Signal Corps officer and retired again in 2011 with more than 10 years as a newspaper editor.
I could not indulge in dance classes as an Army officer so it wasn’t until 2007 that I found belly dance classes I could attend and a group I could perform with as I progressed. Prior to that date, I was absorbing American Tribal Style® [now FatChanceBellyDance®] DVDs and other leaders of the moment. Because I was searching for a specific feeling/style, I traveled on weekends to take classes and perform in student groups from St. Petersburg, FL where I performed both choreography, improv and fire.
Since 2010 and the Karmic connection online with Jaynellen, my dance base has been firmly rooted with DanceCraft. My focus shifted tightened in 2012 when I went to Atlanta to complete a weeklong FatChanceBellyDance® General Skills certification. In 2014 I traveled to Chicago to complete my FatChanceBellyDance® Teacher Training. It is easy to say that the FCBD-style is my favorite so far because of my love of technique. In 2022 I was awarded certification in DanceCraft Level 1 & 2.
Additionally, I have been a student of Suhaila Salimpour since 2011 and have attended many of her workshops. In 2017 I was certified in the Salimpour School’s Jamila Salimpour Level 1 format.
I am an Associate Tai Chi and Qigong Instructor (+350 hours) with the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association as well as holding certifications in Tai Chi, Qigong, and being a Master Trainer in Tai Chi Kung with USA/Defy Aging, Inc. I am currently a student veteran volunteer instructor in Tai Chi and Qigong with the James A. Haley VA Hospital. I also teach community classes focusing on the Yang-style 24 Tai Chi form and Shibashi, plus Healing Sounds Qigong forms online and in-person.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Missouri State University [previously Southwest Missouri State University] in Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies with a minor in Military Science.
Jaynellen ♦ 352.540.1568 ♦ [email protected] ♦ www.facebook.com/dancecraft3 ♦