After valiantly battling brain cancer for over four
years, Rose Champagne passed away on February 6, 2008. Her family
has requested that this Web site remain active, as a memorial, an
inspiration, and a source of guidance for the Middle Eastern Dance
community.
Rose's obituary can be found here: Rose
obituary at MassLive.com
There is also a Guest Book linked to her obituary,
with reminiscences from family, friends, and students: Rose's
Guest Book
 Rose
is an accomplished professional performer, choreographer and instructor
of Middle Eastern Dance; artistic director and coordinator of the
Jewel of the Valley Middle Eastern Dance Show; dance troupes Anjum
& Sahibat; and co-producer of the monthly Belly Dance Shows
at the Clarion hotel. With over 10 years of experience in performing
and teaching, Rose Champagne has been a top performer and teacher
in the New England area. Her performances are sought after by prestigious
organizations, restaurants, clubs, and individuals who enjoy her
elegant and inspired performances.
After four years of training Rose emerged as a performer
in 1996. Since then she has been a featured performer in clubs and
restaurants. Past engagements have been weekly performances for
the Eastern Star, three years as the house dancer for Cafe Lebanon
in Springfield, MA and she has danced at just about every venue
in MA. and CT. Memorably, she has performed at the Foxwoods Casino,
Mogegan Sun Casino, Boston Museum of Fine Art; the Springfield Museum
of Fine Art; the Iron Horse, The Academy of Music, in Northampton,
MA and the Eastern Tides theater show all locations have had Rose
back for future dates. The largest event she has performed was at
Mondial des Cultures de Drummondville in Canada for an audience
of 5,000. She is an alumni of the Crescent Dancers & Ahmet Luleci's
Turkish folk troupe Collage International.
Here is what people have to say about her performances:
"Out of all the belly dancers
I have dealt with, you are the most professional, organized, beautiful
and know your stuff.. you are an absolute "10"and I
get compliments from all the jobs that I hire you for." -
Agent 8/8/06
"Rose Champagne ... is a
beautiful dancer with a remarkable story. She is definitely a
dancer to watch in the future." - Monique Monet of www.Phillyraqs.com
11/19/05
"Rose…is a wonderful
teacher, superb dancer, and I think dancers can learn a lot from
her… She has a lot to give. People like watching her dance
because her execution of the dance is so lovely and so precise.
Its like watching a firefly dance in perfect harmony with the
songs of the insects on a hot summer's night." - Shalimar
of www.bellydanceconnecticut.com
1/22/04
The demand for Rose’s teaching has been so
great that she often holds up to 13 classes per week. She has been
invited to every New England State, New Jersey, California, and
Canada to offer one of her many workshops. Rose is often hired by
colleges for workshops and contributed to the Central Connecticut
State University’s play on the Arabian Nights. Her passion
to share what she knows has earned her a reputation for transforming
students into professional performers. As a teacher, Rose’s
skills are best expressed through the remarks of her students. Rose
prides herself on sharing everything she knows, not with-holding
any of the secrets of Oriental Dance.
Here is what people have to say about her workshops
and classes:
"As a beginner belly-dancer
three years ago, I was thrilled to find Rose as a teacher. Her
style of teaching and breaking down the moves step-by-step helps
me to visualize and then actualize doing them myself. Rose has
a sense of humor in class with her analogies and little visual
cues that clearly explain the movement she is teaching. Rose is
a teacher for all ages and abilities which makes me feel comfortable
to pursue a new and important passion in my life." -
Rabiah of www.sahibat.com
1/21/05
"Every one of Rose Champagne’s
belly dancing classes are inspired. And while the primary motivation
is to learn to dance—and dance you will--you will find yourself
feeling empowered to own and love your body. I felt myself getting
physically and spiritually stronger. In a society that continues
to objectify and exploit women, Rose’s belly dancing class
builds self-confidence and pushes us to reclaim our bodies and
our sexuality. From the physical to the spiritual, with depth,
meaning, and heart, Rose’s class will have an impact on
who you are, while bringing you incredible joy and pleasure!"
- Nisa Zalta 2/22/05
“Thanks for an inspiring
workshop. I have enjoyed watching you grow from a bright, talented
young woman just starting as a really good teacher, into a brilliant,
talented, gorgeous woman full of heart, who is a leader and an
inspiration to women of all ages. Here are some thoughts from
last night. *Beautiful, confident, knowledgeable teacher puts
students at ease and helps them get over their discomforts/fears
just by modeling, coaching and keeping a balance between learning
and playing, left brain, right brain. Always genuine. Getting
silly when students are getting too serious/discouraged. "Gets"
the spiritual part and shares it without preaching.” -
Karen Traub of www.crescentdancers.com
12/13/05
Rose’s popularity continues to grow as she follows her dreams.
In spring 2003, she was nominated for Zaghareet magazine's Best
Kept Secret Award and then was diagnosed with Brain Cancer July
1st. As soon as she was able to get up and dance again, she did.
Not yet free of cancer, in the summer of 2004 she joined the Belly
Dance Superstars as the featured dancer in Boston. She celebrated
her recovery from brain cancer by producing the most extravagant
Jewel of the Valley show ever in November 2004 where she announced
the good news. Rose wishes to continue honoring her recovery by
conducting workshops in order to raise money for cancer research.
Since 1997 Rose has made a full-time career out of her teaching.
Her mentors encourage her to grow more on a national level. Currently,
she is teaching in numerous locations and performing regularly at
haflis, private functions and fulfilling public appearances at Pintu's
Indian Palace in West Springfield, MA and at Byblos
Restaurant in Norwood, MA.
More quotes can be read on the press
page.
As an event sponsor, Rose believes it is a teachers
responsibility to offer a place for students to present their new
found skills in a professional setting that welcomes the performance
of all levels of dancer simultaneously educating the audience. The
Jewel of the Valley Middle Eastern Dance Show was founded by Rose
in 1997 and started as a semi-annual event. The recital/show regularly
sold-out it's 300 capacity theater to standing room only. In 2003
the show was reduced to a yearly event that is anticipated by Rose's
committed students. Here is what some say about their experience:
"Thank you for a great show
last night. I wanted to tell you all the things I really liked
about it. I loved the venue--the auditorium was really very nice,
and the stage too. I was the first one to arrive, and the man
in charge was very nice, helpful and professional. The dressing
room was awesome with those mirrors! And we really had the chance
to rehearse with all that space. It made a difference in our confidence
and accuracy. The announcer was fantastic, and I loved that the
background of the dances was described. The length of the show
was perfect. My 9-year-old and 6-year-old friends did well with
the length of it. The fact that you had us all in the planned
coordinated costumes made it feel really professional and boosted
my confidence. I loved the dances I was in, especially the Oriental
Rhythm Medley--I am nuts about that dance. I love the opportunity
to dance your choreography. The whole show was beautiful...Thank
you for all your work. It is amazing how much you do." -
Joanne 11/20/06
"I am in your beginners class.
I just wanted to say thank you so, so much for being such a great
teacher. You are such a great inspiration! I have wanted to learn
how to belly dance for so long, and you have given me that opportunity.
I also wanted to thank you for putting on such a great show this
weekend, and giving us the opportunity to perform and show everything
you have taught us." - Lenae 1/20/06
"I had an unbelievable time
dancing on stage for my first but not last time." - Linda
11/20/06
Rose has collaberated with other dancers on a number
of events, hosting the big names from over seas as well as the locals.
In 2005 she was asked to work together with local dancers Shifah
& Ismalia to in their Belly Dance Shows at the Clarion. It is
a night of Belly Dance in an elegant venue by dancers for dancers
and the general public. Performances by professionals, semi-professionals
and troupes can be enjoyed with an optional buffet, social dancing
and vending. Here is what one die-hard dancer had to say:
"I just wanted to take a
moment to thank all of you for your hard work with the Clarion
and the shows you put on there. It is such an amazing venue for
people to come together and share the dance. I know it’s
a lot of work to put on these events and your ability and willingness
to provide this great event is greatly appreciated. I feel honored
to be part of such a great dance community and to bring my friends
into the folds of the fabulous work you do." - Robin
(Rabiah) www.Sahibat.com
11/11/06
MY
PATH TO THE DANCE
 The
previous is my professional bio, here's a little bit of my
personal story that lead me on my path to becoming a professional
full-time dancer.
My interest in Middle Eastern Dance was sparked
in 1992. As a teenager I was not interested in the usual,
such as "top 40 music" and I searched for new and
different sounds on college radio stations. I discovered world
music and was particularly drawn to the music of the Middle
East.
I was always out dancing to live music as
often as I could get away with it. As my love for Middle Eastern
music grew I wondered how I would dance to this music and
then began a search for a teacher. I found a student at a
nearby college who was teaching a few women in a private class
of four. When she graduated, she referred me to my primary
teacher, Joanne Tebaldi (Shifah),
who I studied with for four years until I completed her course
offerings. She gave me an excellent foundation and repertoire
combined with an approach to dance that was grounded and spiritual.
During my years under Shifah I grew amongst
wise, beautiful and supportive women. We shared our dance
at each other's parties, performed for the elderly and for
fundraisers. As a young student, it was a deeply meaningful
experience that fit my beliefs and supported a healthy way
of living that refused ageism and sexism.
During the end of my studies with Shifah,
I was asked by a couple of beginning students to teach them
the basics of the dance. I was not sure that I could teach,
but because of their interest and the lack of classes offered
for beginners, I agreed to a private class. Through teaching
them I discovered it was really fun and they were doing very
well. Soon after, my teacher had asked me to co-teach a class
with her. Today my first two students are professional performers
and I have been teaching for eight years. That is how my path
into this dance began.
When exactly I began performing professionally is a little
foggy. It may have been 1996 that my teacher had created a
venue at the Eastern Star and had me get up to dance with
her during one of her shows. She had mentioned having me as
a performer there and the idea scared me to bits. I knew there
was no way I could dance with out exposing my soul. I took
a good look at all that Shifah had inspired in me through
her teaching and artful performing. I concluded that it was
an honor and I wanted to do for others what she did for me.
I chose to bravely perform regardless of my
fear of being objectified. The beauty of the dance was far
too important to me than the confusion of a woman's role in
society and confusion about the dance itself. I chose to follow
my heart and demonstrate this sacred dance, confronting the
stereotypes and educating my onlookers. That was some years
ago and since then, much has changed in my performing. The
super modest teenage dancer is now a woman with a much more
full and rich life experience that can be seen within my dance. |
| Below are pictures of a few of
my students who have gone on to become professional dancers. |
Leslie
PHOTO BY KATE
WOOL |
Debira |
Maya |
Ayana |
Elyse |
|
