Rae Dodson
General Skills and Teacher Training in ATS® since 2017
Ordained Interfaith Minister of Universal Life Church since 2017
Founding Member of Zenith since 2014
S.E.E.D.S Certified since 2014
Owner/Director of Gypsy Moon Studios since 2013

Despite a lifelong struggle with self doubt, stage fright, and public speaking, I first fell in love with the inspiring communal nature and captivating beauty of ATS® in 2010 when I took my very first workshop with Carolena Nericcio. I fell in love with the supportive and cooperative aspect of this dance and from that moment on I devoted every free moment of my time and energy into studying this amazing dance form with its movements and costuming echoing a time reaching far into a distant and feminine honoring past. Though I continue to take workshops, classes, and online instruction as often as I am able, due to my physical distance from ongoing regular instruction, the majority of my learning and practice has come through the diligent studying of the many ATS® videos that are available along with applied practice with my dance troupe sisters of Zenith.

In January of 2017, under the sponsorship of my wonderful dance sister Jessica Collins Tingley from Sister Studio “Devotion Tribal Belly Dance” in Sandpoint, Idaho, I was blessed to be able to attain my General Skills for Classic and Modern ATS® at Homecoming in San Francisco, California. This sponsorship enabled me to also take advantage of the opportunity to attend Teacher Training for ATS® during that same event.

In being the creative director, owner, and instructor at Gypsy Moon Studios, it is my mission to educate future dancers on the origins and history of ATS® along with the complete vocabulary of dance steps and formations exactly as it is presented and taught by ATS® creator Carolena Nericcio of Fat Chance Belly Dance. It is only after reaching extreme proficiency in all the dance steps and formations found within ATS® that our troupe allows for dedicated students to begin learning Zenith’s specific troupe dialect for local performances. This is to ensure that every student that comes through Gypsy Moon Studios will have a very solid foundation and knowledge in ATS® and therefore be able to study and dance easily with other dancers and instructors of ATS® which we hope will best ensure and protect the integrity of the ATS® dance form.

As I continue to study and grow as a dancer and an instructor, I consciously seek new ways to share this empowering communal dance with my community along with finding other pathways that help to further unify, strengthen, support, and encourage feminine cooperation, empowerment, sisterhood, and unity. In addition to developing plans for holding monthly Red Tent gatherings, Gypsy Moon Studios is currently working on developing and implementing an intensive mentoring program for women and girls that will teach practical fundamental life skills, self-sufficiency and empowerment, ancient crafting arts, community involvement, and positive cooperative relationship skills among other things. Our goal and mission at Gypsy Moon Studios is to continue to find and create ways to build supportive, cooperative, communal and unifying relationships among women from all ages and walks of life so that together we can embrace the Divine Feminine within ourselves and one another so that we may collectively create a better and more enriching future for ourselves and future generations.

American Tribal Style® Belly Dance is one of the many beautiful steps towards that future and I hope that you will join me in that visionary journey. Blessings….