Gilded Serpent presents... Bellydancer of the Universe Competition 2008 held in Long Beach, California, on February 18 & 19, 2008 produced by Tonya and Atlantis photos by Carl Sermon   Lifetime Achievement Award ... Isis of Dallas for her magazine, business, studio, and events

Little Champion ... Al Hasan from Puerto Rico (age?) (Little Category is ages 5 to 12 years)

Junior Champion ... Kata-Maya, 17 years old, from Texas

Group Catagory .... Belly dance Korea

Tribal Group .. Mandala Dance Works from California

Egyptian division ... Amanda Rose from Arizona

A new category, Taksim, produced Dilek from California

Veil Solo .... Tanna Valentine of New York City

Drum solo .... Kendra of Oregon

Tribal Fusion ... Lisa Zahiya from North Carolina Fusion .... Tehani from California

Universal champion ... Mia Shanri of Puerto Rico The next competition will be the 19th annual and be held on February 21 & 22, 2009 For more info information on this competition see- www.bellydanceroftheuniverse.com

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11-20-08 Winning Bellydancer of the Universe by Mia
Puerto Rico is kind of a small island, not that we’re cut off from the world or anything, but we don’t have huge hafflas or competitions here. In fact, after about two years of classes and training we have to travel outside our country to keep up with the whirlwind of innovation that is bellydance.

9-8-08 Carl's Raqs LA Photos, Best from the Stage on the Lower Level, Photos by Carl Sermon text by Carl Sermon, Ma*Shuqa and Marta Schill
held May 17-18, 2008 Glendale Civic Auditorium, California, produced by Miles Copeland and organized by Marta Schill

3-2-08 The North Valley Belly Dance Competition- 2007, Photos by Michael Baxter
Held on November 10, 2007, in Oroville, California, event produced by Carolee and David Tamori. It was an exciting contest, covering five categories: Novices, Intermediates, Troupe dancers, Solos and Live Solos. Live music was provided by Doug Adam's amazing Light Rain.

7-30-07 Belly Dancer of the Year Pageant 2007 Sunday Photos, Photos by Michael Baxter, Photo Prep by Michelle Joyce, May 27, 2007 Danville, California,
Event produced by Leea. The competition for the Finalists.

4-29-05 Power Failure Halts Troupes & Finals Categories, The Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition, Part 1, Sunday Evening, held February 19-20, 2005, in Long Beach, California report by Amy Bonham, photos by GS staff
Willow Street outside the Grand Willow Street Center was a raging river on Saturday morning and the rain continued through the weekend with intermittent dry spells.

11-20-08 Winning Bellydancer of the Universe by Mia
Puerto Rico is kind of a small island, not that we’re cut off from the world or anything, but we don’t have huge hafflas or competitions here. In fact, after about two years of classes and training we have to travel outside our country to keep up with the whirlwind of innovation that is bellydance.

11-17-08 So You Want to Dance in Cairo? by Leila
Foreign dancers who negotiate their own auditions with hotel managers usually find themselves seated at his private table in the nightclub month after month while he promises that next week he will make her an orchestra and give her an audition.

11-15-08 Bellydance Fashion, American Style: The 2nd Annual Decotach Fashion Show Report by Tanna Valentine photos by Brian Lin
For this year’s fashion event, Ms. Lambru chose to display her costumes in the context of a Berber wedding.

11-11-08 Omar Faruk Tekbilek demonstrates the Ney video by Lynette
Also incuded are short performance clips of Omar with the instruments and band members as well as his wife, Susie, performing a few Turkish style dance gestures