THANK YOU! Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition 2007
Unsolicited Letters . . .
Dear Tonya & Atlantis,
I want to thank you for the fabulous weekend! You do have the right to call this the BellyDancer of the Universe Competition with so many dancers from all over the world, including myself! it was amazing to see and meet so many talented dancers from Mexico, Russia, Brazil, South Korea, Puerto Rico and all across the United States.
This has been a great experience for me to grow not only as a Dancer but also as a Person. I am so happy that in my first time in the BDUC I brought home 3 trophies!! It was great to represent my country with my Fusion Brazilian/Belly Dance.
I've heard of comments about Judges and I have clear mind, since I didn't know them personaly nor had I taken classes with any of the panel of Judges.
My only problem was that because I was dancing in 3 categories I didn't have time to shop!! That's the only sad part!
Thank you and I can't wait to watch those videos!!!
Love, Viviane www.vivibellydance.com
Dear Tonya & Atlantis:
You two are amazing! I don't know where you get all that energy to have such a well-planned event, and all the while remain calm, smiling, and helpful! This was a dream-come-true experience for me ---my first time ever in a contest, and to come home with 3 trophies!!!??? I'm still in cloud 9!
Little Princess Mikayla loves her "Aladdin Lamp" participation medal she received in the "Little" competition. It was a lovely experience for her -- very encouraging! I loved the way all the "Little" contestants received a medal. You made all of them feel like winners!
I had so much fun seeing my wonderful friends from the LA area, making new friends from Korea, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and across the States. My Mexico group of friends loved your event. They were so excited to be sitting by Fahtiem and Dondi in person! I will certainly be back next year and will encourage more of my dancer friends from San Diego and across the border in Mexico to come up and compete! The whole weekend was an unforgettable experience! You two are wonderful! THANK YOU. Adios!
Ana, www.anabellydancer.com
Thank you both . . for the privilege and pleasure of participating in BDUC this year. The far-reaching effects of what you bring to the dance community are immeasurable and the quality of the contestants keeps getting better! Congratulations on 17 years' worth of production and all the financial, promotional and political challenges that go with it! Thank you also For the cute green T-shirt and cool sunglasses, which I'm enjoying Along with a lovely lamp and many other gifts you've provided for your
judges over the years. Many Bright Blessings to you Both! Hugz, Mz.
Mesmera, Dancing at the Speed of Delight!
http://www.mesmera.com
Hi Tonya and Atlantis,
It was so nice to say hello to you yesterday, Tonya. You gave me my start in dance many years ago. I went on to have a great dance profession for about ten years until my children were born and I stopped dancing for a while. My daughter is dancing with Marula and Sahar in San Diego -- it's in the genes, I guess! Anyway, you two always put on a great festival for dancers of all ages every year. We look forward to your events.
I had two fabulous classes, one with Pauline and one with David on drumming. I wish I could have taken more!
Good luck in the future!
Linda Brown aka Zahira.
(My daughter is dancing under the name of Zahirah.)
Guys, I can't thank you enough for including me the way you do. I had a great time, and the performers this year were amazing! Good gravey, the young ones are better than we ever thought of being! I was so pleased with the turn out of the Juniors. First Runner Up and the Winner were neck and neck in my judging, and as far as I was concerned it could have gone either way.
What I really enjoyed was the Tribal Fusion....I had to wash my brain and rethink entirely the way I judged...oddly, I was going on purely theatrical first and foremost, with the dance as salt on the plate. But my first and biggest gage was costuming.
This year more than any other I had to be absolutely impartial...the ones I would love to have handed trophies to on a platter (they all placed and won anyway), I had to honestly mark down. Those I wasn't quite so thrilled with, I had to look at impartially and give an honest high rating....my it was an interesting day!
I love my sword guys, It will get GREAT USE!
Congratulations on another great event.
Hugs and love to you both!
Kamaal
Dear Atlantis and Tonya
I want to thank you for generously donating your share of the income with me. I appreciate the work and am grateful for your continued belief in me. I ope it went well and that your success continues. I enjoyed myself and was really impressed with the growth and quality of the event.
Take care.
Alexandra King
RE: Belly Dancer of The Universe Competition
I would like to take this time to thank you for a wonderful experience today at the competition. You need not win a trophy to have a winning experience. It was my pleasure to be there today. Thank you again.
Veronique
Hi Tonya & Atlantis,
I've been meaning to write to you for awhile, to thank you so very much for the honor of mentioning me, and presenting me with a trophy at your showcase. I was very surprised and honored.
My students enjoyed competing at BDUC so much. They all commented on what a great learning experience it was, and how it pushed them to exceed their own expectations. I was so proud of all of them.
You ladies run a great event that my students and I look forward to every year. Once again, this year was exciting, and a memorable experience.
Thank you again!
Kamala
Hello Tonya and Atlantis!
Just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful event! The competition really pushed me to work harder at my solo dancing and take my skills to the next level! I am VERY proud of my work. I woke up absolutely elated on Monday and started working on new Choreo! I can't wait for next year!
I would like to request my scores and I'll order the videos as soon as they come out!!!
I congratulate all the winners! They rocked! and, Atlantis, I can't wait to see you in that purple and red number!!!!
Big Blessings!
Jamie Leigh
DeVilla
P.S. I love dancing to live music and would love to come and dance at
your showcase! Say the word and I'll shoe up!
Hello Tonya and Atlantis,
Thank you so much for having the energy and the interest to bring us all together with your wonderful Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition. It's a great feat to bring together such a diverse and talented group of dancers from so many parts of the country as well as the world. You are both so amazing and deserve all the awards you yourselves have won throughout the years.
This is the second year for me as a judge and it was just as difficult, stressful and wonderful as last year. Because of the talent that was competing, it was not an easy task. There are so many factors to take in to consideration in judging the competitors. This year (as last year), I felt they were all champions. I look forward to next year.
Love,
Helena Vlahos
Hi ladies,
I had a wonderful experience competing in this year's Tribal Fusion Soloist category. And, I won 1st Runner up! It was a great experience for me & I appreciate that you included this category. Everyone in each catagory was wonderful to watch and a pleasure to speak with. Lots of good energy & I didn't experience any cattyness anywhere - only heartfelt support for all.
Please send me my scores so I can continue to learn from them. Will my performance be included on the video? I'd love to have a copy.
Thank you much & have a fantastic day!
Jane Archer, 1st Runner up - Tribal Fusion category - 2007 Belly Dancer of the Universe!
May You Find Your Passion. Euphoria Studios, Portland, OR - www.EuphoriaStudios.net
Hi,
I want to thank you for the opportunity given to my daughter Monique to participate and be the Little Champion at the BDUC competition. This was her first International competition. It was a great experience on which, (by the way) she was confused because in most contest the way the winners are named is from the last one to the winner and since she was called first she though she was the third one until you gave her the trophy and that’s when she realized she was the champion (HURRAAAA!!!)
This was very exciting moment for Monique myself and her coach Arish Lam.
Again, I want to thank you both for the opportunity to grow in the experience of the Belly Dancing Art.
Love, Cynthia & Monique, Puerto Rico
Hi, Tonya,
I just signed up for your Cerritos class and your Goldenwest classes.
Thank you sooo much for being such a GREAT Teacher.
Valerie/Shara
02/26/07
Dear Tonya & Atlantis
I would like to thank you for your perserverance & dedication in holding the BDUC for this long. I have been dancing for 17(?) years and never entered a competition. It was a very good learning experience spiritually, mentally & physically and has given me the "contest" fever!
I have enclosed a SASE to obtain my judges score sheet. I was in the Universal category as "Akasha" number 8 in the line up.
See you next year!
Robin
02/26/07
Dear Tonya & Atlantis,
Thank you for the opportunity to compete at such an amazing event!
Please send the judges score sheets for Anoush - Solo Veil and Amar Dancers - group.
Thank you! Anoush
Hi, ladies,
I had a wonderful experience competing in this year's Tribal Fusion Soloist category. And I won 1st Runner up! It was a great experience for me & I appreciate that you included this category. Everyone in each category was wonderful to watch and a pleasure to speak with. Lots of good energy and I didn't experience any cattyness anywhere - only heartfelt support for all. Please send me my scores so I can continue to learn from them. Will my performance be included on the video? I'd love to have a copy.
Thank you much & have a fantastic day!
Jane Archer, 1st Runner up - Tribal Fusion category - 2007 Belly Dancer of the Universe!
May You Find Your Passion.
Euphoria Studios, www.EuphoriaStudios.net
02/22/2007
Dear Tonya and Atlantis,
Could you please send me (Nitara) my scores for the Veil competition?
I just saw the results posted online and saw that I was third runner up This is a personal best for me, and I'm really thrilled.
Thank you for hosting such a wonderful, well-organized and fun event. I really enjoyed competing, as well as taking workshops, shopping, and watching the other competitions.
See you next year!
Sincerely,
Holly Webb (aka Nitara)
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