Tonya and Atlantis: Wouldn't you know they'd be the ones having the foresight to expand the Universe - by enlarging the horizons of dance competition to embrace the multiple galaxies of contestants?

Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition launched three new satellites into orbit with the innovative 'Little' and 'Junior' categories and the 'Divine' category in the Saturday evening show.

It was incredible to witness the talent in both the children’s categories. The level of expertise and style made a stunning statement for the very bright future of Middle Eastern dance in America. Not only did these young dancers demonstrate remarkable ability and training, but also their costuming and staging spiraled to the highest levels. The impish prancers taking awards in the 'Little' category were Princess Kierra as champion, and Genie of the Desert as first runner-up.

The truly spectacular winner of the 'Junior' division was Princess Naomi from Las Vegas, and lovely Sabiha captured the first runner-up title. Current public interest in belly dancing is high, and the daytime competition was covered by several TV channels: these young women represented it beautifully.

The evening show exploded with Tonya, Atlantis, 'Veils and Incense,' and 'Essence of Veils' delighting onlookers with their unique Egyptian - '50's - modern funk opening performance. Then, the instructors commanded the evening: JoElien with her intricate innovations, Shahira - ever the effortless Egyptian goddess, and Alexandra King with her gorgeous Turkish cabaret mastery. Shahira dedicated her performance to the memory of Ibrahim Farrah, and a moment of silence was observed.

Atlantis' spectacular closing performance of the Gala Show stunned the audience. Audible gasps were heard when she appeared in a stunning, massive silver lame and white feather cape. Dance community members, impressed by her Academy Awards Performance of "A Whole New World," eagerly awaited her performance.

Atlantis met and even exceeded their expectations! She opened with a song delivered in top-notch Broadway quality. After her vocal number, she turned her back to the audience and opened her cape that expanded like two great wings. Atlantis then began her dance to a medley, edited together -- exciting, strong, energetic -- nothing short of incredible. She offers a marvelous combination of the ethnic dance style with a contemporary flair. One of the most compelling parts of her routine, set to Phil Collins' music, with incredible capework, exhibited her varied dance background as she performed an incredibly beautiful series of leaps, rapid turns, sharp kicks, splits and strenuous backbends. Atlantis, with her refined yet uninhibited stage presence, is the consummate Middle Eastern dance performer. Her incredible shimmies, awesome midsection work, and fluid and strong armwork result in an unforgettable performance. The audience continually clapped during the final five minutes of her routine, honoring her spectacular performance with a standing ovation. .

Suddenly, in the midst of the stars, a comet blazed through the night! It was the endlessly energetic, ever creative Atlantis, with her very own fusion style; a true supernova in the Belly Dancer of the Universe constellation.

In the 'Divine' category, some of the country's finest performers competed for the title - many must have begun hitting the boards around the age of five to rack up the twenty-plus years of accomplishment required! While all of the contestants displayed the finesse and consummate professionalism demanded for this level, the dazzling Marula, sponsored by Suzy Evans of IAMED, claimed the prize. Lovely Farhana Masri was first runner-up, sponsored by the Beach Cities chapter of MECDA.