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* Lucie De La Fontaine

* Rachelle Connors


Lucie De La Fontaine - Baladi National Baladi - Director, Choreographer & Instructor

Lucie De La Fontaine studied Oriental Dance in Montréal with Micheline d'Astous, Gamila Asfour,Lala Hakim and the late Ahmad Jarjour, in Ottawa with Denise Enan, in France with Zaza Hassan, in the United States with Yousry Sharif, Nourhan Sharif and Suzanna Del Vecchio, in Egypte with Farida Fahmy and Ragia Hassan. She started as a choreographer, a professional dancer and as an instructor in Sherbrooke, Quebec, for a period of 14 years, giving her a total of 30 years dance experience. Since 1995, Lucie is still expanding Since 1995, Lucie is still expanding her goals and dreams in the region of Sudbury, Ontario. During 2000, Lucie opened her dancing school Baladi National Baladi. Certiﬁed instructor following a 2-year program in Hatha Yoga (400 hours), she is preparing some of her students who are now teaching dancing and yoga.

In Quebec she was known as a daring innovator and was also well recognized for her creativity. She was the ﬁrst dancer to come out with Raks Al Balas (Water jug dance), the traditional candelabra dance (of the Turquish Period), the seven veils and also the one or two swords dance. Lucie has given workshops in Quebec and Ontario. In 1990 she went to Puerto Morelos in Mexico to give a workshop on “health dance”. In the same year, she took a 60-hour prenatal course given by a practicing midwife named Jeen Glezos. Lucie has to her credit many seminars with a variety of dance instructors, 54 teaching television performances and numerous media shows in Quebec and Ontario, just to name a few. From 1982 to 1995 she worked and produced semi-professional shows with the help of her students. She performed her semi-professional productions with her students, in Sudbury, in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

In 2005, Lucie started her ﬁrst Summer Camp, which gave regional and out of province dancers the opportunity to improve the art of dancing.

Lucie thoroughly enjoys having students, past and present of intermediate and advanced levels attend her workshops and summer camps along side other dancers, as well as, instructors from different regions.


Rachelle Connors - Baladi National Baladi - Dance Choreographer & Instructor

Rachelle Connors' earliest dance instruction began at the age of seven in Sudbury's Youth Centre under the direction of Florence Gauvreau.

In 1973, Florence launched the Gauvreau School of Fine Arts where Rachelle continued honing her skills in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Modelling and Gymnastics.

Having been well groomed in these disciplines, she readily gravitated to Lucie De Le Fontaine's Raks Sharki belly dance classes and quickly progressed to achieve instructor certification.

Since 2001, Rachelle has broadened her technical repertoire with specialized Raks Sharki instruction from her mentor, Lucie De La Fontaine, as well as, Hadia, Denise Enan, Magdy El Leisy, Ansuya, Yasmina, Samia,
Having undergone specialized Rrom Gypsy style training with Dominique Favreau in Montreal, PQ, , and abroad, with Simona Jovic in Paris, France Rachelle is now very comfortable introducing these old world dances to Northern Ontario.

In 2010, Rachelle, with her zeal for everything fitness related, systematically developed an East Indian fitness program under the moniker, Bollywood Bounce Fitness. Her upbeat dance~workout includes the latest mixes of
modern day Bollywood and East Indian tunes. It focuses on meeting the
needs of individual exercise intensities for varied maturity of clientele.

During Baladi National Baladi's yearly summer camps, workshops and
weekly classes she strives to deliver it all in an atmosphere of exercise and fun. ---