AuSet Dance

Rivka Lopes
Rivka was born in Brazil, where she formally took her first dance steps in Rhythmic Gymnastics and ballet at age 10. After years studying these genres, she discovered Bellydance in 2010 and deeply fell in love with its rhythms and intensity. Since then, she has become dedicated to learning its art form and focused her studies in Egyptian style. Rivka has learned Raqs Sharqi and other dance styles from renowned professionals such as Yasmina Ramzy (Toronto) and Mohammed Salah (Egypt). Not to mention various workshops and classes with Kassandra Shore, Robert Desrosiers, Jeff Dimitriou, Angelica Jordan and Sashar Zarif. The Art form opened Rivka's mind to a whole new universe where emotions allow us to express feelings through body movement and technique. The peculiar rhythms, instruments and powerful body vocabulary are most important tools to express emotions with dance.

Beth Syrnyk
Beth always wanted to be an artist but she did not know that dance would be her art until she fell in love with bellydance. From her first class in a community center she was hooked and has spent the last 20 years studying the dance, music and culture of Egypt. From Golden Age Bellydance, to Egyptian Folklore through to modern day Shaabi Beth conveys the joy of bellydance to students and audience through her playful and elegant movement.
In 2006 Beth opened Au Set Bellydance Emporium, a studio and boutique that was the hub of the bellydance world in Winnipeg for 7 years. There she taught over 1000 women to bellydance, produced 3 dance shows and performed at more than 100 events.
In the course of her career she has met, studied and danced with some of the greatest names of the bellydance world and plans to continue her journey of dance discovery for many years to come.