Qualifications: Belly Dance teacher.

Personal History: Jacqui Lalita is a whirling mystic and ecstatic poetess passionately shimmying across the world in awe and devoted service to the Great Mystery. Her love affair with ethnic culture and sacred movement has led her down many silk roads to study Oriental Dance, Romani Gypsy Dance, Sufi whirling, Samba, Afro Brazilian, Odissi Indian Temple Dance and Flamenco.

She is an acclaimed belly dance teacher who has taught workshops and performed in Egypt, Turkey, Bali, Costa Rica, Peru, the Virgin Islands, Greece and all across Europe and the US. Her study of Oriental Dance began in Miami at the Mid Eastern Dance Exchange under the tutelage of legendary Tamalyn Dallal, who invited Jacqui to join the faculty of world class teachers. During her years in Miami Jacqui performed with Tamalyn and Belly Dance Superstar Bozenka and was blessed to have been part of Miami's rich cultural dance scene where the true spirit of sisterhood allowed many rising stars of belly dance to flourish. She traveled to New York City regularly to study with Egyptian master teacher Yousry Sharif and also made four pilgrimages to Egypt to study and perform onstage with full orchestra bands that infused within her a sublime musicality for Arabic rhythms and melodies as well as a deep soul connection to ancient Egyptian temple dance.

Her infinite love and respect for Pachamama and all the Earth's creatures can be felt in her soulful teaching style that invites students to attune to nature and dance fearlessly from the depths of their hearts. She leads week long mystical dance retreats around the world where transformation and inspiration abound and students have an opportunity to immerse themselves in the healing nectar of dancing in paradise.

Jacqui is a romantic dreamer and weaver of destiny devoted to helping people awaken to their highest potential and live their lives in the spirit of magic and grace. Her beloved global tribe stretches far and wide including some of the world's most amazing musicians, artists, healers and visionaries who are co-creating a new Earth built on the ancient ways of living in reverence to the Earth, Moon, Sun and Stars and treading lightly on the land. She is the author of two books of poetry Romancing the Divine and Rebirth of Venus, as well as the poetry music CD "Her Beauty in the Moonlight."

She is also an animal rights activist and lover of wildlife who holds a heartfelt prayer that all animals in our world be treated with loving kindness and compassion and have their natural habitats protected. Finding inspiration in deep bellied laughter, world music, homemade chocolate and wholesome foods, plants and herbal medicine, full moons, forests, oceans, mystic rivers and pure love soul gazes, Jacqui embodies a natural Venusian sensuality and exuberance, living each day in full celebration of the bountiful blessings all around and within.