Araby Belly Dance Academy

Elenie Vlismas-Smith has had a rich and varied career in the performing arts, and her belly dancing journey is so interesting it’s too long to include here – if you’re interested, you can read this interview instead. She was Queensland’s first professional belly dancer, way back in 1979. Like many belly dancers of her generation, she stumbled into the art by chance, and had to work it out for herself! Luckily her other dance training stood her in good stead, and she eventually became established as one of Australia’s best known belly dance teachers and performers, founding the Araby Belly Dance Academy, which offers classes in Southport and Nerang.

Given her amazing breadth of experience, perhaps it’s not surprising that she has embraced the current vogue for burlesque.