Michelle Joyce
started her professional bellydance career while living in Istanbul,
Turkey. She studied under Sema
Yildiz, the Turkish dance legend, and became the headlining
act at The Orient Nightclub in Istanbul in 1998.
In 1999, she
moved to Australia, where she performed with the Harem Groove
Bellydance Troupe in Brisbane.
While in Australia, she was recruited
to bellydance at an upscale Japanese nightclub. She spent four
months living in Nagoya, Japan, performing on a nightly basis.
New Years Eve 2003 was her infamous
performance at the five star Sayaji Hotel in the
conservative city of Indore, India, which sparked protests and a riot. Her sold-out show was aired live throughout India. To read
more about Michelle's adventures in India, and the extremists
who protested at her show, visit the Gilded
Serpent or view the video podcast here.
Michelle has won several belly dance competitions including People's Choice Bellydance Awards (2004), Star Cabaret Performer (2006), Live Music Soloist (North Valley Compeition 2006), and East Coast
Classic Champion (2006).
In 2007, she
edited and produced her first belly dance performance DVD, By Dancers For Dancers, a collaborative project by local dancers who had decided to stop waiting for someone else to "discover them" and took matters into their own hands. The success of this DVD launched Cheeky Girls Productions, a company that produces and distributes belly dance instructional and performance DVDs internationally.
Michelle also designs websites and promotional material for fellow dancers. See samples of her work here.
Michelle frequently travels around the world to perform and to teach workshops. She often travels with her dance partner, Sandra (view a video clip of Michelle and Sandra's most recent adventure in India here)
Michelle is currently the house
bellydancer at several Middle Eastern restaurants and nightclubs
in the San Francisco Bay Area.
 She is an experienced dance teacher
and certified personal trainer, and has always been very active
in sports, gymnastics and dance. She spent many years doing gymnastics
on horseback, for which she has won several national awards.
Michelle has a Masters in Counseling, and though she belly dances full-time, she uses her counseling skills to help dancers overcome stage fright and to improve their performance skills.
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