nature Stories

Alodiah Lunar is a music and dance performer influenced by storytelling, visual art, somatic exploration, and global movement. With a music degree in classical voice from UC Irvine, she has sung professionally for 26 years, and currently works as chorister with the Golden Gate Symphony. Alodiah moved to the SF Bay Area and started training in American fusion belly dance in 2005. She performed in Jill Parker's dance companies Miel and Foxglove Sweethearts, and was a founding member and in the companies Rue De Fell, Carousel Bellydance, and See Infinity Dance Collective. For several years, she co-produced the quarterly stage revue Blue Note Rendezvous, which showcased belly dancers and jazz-influenced musical ensembles. Recently, she was featured in “Yarrow” a nature-infused dance video production under Kami Liddle’s Expansion project. She continues to explore a variety of styles including hip-hop, house, salsa, contemporary, and Filipino folkloric and indigenous movement. Inspired by somatic exploration and earth-based spirituality, she is currently piloting the local initiative Benicia-Vallejo Holistic Dance Arts, to promote mindful movement practices interwoven with community mental health and wellbeing.

Amos White is an awarded environmental executive, a renowned haiku poet and author, a literary and musical arts producer, civil rights activist, and public official. He currently leads 100K Trees for Humanity, a Black led urban reforestation environmental justice nonprofit that plants urban trees for climate, for equity, and for health. Amos is a 2023 Recipient of the Jefferson Award. He lives with his family and two cats in the island city of Alameda, California.

Anna Simmons is a collaborative exhibit-maker and storyteller with over a decade of experience in the museum field. As a tenacious audience advocate, she centers community engagement and inclusive design in her work. She facilitates diverse teams to develop experiences that connect guests with their values—opening the door for curious questions and deeper meaning-making. Core to her work is inspiring awe, wonder, and care for the natural world. At the California Academy of Sciences, Anna led the development of their first multilingual exhibition focusing on California’s interconnected coast. Currently, Anna is leading the development of a new early-learner space at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Cammi Darshan Vance: Over twenty plus years on the bellydance path, I have caught just glimpses into the infinite realm of possibility our dance holds. With background in ballet, jazz, modern, gymnastics, and martial arts, I stepped into the world of middle eastern dance first entranced by the honest joy of cabaret style, then looking deeper and finding the mystery and strength in fusion, and then falling in fully and discovering the extraordinary potential of world and theatrical fusion. After 9 years performing, traveling, and teaching in Global Caravan Tribal Bellydance, alongside a solo career, I was lured to NYC by the passionate siren Dalia Carella, and enjoyed many years dancing in her Collective, off Broadway and beyond. One of the pioneers of Fusion on the East Coast, I released several DVDs and was invited to teach and perform on the national and global circuits. I also co-founded the global dance activism network, PURE, with Kaeshi Chai, and facilitated for several years. Dance is part of my wellness and meditation practice, and helps me stay connected to my wild self and source of creativity. In teaching, I use my knowledge of the body, lines, and rhythm, as well as my creative connection, to find ways to communicate the dance experience to all beings. In performing, I strive to be a conduit for creative energy with a healing effect. Let the Dance continue!

Emad Bonakdar is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and performer. Emad began learning guitar at a very young age. Initially, he started his training in jazz and pop. It took him twenty years of soul searching before he found a home in Flamenco, a style that touched his heart and allowed him to express his deep emotions and passion in a way that no other music could. His love of traditional Persian music, coupled with expressive and soulful Flamenco music, created a style that is uniquely his. His first concert in fusion music was in Tehran in 1991 and his first album, ARG influenced and inspired by the immense culture of the ancient Persian Empire and Magham melodies was produced in 1999. He was active as a composer for TV and advertisements. Emad has collaborated with the movie industry and has composed film scores for the Mama's Guest directed by Daryoush Mehrjooee & other movies by Ebrahim Hatamikia, Ramin Mohseni,...Check out his fantastic music on Spotify or on Instagram emadbonakdar_official

Ilonka Zlatar is a climate justice organizer with Oil and Gas Action Network working to end the era of fossil fuels and is the former president of the grassroots local Climate Action organization 350 Sacramento. She is also a performing artist in the realms of dance, song and public speaking. She has a Master’s degree in Ecosystem Ecology, and was an environmental scientist for nearly a decade before dedicating herself fully to activism. Lover of nature since childhood, Ilonka was deemed Sacramento Environmentalist of the Year in 2019.

Kaeshi Chai, a bi-coastal (NYC + CA) artist, educator, and environmental advocate, co-founded PURE Globe, an international community for healing and social change. With a rich background in dance, choreography, design, and event production, she has left her artistic imprint globally. She has directed the professional Bellyqueen Company and school for over 20 years. As a member of Bellydance Superstars, Bella Gaia and other prestigious groups, Kaeshi has performed in 48 states and 39 countries. Her current projects include "Nature Stories," bridging art and science for environmental awareness, and "Becoming - Exploring Identity." Kaeshi also contributes to events by Unity Earth, Purpose Earth, and the Global Peace Tribe, showcasing dance and movement meditations. Notably, she performed in the contemporary dance piece "Wildfires" by Spector Dance and created an immersive performance about forest root systems for the Exploratorium. Kaeshi is a proud member of Evolutionary Leaders, a circle of forward-thinking individuals committed to human, social, and planetary transformation.

Matt Wright PhD is a computer music researcher, composer/improviser/performer, father of an energetic 6-year-old, and the Executive Director of Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). His research includes modeling the perception of musical rhythm as well as musical creation with digital technology in a live performance context. As a musician, he plays a variety of Middle Eastern and Afghan plucked lutes, Afro-Brazilian percussion, and computer-based instruments of his own design, in both traditional music contexts (including as Music Director of the Stanford Middle East Ensemble) and experimental new works (including as co-Director of SLOrk, the Stanford Laptop Orchestra).

Rachel Noel is an award- winning fusion dance artist who’s been creating and sharing art for 25 years. She has performed and competed in dance troupes and as a soloist, online and in- person, in Oregon, Nevada, Canada, Italy, Germany, Greece and all over California. She studies with a wide variety of teachers and thoughtfully incorporates endless sources of movement inspiration to create her own explorative blend of dance styles. She is particularly inspired by movement from the African diaspora as well as global modern dance styles. Rachel believes fusion dance is a powerful way to share her experience as a multicultural person and hopes to use her expression as a way of blurring the boundaries that society has created to repress our ultimate creativity. She currently lives in the Bay Area, where she performs with live musicians, DJs & EDM producers, in nightclubs, restaurants & theatres and in multiple dance companies.

Ralph Washington Jr. is not only a bug genius with a Master's in Entomology from UC Davis and more accolades than you can shake a stick at, but he's also insightful, passionate, and easy to listen to. You'll learn so much from him and may even walk away with new perspective on more than insects.

Sadira Lady Liquid is a core member of Zoe Jakes' dance company Coven, House of Tarot, & the Beats Antique! They dominate stages with silky sultriness fueled by a bachelor in theatrical arts and a thriving yoga and dance career. They have been at it for over 10 years yall! Sadira is deeply passionate about movement and doing so with strength in a space of safety and compassion. Come get some!!!