Press Kit
Company Background- 100 word Bio
The Starbelly Dancers are nationally recognized belly dance artists from Boise, Idaho, under the artistic direction of Cecilia Rinn. Specializing in traditional, modern, fusion, and theatrical raks sharki, or belly dance, they are available to entertain at family-friendly celebrations, festivals, and main stage events across the nation. Collectively, the Starbelly Dancers have been granted awards by organizations such as The Alexa Rose Foundation, Boise City Department of Arts and History, The Idaho Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts and have been featured at events such as Boise Music Week, Treefort Music Festival, and even on Telemundo.
160 word Bio
The Starbelly Dancers are a dazzling force in the belly dance world, captivating audiences across the nation and beyond with their mesmerizing performances. Based in Boise, Idaho, this talented troupe of artists specializes in traditional, modern, fusion, and theatrical raks sharki, bringing their unique style and energy to family-friendly celebrations, festivals, and main stage events both domestically and internationally. Led by Artistic Director and Principle Dancers, Cecilia Rinn & Tori King, and joined by the skilled Soloists Chad Rinn, Bayla Night & Cassandra Joan, the Starbelly Dancers are a true spectacle to behold. With recognition and awards from organizations such as The Alexa Rose Foundation, Boise City Department of Arts and History, The Idaho Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Starbelly Dancers have graced the stages of Boise Music Week, Treefort Music Festival, and even made an appearance on Telemundo. Their passion is to bring the excitement and beauty of belly dance to communities everywhere, sharing their inspirational art with the world.
70 word Bio
Get ready to be dazzled by The Starbelly Dancers! These talented artists are known for their electrifying fusion of Traditional & Modern Bellydance (Raks Sharki) that captivates audiences all over the country. Under the direction of Director Cecilia Rinn, the Starbelly Dancers are dedicated to sharing the beauty and excitement of this amazing art form, bringing the enchanting world of belly dance to life at celebrations, festivals, and major stage productions.
Cecilia Rinn's Bio
Cecilia Rinn embodies the passion & joy of belly dance. She loves to share that joy by dancing at a variety of celebrations & events. With ethereal power and fluid movement, Cecilia creates truly transcendent art. A sought-after instructor, Cecilia teaches and performs locally (Boise, Idaho) and nationally.
Cecilia’s production credit includes the theatrical belly dance event, The Big Bad-Ass Belly Dance Show, which is completed its 12th year at Boise’s Visual Arts Collective April 8th & 9th, 2022, and hosts legendary performers, such as Delilah and House of Tarab(2016), Karim Nagi (2017), and Myra Krein (2018). Cecilia is the creator of the StarBelly Dancers, her elite dance company. Cecilia is also a mentor to four upcoming professional belly dancers at her school StarBelly School of Dance. In 2013 and 2014, Cecilia ran the SEEDs program for at risk teenage girls and has plans to run the program in 2024. Cecilia has performed across the country, one of her highlights as the featured dancer in the prestigious Invaders of the Heart world class show in Santa Fe, NM and will be a featured dancer in the internationally touring show "The Radiant Tarot". In 2017, Cecilia was awarded a grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, affording her the opportunity attend the P.U.R.E. Conference held in New York, NY, and awarded a grant in 2019 from the Boise City Department of History and Art for the “Arabic Folkloric Dance Celebration” be be held in August of 2020 and "Raks of Ages" show at J.U.M.P. in June 2023.
Cecilia’s achievements extend beyond belly dance. With a Bachelor’s of Science, Social Science degree from Boise State University, she is also an award winning filmmaker and graphic artist under her production company, Full Tilt Boogie L.L.C.Her featured documentary, Belly: Sensual, Scarred, Scared, has toured the country after a successful premiere at the 2008 Idaho International Film Festival and is available on Amazon. Cecilia is a professional seamstress and costume designer, creating belly dance costumes for herself, students of her dance school and company dancers, & commissioned requests. Cecilia is also an amazing tie dye artist, and has her exquisite silks and clothing at Starbelly Creations.
Cecilia Rinn lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and their 2 dogs, Vincent & Loki.
*Full Company Bios at the bottom of the page as a download.
Services
The Starbelly Dancers put on an elegant, fun, and colorful show ideal for any event! With thirty years of experience, they will make your event unforgettable!
Examples of possible events: Children/teens birthday, Birthdays, Wedding, Bridal Showers/, Bachorlette Parties, quinceanera, Graduation parties, Educational events, Fundraisers, Company parties, Retirement parties, Women’s celebrations , Special Occasions, Festivals , Grand Openings , Assisted living facilities/retirement centers, Restaurant , Nightclub , Theater Shows, Theme Events, Trade Shows, Conventions...and more
Case Studies
· 9 Reasons Dancing Is Good for Your Health - https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness-pictures/health-benefits-of-dance.aspx
· The Health Benefits of Dance - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1084822310384689?journalCode=hhcb
· Belly Dance as an Embodying Activity?: A Test of the Embodiment Model of Positive Body Image - This article concludes that belly dance represents an embodying activity, one associated with a number of benefits for its practitioners, including positive body image. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-014-0408-2
· Beyond the Belly: An Appraisal of Middle Eastern Dance (aka Belly Dance) as Leisure - Based on participant observation, journal narratives provided by dancers, and publically accessible online discussions, findings are examined along four themes: healing, sisterhood, spirituality, and empowerment. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00222216.2012.11950262
Noteworthy Press Coverage
· The Roots of Boise Belly Dancing:
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/show/idaho-matters/2019-02-19/the-roots-of-boise-belly-dancing
· Free dance day for building community — and fun: https://www.idahopress.com/community/life/free-dance-day-for-building-community-and-fun/article_7cb862d5-7972-5c26-94ab-53efa5aa2097.html
· The Healing Dance with Cecilia Rinn - The Message with Sohail Ishaq: https://youtu.be/ii7lUhjXiDU
Industry Awards and Accolades
Starbelly School of Dance. The following is a short list of awards
Starbelly School of Dance- Boise City Department of Arts and History in 2019 and 2022
Idaho Arts Commission- Cecilia Rinn (2018), Chad Rinn (2018), Tori King (2020 and 2022), Cassandra Joan (2021), Bayla Night (2021)
National Endowment for the Arts - Cecilia Rinn (2018), Chad Rinn (2018), Tori King (2020 and 2022), Cassandra Joan (2021), Bayla Night (2021)
The Alexa Rose Foundation - Cecilia Rinn (2020)
Treasure Valley Spotlight Award Idaho Press 2021
Cecilia Rinn has been a judge for Fusion Belly Dance & Drag King film Competitions
Cecilia & Chad Rinn's film BELLY: Sensual Scarred Sacred" won Audiance Choice award at the Washougal Film Festival in 2008, and was an official selection of the Idaho Internationals Film Festival before touring internationally in 2009
Contact Information
Press Releases
*Downloadable below
2023 Radiant Tarot Tour
2022 Art of Belly Dance Show
2021 Starbelly Arabic Folkloric Dance Celebration
2020 Bug Bad- Ass Belly dance Show
2019 Big Bad-Ass Belly dance Show
Logo & High Resolution Images
* download below.