Welcome to Daughters of Rhea. Nestled in the shadow of the mythic Acropolis in the Plaka of Athens, Greece and with studios in Baltimore and Boston, Daughters of Rhea is an international belly dancing family that brings the ancient art of belly dance to new heights of beauty, creativity, intelligence and entertainment.

   Icon of Oriental Dance Rhea of Greece (pictured at left) and her wildly talented daughters Piper and Melina -- and granddaughter Zoë Isadora -- continue the family tradition of oriental dance at prestigious venues around the world.

CONTACT US for special bookings.


Melina, Rhea and Piper
We are Family!
Daughters of Rhea Company CoFounders
Melina and Piper are the biological daughters of Rhea,
and all of our collective students are by extension her daughters in dance!
(upper left photo of Melina and Violinist Chris Woods by Scott Raffe)

Daughters of Rhea: an international, multi-generational life of dance extravaganza
CARPE BELLY-UM! 

Melina and Moody Street Circus in the News!

"The Greatest of Ease" - Boston Globe article by Taryn Plumb: October 16, 2011

"At Moody Street Circus, Kids Learn how to Take a Leap" by Jim Walker: Wicked Local Waltham October 14 2011.

Melina belly dance montage on YouTube.

RHEA IN SOUTH AFRICA:  Click here to see Rhea in the South African Newspaper!

Melina teaches Daughters of Rhea style belly dance and Cirque Passion aerial circus classes at Moody Street Circus in Waltham, MA. Drop into a regularly schedule group belly class anytime for $20 or buy a 10-class card, good for any group belly dance classes, for $150. Intro to aerial circus classes are $25 to drop in or a 5-class card costs $100. Check the class schedule here.  Call for more info at 781 209 0950.

Melina (bottom right) with her lovely students

August 14 - 19, 2011 Melina Retreat at Kripalu: Melina's annual belly dance immersion retreat in the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts: "Wild Hips, Gypsy Heart: Belly Dance as Self-Empowerment." runs from August 14-19. Information and Registration at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, or call Kripalu toll free to register: 1-800-741-7353.  AUGUST 2012 DATES TBA - CHECK BACK HERE FOR DETAILS.

Melina dances. Photo by Dreamer's Realm Photography.

Piper's belly dance classes in Baltimore are posted on the PiperMethod website. Piper, Melina and Rhea teach special workshops in their signature belly dance style throughout the world.

Rhea's teaches regular group and private classes in Athens, Greece!  Classes are on hiatus for the summer and resume in October 2011. Email Melina for Rhea's schedule.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK - we have multiple pages to choose from!  Search Melina of Daughters of Rhea, BellyPalooza, Moody Street Circus, Piper Rhea's Daughter, and Deanna Rhea belly dance.

Melina's world-famous sword on dagger balancing act & belly dance in performance at Victoria Theatre, Singapore. Photo below courtesy Dav Rue and Goddess Motion.

Melina's Sword and Dagger Balance.

Piper teaching at our BellyPalooza Festival in Baltimore

Photo of Piper in power red. Please visit the PiperMethod website and search for the PiperMethod channel on YouTube.

Recent happenings..

April 10, 2010, Bellydancing UW presents:  Melina seminars and performance in Madison, Wisconsin - it was great to meet you al!l

January 2010: Grand Opening of Melina's new Waltham-based Belly Dance and Circus Arts studio, MOODY STREET CIRCUS, 397 Moody Street, 2nd Floor in Waltham, MA.  The celebration was marked by wonderful workshops for belly dancers of all levels given by Belly Dancer of the Year 2000 PIPER!

July 15 - August 2, 2009:  Melina's Cirque Passion Circus Tent went up along the Hudson River in collaboration with Amazing Grace Circus of Nyack, NY.  Circus camps, family circus shows featured Amazing Grace Staff and Cirque Passion co-founders Melina and Sacha Pavlata.

Weeklong workshop with Melina at KRIPALU - "Wild Hips, Gypsy Heart:  Belly Dance as Self-Empowerment."  Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health August 9 - 14, 2009.

Melina and Rhea in Singapore
Also featured 6th generation Czech circus star Sacha Pavlata with Melina on Trapeze
Victoria Theatre Show on April 30th, 2009.
Seminars May 1 - 4, 2009
www.goddessmotion.com
 

If you'd like to receive information about upcoming Daughters of Rhea classes, product releases and dance or circus events, send Melina your questions or cyber contact info. We'd love to hear from you.


Daughters of Rhea students dance in a recital at Moody Street Circus

WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS:  Melina's 2011 Belly Dance Classes of all levels at Moody Street Circus - 397 Moody Street, 2nd Floor in Waltham, MA.  Check the Moody Street Circus website for class calendar.

Visit Melina's "Tips from the Hip" (TM) Blog for class notes, music playlists and essays.

BALTIMORE: Belly Dance Classes and special workshop with Piper in Baltimore

GREECE:  Rhea's Belly Dance Classes in Athens, Greece. 

  
Rhea of Greece with her daughters Melina and Piper

 

Daughters of Rhea featured musician ALI ARSOY. Visit his website for more on his inspiring life in music.

Check out Melina's venture in life, love and circus: Cirque Passion.

Melina and Sacha Pavlata dance upside down in the air at the Baltimore Museum of Art

We live to dance
and we dance to live. 
...and we always have fun in the process.



5.07.00 Piper wins
Belly Dancer of the Year 2000!
 

Check out Penny Hahn's profile essays "Legends of the Dance: Rhea" and "Meet the Divas: 'Just try it' guides the daring Melina" in the latest issue of Ancient Art Studios "Ancient News."

Public Radio Archives:  Listen to Melina's essay on the economics of belly dance on NPR's MARKETPLACE
 

Melina's essay "A Hippie Conception" published  the Gilded Serpent.

Melina

Masters of Belly Dance, renowned for their expert dance artistry, prop balancing, creativity, beauty, humor, dynamism and professionalism, the Daughters of Rhea raise the art of belly dance to new heights.

Melina is also an aerialist who has toured in the U.S. and around the globe with The Pickle Family Circus, Circus Flora and The Wallenda Family Circus, and has performed for corporate events and at nightclubs, fairs and festivals with her own show, Cirque Passion.  Her family circus, co-founded with 5th-generation Czech circus star husband Sacha Pavlata, features European-style circus artistry in an intimate one-ring setting.  Our inspiring, daring and elegant acts include aerial silks, cloud swing, lyra (aerial hoop), unicycle, sword on dagger balance, high wire, trapeze, juggling, clowning, Spanish web and more. Visit Cirque Passion or call 781 209 0950 for more info or to book our tented circus show or individual acts.

Melina's Performance Schedule
in Boston & Beyond.

Piper's Performance Schedule
in Baltimore & Beyond

Rhea's Performance Schedule
in Athens, Greece & Beyond

BOOK A 5 STAR DAUGHTERS OF RHEA BELLY DANCER TO MAKE YOUR EVENT A PHENOMENAL SUCCESS!

Melina, Sara & Panayiota
Daughters of Rhea Boston
Photo by A. Legge

"From the Four Seasons Hotel to Boston's Wang Center, from the Ritz Carlton to the Taipei Arena, from the European-style Circus Ring to the Baltimore Museum of Art theatre stage, the Daughters of Rhea belly dancers are  consummate professionals: gorgeous, highly skilled practitioners of the dance, friendly and "outrageously entertaining.""

 Melina sending out the Love
at Goddess Motion Concert in Singapore

The amazing Rhea with her sword up on YouTube!  Watch a master at work!

Piper and Melina's Flamenco Fusion Duet
Photo by A. Perna courtesy of the Baltimore Sun.

Watch Via Streaming Video Melina's January 2007 TV performance and interview on "To The Pointe" with host Cinda Hill.

View new clips of Melina 's World-Class Belly Dancing in Athens on YouTube!  Watch her ONE OF A KIND sword and dagger act!

If you would like to receive information about upcoming Daughters of Rhea classes and events, send Melina your contact info. We'd love to hear from you.

Piper performs Fatamorgana

The amazing Rhea with her well-trained sword up on YouTube!  Watch a master at work! 

Visit Melina's Cirque Passion YouTube Channel.

Visit Piper's Daughters of Rhea YouTube Channel

Catch Melina's Cirque Passion montage on YouTube.

Friend Melina of Daughters of Rhea on Facebook!

Daughters of Rhea Arabian Nights Team featuring Melina, Sara and Panayiota
Portrait by Andrea Legge