Episode #6 - Jaicyea Smith - Lifting Up Community

A dance artist with many community outreach initiatives.

Biography - Jaicyea Smith

Jaicyea is an Egyptian-Style bellydancer born and raised in Toronto Canada. Since 2009, Jaicyea has expanded her knowledge by training with world-renowned instructors in Egypt and North America such as Nada El Masriya, Yasmina Ramzy, Abigail, Melissa Gamal, Emilia Moon, Sahar Samara & Sadie Marquardt. She has spent recent years participating in a variety of festivals (Youth Day Yonge-Dundas Square, DESIFest, Taste of the Danforth, DanceOntario events and music videos (Fethi Nedjem Single Release, 2020). Jaicyea is most proud of her work with Moskitto Bar, an arabic-balkan fusion band taking Canada by storm. Together they have performed as honorary guests at the Aga Khan Museum, Lee's Palace, Drom Taberna and the Opera House in Toronto.

Improvisation and choreography to traditional music comes naturally to this eclectic creative. Jaicyea has been known to experiment with non-traditional sounds such as Hip Hop/Rap, Rock & Roll, Soul and Jazz to add a unique element to her work. Jaicyea's community work is rooted in celebrating the inner and out beauty of women and girls and is the Program Co-ordinator of Her Buddha Belly, an initiative supported by Art Starts and Toronto Arts Council. She has recently joined the likes of Brandy Heyward, Michelle Hasna, Sabia Nayeli and Maiea Williams in an incredible project called Asmara Bellydance Intiative. Together, they are planning the worlds first global bellydance festival that prioritizes and subsidizes costs for dancers of color to train and perform with live musicians and respected performers from around the world.