Hey there!
My name is Valerick Molinary and I started my bellydance training when I was 13 yrs old in San Juan, Puerto Rico. By the time I was 18yrs old, I started performing in a Palestinian-owned restaurant in my country. I started traveling to Lebanon and Egypt to learn from the source and trained with several amazing dance artists. I was fortunate enough to have won several competitions, which allowed me to get my name out there and receive invitations to teach and perform around the world.
All About Me
My style is known for its unique and elegant performance, which flows seamlessly while having that touch of sassiness resonant of my native Puerto Rico. I have taught and performed at international festivals across four continents. For over 15 years I've dedicated myself to the in-depth study of Arab dances and folklore, traveling to study at diverse Arab countries such as Egypt, Lebanon and Morocco.
I have a BA in Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature, the influence of which can be seen in my creative and poetic approach to choreography, dance teaching and production.
In 2015 I began producing the Lebanese Love Affair, an annual event in Miami dedicated to providing a platform for dancers to study directly from renowned and dedicated Arab dance artists, all in a big celebration of love for Raks Sharky and the countries that gave birth to it. In 2019 I opened the studio Creative Hips in Coconut Grove in partnership with Kelly Rodriguez.
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Teaching Raks Sharky (commonly known as "bellydance") is one of my biggest passions. I feel this dance is a powerful form of expression that allow us to recover our body autonomy and help us to explore our humanity. In my classes I like to emphasize the cultural background of the dance, body alignment and breakdown of the steps. I believe in repeating and drilling the moves for a long period of time. I'll admit that I'm a bossy instructor and I like to correct and encourage my dancers when they're in class. Repetition doesn't make perfect, but it does make it permanent. This is the reason why I like to pay attention to the way my students are executing their technique in class.
What to expect from the class? My classes are a full-body workout. Some students come to class thinking this is an easy dance. Mastering body isolations and muscle control requires practice. It's not impossible but it takes time to develop that body awareness. If you stick with me, I will walk you through it and guide you in that process.
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