Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tamara 
found enjoyment at an early age in dance, acrobatics, and theater. 
She began practicing yoga and meditation when she was fourteen, 
became a professional aesthetician at seventeen, and in 1998 she moved to
Tucson, AZ to study massage therapy at the Desert Institute of Healing Arts
 and has been promoting wellbeing and bliss for over a decade.

She opened Bliss Day Spa in 2001, and at the same time began the
study of bellydance and performance with Amy of Red Tent Bellydance.
In 2002, she discovered fusion bellydance at Tribal Fest, and immediately after
began training with Amy Sigil, Director of UNMATA, at the World Studio. 
During a full moon gathering one of her fellow bellydance students, 
Alixandra, danced with fans of fire and encouraged her to play...
so began a new passion in her art of dance and movement. 
Within a short period of time dance and prayerformance became 
a deeply ingrained part of "following her bliss" in life, and the name Bliss
carried over into bellydance, fire dance and everyday existence.
 
In 2003, her original bellydance teacher asked her to take over her classes at a local gym.
This process became her greatest teacher as the process of sharing dance with others
created a more profound knowledge of the movements and expression.
Bliss began teaching private classes in fire and bellydance to interested students,
 and opened her own classes in bellydance and fire art at a local studio.
Bliss currently lives in Oakland, CA as a performance artist and instructor.

In addition to performing and teaching dance,
Bliss also fabricates and welds her own fire performance gear.
WIth exuberance she shares her love of dance and the fire arts in 
instructional playshops and her offering of movement meditation with 
Fey Fusion, Zion Fire, and Liquid Fire Mantra. Dancing with fire fans,
double staff, contact staff, poi, hula hoop, fire fingers, swords, zip poi
and palms as her mediums with the element of fire..


INTENTION~


Performance-
Create and display fire, dance, ritual and theatrical performance
adding a unique dynamic to any event. 
Dance to inspire and be inspired.


Teaching- 
Share movement technique and choreography with emphasis on proper
body mechanics. Warm up and cool down to care for the body specifically
for techniques learned. Create an atmosphere of support for each
dancer to achieve expression through movement gaining skill, grace,
balance, and confidence allowing the creative process of each artist
to develop their own personal style. Infuse a creative, exciting and
inspirational energy into each playshop and class. Explore
connection, healing and discipline of mind, body and spirit.


Performance Troupes~


Fey Fusion~
2003 to present

Co-Founder, dance fusion artist, choreographer, and costume designer
in dance duet creating a unique composition of dance styles
to diverse traditional and modern music..


Obsidian Butterfly~
2004 to 2005

Fire bellydance performer adding dance choreography
and stage alter creations for prayerformances.


SaDa Fuego~
2005 to 2006

Founding member of professional fire troupe
combining elements of choreographed and improvisational art.
Contributed as a core dancer, choreographer,
event coordinator and producer. 


Zion Fire~
2007 to present

Founding member, dance artist, and choreographer
in professional fire troupe adding elements of acroyoga, capoeira,
and bellydance into the enchanting art of fire.


Liquid Fire Mantra~
2008 to present

Offerings of ritual theater in this international troupe
founded by Forest Schrodt in 1997 as a musical fire circus.
Utilizing modern dance, martial arts, african dance, bellydance, 
balinize dance ritual with elaborate masks and ornate costuming
creating memorable performances that invoke hope and inspiration.

Teaching Experience~


Yoga~
2002 to present

Bellydance~
2003 to present

Fire Art~
2005 to present


Education~


Bliss began her bellydance 
education in 2001 from Amy of Red Tent Bellydance and
expanded her skills with tribal fusion, training with Amy Sigil of
UNMATA in 2002. Since then she has studied from world renowned
bellydance artists Rachel Brice (The Indigo), Heather Stants (Urban
Tribal), Jill Parker (Ultra Gypsy), Kajira (Blacksheep Bellydance),
and Samantha Riggs (Boom Boom Bollywood).


Dancing with fire became a passion
for Bliss in 2004, and has since taken every opportunity
to learn and take workshops from top instructors and artists
such as Dai (Japan), MCP (Scotland), Zan (Instuments of the Now),
Imakokode (France), Olive (France), Arashi (Texas), Rovo (New York),
Banyan, and the Vulcan Instructors: Noel Yee, Ian Smith,
Greg Maldonado, and Pure KT in Oakland, CA. She focuses her 
practice on double staff, fire fans, contact staff, hoop, poi
and above all else... dance!