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Friday 30th May – Sunday 1st June 2025
NEW DATES
What an amazing weekend with a bunch of incredible women in a fantastic setting. It always leaves me inspired and full of dance – join us and see for yourself.
We are returning to Borwick Hall in 2025 for the Farida residential belly 
dance weekend. Borwick Hall is a quirky building full of character and set in a beautiful little village near Carnforth in Lancashire (Carnforth is the nearest train station). It has become our home for this very special weekend.
Here are a few quotes from some of our participants this year: ‘It was all fabulous. The venue, seeing friends, making new ones, loved the teachers showcase, disco, souks‘, ‘My highlight: friends reunited and a lovely atmosphere‘, ‘Loved every class I took and learned so much’, ‘Dancing, dancing, dancing …. and great to see everyone‘, ‘Gala show with teachers was amazing … and loved the chance to dance socially with everyone again‘.
Keep up to date on our northern bellydance residential weekends at #SupN
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1445887955504854/
I do not have the teachers confirmed for 2025 yet ….. suffice to say, they will be wonderful!!! Some familiar favourites and some new faces too. We might have some teachers returning by popular demand.
The photo gallery shows Friday night this year 2024 ……. more photos will be added on our FB page. xxxxx
This weekend is a great mix of classes – from fun introductions on Friday evening to technique and style classes at different levels.
Friday evening there are fun introductory classes followed by a participants showcase and the chance to boogie. Classes all day Saturday and Sunday. Gala show with our teachers on Saturday night followed by disco and chance to let your hair down. We often have a fun fashion show. There is also a souk with an amazing array of sparkly things for sale. This weekend is a great combination of learning and fun.
Accommodation is quite basic with a mix of single, shared, treble and dormitory accommodation – the dorms are very basic. Borwick Hall is an outdoor activity centre mainly used by school groups.
Food is tasty and plentiful …. you will not go hungry. The cooks are great at catering for a variety of dietary requirements. The weekend is fully residential so all your meals are included. A non residential weekend might initially seem cheaper but once you add up everything you have spent, this is great value.
There will of course be the Farida Dance souk in attendance at the weekend, Ritas amazing costumes, Nyla bellydance and the Just Because stall.
2025 is booking up fast. We have limited single rooms. Why not share a twin room with another dancer? Make new friends and have a girly weekend. If you want to keep up to date on what is happening join ‘Shimmy up North’
Any further information on Farida residential weekends please email [email protected] or ring us on 0191 2451570 (Monday – Friday 9.30am – 5pm)
Choose a room option from the drop down menu to see the different prices. Pay your £50 deposit to reserve your room.
The prices are per person, not per room. You can book a twin or a group room and we will pair you up with other dancers. A great opportunity to bond with new belly buddies.
Meet our fabulous teachers for 2025
BELOW ARE THE TEACHERS FOR 2025.
Join our facebook page ‘Shimmy Up North‘ for updates.
Kay Taylor
Does she need an introduction? Kay is the organiser and 
force behind Farida Dance and the residential weekends.
A qualified JWAAD teacher and director of ‘Bellydance Now’, Kay believes in giving students a thorough grounding in Egyptian Dance while also making classes fun and accessible for the wide range of women attracted to this great dance form. Kay travels regularly to Egypt and has links with most of the top dancers and choreographers there. Kay is in great demand throughout the country and has taught at many events nationally and internationally… this time she is teaching at her own event!
Kay is also choreographer for and mentor to the Helwa Belly Dance company and has written their new show ‘Belly Dance: A True Story’, part narrative, part dance.
Through lockdown Kay started ‘Shimmy Camp’ an outdoor fitness class which she took to Borwick: ‘Lovely to be outside. Really enjoyed this – a great way to start the day’. Another said: ‘ Shimmying on the lawn to the latest Egyptian hits in an amazing setting – it doesn’t get any better than this’.
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Our International Star:
Yasmina of Cairo
Yasmina is a regular teacher at our residential weekend. She brings her in 
depth and extensive knowledge of Egyptian dance to her workshops. Yasmina worked as a professional dancer in Cairo for many years and now bases herself between Cairo and the UK.
Yasmina teaches workshops around the world as well as running her dancers B&B in Cairo. Yasmina is also part of the BellyDance Now team and manages the ‘International BellyDance Now Challenge’.
Yasmina missed Borwick last year so we are delighted to have her back for 2024.
Kay and Yasmina work on several projects together including ‘Essence of Egypt’ and ‘Camp Negum Festival’ in Cairo.
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Our Amazing UK teachers
Shona Hagan
Shona is an Egyptian style dancer and experienced teacher from Scotland. She is renowned for dancing in an authentic way with her own personal flair. Shona tarted her teaching career in Spain and was a regular dancer at a Moroccan restaurant. One Norwegian holiday company always requested her and nicknamed her ‘The Bomb’. Shona has also taught and performed throughout Europe and organises her own events in the UK: Luxury Bellydance Spa weekend, Club Cairo and many more. Shona is herself an international award winning performer. We are delighted that she is joining us to teach at Shimmy Up North.
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Sureya Hussein
New to Shimmy Up North. Sureya Hussein is a professional dancer, choreographer and instructor based in London, UK. Her passion for dance stems from her Turkish culture where she has trained, taught, competed and performed in a variety of styles including Turkish Oryantal, Egyptian Raqs Sharqi, Egyptian Folklore, Turkish Romany as well as Tribal Fusion, Theatrical Fusion and Ballet.
Over the last 4 years Sureya has won numerous awards. She is also the first dancer born in England to win awards for both Turkish style and Egyptian Raqs Sharqi professional categories internationally, as well as Fusion.
Sureya is passionate about sharing her love of dance as well as information about Turkish and Middle Eastern culture. She is an enthusiastic teacher who is always happy to answer questions and encourage artistry to help bring out the best in her students. We are delighted that Sureya is joining us this year.
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Marijah Zinkevica
Marijah is joining us for the first time at Shimmy Up North. “Marija Zinkevica [pronounced Maria Zin-kay-vich-a], originally from Latvia, began her belly dance journey at age 12. After moving to the UK in 2011, she now runs her own successful belly dance classes in Nottingham and online, specialising in drum solo technique, pop songs, classical Egyptian, and other styles. Marija regularly attends UK and International festivals and competitions, always striving to improve her technique. She has trained with top professionals like Alex Delora, Jasirah, David Abraham, and Igor Kischka, and she is proud organiser of her own festival Hips Don’t Lie in Nottingham.”
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Anne Kingston
A firm favourite and great friend of ours, Anne Kingston has a wealth of experience of teaching and performing and is a joy to watch. As well as her love of Egyptian Dance, Anne is very knowledgeable on other types of African Dance and also likes to incorporate a more spiritual side of things. Anne also organises Desert Dance Healing trips, where you can relax and recharge with dance, drumming and fun.
Hot from 2 years of study and graduating with a ‘MA in Dance and Somatic Wellbeing: Connections to the Living Body’, Anne is keen to introduce embodied wellbeing at Borwick. Somatics in particular can help you move with more ease, become more comfortable in your skin, become more accepting of your body, can help calm your nervous system, increase flexibility, bring a sense of wholeness, ease worries or concerns about body and past traumas and can help you develop ease and relaxation within your whole life.
One student said of Annes somatics class in 2022: ‘Such a wonderful, informative, stimulating yet relaxing session. Anne is a lovely caring teacher’.
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Moyra Banks
Moyra is based in Edinburgh where she teaches regular classes. She is one 
of the principle dancers in the dance company “Helwa”, based in North East England, who recently enjoyed a sell-out run in the Edinburgh Fringe 2018. Moyra regularly travels to Cairo and elsewhere to train and keep up to date with the latest trends and her aim is to introduce as many people as possible to Egyptian dance and share with them the joy that she gets from dance. In each workshop Moyra aims to give each participant something to suit their level and to inspire them to add into their own dance. One student said ‘I love the combinations Moyra puts together – they are so inspiring and Moyra is an excellent teacher’.
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Rachael Borek
Rachael is an experienced and inspiring teacher of Egyptian Dance based in Manchester and online, and she’s also a professional performer, dancing at events around Manchester and the North West.
As an instructor, she’s on a mission to make bellydance an accessible and uplifting experience for everybody. She’s committed to excellence in dance technique and artistry.
As well as teaching dance, Rachael is also a fully qualified Pilates matwork instructor. Studying Pilates has helped her to completely transform her own dance technique and body awareness, and now she’s excited to bring this knowledge into the dance community to help other dancers do the same!
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Anna BiscoAnna has taught several times at Shimmy Up North – she always gets great feedback from her classes. Anna had to pull out of Shimmy Up North last year so I am delighted she is back and joining us for SupN 2025. Anna is a qualified JWAAD teacher based in Leeds. She is an experienced teacher and an inspiration to many dancers.
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Milly
Milly is back!! Only teaching a couple of sessions this year but I hope to have her teaching more next year. You can have Friday night fun with her …… or develop your shimmies.
Always popular, you will learn lots and have loads of fun with Milly.
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Sue Baker
Sue joined us at Shimmy Up North for the first time in 2022. She loved it so much – and you loved her classes so much that she is coming back in 2025 . Sue is a well known teacher in the Cambridge area where she runs popular classes. I am delighted Sue is joining us and teaching again.
One student said: ‘What a marvellous teacher! Sue taught us with great skill, patience and humour’.
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Debbie Phillips
Debbie dances under the name of Nyla. She attended ‘Shimmy Up North’ and taught in 2022. Debbie brings a splash of tribal fusion style to the weekend. We like to have a range of options. Debbie is a qualified JWAAD teacher and also has a stall in the souk. One student said of Debbies class: ‘I was looking forward to Debbie’s class as I’m interested in fusion. She didn’t disappoint, in fact what she taught far exceeded expectations’. We are delighted that Debbie is back for 2025.
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Vanessa Clipsham
Vanessa is a qualified JWAAD teacher based in Huntingdon where she teaches regular bellydance classes. Vanessas other love is Greek dance. She has shared her passion for this with classes in different Greek dances for the last two years. I love to have something a bit different in the timetable so Vanessa is back.
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Laura Armstrong
Laura has attended these weekends for many years and loves the classes, performing and dancing with everyone. Laura teaches in Ireland and completed the JWAAD Safety course through lockdown.
“My name is Laura and I’m from Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. It’s a very rural, beautiful part of Ireland and in my day job I work with my dad in his tractor engine repair business.
I fell in love with belly dance back in 2007 when I was dragged along to a class by a work colleague! I love the elegance and beauty of Oriental Dance and my favourite prop is veil. I love that this dance form keeps surprising me as I discover new styles and there is always so much still to learn.” Laura is back teaching for 2025.
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Elise
Elise says: “I’ve been dancing for around 18 years, and teaching for 10 in the South Manchester area. I love Egyptian dance and try and encourage as many women as possible to start learning! As well as weekly classes for beginners and open-level students, I lead a troupe of experienced dancers called Raqs Hyati, for whom I love creating interesting choreographies for.”
Elise has been a great supporter of ‘Shimmy Up North’ and I am delighted she is joining us as a teacher this year.
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