About Ansuya
Ansuya is a second-generation, internationally recognized superstar of Bellydance. She has travelled the world multiple times to teach and perform and has thousands of students across the globe!
It all began with her mother...
It all began with her mother...
Ansuya's mother, Jenaeni Rathor, is an American Cabaret Style Bellydance Pioneer. If you are Ansuya's student, Jenaeni is your dance mama too and you are a part of the Amercian Cabaret Bellydance lineage!
Jenaeni's career spanned 30 years of performing and teaching in New York and Los Angeles. Her famous Cabaret Club engagements in New York included Ali Baba, and the Egyptian Gardens. In Los Angeles: The Seventh Veil, the Greek Village, and The Fez. In Central California: Charly's at The Beach.
Along with also performing at countless parties, cultural events and the Renaissance Faire, Jenaeni owned and operated two full blown Cabaret Clubs: Greektown and Chandrika. The latter of which included Bellydance, Indian Dance, and Flamenco and also featured a dance studio of same name.
Jenaeni raised her children in the artistic haven of Ojai, California where she taught classes, directed the troupe Yaleil and offered annual concert presentations at The Ojai Art Center.
Ansuya grew up in this creative environment with dedicated coaching from her mother. When Ansuya was a teen, the mother-daughter team moved to Hawaii and held an engagement together at Hajibaba's Moroccan Restaurant.
Jenaeni is considered one of the pivotal pioneers of American Cabaret Style Bellydance, also referred to as Vintage Cabaret. She remains Ansuya's Bellydance coach today!
Jenaeni's career spanned 30 years of performing and teaching in New York and Los Angeles. Her famous Cabaret Club engagements in New York included Ali Baba, and the Egyptian Gardens. In Los Angeles: The Seventh Veil, the Greek Village, and The Fez. In Central California: Charly's at The Beach.
Along with also performing at countless parties, cultural events and the Renaissance Faire, Jenaeni owned and operated two full blown Cabaret Clubs: Greektown and Chandrika. The latter of which included Bellydance, Indian Dance, and Flamenco and also featured a dance studio of same name.
Jenaeni raised her children in the artistic haven of Ojai, California where she taught classes, directed the troupe Yaleil and offered annual concert presentations at The Ojai Art Center.
Ansuya grew up in this creative environment with dedicated coaching from her mother. When Ansuya was a teen, the mother-daughter team moved to Hawaii and held an engagement together at Hajibaba's Moroccan Restaurant.
Jenaeni is considered one of the pivotal pioneers of American Cabaret Style Bellydance, also referred to as Vintage Cabaret. She remains Ansuya's Bellydance coach today!
Legendary Bellydancer, Feiruz Aram holding baby Ansuya in Chandrika School of Bellydance, co-owned by Jenaeni and Feiruz. Feiruz is one of Ansuya's greatest influences.
Ansuya's first performance was at the age of four. She grew up to be a three-time Golden Belly Award winner, the recipient of a Best Cabaret Bellydancer of the Year Award from the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance and is one of the original Bellydance Superstars.
She also stars in three game changing Bellydance documentaries: "American Bellydancer", "Behind the Shimmy", and "The Fez Documentary".
Ansuya is 50HR Yin Yoga Certified and is currently immersed in her RYT® 200 Yoga Teacher training certification.
Along with winning the title of "Miss Teen Ojai" and modeling in Hawaii and Japan, Ansuya has had numerous television appearances as both a Bellydancer and an actress. She is a SAG-AFTRA member with credits including Days of Our Lives, Judging Amy, V.I.P, Jack and Jill, The Jim Jay and Ann Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The John Mackenroe Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, MTV Canada, and entertainment and news shows around the world.
Ansuya has also appeared in music videos for Beck and Sons of Funk. She has toured as an original member of BDSS with the famous rock festival Lollapalooza, has been on her own independent teaching and performance tour of the world multiple times, has danced at the top Middle Eastern restaurants in Hollywood (including Al Amir, Noura Cafe, and Byblos), performed for countless celebrities, and can be seen on Exercise Leader Kathy Smith's Bellydance and Fitness DVD, Flex Appeal, along with 15 of her own top selling DVD's.
Ansuya's first veil dance at the Ojai Art Center.
Ansuya has also choreographed for the daytime drama, The Young and the Restless, has had celebrity students, and has performed in some of the world's most distinguished theaters including the Follies Bergere in Paris, France and the Victoria Theatre in Barcelona, Spain.
Ansuya's first candle dance at the Ojai Art Center.
A pioneer of online Bellydance classes, Ansuya offers hundreds of videos covering every style and aspect of Bellydance for members of Ansuya.com and conducts her performer and instructor certifications along with her personal and group coaching via her Bellyskpes and Bellyzooms.
She is also the facilitator of a Facebook Community Group where her online students (Cyber Goddesses) can interact with her and each other and be inspired to live their best Bellydance lives, sharing lots of extra tips and goddess lifestyle fun, including make up, costuming, and sacred space advice.
She is also the facilitator of a Facebook Community Group where her online students (Cyber Goddesses) can interact with her and each other and be inspired to live their best Bellydance lives, sharing lots of extra tips and goddess lifestyle fun, including make up, costuming, and sacred space advice.
Ansuya's first cane dance at the Ojai Art Center.
Ansuya's teaching style is accessible as she fills her classes with her sense of humor and easy to follow breakdown of even the most complicated techniques and concepts!
Ansuya with Mama Jenaeni.
Daughter & protege of pioneer of American Cabaret style Bellydance, Jenaeni Rathor, Ansuya was born into the vanguard of the Bellydance world. With over 30 years of training under Jenaeni, Alexandra King, & Aleili, Ansuya lovingly says she "was raised by wolves".
Ansuya's ethnic background is diverse. French, Irish, English, Welsh, Dutch, Scotch, and German on her mother's side and East Indian on her father's side, she is herself a fusion. Traces of European Gypsy and Rajasthani Gypsy are suspected in her bloodline.
Ansuya's Indian family, being of the Rajput caste (Rathors of India) were a Royal Family during the time of the Princely States. Ansuya's father, Narendra Singh Rathor is second from the left in the photos above, next to his mother, Ansuya's namesake. Ansuya's father's father was the Prime Minister of Ratlam, Rajasthan and Ansuya's father's uncle was the Maharaja.
Ansuya's wild mix of origins, along with growing up in the spiritually and ethnically diverse artistic communities of Ojai and Los Angeles, California, as well as her 20 year career touring the world - has connected Ansuya to all cultures. She represents her passion for diversity in her life long work spreading multi-cultural dance awareness through her teaching around the globe. All of this, plus being the daughter of a mixed race marriage allowed Ansuya to grow up with a particularly progressive mind, an open heart, and a sense of boundless creativity.
Ansuya's Indian family, being of the Rajput caste (Rathors of India) were a Royal Family during the time of the Princely States. Ansuya's father, Narendra Singh Rathor is second from the left in the photos above, next to his mother, Ansuya's namesake. Ansuya's father's father was the Prime Minister of Ratlam, Rajasthan and Ansuya's father's uncle was the Maharaja.
Ansuya's wild mix of origins, along with growing up in the spiritually and ethnically diverse artistic communities of Ojai and Los Angeles, California, as well as her 20 year career touring the world - has connected Ansuya to all cultures. She represents her passion for diversity in her life long work spreading multi-cultural dance awareness through her teaching around the globe. All of this, plus being the daughter of a mixed race marriage allowed Ansuya to grow up with a particularly progressive mind, an open heart, and a sense of boundless creativity.
Along with promoting dance fusion as one of many effective ways to bridge cultural gaps, Ansuya is passionate about the sensual empowerment of women. She is dedicated to linking Bellydance and Yoga to the awakening of Shakti Power and Kundalini Rising through an understanding of how the two practices, when fused, are next level effective at flowing Prana (life force) through the Chakras and Nadis in order to bring each women into her full goddess power as she connects with the feminine divine in the blissful samadhi of ecstatic dance.
Ansuya - all grown up.
Ansuya is the creator of her own eclectic style, "Cabaribalusion", fusing Cabaret Bellydance with Tribal and the fusion flavors of Indian, African, Spanish, Gypsy, Egyptian, Hip Hop, and Burlesque.
She is also known for her outstanding work with props including zills, veils, swords, candles, fans, fan veils, wings, and cane.
Not to mention her reputation for energetic, sensual, emotionally expressive, and improvised performances and for making a profound connection between the practices of Yoga and Bellydance.
Ansuya's innovative certification programs include:
"Pure Bellydance"
"Sacred Sinuosity" Yoga Bellydance Fusion
"BFF" Bellydance Fitness Fusion
Zill Master
Veil Master
Drum Solo Master
Floorwork Master
American Cabaret Improvisation Master
Cabaribalusion Master
She is also known for her outstanding work with props including zills, veils, swords, candles, fans, fan veils, wings, and cane.
Not to mention her reputation for energetic, sensual, emotionally expressive, and improvised performances and for making a profound connection between the practices of Yoga and Bellydance.
Ansuya's innovative certification programs include:
"Pure Bellydance"
"Sacred Sinuosity" Yoga Bellydance Fusion
"BFF" Bellydance Fitness Fusion
Zill Master
Veil Master
Drum Solo Master
Floorwork Master
American Cabaret Improvisation Master
Cabaribalusion Master
Here's what Ansuya wants you to know:
"Growing up learning from my mother, I gave my first performance at the age of four. I knew right away that I liked the spotlight, the costumes, and the joy of movement! It wasn't long before I discovered how empowering Bellydance can be as I continued to dance through my teen years, as a young adult, and as a full grown woman. Through each stage of my development, Bellydance has offered me gifts to enhance my femininity and light the way toward a sacred expression of sensuality. Not to mention, it's a great way to stay in shape! With thousands of students across the globe, it's my passion to help each one unleash their inner goddess through the power of Yoga and Bellydance!" - Ansuya
"Growing up learning from my mother, I gave my first performance at the age of four. I knew right away that I liked the spotlight, the costumes, and the joy of movement! It wasn't long before I discovered how empowering Bellydance can be as I continued to dance through my teen years, as a young adult, and as a full grown woman. Through each stage of my development, Bellydance has offered me gifts to enhance my femininity and light the way toward a sacred expression of sensuality. Not to mention, it's a great way to stay in shape! With thousands of students across the globe, it's my passion to help each one unleash their inner goddess through the power of Yoga and Bellydance!" - Ansuya
