Megan Chiders

Co-founder and Coordinator

Megan Childers (Megan Lee) is a member of  Florida Tribal Dance in Orlando, FL . Formerly a principle dancer with the Expressions Movement Studio's troupe the Dendera Dancers, Darkly Sparkly Tribe, and Aziza Middle Eastern Ensemble. When she was younger she also briefly studied ballet. Megan was previously a member of the UF Belly Gators and has been bellydancing since 2005.

Megan has worked with children in schools in Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, Madison, Wakulla, and Liberty county as a field researcher for the Florida Center for Reading Research. She is now an English teacher with the Orange County Public School District who graciously spends her summers in Tallahassee with us!

Patrice DeVore

Co-founder and Coordinator

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Patrice DeVore (Paloma) is a member of the Expressions Movement Studio's troupe the Dendera Dancers and Darkly Sparkly Tribe. As a child she studied jazz dance at Trousdell Gymnastics Center  and theater at James S Rickards High. Patrice is a HIPP (Help Increase the Peace Program) Facilitator and has been bellydancing since 2007. 

Patrice helped administer Camp Activate, a camp sponsored by VolunteerLEON, for three years. She has worked in schools in Leon county and surrounding counties as a field researcher for the Florida Center for Reading Research. She has also previously worked with the Palmer Monroe Teen Center and continues to volunteer with their Community Connections program.  Currently, Patrice is making use of her Public Administration degree to work for the State of Florida

Stacy Mahkanova

Coordinator

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Stacey Mahkanova has been a member of the Expressions Movement Studio troupe the Dendera Dancers and Darkly Sparkly Tribe since 2013. Stacey first started dancing when she was 6 with Indian dancing. Then, she was part of a Georgian (the country!) folk dancing children's ensemble in San Francisco. She finally found belly dance a couple of years ago and was hooked. She continues to explore her love of folk styles by learning folk elements from various parts of the Middle East.

When she is not dancing, Stacey is working on a Ph.D. in Social Psychology at FSU. She sometimes practices dances in the hallways.

Eboni Jackson

Coordinator

Eboni Jackson (Aya) is a Tallahassee native-born and raised. As a child she studied ballet, then hiphop and Japanese traditional and pop dances during her teen and college years. She began bellydancing in 2009. In 2011, she joined the Expressions Movement Studio where she studies Egyptian Cabaret and folkloric dances under Julianna. She is an active member of the Dendera Dancers and Darkly Sparkly. In August 2013,  Eboni traveled to South Korea where she studied modern bellydance and participated in a regional bellydance competition in which she won first place.  

Eboni has also worked with special needs students at Griffin Middle School. She's now back in Korea teaching English!

Kat Wilson

Kat Wilson is the Expressions Movement Studio's Arabic drum instructor. She has been bellydancing since she could walk and drumming since the age of 4.