Meet The Stygian Team
Daewen, Our Founder & Director
Better known as... Mama Stygian
In the chaos of 2020, Daewen founded the Stygian Collective with the hopes of connecting and inspiring dancers in a collaborative and supportive space online. Next, we're taking over the world.
Daewen is also the main instructor at Stygian Dance. She has been teaching since 2014. Well versed in fusion styles with hundreds of hours of instruction with the best, Daewen is here to level up your technique, musicality, emotive dance, and powerful movement!
Aeryn, Collaborator and Co-Conspirator
Aeryn is a Kansas City-based fusion performer and instructor, and the founder of Banduri Dance and Raqs Obscura, both multicultural fusion and improv troupes who perform across the Midwest. She lives on a tiny homestead-in-progress with her husband, two kids, and several animals and when she's not dancing she can usually be found tripping over roots on hiking trails or baking and doing butter mom stuff in her kitchen.
Aeryn has been assisting in the Stygian Collective and teaching since 2022 and is also Daewen's minion for tech stuff, communications, and more! She is thrilled to be Stygian and loves watching this universe of badasses grow and delight the dance world with our dark fusion excellence.
Katy Rose, Administrative Assistant
Katy's creative and organized mind is here to get shit DONE and boost our business with her excellent assistance! She's been a Stygian Collective member and helping behind-the-scenes for a while now with our newsletter, graphics, and other admin. She's a bomb professional and also owner of her own business, Mama Rose's Cottage!
Our Teaching Team
Professional, trained teachers in the Stygian Style!
Aeryn
Aeryn has been teaching belly dance classes since 2012 and currently is the founder and director of Banduri Dance, a fusion and group improv dance studio based in Kansas City. She is a FCBD Certified Partner Studio, a Fly Fusion Foundations (L1) Certified Instructor, a Stygian Emerge Certified Dancer, a Boho Blade Technician (L2), and is currently completing her 200 RYT certification.
Aeryn’s primary teaching focus is fundamentals, mobility and conditioning, and the psychology of dance, as she believes each topic has a wealth of learning available to all levels.
Sitri Sophia
Sitri Sophia is a Fusion and Gogo Dancer from the Twin Cities in Minnesota. They aim to invite audiences to peer into unseen worlds through out-of-the ordinary experiences. They hope to inspire others to have the courage to be more wholly themselves. Sitri also has the pleasure of being a Fusion Bellydance and Zumba® instructor through Dragon’s Lair Performing Arts.
Entropy
Entropy is an adventurer from Sweden with a restless mind. She started dancing in 2007 and it changed her relationship with her body, today she can't even imagine life without dance. With endless curiosity she explored Fusion Bellydance, Dark Fusion, FCBD-Style, Oriental and eventually Burlesque. In 2015 she started teaching as she loves to share the love for dance and wishes for everybody to get a chance to experience it.
She has received an award for her educational efforts in dance and was a cast member of the Bal Anat 50th anniversary European tour.
Kalistra
Kalistra is an award-winning fusion dancer from Maryland who finds expressive movement catartic & creative. Bringing stories, swords, and soul to the stage, she creates unique and authentic performances.
Always learning, Kalistra is a Certified Bohemian Bellydance Teacher, a Level 6 Bohemian Belly dance Blade “Mystic”, a Level 2 Double Sword “ Novice”, and a Masala Movements Foundations certified teacher. As a past (and occasional) troupe director, weekly class/workshop instructor, troupe member, and soloist, she has the experience to keep things fresh and productive.
She enjoys teaching her approach, using her training in multiple styles to respectfully inspire dancers of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and levels to be their own unique dancer! Her background as a massage therapist and as a dancer with disabilities drives her to focus on safe movement and adaptations.
She truly believes dance is for every-body!
Nyx Namor
Nyx began fusion dance in 2014 with Daewen and is a founding member of the Stygian Sisters and Stygian Collective. Nyx's dance style has settled into a blend of contemporary gothic movements that is still influenced from her days of getting lost in the music on the Industrial Night dance floor.
Nyx often utilizes dance as a way to tell a story. She usually prefers to explore emotions that society once deemed 'improper' for women to show: anger, apathy, grief, rage ... anything that is considered on the darker half of the emotional spectrum. It is her belief that you cannot have light without dark or happiness without anger or grief. It is only by exploring both that we can be whole, and Nyx takes that approach with her dance.
Nyx is fortunate to have taken classes from numerous renowned dancers, including Ariellah, Rachel Brice, Ashley Lopez, Kamrah, Kami Liddle, April Rose, Kimberly Larkspur, and Zoe Jakes.
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We are devoted to a community of inclusion and all are welcome with us. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. If you have an experience that isn’t consistent with these values, we want to hear from you so we can do better!
Disclaimers
Dance is a physical activity. Stygian Dance and affiliated instructors will not be held liable for any injuries that may occur from using these videos. If you engage in this program, you agree that you do so at your own risk. Trust your body, and if needed, consult a physician regarding any concerns you may have.
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