Kalima~lecturer;"When I picked my name is was really because the names I wanted were already taken, I wanted Kalayla, but a very well known dancer at the time went by that name so I choose another one. I laughed so hard when I read the meaning of my dance name. I know that the troupe often times dreads hearing from me because I am so blunt and a stick it to ya kind of girl. I think I deserve this name of the Lecturer."

• BECAME A GYPSY IN: January 2005

• DANCE BACKGROUND: Belly Dance is Kalima's background. Her mother, Layla, was into belly dance and teaching by the time Kalima was 6 years old. Anything else she learned was from MTV watching MTV Grind, and Yo MTV raps, learning the how to bootay grind, Tone Loc was one of her favorites at that time.

• YEARS DANCING: 17 years. She started performing at the age of 9.

• INTRODUCED TO MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE BY: I grew up with Belly Dancing in my home, my mother Layla was a teacher by the time I was 6 years old, so for me belly dance is a way of life.

• FAVORITE STYLE OF BELLY DANCE: I don't have one, probably just the undefined gypsy belly dance. If the dance that Judeen does has a name of the Style then that is it.

• STRENGTH: Familiarity of the music.

• WEAKNESS: Overall muscle strength, the greats of belly dancers can ungulate each muscle in the stomach separately.

• EMBARRASSING MOMENT: I can't think of one, if I had to answer I would say it's when I get to see the pictures after a performance. I am always so excited to see the troupe, and then I see these faces I have pulled while onstage, and I wonder, "what? When did I do that?"

• FAVORITE PERFORMANCE: My favorite performance was when I saw Judeen perform at one of the Belly Dance Festivals in Liberty Park. Judeen is the Goddess of Belly Dance to me, she can do most anything, and when I saw her dancing, she went from standing straight up to a sudden back bend, which took her flat on the dance floor, all in one beat. The woman is utterly amazing!

• PASSION FOR DANCING: It's when I am not dancing that I realize just how much I need dance in my life. Dancing and the music are a part of my soul.

• OCCUPATION WHEN NOT DANCING: Administrative Assistant

• HOBBIES & INTERESTS: I love Volleyball, Snowboarding, 4-Wheeling in the Dunes, and Camping. I am an avid concert goer. I thrive off the energy at concerts, and love to be in the middle of the biggest mosh pit I can find! Sometimes I will practice routines when I am at the dance club, I'll just bust out the moves if the music is the same beat.