Orchid Belly Dance

Ashley López, founder, has a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance of Opera from the University of Illinois. Ashley began studying belly dance in 2004 and has attended workshops and intensives with Rachel Brice, Zoe Jakes, Mira Betz, Heather Stants, Mardi Love, Amy Sigil, and others. Although most of her dance training is specifically belly dance, she has also studied Jazz, Flamenco, Hip-Hop, and Polynesian. She performed professionally as a Polynesian dancer with SF Hula in 2008.

Ashley López formed Orchid Belly Dance in February 2008. The Orchids have performed all over the Bay Area and beyond for festivals such as the Tribal Fusion Faire in San Louis Obispo and the Pagan Unity Festival in Modesto. They perform regularly for local events, weddings, and restaurants such as Thai Lovers in San Jose. The Orchids have appeared in several Bay Area night clubs including Amnesia (SF), El Rio (SF), Truck Club (SF), Bench and Bar (Oakland), Avalon (Sunnyvale), King of Clubs (Mountain View), and Rosie McCann's (Santa Cruz). They also dance with live DJ's, live bands such as the Fishtank Ensemble, as well as collaborate with other performance companies like Red Hots Burlesque, Naach (Bollywood) and SF Hula (Polynesian).