About us
We are a professional bellydance and movement company based in Cape Town providing high quality performances and classes.
Soma performance troupe
Hire one or more of our professional performance troupe belly dancers to bring an exotic and rich flavour to your event with beautiful choreographed sets, skillful use of props (pot balancing, finger cymbals) and costuming inspired by ancient tribes from around the world.
Dance Instructors
Soma instructors are warm and welcoming. We have a diverse background of training and love breaking down movement to make it accessible to all.
Established since 2006 to nurture the art of tribal and fusion belly dance in South Africa. We are an established American Tribal Style sister studio, have a professional tribal fusion dance troupe and have now expanded to offer pilates classes.
Marissa Cuenoud
Extensively trained 7 years in ballet, 7 years in Oriental and 12 years in Tribal Fusion, director of SOMA Fusion Bellydance, Marissa, continues the line of Tribal Fusion in South Africa (founded 2006) and draws elements from American Tribal Style, Suhaila Salimpour, Jamila Salimpour and Rachel Brice’s 8 elements technique.
Her style of dance is confident and graceful and she is renowned for her complex choreographies, improvised dancing sets and thorough teaching style. Her dance career has seen her travelling extensively to attend workshops and festivals with some of the great names in Tribal Fusion.
She has performed in many international shows, including private performances in Morrocco and Seychelles and festivals in South Africa, Switzerland, UK, Italy and France. She choreographed and performed with her troupe in Nigerian R&B icon, Darey’s, Ba Ni Kidi music video and for Hakim in the televised GLO-CAF soccer awards ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria.
Marissa has also performed in Bellydance Evolution’s production of Alice in Wonderland in Johannesburg in 2015.
When she isn’t dancing, choreographing and travelling, she plays percussion, accordion and dances in the Middle Eastern Fusion band, Ottoman Slap.
Nix Spurdens
Making use of her 8 years in the UK, Nix attended numerous Tribal Fusion and ATS belly dance workshops with European and American instructors. Training (2007) & apprenticing (2009-2011) with her Belgian teacher & mentor Hilde Cannoodt in the UK before joining Soma in Cape Town, April 2011.
Over 2009 – 2012, Nix trained in Finland, Belgium, the UK & America in both Classic & Modern ATS with Fat Chance Bellydance (FCBD, San Francisco), Megha Gavin of Deyvani Dance Company, Phillipa & Jesse of Moirai and Devi Mamak of Australia. She has attained FCBD ATS Teacher Training I & II certifications and Sister Studio Status.
In 2018, Nix obtained her BASI (Mat) Pilates certification with Inge Pretorius at Living Life Pilates, Seapoint Cape Town and attended Dr Mark Vella ND’s “Movement Anatomy” course hosted by BASI’s #LFTL2018 Symposium, Pretoria, South Africa).
Nix continues to student along on her life journey of the body. Filling her toolbox ass-kick warm ups, drills, anatomy insights and movement safety analysis.
Inspired by fun, adventure, challenge, friendship, evolving coordination and the peace found in accepting one’s body:
Nix is focused on encouraging unselfish “greater good” group environments & discovering untapped potential in her students and clients.
Web Developer freelancer by day and co-director of quality craft beer Cape Town brand, Apollo Brewing Company.