Chantelle

Chantelle Gomes was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Her passion for the performing arts began with her portuguese family. Music, dance and Fado were part of her daily routine and made her passionate about life and the performing arts.
She began her training in dance at an early age with Ballet and Modern Dance.​

It was the year of 1994 and the reality of South Africa was becoming more diffic
ult day by day. Safety was a priority and her family decided to leave their home and move to Portugal.
Living in the city of Lisbon were the diversity of arabic, african and european cultures are all blended together made her want to explore the dances of these cultures. In 2006, she immersed into the mystical rhythms of the middle east and began to study classical bellydance with Prisca Diedrich, the first women to bring this art to Portugal.
Studding the intricate movementes of the dance and its rhythms made her immerse into its mystic culture. The practice awakened the feminine within her and the desire to explore more of the eastern cultures.

~After completing her BA in Marketing, she decided to leave her life in Lisbon and travel to India in search of sacred dance and a new purpose in life...

" I arrived in India and will never forget the first rickshaw drive threw Bombay, as tears rolled down my face for I knew within my heart that I was back at home.
The path leaded me to Guru Padma Charan Dehury, from Orissa. He introduced me to Odissi, Devotional Temple Dance.

I instantly feel in love with the beauty and history of Odissi Dance...