LOS ANGELES CHAPTER

History

Director

Aubre Hill

Aubre Hill is an international dance artist, choreographer, educator, and producer. She has toured the world through dance, been highlighted in numerous films and projects, and is instrumental in community building. The artistic director of the Qabila Project and Dance Company, she is a strong advocate for Arabic culture and building community through movement. Additionally she is the president of Dance4Palestine, a collective of dance artists for collective liberation. She's a mover and shaker and an artist known for her deep respect for history while exploring the creative edges of what it is to be a dance artist in our global society.

Over her career Aubre have been a part of various collaboratives to bring creativity, culture, and community together in new ways. Additionally, she has produced a wide range of events and performances bringing the community together in celebration of Middle Eastern Dance including monthly haflas, dance festivals, long running showcases, workshops, intensives, lectures, and more.

Aubre earned her Master's in Arts Management at Claremont Graduate University in 2022 with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusive practices for accessible arts and culture. Her teaching is known for her deep understanding of anatomy & kinesiology while embedding cultural context, history, and artistic expression for a rich educational and inclusive experience. She teaches online and in-person classes and private sessions in dance, pilates, and somatic coaching. Bringing together over twenty years of pilates teaching experience, she is a highly sought after coach with specific expertise in pre and post natal, autoimmune and cancer support, perimenopause and menopause, and injury rehabilitation.

www.aubrehill.com

Dancers

Adri Mullings (Dancer)

Adri was introduced to Middle Eastern dance through her University in Monterrey, Mexico and immediately started taking classes with Virginia and Claudia Gamboa. Later took classes and workshops with many international dancers such as Ansuya, Pablo Acosta and Maraia until finding fusion styles and studied with April Rose, Mira Betz and extensively with Rachel Brice. Was part of Mira Betz Mirapiece Theater production twice in Mexico City (2015, 2017) and in 2012 started the 8 Elements Training with Rachel Brice becoming a Datura Style teacher in 2016.

In Monterrey, Mexico taught Datura Style and introduction to dance from 2010-2017 and became manager of Khoreo Studio. This added insight to producing events, learning lighting and assisting in multiple studio dance recitals, competitions and events.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2018, found Aubre Hill and quickly started studying with her Raqs Sharqi and Transnational Dance and eventually formed part of her Lumina Dance Co. and Beyajja Dance Theater. After moving to Seattle, Adri joined the Seattle Qabila Project in 2024. And as dance family is forever family, she became part of the Los Angeles Qabila chapter after moving back to Los Angeles in 2025.

Alejandra Huerta (Dancer)

Alejandra (she/her/ella) grew up in Boyle Heights to a multigenerational household connected through music and dance. As an introverted child, she was placed in drill team where she learned early on about teamwork and confidence on and off the stage. Her adolescent years training in Mexican Ballet Folklorico from one of the oldest folklorico groups, Danza Floricanto USA, is foundational to her experience. Alejandra continued to dance while studying biology and visual arts at UC San Diego, and her heart led her to complete her undergraduate project bringing dance workshops to at-risk youth exploring their self confidence through hip hop and history.

Alejandra yearned to reconnect with community upon returning to Los Angeles from college and found connection by joining dance groups such as salsa, danzon, danza Azteca, and Panamanian folklorico.

In 2025, Alejandra began furthering her dance journey by studying flamenco under the instruction of Clarita Corona at Arte Flamenco and has recently joined the dance family at Esencia Flamenca. Her lucky stars led her to audition for Qabila (LA Chapter) in January 2026, and since then, Alejandra has been proudly participating in a movement to learn and represent SWANA culture through dance under the inspiring leadership of Aubre Hill. Alejandra hopes to meet artists and dance performers who have witnessed the healing properties of art and who are eager to create spaces for authentic connections.

Deborah Albin (Dancer)

Those who know Deborah in everyday life may see her as thoughtful and serious—but onstage, they meet another side of her. Sometimes playful, sometimes sultry, and always truly herself, Deborah dances for the joy of the moment and the connection she feels with an audience.

Her dance journey has taken her through Middle Eastern folk traditions from the Gulf to the Maghreb, with training from Aubre Hill, Leela Martin, Heather Shoopman, and more. She has danced with Qabila Dance Co since 2018 and joined Leela Productions in 2025.

Deborah loves the balance of honoring the cultures and traditions behind the dances while bringing her own personality to every performance. She especially values the opportunity to celebrate cultures that are too often misunderstood or underrepresented and to help audiences experience their richness through music, movement, and storytelling.

For Deborah, dance is also about community. She treasures the laughter, trust, hard work, and occasional backstage chaos that turn fellow dancers into dance family. Whether she is rehearsing, performing, encouraging another dancer, or advocating for the communities whose dances she performs, she brings both care and commitment to the work.

Dance offers Deborah a joyful break from a life often centered on caring for others—a place to be expressive, take chances, and share something real. Even when stepping onstage feels big, she hopes audiences feel the joy, curiosity, and love for dance that brought her there.

Eemah (Dancer)

Eemah grew up in Los Angeles, but her Caribbean background set her on a dance journey filled with a complexity of influences. She was introduced to belly dance in her early 20’s after attending a Middle Eastern wedding and watching a dancer perform for the guests. Since then she has studied various Middle Eastern dance styles extensively with Rachel Brice, Aubre Hill, Jen McDonald, Sooz Tribal, Helena Vlahos, and Sherri Wheatley. Eemah found new dance families with The Qabila Folkdance Company and at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire's Seraphim Arabesque Ensemble, with a passion to continue reveling in all things Middle Eastern dance.

Imari Rose (Dancer)

Imari Rose grew up on the island of Taiwan and immigrated to the United States as a young child. She developed a love and passion for dance in high school with a background primarily in jazz. She later joined a hip-hop troupe in college and continued to perform with a professional group for 8 years. She enjoys the ability to express her emotions through dance and the opportunity to share that passion with others.

Imari began her journey into Middle Eastern Dance in 2013 studying American Cabaret with Tonya Chianis and later fusion forms with Kami Liddle and Aubre Hill. Through multiple workshops with Aubre Hill and the Qabila Foundation, she found an inspiration to learn more. As an educator herself, Imari was drawn by Aubre’s emphasis on education, history and the culture of Arabic folk dance. Since becoming a member of Qabila in 2019, she has had the opportunity to perform and share Arabic folk dance with the community. Imari truly believes that dance and music transcend cultural boundaries and invite all people to enjoy the happiness these forms bring.

Juniper (Dancer)

Nicole Lopez (Dancer)

Nicole has always tried to fit music and dance into her life. Growing up in Arizona, she played instruments and sang in local choirs. While athletic, she didn't pick up dancing until college where she began taking courses in Latin and ballroom dances. She began belly dancing at a studio near the university at the suggestion of a friend, and she was hooked. She studied multiple styles and wound up focusing on fusion belly dance and Fat Chance Belly Dance (FCBD, formally known as ATS) American styles. While in Arizona, she performed with a local troupe for 12 years at the Arizona Renaissance Festival, spanning across skill sets of belly dance, folk dances, and prop/fire.

She moved to Seattle in 2017 and dove into community. She began studying Raqs Sharqi, playing percussive instruments, and trained in aerial arts. Nicole performed with a dance-theatre group, dancing fusion with Wild Saffron, and joined Qabila's Seattle chapter.

As much as she loved the Seattle dance community, Nicole and her family were destined for a little more sun, so they moved to the greater Los Angeles area in 2023 where she joined Qabila's LA chapter. Nicole wants to dive deeper into folk dances, Middle Eastern dances, and continue learning more of the history and cultures that she is guest dancing in.

Sara Spitfire (Dancer)

Sara Spitfire was born and raised in Northern Colorado, where an early fascination with Egyptian history, mythology, and culture led her to buy her first hip scarf around age 10. As a teenager, she took her first Egyptian “belly dance” class, and soon after trained in Fusion Style. Upon graduating high school, she joined her first troupe, Sumatra Belly Dance, formerly Tribal Tique Fort Collins. During this time, Sara was also founding member of the CSU Circus Club. After four years with Sumatra, she and fellow members formed the short lived Anibaya Belly Dance. Sara has studied with numerous Fusion Style teachers through workshops, Datura Online, and intensives. In 2020, she completed Ashley Lopez’s Integrated Dance teacher training intensive.

Sara moved to Southern California in 2021 with a dying desire to perform, beginning with a season at Knott’s Scary Farm before joining the Renaissance Festival circuit with Tottendance Danse Macabre and other groups. Through the Koroneburg Renaissance Festival, she met Aubre Hill, which helped lead to the next chapter of her dance journey. Joining the Qabila Dance Co in 2025, Sara feels she has found her dance home. The experience deepened her appreciation and love for Folkloric dance traditions and SWANA cultures. Already Aubre and Qabila have taught her so much and strengthened her desire to keep learning while supporting cultural preservation as a respectful guest. Along with dancing with Qabila, Sara Spitfire also performs as a soloist around Southern California.