Teacher, dancer, and choreographer Ian Montes began his dance journey at just 8 years old and quickly fell in love with traditional and folkloric Arabic dances. Every year, Ian travels throughout Brazil bringing high-quality knowledge to a wide variety of dance festivals. He is also the first and only Arab folkloric dance teacher in Brazil to lead major international tours in countries such as China, South Korea, and the United States. Professor Ian is frequently the star of international festivals on several continents, including Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Since beginning his international tours, students from all over the world have fallen in love with his charisma, teaching methods, and performances!
Ian Montes is also the creator of Ariti Academy, an international online school that currently has students in over 40 countries, across all continents! He is also a partner in All Dance in Korea, one of the largest dance schools in South Korea, founded by entrepreneur and teacher Yoon-hee Jung.
Always focusing his studies and work on Arabic folk styles, his choreographies won more than 50 medals in different countries between 2024 and 2025, through his students.
With over 12 years of dedication to Oriental dance, Joana Coelho is a multi-award-winning dancer and teacher in Europe, recognized for her exceptional technique, expressiveness, and deep connection to Arab culture.
She studied with renowned masters in Egypt, enriching her repertoire with a variety of styles such as Saidi, Classical Oriental, Baladi, Shaabi, and other forms of Arab folklore.
As the director of BellydanceStudio, Joana offers classes for all levels, focusing on female empowerment, self-care, and conscious artistic expression. She is also a respected judge at international dance festivals and is frequently invited to share her expertise through workshops around the world.
Her work as a choreographer and mentor allows students to integrate both traditional and contemporary elements in their dance, helping them develop strong technique and find their own unique voice.
In addition to teaching at several schools, Joana offers online courses, expanding her reach and making a global impact on the Oriental dance community.
Ray began her dance journey at the age of 8, starting with Ballet and Jazz. She dedicated 10 years to these styles before discovering her true passion in the world of Arabic dances, to which she has been fully committed ever since.
She is a winner of local and regional dance competitions in Brazil and continues to expand her knowledge in both modern and folkloric belly dance. Ray strives to bring the best to her students through continuous learning and development.
She is the co-director of Cia Almaz, an Arabic dance company she leads alongside Lua. Together, they organize annual dance productions. Ray is also part of the Ariti Academy team, where she completed her Saidi training—her favorite folklore style—under the guidance of Ian Montes. She currently serves as a teaching assistant at the Academy.
In addition to Arabic dance, Ray has basic training in Tribal Fusion, which is another one of her great passions. She works as both a teacher and choreographer, always seeking to uncover and nurture the unique essence of each student’s dance.
Ray’s teaching method is deeply influenced by her background in physiotherapy, her second profession. Her classes focus on safe movement practices and injury prevention. She firmly believes that body awareness is essential for a fluid and authentic dance experience.
Lua’s Artistic Journey in Oriental Dance
Lua has been dedicated to Oriental Dance for over 7 years, cultivating a deep appreciation for the tradition and poetry that this art form embodies.
In 2023, she founded a study group focused on the Golden Era, her greatest passion. With this group, she dives into the vintage aesthetic full of charm and lyricism, performing in various festivals and celebrating the elegance of this historical period.
Continuously seeking to deepen her knowledge, Lua is currently immersed in the study of Baladi, which she has been practicing for 2 years under the guidance of Professor Paulinha Trigueiro in the Grupo Baladi.
She is also trained in Saidi, having completed the course by Professor Ian Montes, and now contributes as a teaching assistant in the Folklore Journey course at Ariti Academy.
Lua is the co-director of Cia Almaz in Juiz de Fora, alongside Ray. The company has won awards and produced artistic works that highlight the richness of Oriental Dance and Arab folk traditions.
For Lua, teaching is about sharing all of this with sparkling eyes—helping each student refine the unique jewel they carry within.
