April Johnson 
(Artistic Director / Cheertator)
April began learning tribal bellydance from the Fat Chance Belly Dance video series in 1999, based almost entirely on the word "fat" in the troupe's name. She immediately fell for the dignity, camaraderie and beauty of the form, and not knowing there were different styles of bellydance, started studying with folkloric & Egyptian cabaret teacher Lucy Smith. April also dances with Richmond P.U.R.E.

Stealing inspiration and knowledge from neighboring tribal communities, April brought To the Earth together in 2005. She studies with Fat Chance's Carolena Nericcio and Devyani's Megha Gavin & obtained the FCBD General Skills Certification in 2007.

April has worked in the theatre since she was wee, and practices Circular Strength Training, a health-first approach to movement and fitness. In her "spare" time, she plays the harp and studies flamenco, both of which she is really quite bad at. If you look closely, you can see all that reflected in her dance (except, she hopes, for the "quite bad" part).

Her belly tattoo is a halved pomegranate (not fish, vases, chili peppers or strawberries). Don't ask her what it means if you're in a hurry to get somewhere. [email April]

Tara Donaldson 
(Assistant Director / Drumtator)
Tara, one of our founding members, is a belly-dancing groupie and the troupe's very first musician. Her background is in Middle Eastern rhythms, though she'll beat on anything that can't get away.

She taught most of the tribe's drummers everything they know about Middle Eastern percussion. Pretty amazing, given that she's largely self-taught. Tara also dances with Richmond P.U.R.E., despite her insistence that she can't dance. [email Tara]

Brett Alexander (Drum / Saz)
Brett performs on the dumbek (middle eastern goblet drum) and saz, and does many of the band's arrangements & original compositions. Brett also hosts Tribal Jam, our twice-a-year dance, music and fire party - at his house (he's a brave, brave man).

He hails from Richmond, VA and began performing music at the age of seven. Classically trained on the piano, he currently plays keyboards and saxophone for another Richmond based band in addition to his To the Earth duties (heh, we said "duties"). Other interests include photography, travel, wine, long walks on the beach, etc.

Despite the many ways in which Brett attempts to make himself sound - well, let's face it, just a little bit sleazy - he's in fact one very decent guy and a hell of a musician. He's also available as a guest lecturer on the history and construction of the saz. [email Brett]

Russell (Drum)
Russell serves as both drummer and unofficial tribe bodyguard for TTE.  Russell insists on calling it a tribe because he has deep-seated issues with the word "troupe." It is suspected that he may just have deep-seated issues in general. Sometimes he sets things on fire and performs for kings and queens. His spinning is hot. Really, really hot.
 
Russell started playing the drum in October of 05, as a thinly veiled attempt to pick up all the hot hot hotties (Russell has a limited vocabulary) in the tribal scene... he is still hopeful. [email Russell]

Ella garrity (Dance / Assistant Instructor)

Ella started as a To The Earth student in February of 2006, and has been unrepentantly addicted to belly dance ever since.  She joined the troupe in September of 2006.

The concentration-face she makes when she is thinking about new moves frightens us all - but it's her analytical approach to dance that makes her so helpful in the classroom and in critique. No flash photography, please. [email Garrity]

die Chotomy (dance / Gal friday)

To paraphrase Henry Rollins quoting Paul, the homeless dude outside the pet shop, "I always wanted to be a dancer, but I could never get the shit off my shoes." You can take your shoes OFF to belly dance!
 
Die has five cats, one Dave, and two personalities. She is 25% vampire, and "K" is her favorite letter of the alphabet. She boasts of having the largest tassels of anyone in To The Earth. Die joined the tribe in fall 2006. In addition to her officely work, Die names our original songs (things like "Neverending Ferret" and "Icarus Wax Torture"). [email Die]

larry (drum / guitar)

Larry has been playing music since he was a fetus (well, almost). He learned to play the piano when he was a wee lad, and was a multi-instrumentalist in high school. He picked up the guitar in his early college days, and by the late 90s he was lucky enough to study flamenco under Anthony Arizaga (a private student of Pepe Romero). Following a two-year hiatus from playing the guitar because of CTS, he decided to play the guitar left-handed instead of giving it up entirely.

Larry joined TTE after one of our dancers approached him to play drums for the tribe. Being very intoxicated at the time, he agreed. Happily there wasn't a hangover with that decision. Although he's usually very quiet, his true personality shines out when he's on stage. Beyond his role in TTE, Larry keeps busy putting the Balkie in Balkan folk supergroup BALKANIZE!. [email Larry]

erin (dance)

Erin began her life as a bellydancer with Natalie Brown and Delirium Tribal in Columbia, South Carolina. Erin has been dancing her whole life in one form or another including ballet, modern, lyrical, and hip hop. She was originally drawn to tribal bellydance because of the costuming. Fake hair, lots of black eyeliner, and giant skirts...what could be better?

Erin landed in Richmond in the Fall of 2007 and once she settled into her job and new home she came looking for tribal dancers and found To The Earth. Much to her joy she was quickly accepted and has been falling in love with us all ever since.

DO IT FOR ERIN!. [email Erin]

dave (pr / roadie / all around good guy)

Dave is the epitome of Chaos Theory. He is predictably unpredictable. He mostly does anything we ask of him. Mostly. Like promoting us, driving us places, lugging our stuff around, giving hugs, and trying not to be too scary. 85% of what he says is a quote from a movie or a television show. [email Dave]