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Aepril Schaile is "an American priestess of the Dark Goddess". Working through the ancient, and ever-evolving, art of Bellydance, she becomes Trickster, Warrior, Ghost, Storm, Grieving Mother, Killer, Seductress...Aepril's performances invoke the archetypal Feminine creatively, shamanistically, theatrically, and compellingly.

With a background in theater and mythology, Aepril's creativity and style of movement incline naturally toward exploring mythic themes and infusing meaning and story into her dance. Beginning with Raks Sharqi and American Cabaret as her foundation in 1996, she brings Raqs Gothique and Tribal fusion bellydance, modern, interpretive, and ballet to her dance as well. Aepril is a magician of the veil; she is powerfully interactive with audiences, blending Tricksterish showmanship and sacred mediumship; she brings enchantment and excitement to her dance as well as psychological and spiritual intensity and signification.

Aepril's inspiration to dance flows from an inner life developed, in part, during a long period of voluntary solitude inhabiting the wild and magical coast and woods of northern New England; she is inspired by forces of nature such as winged creatures, wolves, storms, and the sea; she is also inspired by the invisible forces of the subconscious, the supernatural, and the synchronistic. Aepril is interested in times past as well as the Timeless; her "ancestors" of dance include Ruth St Denis, Josephine Baker, and Isadora Duncan. She is also influenced by bellydance masters Elena Lentini and Dunya, as well as the performance artists Diamanda Galas and Rachel Rosenthal in her approach to performing.

Some of Aepril's choreographies include "The Passion of the Mary's" exploring the spiritual mysteries of Mary Magdelene and Mary Virgin, "The Morrigan" invoking the ancient Irish crow goddess, "The Storm", a shamanistic piece embodying nature at her most beautiful and destructive, and "Gaia" a protest against the destruction of the earth and wildlife. photo by Allison Perkel

Aepril's dance performances have taken place at such diverse venues as goth clubs, weddings, homeless shelters, heavy metal shows, and abandoned buildings, as well as theaters and festivals, including Night of 1000 Goddesses at Morocco's Studios in NYC and EAST:MEETS:WEST in Portland, OR. She is a Guest Artist at Rakkasah Spring Caravan 2008, and she is perfoming at Tribal Fest 2008 in CA. Aepril has performed at events on both coasts of the US; a tour of Europe is in the works.

A musician as well, Aepril brings her sense of sonic drama and timing to her dance; when not moving to music as a dancer, she can be found composing and performing with her death-folk/ piano-doom band Aepril Schaile and the Judgement.

Aepril teaches classes in Salem, MA, and offers workshops on such topics as "animating" the veil, graceful hands and arms, theatrical and shamanistic bellydance, gothic bellydance, and more. She directs the Exquiste Corpse project, a yearly theatrical/gothique/experimental event. Aepril holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art.

Aepril moderates the Raks Gothique New England discussion group on Tribe.net.

For booking, contact Aepril here, or go to her Myspace at www.myspace.com/aeprils