Amy Barnard

Deeply devoted dancer and eternal dance student. I have been dancing Oriental for ten years and have studied with Leyla Haddad, Jacqueline Chapman and Birgul in Istanbul. I am passionate about the dance and it's history. To know your history is to know your art. I went to SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) in London and was exposed to many other dance forms whilst studying for my degree such as classical Indian Bharatanatyam and Japanese Nihon Buyo.

Having spent much of my adolescence sneaking into gigs and hanging out with musicians, I listened closely enough to learn what matters to them and the questions they wish journalists would ask. Now, with many family and friends involved in the music industry, I've a good understanding of how it works.

I also have a strong interest in costume history, probably from playing in one too many period pieces during my study of theatre. I spent time working in the wardrobe departments of London's West End, Phantom of the Opera and Mary Poppins in particular. These days this translates into spotting old influences on new collections and musings on personal style.

I currently freelance as a performance and lifestyle journalist for three other English publications, Girls Guide to Paris, Via-her, and gogoparis. A degree in history helped me hone the skills to research thoroughly, remain objective and express concisely.