Meet the Team

Shelby O’Neil

Director / Producer / Event Organizer

Shelby is excited to continue expand and uplift the dance and music community by organizing NW Víla Fest!
She is currently dancing with 3 troupes: Moria Chappell’s Wild Saffron troupe, Radost Folk Ensemble, and Qabila Seattle.

By day Shelby is a Pregnancy and Postpartum Massage Therapist and Aromatherapist who enjoys hanging with her family and in nature.
Shelby’s heritage is Scotch-Irish and Croatian. The word “Víla” means Fairy in Croatian. Pronounced vEE-luh. Shelby loves folklore and her heritage, thus Víla Fest. 

Vendor Coordinator / Email Responder:

Manami Uehara

Manami is Vila’s vendor coordinating and email responder. She has been Bellydancing since 2012. Manami dances in 3 troupes: Moria Chappell’s Wild Saffron troupe, Qabila Seattle chapter, and a FCBD style group named Brass Diadem. During the day she is an oncology nurse at UW.

Nicole Lopez

Volunteer Coordinator

Nicole is Víla’s volunteer coordinator. She currently dances with Moria Chappell’s troupe Wild Saffron, and Qabila LA chapter. Nicole’s day job is an engineer. And she currently had her second baby in the last year! 

Sponsorship and Donation Coordinator

Misa Winters

Misa is Víla’s sponsorship and donation coordinator. She also supports marketing and administration with her tech savvy. Misa has been dancing in Seattle for 16 years. She is the director of The Collective belly dance troupe and has produced shows in Lake Forest Park. Her favorite dance styles are fusion, ATS and ITS. After a decade working as a molecular research scientist in wildlife conservation, she is exploring a change and seeking graduate school to become a certified genetic counselor.

Social Media Coordinator

Michelle Poston

Michelle is Víla’s Social Media Coordinator. A professional American Cabaret bellydancer in Seattle, she spends her 'day' hours as a web and social media consultant for somatic practitioners.When she isn't translating movement into visibility, she’s navigating the beautiful, clingy chaos of life with her first baby, born late last year.

Hafla Coordinator

Jennifer Johnson

Jennifer serves as Víla’s Hafla Coordinator, bringing years of experience organizing and supporting community events across the Seattle area. A versatile dancer with a deep appreciation for movement, she has performed with Qabila Seattle and was a longtime member of Karavans Dance Troupe. From SWANA folk dances to American Ballroom and rhythm dances, Jennifer loves to dance—though if you see her out lately, she’s likely vibing to some West Coast Swing. Jennifer enjoys volunteering to support community events, diving into a good book and snuggling with her cats. 

Photo / Video Coordinator

Sarah O’Brien

Sarah is Víla's photo/video coordinator and Víla Fest MC! Sarah has been involved in the Bellydance community for many years and has been apart of so many great events as both a dancer and MC. She currently works as a live trivia host and portrait photographer, while being mom of three busy children. She is excited to return to Víla fest and support so many of her favorite performers.

Alena Nozawa-Wade

Food Coordinator

Alena is Víla's food coordinator. She dances in Moria Chappell's troupe Wild Saffron, and Bleeding Hearts another fusion bellydance troupe. By day, she is a massage therapist, and yoga instructor.

Stefanie Fatooh

Email Coordinator

Stefanie is the Víla Email coordinator. Originally from Los Angeles, Stefanie earned her MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University in 2022 and is currently the Director of Arts Programming at Seattle U. Stefanie has been a dancer her entire life but has been studying and performing SWANA dance styles for 15+ years. She specializes in transcultural fusion, Raqs Sharqi, and pan-Arabic Folkdances. She is a founding member of the Qabila Folkdance Company and is the Director of the Seattle Qabila Project. She also produces many local dance events and educational opportunities and continues to perform professionally in the Seattle area.