Aepril Schaile is “An American priestess of the Dark Goddess” working through the ancient and ever-evolving arts of Bellydance, Music, Ritual Theater, and Divination. Aepril has taught and performed at curated events in Paris, NYC, L.A., Hollywood, and San Francisco. Aepril directs Exquisite Corpse Productions and is Artistic Director of Exquisite Corpse Dance Theatre. Aepril teaches ongoing classes in Boston and Salem, MA, and teaches traditional, theatrical, and shamanistic Bellydance workshops nationwide and internationally. In performance, Aepril becomes Trickster, Warrior, Ghost, Storm, Grieving Mother, Killer, Snow Queen, Seductress… Aepril’s performances invoke the archetypal Feminine as a force of nature and magick. Aepril is an astrologer, musician and composer, dancer and dance teacher, writer and storyteller, mythologist, animal rights advocate, and witch. Aepril is an AAFA certified Group Fitness Instructor, and she holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art.

Aepril Schaile dances to make the archetypal Dark Feminine sacred again. Aepril is recognized for her pioneering innovation in dark theatrical, ritual and shamanistic bellydance. Her recent appearances include Festival Bellyfusions in Paris, France, Night of 1000 Goddesses in NYC, An Evening of Experimental Middle Eastern Dance (EEMED) in Los Angeles, and she was a Guest Artist at Rakkasah’s Spring Caravan in NJ. Aepril’s Exquisite Corpse Productions produces an annual theatrical bellydance event called Descent: Dances of the Dark Goddess; she annually co-produces The Art of Bellydance show with the Salem Arts Association in Salem, Massachusetts.

Aepril became deeply immersed in the world of Spirits and Invisibles during a long period of voluntary solitude. There, while inhabiting the wild and magical coast and woods of northern New England with her wolf companion Coda, her heart was opened, and dance and music moved through her in a new and mediumistic way; 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 dances as a ritual of reverence to the Divine for Her powers of regeneration and redemption.

Interested in times past as well as the Timeless, Aepril’s “ancestors” of dance include Ruth St Denis, Josephine Baker, and Isadora Duncan. She has been influenced and instructed 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:

-2010: “The Snow Queen”
An evocation of the heartless beauty and power of Winter, and the inevitable coming of Spring. With wings of Isis.

“The Morrigan” series (I, II & III):
Exploration and Invocation of different aspects of the Celtic Raven Goddess of War, Victory, Prophecy, Mourning, Death, Rebirth, and Justice: 

• -2009 “Battling the Shadow: The Morrigan III”. A dance/battle with the enemies within and without. With sword and wings of Isis.
• -2008 “The Washer at the Ford: The Morrigan II”.
  A dance expressing her grief at the loss of her soul mate, Coda. White mourning clothes with veil.
• -2007 “The Morrigan”. Invocation of the ancient Irish crow goddess. With skull staff and veil. 

-2009: “The Heart Asks Pleasure First”/Raqs Assaya Victoriana
Neo-Victorian gothic piece about love and sacrifice. To the music of Michael Nyman and Maduro.

-2008: “The Birth of Venus Cthonia”
Giving birth to herself as Venus of the Underworld.
With Mermaid Tail, “seaweed”, handmirror.  

-2007: “Gaia”
A protest against the destruction of the earth and wildlife.
With tree branches and veil.

-2006: “The Storm”
Shamanistic piece embodying nature at her most beautiful and destructive. 

-2006: “The Passion of the Mary’s”
Exploration of the spiritual mysteries of Mary Magdalene/Mary Virgin; Mother, Lover, Widow. With veil and chalice. 

Aepril is also the creator of many group choreographies for troupes and classes. 

 In 1998, Aepril created her first two outdoor ritual theater performances: “Cetsamhain”, which included an outdoor walk-through labyrinth installation in collaboration with artist Miriam Ben Dor, as a spring celebration of the mysteries of the goddess Persephone. She also produced a fire-fusion dance event called “Fuoco del Buio (Fire of the Blackest Night)”, in celebration of the season of Scorpio/Samhain.

 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 The Sacred and Profane on Peak’s Island, ME, Night of 1000 Goddesses at Morocco’s Studios in NYC, EAST:MEETS:WEST in Portland, OR, and Tribal Fest 2008 in CA. She was a Guest Artist at Rakkasah Spring Caravan 2008. Aepril has performed at events on both coasts of the US.

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 for her death-folk/ piano-doom project Aepril Schaile and the Judgement.

Aepril finds teaching to be greatly rewarding and fun, and her classes in Salem, MA, are ongoing throughout the year. She also travels to teach workshops on such topics as “animating” the veil, graceful hands and arms, theatrical and shamanistic bellydance, gothic bellydance, and more.