Belly Dance Life

This is a special series ‘Student Voices’ where I share my conversations with the members of the Iana Dance Club about life, dance and training. Some of participants are belly dance beginners, some are professionals, but all of us have one thing in common: we all remain being students of dance. :) Enjoy this inspiring conversation with Jacinda (aka Aliya Dalal) where she shares her belly dance tra...

This is a special series ‘Student Voices’ where I share my conversations with the members of the Iana Dance Club about life, dance and training. Some of participants are belly dance beginners, some are professionals, but all of us have one thing in common: we all remain being students of dance. :) Enjoy this inspiring conversation with Pratima Nagaraj where she shares her belly dance transformatio...

Raquy Danziger is a world-famous American musician, teacher and composer based in Istanbul. She has released thirteen albums, five darbuka method books, and two volumes of her original compositions. Her educational offerings are available through her online darbuka school: Darbukaschool.com. More than a thousand students are currently enrolled in her courses.   Raquy specializes in the s...

This is a special weekend series ‘Student Voices’ where I share my conversations with the members of the Iana Dance Club about life, dance and training. Some of participants are belly dance beginners, some are professionals, but all of us have one thing in common: we all remain being students of dance. :) Enjoy this inspiring conversation with Sinda Sandra where she shares her belly dance transfor...

Since 2002, Miami based artist Tiffany Madera (Hanan) has become a figurehead in the dance world by re-coding traditional Egyptian Raks Sharki dance as a tool for empowerment and social justice.  As a performer, professor, activist, museum professional, filmmaker, and non-profit leader, Tiffany combines a highly aesthetic approach and academic scholarship to tackle the questions of our d...

There is some sort of shame around putting these two words together: dance & money (or art & sales).  And I strongly believe that this is one of the main blocks for many talented dancers on why their career is not as successful as they wish it to be.  There is a misconception as if treating your art as a business will destroy the nature and essence of the art itself, as if sudden...

Cinzia is an international belly dancer, teacher and choreographer, based in Italy and appreciated all over the world for her power and charisma on stage. Cinzia studied classical dance, jazz and piano for 10 years and in 2004 she fell in love with oriental dance and folklore. Her style is refined and powerful, a mix of Arabic feeling and modernity. She teaches, judges and dances in many countries...

Originally from sunny Miami, Helen Blondel has performed at a myriad of venues in Central & South Florida, including Kababi Cafe, Cleopatra Lounge, Hookita Lounge, Taverna Opa, Cedar's Lebanese Cuisine, & Dar Tagine. She has also appeared on Televised programs such as "Despierta America" and "Sabado Gigante" on Univision as a dancer and is a recent member of the MBC 2018 award-winning Bell...

NEW episode with a selection of the best parts dedicated to facing and overcoming rejection, disapproval or judgement from teachers, relatives, or community. You’ll hear from Alex DeLora, Artemis Mourat, Esmeralda Colabone and Alla Kushnir. Show Notes to this episode: Full interviews with our guests: Ep 21. Alex DeLora: Every Drum Solo Has Its Own Mood Ep 125. Artemis Mourat: Seek Out Your Dance M...

Sabah has decades of experience in classical, modern, and folk styles of dance. She has worked with the Chicago’s Festival Ballet, Ballet Chicago, and Alabama Ballet. She received her degree from Columbia College Chicago majoring in Cultural Studies and minoring in dance with a year abroad at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. There she joined the Egyptian Folkloric Company and received a co...

Joana Saahirah is a world-renowned dancer, teacher, choreographer and author specialized in Egyptian Oriental and Folkloric dances. She’s written and published 2 books - “The Secrets of Egypt – Dance, Life & Beyond” and "Behind the Curtain", created the pioneering online platforms "Joana Saahirah´s World" and "Joana Saahirah´s Online Dance School" delivering authentic Egyptian dance, personal...

Pedro Bonatto is an internationally acclaimed photographer and drummer. Born in Brazil and based in Canada, Pedro works in fine art and fashion photography, with works published in Elle Arabia, Fashion Canada and a number of magazines and books. As a drummer, Pedro focuses on Middle Eastern music and its relationship to cultures from around the world. He is also the creator of the world music and...

Jackie Barzvi is a raqs sharqi (belly dance) instructor and performer originally from Queens, NY, now based in North Carolina. She has been dancing all her life and focuses on folkloric dances from Egypt, North Africa, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. She recently created the first ever Mizrahi Dance Archive to highlight specific Jewish dances from MENA regions. She has been teaching Middle Eastern dan...

Yousry Sharif is the embodiment of many greats when it comes to Egyptian Raqs Sharqi: a great original choreographer, a great teacher, a great mentor, a great music producer, a great presence, a great inspiration, a great mind, and the list goes on and on.  A native to Cairo, his dance talents shone through at a tender age of seven. He grew up thoroughly trained in Egyptian folkloric dancing,...

Cassandra Shore, the founder of The Cassandra School (1978), is recognized as one of the world’s foremost performers and choreographers of Middle Eastern dance. Her artistic intensity, musicality, and technique set her apart from the average performer. She brings to dance lyrical grace, musical focus, and a sensuous quality of movement that brings mere technique to life. Her work has been rew...

Known the world over as one of the pioneering forces in the field of Tribal Fusion belly dance, Sharon Kihara is regarded as one of the most seasoned and well-traveled artists in the genre, and is known for her avante-garde artistic sensibility that defies replication. She is both a dance and yoga therapy teacher, 200 RYT certified by Yoga Alliance. In late 2003, at the behest of friend Rachel Bri...

This is a solo episode by Iana where we’ll talk about two most common paralyzing performance fears: fear of being judged as not good enough dancer, and fear of forgetting choreography and not knowing what to do. Show Notes to this episode: If you want to work deeper on dealing with performance anxiety and building up your energy projection as a performer, check out the new intensive at the Iana Da...

Luna is an international belly dance star who performed in Egypt's top hotels and Nile cruises from 2009 to 2018. She has an exceptionally exciting style of dance, and has been featured on Egyptian television. Luna has also appeared in the music videos of some of Egypt's most popular singers, and was a featured dancer in several movies. Luna is in high demand to teach belly dance workshops around...

Hatem Hamdy, also known as Tommy King, is a real showman! His unique and colorful style makes him a sought after teacher and dancer around the world. He started his professional career with skating. Between the age of 20 to 25 he worked as a coach-assistant in the "Sham's" club and later as a coach for mature students. He has earned 14 times the first prize for skating in Egypt, and won the second...

Mercedes Nieto is an internationally acclaimed oriental dance artist based in Budapest, Hungary. She is world famous for her delicate, elegant, and yet passionate dance style, which is innovative and unique. Mercedes has spent a decade touring around the world: since 2009 she had been teaching and performing in more than 50 countries at around 30 different oriental dance events yearly. While const...

Yaël is an international Oriental dance artist living in Paris. She has a very personal and refined style combining tradition and modernity. She is regularly invited to perform and teach abroad (Japan, USA, Canada, China, Europe…) due to her skills as a teacher and the high level of her artistic work. Yaël conveys her passion with generosity and enthusiasm. She focuses on listening carefully to th...

Miasia is a dedicated performer, teacher, trainer and workshop instructor with 25 years of cabaret and folkloric Middle Eastern Dance experience. As a performer, she has captivated audiences all over the US and around the world, including Turkey and Egypt, where she was featured on the renowned Egyptian TV show Al Rakesa. Miasia has been a performer at numerous special events, including national c...

Since 1978, Aegela’s love of Middle Eastern dance has taken her throughout the US and to the heart of the art—Egypt. It was on her first tour that Aegela was awarded the coveted Lifetime Performer’s license by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, an honor held by only 11 foreigners. While working in Egypt, Aegela enjoyed the privilege of studying with famed dancer/choreographer Mahmoud Reda, of the R...

Aszmara goes beyond movements and steps to unleash your soul’s music. Her insight into movement, music and connecting emotions with dance marks her as an unforgettable teacher and performer. “Dance is Emotion in Motion” exactly describes Aszmara. For over 40 years, Aszmara has been inspiring dancers as a teacher and performer with international tours, workshops and seminars across USA & Europe...

Yasmin Henkesh grew up in the Washington D.C. area but moved to Europe to work as a professional dancer after graduating from college. She first appeared in the Algerian cabaret Al Djazair, but soon was hired by "big time" nightclubs in Paris, such as Le Beirut and Le Yildizlar. There she worked with some of the most well-known Arabic stars and musicians of the time, such as Sabah, Walid Toufiq, A...