Amaya
Longtime friend and dance partner to Bert Balladine, Amaya will step in to assist Bert in his Friday dance class.  Born in Crystal City, Texas, the “Spinach Capital of the World” (complete with a downtown statue of Popeye!), Amaya has traveled extensively throughout nineteen different countries teaching and performing.  She produces the annual “International Shake & Bake Dance Festival” in New Mexico. Instructional video production, teaching local dance and aerobics classes, all keep Amaya’s Dance Productions busy on a daily level when she is not traveling

Email: maria@amaya.com      Web: www.maria.amaya.com     

Ava Fleming

Bringing a unique and modern approach to Raqs Sharki, Ava Fleming is the elegant example of today's classic modern belly dancer.  Her ability to capture the intricacies of music as well as her talent for teaching have propelled her into becoming one of today's hottest performers and instructors. Her instruction style is infused with her dedication to individual expression and flawless technique.

Email: info@avafleming.com      Web: www.avafleming.com     Phone: 609-502-6909

Arianna Halima al-Tiye
Arianna Halima al-Tiye specializes in the field of Central and Sub-Saharan African dances from the ancient, folkloric to contemporary traditions, particularly those from her descendant East African roots. She is the founder of her dance company, Nubian Moon Daughters: Bint al Nuba, and teaches throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Email: arianna.altiye@gmail.com      Web: www.NubianMoonDaughters.com      Phone: 718.364.5434


Aneena
Aneena has been dancing for 30+ years and teaching workshops all across the US for 25+ years. Aneena owns Aneena's Silk Veils, selling 3yd., circular silk veils with the special rolled edge for easier handling. And she has 10+ videos and DVDs on the market including her specialties: Double Veil, Single Veil, Props, and Arms & Hands.

Web: Dancers of the Desert      Phone: 415-892-2027


Carmine T. Guida
New York City-based mulitinstrumentalist Carmine T. Guida is a familiar face at Middle Eastern dance and music events throughout the country. A dancers' musician, Carmine is appreciated as an enthusiastic, adaptable, and creative accompanist on both doumbek and oud; he plays weekly for belly dancers with several New York City ensembles.

Email: carmine@carmine.com      Web: www.Carmine.com      Phone: 212-725-9635


Daila Carella
Dalia Carella, is a world-renowned Middle Eastern Contemporary Dancer, Choreographer, Instructress and Global Fusion Artist. Her dances are both traditional and contemporary with a spiritual essence behind each and every movement that she creates. Blending mudras and movements from India, China, Japan, North Africa, and Egypt, her choreographies represent movement rituals from the ancient to the avant-garde.

Email: dalia@daliacarella.com      Web: www.DaliaCarella.com     


Denise Mannion
Denise is the Director of Troupe Mandala, California, she has danced, taught workshops & played keyboards & zils all over the West Coast, as well as the East coast.

Email: pangiaraks@yahoo.com      Web: www.PangiaRaks.com      Phone: 530-938-2503

Dondi

At 12 Dondi began her study of Middle Eastern Dance.  In 1991 she was chosen to dance for Omar Sharif's 60th birthday.  Dondi has been in hundreds of theatre, film, television and music videos.  In 1997 she booked her first dance tour of the Middle East and since then she has danced in Dubai, Turkey, India, Tunisia, Lebanon, Africa, Greece, Egypt, Jordon, Iceland, Spain, Africa and all over Europe.  She is often requested to dance for celebrities and has danced for Amr Diab an Egyptian pop idol.  In 2000 Dondi won "Belly Dancer of the Universe" and 2002 "Wiggles of the West" with her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe as a Belly Dancer, which she performed throughout Spain and Europe as a member of the Belly Dance Super Stars. Dondi teaches Lebanese, Egyptian, Turkish and Folkloric styles of Belly Dance around the world.  

Email: dondi@dondibellydancer.com      Web: www.dondibellydance.com

Fahtiem

Fahtiem has performed throughout the United States, including engagements on cruise ships and performances on cable and network TV.  Her love and commitment to the dance is evident in her efforts to motivate each dancer to their individual best. It has been said that "Fahtiem truly has a master's touch. The simplest movement is presented with incredible focused energy. The quality of Fahtiem's movements is what we all strive for." Her style is soulful and dynamic. Her movement expressive and clear. On stage her ability to reach and entertain an audience with warmth and humor is delightfully apparent. As a teacher Fahtiem conveys not only solid form and technique, but the subtle nuance that makes this dance magical.
Email: fahtiem@fahtiem.com      Web: www.Fahtiem.com      Phone: 626-810-9470

Heidi Alexander
Heidi Alexander is one of the founders of the high-energy dance troupe Domba! – world famous for their African Fusion, moving at the speed of light, and their infectious energy!  Heidi and Domba! have taught workshops throughout the United States , including Rakkasah West and Rakkasah East, TribalQuestNorthWest, Tribal Fest, Spirit of the Tribes, Tribal Revolution and many other belly dance festivals.  In 2005, Domba traveled to the U.K. and Japan as featured teachers at Maharajan ( Tokyo ) and Tribal Ford (UK).  Domba was asked back for another month-long tour of the UK and Ireland in 2006.
Email:  domba@cox.net      Web: www.domba.com


Jamilla Salimpour
A pioneer in the belly dance scene on the west coast.  Through Jamilla's teachings she has inspired three generations of dancers, performers and teachers. A woman with more amazing accomplishments than can be put into a  paragraph!  Please go to her web site to read about this fantastic lady.

Email: suhaila@therealsuhaila.com     Web: www.TheRealSuhaila.com      Phone: (510) 526 - 4344

Jenna
Jenna is a professional performer & instructor in Los Angeles with 17 years of bellydance under her belt, and a background in ballet & modern dance.  She is praised for her clear, comprehendible teaching style - stressing strong technique, grace & self-expression; and her artful performances, winning her invitations to teach & perform around the US and Asia. Jenna can be seen dancing on-screen on Sex & the City, MadTV and the Tyra Banks show, and in her best-selling instructional DVD's. She has a true passion for dance, and for sharing it with others.

Email: jenna@beyondbellydance.com      Web: beyondbellydance.com      Phone: 213-739-3755

Jim Boz
Jim Boz is an award winning Middle Eastern dancer and choreographer based in San Diego, CA who performs and teaches nationally. His workshops are characterized by a wealth of information, carefully organized and presented in a supportive environment. As a male performer of Middle Eastern Dance and Raks Sharki, Jim Boz is known for his strong presence coupled with masculine grace. As a Teacher, Jim Boz creates a warm and supportive environment, characterized by joy, information, celebration and fun. His concepts are presented in a playful manner, including his "Almost But Not Quite Infamous Euclidean Geometry for Belly Dancers", a conceptual approach to isolations and articulations that has benefited dancers from coast to coast since 2000.

Email: contact@jimboz.com      Web: www.jimboz.com      Phone: 1-888-4-JIMBOZ

Kaeshi
Kaeshi Chai is a co-founder and artistic director of the Bellyqueen Dance Theater company. She also co-founded the healing dance community, PURE (Public Urban Ritual Experiment) www.puredance.org. Kaeshi has performed and taught all over the world including the US, Canada, Europe Mexico, Bali, Trinidad and Asia. In 2004, Kaeshi was the dance captain for the Bellydance Superstars. In her spare time, she studies Mandarin, enjoys travelling, and drinking Soy Chai Lattes.

Email: kaeshi@bellyqueen.com      Web: www.BellyQueen.com      Phone: 310-597-3261

Mary Ellen Donald

 In her early days she studied classical piano, voice and both folk and flamenco guitar.  In 1969 she was introduced to the art of belly dance, which she studied with Jamila Salimpour and Bert Balladine for six years.  In 1969 she took up the study of finger cymbals and doumbec (clay or metal lap drum also known as darabouka and tabla).  Several years later she added the riqq (Middle Eastern tambourine) and tar (wooden frame drum). Soon Mary Ellen’s innate teaching ability came to the fore as she started teaching classes and putting her knowledge of Middle Eastern percussion into written form.  In 1976 she self-published Doumbec Delight and Mastering Finger Cymbals, both firsts in their field, followed by Arabic Tambourine in 1985.  Mary Ellen produced companion tapes for these books as she realized that students would learn more easily if they could hear her play the examples in the books a number of times.  In the late ‘90s she expanded her educational and artistic materials with two series:  Middle Eastern Rhythms and Gems of the Middle East. Mary Ellen has taught workshops and performed with Middle Eastern bands in most of the major cities throughout the US .  For over twenty-five years she has maintained a large student body in the SF Bay Area.  Mary Ellen takes her fiery percussion performances into elementary schools under the auspices of Young Audiences of the Bay Area and some years ago with Adventures in Music with the San Francisco Symphony.  She brings her lecture demonstrations to college as well.  Mary Ellen is acclaimed not only as author, instructor and performer, but also as a producer of major Middle Eastern music and dance events over the past twenty-five years. Mary Ellen Donald’s musical accomplishments are noteworthy and even more so because she is blind.  She plays her drums and lives her life with joy in her heart.  She is blessed with a large community of students and friends who love her.  Her latest musical passion is that of jazz singing.

Email: me@maryellendonald.com      Web:PerformancesAndClasses.htm   You Tube: http://youtube.com:80/watch?v=DLVgPNId7Vo

Naheda
Ludwigsstadt, Germany.Master instructor and choreographer for oriental dance... international award winner and event producer, Naheda does it all.  Naheda has been active for many years teaching workshops and performing internationally.  Naheda has a tremendous amount of knowledge and is a wonderful communicator of the dance. Her tremendous creativity inspires her students to find the special and exceptional in themselves.

Email: info@naheda.de      Web:www.naheda.de

Michelle De Vine
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Email: name@name.com      Web: www.MichelleDevine.org      Phone: 908-996-0269

Natica Angilly

In the world setting, where in many countries, poetry, dance, and music have never been separated, she combines pageantry, costuming, unique props, and multimedia effects -- and extends poetry's role in the life of American culture.

 

Email: richardaei@aol.com      Web: www.DancingPoetry.org      Phone: 510-235-0361

Oreet

Oreet, creator of SharQui —The bellydance workout™, is an award winning performer and a sought after choreographer and teacher.  Her dance specialty is Modern Egyptian which is a contemporary and innovative twist on the traditional Egyptian style.  It fuses modern dance, ballet and her Yemenite/Israeli roots to create her high energy bellydance style. As a performer and teacher Oreet combines passion, grace, athleticism and hip precision in order to give a refined performance.  Along with teaching, Oreet certifies dancers and fitness professionals in the SharQui™ method nationally.  She recently received the title Bellydancer of the Year 2007 and also holds the titles  Entertainer of the Year 2006, Jewel of the Nile 2006, Bellydance Diva 2005 and is the reigning Middle Eastern Dance Champion of North America. 

 

Web: www.sharqui.com    

Saqra
Saqra from Seattle is a 30 year veteran of oriental dance, an internationally sponsored master instructor and award-winning performer. She has over 14 instructional DVDs, teacher's aides, and is director of severaldance troupes, plus produces CDs and sheet music and plays keyboard with RaqsBand. She was voted Zaghareet Magazine's "Best Kept Secret" of '05...something she is hoping to change! Visit her web site for tips, articles, a free book of dancer names and more.

Email: saqra@saqra.net      Web: www.Saqra.net      Phone: 253-813-8580


Scott Wilson - Efendi
Exciting belly dance music from Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Israel, and the Middle East. Scott Wilson and his group have been playing in NYC's west village for years.

Band Members: Scott Wilson - Baglama Hydra, Jim Nordstrom - Bass Guitar, Carmine T. Guida - Doumbek, Leni Cohen - Bass Doumbek
Email: mellow111@aol.com      Web: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/efendi4 Phone: 917-846-3106


Suhaila Salimpour
Suhaila Salimpour is the world's most sought-after performer, teacher, and choreographer of belly dance. A second-generation belly dancer, Suhaila has developed a format combining her heritage with classical dance training. After being the first Belly Dancer featured by Arab American Television, Suhaila toured the Middle East and Europe. She returned to the US to open her school - offering the first Certification program available in Belly Dance. Suhaila Productions creates instructional and performance DVDs for all dance levels, CDs for percussion artists and printed dance manuals. Suhaila has orchestrated Middle Eastern dance musicals and is director of both the Suhaila Dance Company and Bal Anat.

Email: suhaila@therealsuhaila.com      Web: www.TheRealSuhaila.com      Phone: 510-527-2400


Willow 
Sharing her emotive, innovative and elegant performances, Willow is recognized as Hawai‘i’s premier dance artist. For the past 14 years, Willow has focused on Middle Eastern dance and is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i, with a degree in Dance and a minor in music. In demand as an instructor, she travels annually to teach, study and perform. She presents a disciplined and impassioned understanding of movement while emphasizing the musical and cultural context of the art. Willow has performed and taught in Germany, Switzerland, Greece and Egypt. She appears on such DVDs as PE-KO Hollywood Music’s performance series, including The Exotic Art of Belly Dance (2006) and IAMED’S Belly Dance Reloaded (2004).

Email: willowchang@hotmail.com      Web: WillowChang.com

Rakkasah
email: rakkasah@att.net