BIO
I began taking Middle Eastern dancing in 1998 in South Kingstown and Providence, RI: first with Tina Enheduanna then Nourhan Sharif, the executive director of the Egyptian Academy of Oriental Dance in New York City and founder of Sharifwear.
In 2000, I moved to Massachusetts and began studying with Sardis, a Boston-based, professional Middle Eastern dancer. Soon thereafter, I became a member of Sardis’s troupe Al-Jawary Al-Hessan.
In the summer of 2004 I took a week-long intensive workshop with Yousry Sharif in NYC.
I took another week-long workshop in August 2005 with Morocco, a world-renown Middle Eastern dance expert in New York City.
In Massachusetts, I danced professionally at The Middle East, the Athenian Corner in Lowell with the Freddie Elias Ensemble, and the Kasbah in Winthrop.
Beginning in December 2004, I taught belly dance workshops and classes at Third Life Studio in Union Square, Somerville.
I was teaching in Somerville and in other locations up until the fall of 2007. Then, I moved to Seattle.
In Seattle, I have worked with Suzanna Davis, an accomplished professional dancer and producer. Visit her vibrant sites at www.planetsuzanna.com and www.rakasafit.com.
In 2013 -14, I participated in a year-long performance project with Ruby Beh. Her website is www.bigfunbellydance.com.
In 2015 I traveled to Indonesia and participated in Tamalyn Dallal's weekend intensive workshop in Bali.
Additionally, here in Seattle, I am happy to have had (and look forward to more!) opportunities to dance with local musicians including George Sedak, House of Tarab, and the MB Orchestra. I have danced at Harissa Mediterranean Restaurant and off and on at the monthly Skinny Dip show at the High Dive in Fremont and the Tacoma Belly Dance Revue.
In September 2017, I became a member of Lunaria Dance Theater founded and directed by Mellilah. I performed in Over the Pop: A Cabaret on May 3 and May 4, 2019, at Hale's Palladium. And in the show Oh My Goldness! in 2018
I have performed in all five of the Horrific shows (2016 to 2020) directed by Kat Welsh. I performed a dance version of The Shining Jan 25, 2020. A video of one of my acts was featured in 2021's Horrific Retrospective Virtual event.
Dance training and performance ExPerIence
1976 - 1987 Dance training at Dance World in Columbia, SC in tap, ballet, and jazz
1993 Performed with Pam Wunderlich, a RI performance artist in her Glamour Animals Series at Perishable Theatre in Providence, RI and at Mobius, Boston
1994 Played the Mute in December 3rd: Worms directed by Mark Lehrman, Perishable Theatre, Providence, RI
1991 - 2000 Ballroom dance classes with Ed and Carole Croften in Wakefield, RI
1998 to the present Began taking belly dancing classes and workshops and have continued ever since!
2001 - 2003 Argentine tango classes with Hillary Ross and Hsueh-tze Lee, Boston area
2002 - 2004 Modern dance and pilates classes with Jimmy Raye of Salem, MA; performed his choreography Osmosis for the 2nd annual Gravity Dance performance
June 2004 - 2003 Present Member of Al-Jawary Al-Hessan [performances include belly grams, and at the Athenian Corner (Lowell), the Middle East (Cambridge), Kasbah (Winthrop), and various events
2003 Attended an adult modern dance workshop led by Jonathan Wolken one of the founding members of Pilobolus Dance Company. This took place at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. This workshop was pretty life-changing for me.
2005 In April, belly dance performance for Gypsy in Cairo at the Regent Theatre, Arlington. In June,
member of five-dancer warm-up act for Oojami at the Regent Theate. In July/August, belly dance performances at Art Beat in Davis Square and at the Union Square Farmer’s/Crafts Market. In September, performed at Third Life Studio open house.
2006 Recipient of Dance/Theater Project grant from the Somerville Arts Council.
In April and August, attended workshops with Dalia Carella and Suhaila Salimpour, respectively. In June/July, dance performances with Guitar Circle New England and the Church of Flying Dreams in August. In September, a solo performance at the Union Square Farmer's/Crafts market.
November 2006 Produced, directed, and choreographed the show Caravan of Dancer-musicians and Musician-dancers (supported by a Somerville Arts Council grant)
2007 Ballet training, Jose Mateo Ballet Theater and attended belly dance workshops by Faten Salama, Artemis Mourat, and Yasmina Ramzy
2008 Found my way to Delilah's Visionary Belly Dance Studio and House of Tarab. Participated with dancers and musicians in the annual Fremont Solstice Parade (June 21)
2008 - 2013 Private lessons with Suzanna Davis (a belly dancer and dance producer) and joined her troupe TaWaSol World Dance Ensemble.
Summer 2013 Performed as one of three sassy maids in Suzanna Davis's Cinderella: A Global Story
2013 - 2014 Participated in the Bellingham Performance Project with Ruby Beh and performed in the project show Crescendo
2014 and 2015 Attend a total of three week-long Summer Adult Workshops hosted by Pilobolus Dance Company in Connecticut.
June 2015 Performed for Dr. Samy Farag's CD release party as a soloist and with the Timeless Dance Collective with Roxy Stimson of Oriental Bliss Productions, Nafiah (Denetta Uzzell), and Carol Thuy Thanh Bui.
December 2015 Traveled to Jakarta and performed in Bellydance Jakarta's 10th anniversary party and halfa. Thank you, Christine Yaven!
February 2016 Performed with Melilah and Delilah at the monthly House of Tarab house concert
2015 - 2019 Performed in local venues in the Seattle area including Skinny Dip at the High Dive in Fremont, the Tacoma Bellydance
Revue, and Horrific (an annual horror-themed dance show). and was an active member of Lunaria Dance Theater.
2020 Performed in four online haflas (two with Hasani and Comfy Pants Theater and two with the Evil Eye Buddies) and outdoors at a hafla that involved social distancing.
1998 - 1999 Dance instructor for Chance to Dance, in Rhode Island, a state-
wide after school program that introduces 4th graders to dance (taught classes and choreographed two dances for a final show)
1998 - 2000 Choreographer for the South County Players Children’s Theatre, South Kingstown, RI
I was responsible for developing and teaching dance to children, teenagers, and adults. I choreographed Schoolhouse Rock, Grease, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Really Rosie.
2006 Belly dance instructor at Woburn High School; Belly dance instructor at Positive Energy Studio, Holliston, MA
2004 - 2007 Belly dance instructor at Third Life Studio in Union Square, Somerville; 2006 - 2007 Belly dance instructor at Tranquility Studio in Franklin, MA
2012 (April 19 to May 4) Belly dance instructor for a Dubai to Rome cruise with Royal Caribbean International on their Brilliance of the Seas ship
2012 - 2013 Belly dance instructor offering beginner classes at the Seattle Creative Arts Center in Ballard
2015 to present: Practicing and creating in my home studio in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle.