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Amalia began studying belly dance at a young age in her hometown  of San Francisco, she has been teaching and performing throughout the  Philadelphia area for the over 15 years. Including nearly a decade  teaching the belly dance club at Swarthmore College. She is passionate  about helping women find confidence, power, fluidity, passion,  sensuality, and ease in their bodies through this beautiful dance form

Teaching Specialties: 

Improvisation, Musicality, Performance Skills, Sword, Veil, Fan Veil. 

Classes:

Private classes in Ardmore & Havertown. Workshops at Pivot Ballroom. And At Main Line School Night, Fall 2023

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 Jewelissa (they/them) is a multi-hyphenate performer based in South Jersey renowned for their narrative burlesque, fusion belly dance, and silk veil prowess. They began their belly dance journey in 2016 through the instruction of Queen Yareli and have since studied under Vikki Gale, Amy Sigil, and Silvia Salamanca. As a founding member of Queen Yareli’s Las Serpientas, they’ve performed at Art of the Belly Festival, Raven's Night in DC, and as part of the Greater Philadelphia nightlife. They have been spinning and teaching fan veil technique for over five years, mixing traditional fan veil technique with their flow arts knowledge. Recently they became an instructor at the Philadelphia Burlesque Academy and can’t wait to share their fan veil and bellylesque knowledge across performance styles. Named as “Pandora’s Box of Philadelphia” they love to keep audiences entertained and guessing!

Teaching Specialties: 

American Cabaret, (Tribal) Fusion belly dance, bellylesque, fan veil technique

Classes:  

“Beyond the Fan Veil” - beginner fan veil technique and movement at Philadelphia Burlesque Academy, 8/6 

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Leisha is a joyful and passionate Middle Eastern dancer based in the Philadelphia area. She has shared her love of the art performing and teaching over 40 years and continues to study the dance with renowned teachers at every opportunity.Many who have seen Leisha perform say her interpretation of the dance is one of true elegance and grace. She has performed in Middle Eastern restaurants, local productions as well as weddings, private parties and celebrations.As a teacher she enjoys sharing her passion with her students and encourages them to find their own uniqueness in the dance. Her technique is welcoming and promotes confidence, self-expression and having fun!

Classes:  

Private Lessons in Boyertown, PA 

leishadance21@gmail.com 

Phone: 484-363-0133

Lorelei has been belly dancing in Northern Delaware for over a decade. Her dance style is a mix of Vintage Oriental, Gothic, Transnational, and Turkish (aka Turkish - ish). Lorelei also hosts the Hybrid Delaware Drum and Dance Hafla in Newark, DE, and online. 

Teaching Specialties: 

Finger cymbal/Zills, Veil, Sword, and coming soon Salimpour Format 

Classes:  Newark DE, often at the Newark Arts Alliance.  Also over Zoom

Learn More: 

 delawaredrumanddance.weebly.com         loreleidancer.weebly.com

Meesha's art grows out of her musical Lebanese-American family and the Lebanese community in South Philadelphia in which she grew up. Her entire life as an artist, she has been proud of her art and artistic and cultural heritage.  Meesha has performed and taught Middle Eastern dance throughout the region and for an impressive range of venues some of which include concert halls, international festivals, art museums, weddings, and a broad range of celebrations.

The emotional and aesthetic power of Arabic music and dance, from the oud, nay, Arabic violin, and tabla to the debke (traditional folk dances) and raqs sharqee (popularly known as belly dance) has influenced her sense of creativity, beauty and love.

Specialties:

Dabke and Drum solo for Bellydance 

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Oreet's roots are from Israel and Yemen and has been belly dancing and doing folk dance since the age of 6.  She took her knowledge from her contemporary dance training, her fitness expertise with her indigenous dance, and created SharQui – The bell ydance workout in 1998 - and has been doing it ever since.  For past 25 years, Oreet has been teaching students to love moving their bodies again as well as mentoring instructors in the SharQui format. Her new passion is educating the world about Jewish Mizrahi dance and its relevance in Arabic Culture. She truly feels blessed that she does what she loves – being an instructor, a mentor, and a source teacher.  

Specialties:  

SharQui workout, Contemporary Egyptian, Yemeni folk and Yemeni fusion

Upcoming events:  

SharQui Instructor Academy starting in September

Classes: 

At the SharQui Virtual Studio 

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A fun-sized slice of bratty charm, Selene Rose entrances audiences with her sultry mix of dance, theatre, and comedy. Selene is a professional belly dancer and a member of the Habiba studio and KDC Dance Collective. A student of Egyptian and Near Eastern dance since 2005, She began her affair with Egyptian dance in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Fahtiem and has also studied Lebanese dabke.  The sultan of sass: with a look, she'll fly you to the moon and back. Selene is a graduate of Philadelphia's Burlesque Battle Royale and a member of the city's metal go-go burlesque troupe, Slut Church. 

Specialties: 

contemporary/traditional Egyptian, bellydance fitness, theatricality/stagecraft, musicality, bellyesque

Upcoming events:  

Student bellydance performance at Philly Dance Day, 6/29; Performing in SlutChurch on 8/22

Classes: 

Bellydance Fitness, Mondays at 6:30 at Philly Dance Fitness; also available for privates and small group classes with PDF as well as performance series throughout the year, next confirmed student showcase will be 11/4 featuring bellydance, Bollywood, African fusion and more! 

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Vikki Gale has been a professional belly  dancer since 2000. While she has studied several forms of belly dance,  her passion is for Group Improvisation Fusion style. Vikki is the  director of Persephone Rising (who will be representing Vikki at the  showcase) and Daughters of the Hip dance troupes.

Teaching Specialties:

Group Improvisation Fusion style, along with props such as sword, veil, skirt, and cane.

Classes:

 PA Dance Institute in Hatboro, PA

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Queen Yareli has always been transfixed on the beauty of self-expression through dance. At the age of 14, under top notch Phiadelphia belly dance instructor, Valerie Rushmere, Yareli began her belly dance training. Throughout the years Yareli has trained in various belly dance styles as well as, Jazz, ballet, Latin ballroom, Salsa, samba with trainers like Jessica & Noel Rodriguez, Barbara Capaldi, Rachel Brice, & Eli Torres. She is currently taking her time to train her fusion dance troupe Las Serpientas in all various dance styles. Queen Yareli will be holding a Latin fusion belly dance workshop on July 30tH at Sound Space performing arts in Philadelphia

Classes: 

Queen Yareli will be holding a Latin fusion Belly dance workshop on July 30th at Sound Space performing arts in Philadelphia

Teaching Specialties: 

Fusion & Cabaret belly dance (all levels), Salsa basics level 1 & 2, pop & lock belly dance technique, musicality in dancing technique & The art of footwork in belly dance. www.soundspacephilly.com

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Zahra danced ballet, modern, jazz and tap from age 2, and also was a competitive figure skater. But she soon fell in love with Egyptian dance! Zahra regularly trains with international superstars who live and work in Cairo. Zahra has performed and taught overseas, and has placed at international competitions. Locally, she performs at restaurants, and private parties. She teaches weekly beginner classes at the Delaware Dance Company in Newark DE, as well as private lessons for any level. 

Classes: 

weekly beginner classes at the Delaware Dance Company in Newark DE, as well as private lessons for any level.

Upcoming Events:

· Saturday August 5th, Zahra will teach an Egyptian technique workshop for intermediate and advanced students. 

· Nov 2-5, Zahra is bringing superstars Aziza of Cairo and Nada El Masriya to Delaware. This event includes an intensive course and a gala show. 

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Performer/Educator and Master World Percussionist started performing at his family’s renowned Middle East Restaurant in Philadelphia at an early age learning from the some of the area’s top international musicians.  Joe plays regularly with several groups and ensembles encompassing many genres including:  Jaffna, The Mid East Ensemble, Barakka, M’Oud Swing, Intercultural Journeys, Art Tolerance and The Roddenberries. Currently Joe performs several nights per week at Fabrika, one of Philadephia’s hottest Nightclub/Dinner Theaters.

Joe has played extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally with performances that brought him to Germany, France, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal and Morocco on multiple engagements.  Joe has been awarded several grants from the NEA, PAEP, and the U.S. State department. 

For well over 20 years Joe has been creating and tailoring Music and Drumming Programs for kids and adults throughout Philadelphia and the region. He conducts regular World Drumming Workshops for the general public as an artist in residence at the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology and continues to work with Severely Emotionally Disturbed and Traumatized residential kids at Warwick House, women in recovery from addictions at Woman’s Space, At-Risk High School kids at Liguori Academy and Mastery Charter School, and adults from 70 to 90 years old at Waverly Heights.   

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Learn from Joe at Pretzel Park 

Farmers Market in Manayunk: 

8/12, 9/2 and 10/7