Amie Sultan is an Egyptian belly dancer and classical ballerina. She was born and grew up in Singapore to an Egyptian family that was working extensively in South East Asia. Having established herself first as a successful ballet dancer, she has toured across the world dancing in Swan Lake, La Dame Aux Camellias, Jeune Homme Et La Mort, La Bayadere and Raymonda. In her quest to add a new layer to her dance repertoire, it is Amie's goal as a performance artist to restore the glamour and brilliance of the belly dance technique that was at its height in the 1940's and 50's.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Amie transitioned from a professional ballet career to the belly dance world

- Difficulties of being a dancer in Egypt

- Bringing this dance to institutions such as museums.

- Creating the Taqseem Institute and Tarab Collective

- Relationships between belly dancers that affects the reputation of the dance

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Amie Sultan on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. More info about Taqseem Institute HERE.

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Eva Charkina is the winner of the DariyaM Cup 2018 in the category “Youth. Lovers.”, winner of the competition “The way to the stars” 2018, and many other Ukrainian and international dance events. She has a university degree in modern choreography from the Kyiv University of Culture. Currently living in Kyiv, Eva stays as an active dancer and teacher both in Ukraine and abroad.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Her first belly dance performance after the beginning of the war in Ukraine

- Creating choreographies for competitions

- The importance of a dance repertoire

- Finding individuality as a dancer

- Teaching classes

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Eva Charkina and her events on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube.

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

We haven’t had many of best of compilation episodes this year so far, so it’s time to fix it! Let’s talk about the nutrition.. You will hear from Cassandra Fox, Jillina Carlano, Alla Kushnir, and Mercedes Nieto.

Show Notes to this episode:

Full interviews with our guests:

Ep 15. Cassandra Fox: Healthy Does Not Have a Face

Ep 31. Jillina Carlano: How Food Can Influence Your Dance

Ep 40. Alla Kushnir: Not Only Luck Makes You Number 1

Ep 163. Mercedes Nieto: Finding Home Inside Your Body

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

You can find details about Joana Saahirah online school and available courses at www.joanasaahirah.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Silvia Brazzoli is a professional dancer, instructor, yoga teacher, painter, and pizza lover based in Italy. She found her biggest love for oriental dance at the age of 18. Since then she has been dancing and teaching professionally all around the world. The growth of a dancer is a never-ending journey and Silvia is constantly researching, traveling and training in oriental dance and other dance styles, influencing the development of her own style.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How dance and yoga can compliment each other

- Silvia’s transition into a professional dance life

- Sharing knowledge as a teacher

- Teaching ongoing classes vs one-time workshops

- How to be yourself through dance

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Silvia Brazzoli and her events on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and website.

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

You can find details about Joana Saahirah online school and available courses at www.joanasaahirah.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Native Egyptian Nada El Masriya grew up belly dancing fully immersed within the rich cultural and historical environment of metropolitan Cairo. Her first formal dance training began early, with her high school’s folkloric troupe. At Cairo University, Nada earned a degree in Egyptian Law, minored in the History of Egyptian Culture and Dance Traditions. At early age Nada began her intensive training and performance with the prestigious Reda Troupe School. In 2002 she emigrated to Canada inspired by a passionate desire to accurately preserve and pass on her rich historic native Egyptian culture.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The benefits of cutting back and prioritizing your projects

- How to approach your hesitation to raise prices

- Mindset trick of stop being afraid of competitions

- Why smaller niche can bring bigger income

- Nada’s two big festivals in Egypt and Canada

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Nada El Masriya and her events on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and website.

Previous interview with Nada:

Ep 28. Nada El Masriya: How Studying Folklore Can Make You a Better Belly Dancer

You can find details about Joana Saahirah online school and available courses at www.joanasaahirah.com

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Oleksandra Kovalova is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, and certified judge. She is a director of oriental dance school Amberly based in Zhytomyr (Ukraine), and an organizer of the big international festival Yalla Bina. Oleksandra is a winner of Nile Group competition, as well as a mentor for her award-winning students. After living and teaching classes in Germany during past year, she is currently back to Ukraine, and just managed to run a very success edition of her dance festival, gathering dancers from all over Ukraine.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How war in Ukraine influenced Oleksandra’s life and dance activities

- Teaching belly dance classes in Germany

- Why continuing dance activities in Ukraine is so important

- The nuances of festival organization considering the current situation in Ukraine

- How dancers’ approach to belly dance is changing

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Oleksandra Kovalova on Instagram and Facebook.

You can find details about Joana Saahirah online school and available courses at www.joanasaahirah.com

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

This episode includes Iana’s lecture that was recorded specifically for her recent Mahraganat intensive at the Iana Dance Club.

Since Mahraganat has a very particular mood, this style may feel uncomfortable for many dancers. Diving into such topic can be a great opportunity to train your acting skills, loosen up emotional boundaries related to shyness, and get out of your comfort zone. In addition, we are gonna work on a very fun and dynamic choreo which will provide you a bit of cardio workout. :)

Check out the full intensive on Mahraganat: https://www.ianadanceclub.com/intensives/mahraganat-(street-shaabi)

Show Notes to this episode:

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Yunseo is a young talented belly dancer from South Korea. She is the award recipient of the Midas Goldentouch Bellydance Competition, Reina Oriental Dance Festival, Elkaff Festival, Malaysia World Oriental Dance Art Festival, and many others. Her beautiful unique style blends elements of traditional belly dance mixed with contemporary and other non-belly dance genres.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Belly dance in Korea

- The importance of competitions

- Differences between competitions in Korea and Europe

- Overcoming failure at contests

- Mixing belly dance with other styles

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Yunseo on Instagram and, Facebook.

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Anusch Alawerdian is an Armenian oriental dance performer, instructor and choreographer. She has been interested in dance since she was little, taking up several dance courses like ballet, folk dance and jazz. At the age of seventeen Anusch fell in love with the oriental dance style and traveled the world in search of the best dance instructors to teach her the art of bellydance. She opened her own oriental dance school in the Netherlands in 2002. She is now based in the United Arab Emirates and performs all over the world. In 2011 she also established an International dance festival “Summer Bellydance Festival” in Netherlands. Currently, Anush focuses all her energy on teaching activities and developing her project “Bellydance Abu Dhabi”.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Having 250 students once she started teaching in the Netherlands

- Organizing a festival while living in a different country

- Teaching belly dance classes in Abu Dhabi

- Receiving UAE golden visa for artists

- Becoming a local influencer

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Anusch Alawerdian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. Her classes in Abu Dhabi HERE.

Join SharQui - The Bellydance Workout at sharqui.com/online

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Linda Hathor began her studies in belly dance in 1998, in Paraná (Brazil), and since then, she has dedicated herself professionally to this art as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of the Hathor Group of Oriental Dances. In 2003, she received her professional registration by the Union of Artists of Paraná . For several consecutive years she remained among the first places in the National Mercado Persa Competition, the most important oriental dance competition in Brazil. She also became the professional Brazilian champion of Belly Dance in the 2011 contest. Gathering her knowledge in the area of Performing Arts with oriental dance, she developed her own methodology to work with expression and emotion through dance. Linda was invited by Dunia and Hossam Ramzy to join their tour in Brazil in 2003.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Choosing Performing Arts over a Dance degree

- Linda’s special methodology for teaching emotional expression in dance

- Traps of artistic ego

- The popularity of belly dance in Brazil prior to O’Clone TV series

- How Linda started her festival before she even established her dance school

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Linda Hathor on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. International Festival Hathor: website.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

This is a continuation of our 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. :)

Today you will hear three interviews at once! Enjoy these inspiring conversations with Fiona, Soukaina and Emily where they share their belly dance transformations with us.

Show Notes to this episode:

More interviews from our special series “Student Voices” are available HERE.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Meher Malik is a famous belly dancer from Delhi, India, although she grew up in the Middle East, where she lived for 17 years. She moved to India in 2006 after finishing her schooling and went on to study fashion design at NIFT, Delhi. A few months into the course, Meher realized it was dance that was her true calling. She received huge recognition after her performances on India's Got Talent. In July 2011, Meher Malik and her students were selected on Hrithik Roshan's Just Dance Reality Show aired on Star Plus. Meher is also a director of Banjara School of Dance in New Delhi, an India’s Premier belly dance school.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Drastic shift in Meher’s artistic focus over the last 5 years

- Spirituality and sexuality of belly dance

- Motherhood

- Using dance to process deep traumas

- Meher’s teaching approach and current programs

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Meher Malik on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. Banjara School of Dance: website.

Previous episode with Meher Malik: Ep 27. Meher Malik: Fusion, Confusion and Female Objectification

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Nisaa (Heather D. Ward) is a Middle Eastern dance instructor, performer, and researcher based in St. Louis, Missouri. Nisaa’s mission is to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the complexity, diversity, and beauty of Middle Eastern dance forms. As a researcher, Nisaa focuses on the history of Egyptian dance and its professional practitioners. Her investigations into the transition from awalim and ghawazi dance styles to classical raqs sharqi at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries led to the publication of her first book, Egyptian Belly Dance in Transition: The Raqs Sharqi Revolution, 1890-1930, in 2018.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Sensuality, sexuality and eroticism in belly dance

- How Nisaa got involved into researching belly dance

- What is the difference between awalim and ghawazee

- Did Badia Masabni invent raqs sharki?

- The term ‘raqs sharqi’

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Nisaa (Heather D. Ward) on Instagram, FB, YouTube, and website.

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Hayam Sokar is a midlife transformational coach, born and based in Egypt. She is a certified Neuro Linguistic Practitioner accreted from the American Board, and certified practitioner of Accessing Personal Genius from ISNS, as well as PEAT Processor. She helps women to find clarity in life, go through midlife crisis, re-evaluate who they are and who they want to become, and discover truths about themselves with the goal of becoming happier and build a more positive life. She actively incorporates dance classes into her coaching process.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Love-hate relationships with belly dance in Egypt

- What is a midlife crisis

- Signs of a middle age crisis

- How exactly belly dance benefit women who experience midlife crisis

- Hayam’s coaching process

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Hayam Sokar on Instagram, FB, and website.

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

This is a new solo episode with Iana!

Last months I had my ever first Vipassana course, and I’d like to share some lessons that I had to remind myself during that 10-day meditation course. They perfectly apply to the process of dance training too, so I hope you will enjoy and use them in your own practice.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club. Artist Date show is available to watch/listen to HERE.

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Nataliya Goncharova has a university degree in Education, and is experienced in working with kids. Her students are champions of Ukraine, winners of the Belly Dance World Cup and many other prestigious awards. Nataliya co-organized the Dance with Stars Ukraine project, providing free online classes for Ukrainian belly dance students (many of whom are children), while also gathers donations from non-Ukrainian participants for families who escaped temporarily occupied territories during the war in Ukraine.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Current realities of dance life in Ukraine

- Dance With Stars Ukraine project

- Nuances of teaching children

- Main mistakes in flexibility training

- Benefits of doing a belly vacuum practice

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Nataliya Goncharova on Instagram, FB, and YouTube.

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Morocco (Carolina Varga Dinicu) is a member of the Congress on Research in Dance (C.O.R.D.), the Society of Dance History Scholars (S.D.H.S.), the International Council on Dance – UNESCO (C.I.D.) and the International Council on Health, Physical Education Sport & Dance – UNESCO (ICHPER-SD). Morocco was awarded two grants by the State Council on the Arts for her choreography in 1972 and 1981, 3 NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Community Service Grants, 3 Summer Program Grants, a Materials for the Arts Grant and an Arts Exposure Grant.

Since 1964, Morocco has written for several publications in her field and been reprinted in dance, medical and feminist publications internationally. A true pioneer in the field, she taught a 3-credit course in Middle Eastern Dance and Culture at the State University of New York (Purchase, NY) in the mid 1970s.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Morocco came to a dance audition not knowing it was a belly dance show

- The story of her stage name

- How ancients the belly dance is

- Researching deeper and reviewing mistakes in your own work

- Teaching Oriental Dance at university

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Morocco (Aunt Rocky) on FB, and her website.

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Pedro Bonatto is an internationally acclaimed photographer and drummer. Born in Brazil, Pedro works in fine art and fashion photography, with works published in Elle Arabia, Fashion Canada and a number of magazines and books. Pedro is also a drummer focusing on Middle Eastern music and the leader of the world music and dance band Blue Dot.

Iana Komarnytska is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, and passionate content creator helping dancers navigate their dance lives. She is a graduate from the professional dance program at York University (Canada), host of the Belly Dance Life podcast, creator of the educational online platform the Iana Dance Club, author of numerous articles, and winner of Star Bellydancer Canada 2014 among other international competitions. 

In this episode you will learn about:

- Building business systems for your teaching activities

- The importance of confidence for a dance teacher

- How to check if you are ready to teach

- Tips for promoting your classes

- Nurturing your newsletter list

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Pedro Bonatto on FB, Instagram, and YouTube, his website.

Previous interview with Pedro Bonatto:

Ep 171 - Pedro Bonatto: How to Approach a Drum Solo Improvisation & Stop Being Afraid of It

Ep 112. Pedro Bonatto: Drummer, Photographer & Husband of a Belly Dancer

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning April 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

This is a new solo episode with Iana!

Sharing 10 practical tips that I use to memorize choreographies faster. These tips will be especially useful during workshop settings, when you need to learn a dance piece within very limited amount of time.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Check out Stackable Drills for your daily practice at www.stackabledrills.com.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Oreet has over 25 years of experience in fitness and dance. She grew up with Yemeni folk and Oriental dance and has a degree in Contemporary Dance from SUNY College at Brockport. SharQuí has been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN, among other outlets. Some of Oreet’s bellydance awards are: Bellydancer of the Year, and Middle Eastern Dance Champion of North America. She’s led packed classes worldwide and has worked with thousands of men and women to realize their fitness potential.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Building business systems for your teaching activities

- The importance of confidence for a dance teacher

- How to check if you are ready to teach

- Tips for promoting your classes

- Nurturing your newsletter list

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Oreet on website, Instagram, YouTube, and FB. Check her new FB group HERE.

Previous interview with Oreet:

Ep 67. Oreet: Belly Dance as a Fitness Workout

Check out Stackable Drills for your daily practice at www.stackabledrills.com.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Diana Garnik is the director of DiDance Studio in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. She was winner of the AlHayat Festival, recipient of the 3rd place at Raqs of Course Festival by Randa Kamel, and many other competitions. Diana is famous for her dynamic modern Iraqi performances, just as much as her love for Khalidji, shaabi, tabla solo, mejance, classical and lyrical songs. You may really enjoy having your next show choreographed by Diana.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How stress influences creativity

- Overcoming creative blocks

- Creating choreos for yourself vs for others

- Preparing workshop choreographies

- Starting teaching activities at 12 years-old

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Diana Garnik on FB, YouTube, and Instagram.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out Stackable Drills for your daily practice at www.stackabledrills.com.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Born in Cartagena, Colombia, Horacio Cifuentes started dancing at the age of five. He first studied Flamenco at the Academy of Maestro Realito in Seville, Spain. Later he also danced with the Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Colombia. He followed with classical ballet in Poland, and later gained a scholarship to the prestigious American Ballet Theatre School in New York. He eventually joined the San Francisco Ballet where he was featured as a soloist. He discovered oriental dance at Magana Baptiste’s Royal Bellydancing Academy in San Francisco where he also studied yoga with the great master Walt Baptiste. Together with his wife, Beata, Horacio travels the world performing and teaching.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Horacio’s professional ballet journey

- Using yoga to conquer stage nervousness

- Struggles of combining active ballet and belly dance performance careers

- His book “Confessions of a Male Belly Dancer”

- Aging as a dancer

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Horacio Cifuentes on FB, YouTube, and website

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out Stackable Drills for your daily practice at www.stackabledrills.com.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

As the closing episode of 2022 I’d like to share a compilation of some of my favorite moments from the interviews of this year. You will hear from Gitza, Semsemah, Mahaila El Helwa, and Tatiana Tarasova.

Show Notes to this episode:

Full interviews with our guests:

Ep 183. Gitza: Dance Movement Therapy

Ep 188. Semsemah: Don’t Be a Superficial Dancer

Ep 203. Mahaila El Helwa: Finding Your Truth in Dance

Ep 209. Tatiana Tarasova: Know Your Uniqueness

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teachFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Oscar Flores began in Oriental dance in 1995 and since 2000 has been dedicated to teaching this art around the world. He has created a personal style joining techniques developed while studying other arts such as theater, musical theater, flamenco, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tribal fusion, Indian dances, theatrical jazz, psychodrama, and others. In 2005, he opened his first studio in Buenos Aires and in 2007 his first school called Alkimiah, Fusion of Talents. In 2010, he founded his dance company with which worked until 2016, when he moved to China to become part of the Bellydance China project. Today he lives in Spain, but continues to work around the world in important artistic events.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Oscar’s online campus for belly dancers

- His dream of creating a belly dance university

- The benefits of having an international certification

- Fitness activities for belly dancers

- Diversification of activities and various projects Oscar is currently working on 

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Oscar Flores on Instagram, FB, and YouTube.

Previous interview with Oscar:

Ep 25. Oscar Flores: I Needed an Opportunity to Live My Dream

Ep 116. Oscar Flores: It's Time to Be Reborn

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teachFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

This is a new solo episode with Iana!

We often make grand plans but fail on showing up and performing them. Or sometimes we do show up but don't put 100% of our energy into the task. How to make sure that your future New Year resolution list won’t transform by the end of January into a simple wish list of dance habits you’d like to have.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Book recommendation: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Valerick Molinary has started her bellydance training when she was 13 yrs old in San Juan, Puerto Rico. By the time she was 18, Valerick started performing in a Palestinian-owned restaurant. She has a BA in Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature, the influence of which can be seen in her creative and poetic approach to choreography, dance teaching and production. In 2015 Valerick began producing the Lebanese Love Affair, an annual event in Miami dedicated to providing a platform for dancers to study directly from renowned and dedicated Arab dance artists, all in a big celebration of love for Raks Sharky and the countries that gave birth to it.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Unity of personal and artistic lives

- Channeling intimate emotions into dance

- Valerick work on the video dance piece Trapped

- How mentorship for other dancers work

- Amazing new projects hosted by Valerick

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Valerick Molinary via Instagram, FB, YouTube, and website.

Previous interview with Valerick: Ep 11. Valerick Molinary: Different Ways to Develop Your Belly Dance Career

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teachFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Anna Chepets is a young international star from Ukraine. She traveled all around the world with shows and workshops, won multiple international competitions, and has been judging at numerous events. She is the winner of Ahlan Wa Sahlan festival in Cairo in 2017 in the Master Professional category, and previously 2014, 2015, 2016 in other categories. At the age of 12, she was invitated to teach at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan festival. Today Anna is a co-organizer of the ‘Bagira The Way To The Stars’ Festival, head of her own dance school, and she is an inspiring teacher for many dancers around the world.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Starting belly dance classes at 8 years-old

- How her love for belly dance transformed into a profession

- Teaching young children

- Dealing with students’ parents

- Bright and dark sides of belly dance competitions

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Anna Chepets via Instagram, FB and YouTube.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teachFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Sahira began belly dancing full-time in 2001. At one point she was dancing 5 nights a week, sometimes up to 7 shows in one evening! In 2005, Sahira released her first instructional DVD and shortly after she got invited to teach and perform all around the world. In 2006 she even had the honor of being the first tribal instructor ever invited to teach at the largest belly dance festival in the world: Ahlan We Sahlan, in Cairo, Egypt. She is also the proud co-owner of Bella Donna Dance, voted Houston’s Best Belly Dancers by the Houston Press. She is also the founder and director of Houston’s premiere Tribal Style troupe, Urban Hipsy.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Being fired from a job, and diving into a belly dance career

- The importance of networking and connections

- Learning process for finger cymbals

- Teaching zills online

- Where to purchase good finger cymbals, and where to perform with them

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Sahira via Instagram, FB, YouTube and website. FREE mini-course from Sahira: www.sahirabellydances.com/zillstar

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

For all our guests and listeners dance is a very integral part of daily life. But sometimes we start taking it for granted, and forget that for many people opportunity to dance and perform is a luxury. Let’s listen to some stories from our previous guests.

NEW episode with a selection of the best parts dedicated to the barriers and hardships of the decision to pursue a dance path. You’ll hear from Lebanese Simon, Sara Al-Hadithi, Mohanned Hawaz and Sabriye Tekbilek.

Show Notes to this episode:

Full interviews with our guests:

Ep 29. Lebanese Simon: Rising Above Obstacles

Ep 108. Sara Al-Hadithi: About Popularization of Iraqi Dance

Ep 115. Mohanned Hawaz: Things You Didn’t Know about Iraqi Dance

Ep 150. Sabriye Tekbilek: Be The Type Of Artist You Want To Be

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Performer, Master Instructor, Choreographer, Director and Producer, Jillina Carlano has devoted her life to dance. From 2003-09 she served as Artistic Director and Main Choreographer for the Bellydance Superstars and performed with them for over 700 shows in over a dozen countries. In 2009 Jillina created Bellydance Evolution to take Middle Eastern dance to a higher level worldwide.  Bellydance Evolution has already appeared in over 20 countries and was a featured performer at the Mawazine festival in Morocco, performing for the Queen of Morocco. Jillina has won numerous awards from International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance and the Giza Academy, including Best Modern Egyptian Dancer, Best Instructional Video, Best Dance Company and Dancer of the Year.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Delegating responsibilities and projects to others

- Tips for hiring people

- Post-pandemic performances by Belly Dance Evolution

- The importance of generosity

- Dealing with self-criticism and personal insecurities

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Jillina Carlano via Instagram, FB, and website.

Previous interviews with Jillina:

Ep 31. Jillina Carlano: How Food Can Influence Your Dance

Ep 22. Jillina Carlano: Building Community Around the Globe

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

International master teacher and dancer artist, Kaouther Ben Amor is known for the theatrical dimension she gives to her expressive interpretations and original choreographies. After various shows in France where her name totally settled down as teacher and performer, she naturally moved on to performing abroad in prestigious theatres : Tokyo, New York, Dallas, Geneva, Brussels, Cairo, Torino, Amsterdam, Tunis, Venice, Rimini, Berlin, Amsterdam... Rachid Bouchared trusted her to create the choreography of the oriental ballet in his latest film “Outside the Law”  (Cannes Film Festival 2010) and also for the Tunisian Director Elyes Baccar in the movie Tunis By Night.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Feeling both French and Tunisian

- Taking three years to become a professional full-time dancer

- How belly dance embraces all types of body shapes

- The artistic fire that burns inside

- Kauther’s experience in the cinema industry

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Kaouther Ben Amor via Instagram, FB, YouTube, and website.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Alisa Gurova is a professional fusion dancer with a Master degree in contemporary dance from the College of Arts in Kyiv. Her performances combine fusion, belly dance, and contemporary dance with ballet. This has led her to winning “The Challenge” in the Ukrainian International Competition for Contemporary Jazz in 2015 and 2016, and winning Miss Belly Dance Ukraine in 2010. Her expertise is well known as she has been asked to judge the Let’s Dance Festival in Prague 2016, the Bellydance Festival in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine in 2016, and the Bellydance Festival in Kiev in 2015.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Fleeing the war in Ukraine, and being robed on the first day in Spain

- Processing the hardship of the current situation through dance

- Alisa’s competition experience in the contemporary jazz style

- The necessity of professional higher education for belly dancers

- The evolution of terminology in the dance world

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Kira Lebedeva via Instagram, FB, and YouTube.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning January 2nd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

This is a new solo episode with Iana! Let’s talk about the frustrations of the learning process, and specifically the moment when you don’t see much improvements in your dance.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Check out the amazing collection at My Inner Dancer online store at www.myinnerdancer.com Use a promo code PODCAST for a 10% discount during the checkout.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Originally from the Netherlands, Loretta is a modern international belly dance star and in-demand teacher of workshops worldwide. She is a winner of multiple international competitions, and known for her smooth graceful movements with intricate technique skills. Now Loretta lives and teaches belly dance classes in Kuwait, as well as continues to travel worldwide.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Mastering belly dance on your own from 0 to professional level

- The importance of flexibility for dancer’s body

- Teaching belly dance classes in Kuwait

- Adjusting to a different lifestyle in a new country

- Managing 7-8 classes on a daily basis

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Loretta via Instagram, FB, and YouTube.

Check out the amazing collection at My Inner Dancer online store at www.myinnerdancer.com Use a promo code PODCAST for a 10% discount during the checkout.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Shahrzad is an internationally known teacher and performer of Egyptian dance styles. She moved to Egypt in 2015 and enjoyed a 5 year performance career appearing in top night clubs, films, and music videos. Post-covid she opened her business ‘Shahrzad Studios’ which focuses on providing high quality education on Egyptian dance, music, and language both online and in person featuring her own instruction as well as promoting artists of origin.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Not-so-obvious reasons of why Cairo dance & music scene has changed so much after the lockdowns

- Shifts in Shahrzad’s personal dance focus

- Experience of teaching live classes in Cairo for local women

- Expanding activities to teaching online and organizing tours in Egypt

- The importance of conditioning and body awareness for belly dancers

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Shahrzad via Instagram, FB, and YouTube. Also, check out info about here online classes, music CDs, and tours in Egypt.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the amazing collection at My Inner Dancer online store at www.myinnerdancer.com Use a promo code PODCAST for a 10% discount during the checkout.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Kira Lebedeva has been a professional Tribal Fusion dancer and teacher for almost 12 years, also teaching yoga for around 10 years. In March 2022 Kira has transformed her studio in Lviv into a shelter to host people from all over Ukraine who had to leave their own cities in search of a safer place.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The impact of the war on Kira’s dance life, and the experience of hosting a shelter at her dance studio

- Expressing politics through dance

- The beginning of Kira’s dance journey

- How easy it is to transition from belly dance to tribal fusion

- The struggle of speaking in English

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Kira Lebedeva via Instagram, FB, and YouTube.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning October 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

What do you feel when you are watching your own performance videos? Let’s hear the experience of our star guests.

NEW episode with a selection of the best parts dedicated to the self criticism and your videos. You’ll hear from Julia Farid, Aida Bogomolova, Yael Zarca and Diana Gnatchenko.

Show Notes to this episode:

Full interviews with our guests:

Ep 52. Julia Farid: About Artistic Fulfillment, Individual Style and Teacher-Student Relationships

Ep 144. Aida Bogomolova: Paying Attention to Each Detail

Ep 162. Yaël Zarca: Spreading Light and Positivity

Ep 200. Diana Gnatchenko: Life Before & After

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning October 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Jasirah is an international professional dancer, teacher and judge, and organizer of the Raks Glam Festival in Poland. For over 12 years she has been teaching regular classes of oriental dance in Poland and master classes around the world. You could meet her teaching and performing in over 20 countries on 4 different continents. In 2016 she played the main role of Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland" during a 3-month tour with BDE in China, and in 2017 she played the main role of Mermaid and Florist in “Sheherezade 1001 Night” show, during United States East Coast Tour.

She is a multi-award winner of competitions, including Etna Bellydance Festival 2014 in Sicily, Polish Championships 2010 and semifinalist of Poland Got Talent Show in 2011.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How writing down things can improve your dance

- Where to find motivation for your practice sessions

- The production process of physical goods

- Teaching classes online

- The benefits of doing local gigs.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Jasirah via Instagram, FB, and YouTube. Information about her training wear is available HERE, belly dance journal HERE, and her Patreon account with online classes HERE.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning October 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

From a family of artists, Nesma started to perform in TV shows and theatre when she was a teenager. She lived in Cairo from 1993–1998, where she obtained her extensive knowledge of Oriental dance, Egyptian folklore, Arabic music, culture and traditions. Nesma performed as a soloist with her own orchestra in over 3,500 shows on the most prestigious stages of Cairo. She broadened her artistic career in the National Egyptian Folkloric Ballet, The Reda Troupe. Since 1998 she has danced and taught around the world. In Spain she founded her own school and a prestigious dance company, Al-Andalus Danza. Creator of the neoandalusí style, she is a pioneer in investigating and choreographing dance performances inspired by the legacy of al-Andalus.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Dance life in Cairo in the 90s

- Transitioning from a solo dance career to being a part of a folklore group

- What’s the difference between real folklore and Reda style

- How Reda technique is deeply embedded in modern Oriental dance

- Main confusions around Andalusian dance and music culture.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Nesma via Instagram, FB, YouTube, and website. Information about her academy is available HERE.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning October 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Tatiana Tarasova is a professional dancer and choreographer, with a 7-year experience of teaching oriental dance in her own school in Melitopol (Ukraine). She is a festival organizer, and the winner of many dance competitions. Her most recent festival was planned for March 5th of 2022 but it was cancelled due to the war in Ukraine. Currently Tatiana resides in the Czech Republic, and is open for classes and event collaborations.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How the war in Ukraine made Tatiana move to a different place for the second time in her life
- The spirit of competitiveness in the belly dance classroom
- Finding your perfect balance in dance
- What does it take for a plus-size dancer to be acknowledged as a professional
- Creating choreographies for competitions vs gala shows.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Tatiana Tarasova via Instagram, FB, and YouTube.

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning October 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Dancing to Tarab songs is extremely responsible task. Such songs have a deep cultural meaning, and should be addressed thoughtfully and with respect.⁣⁣ Let’s discuss this subject more in-depth.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube , or contact via email info@ianadance.com . Intensives at the Iana Dance Club mentioned in the episode: Belly Rolls and Flutters & Tab Wana Maly (Tarab).

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning October 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Tetiana Tesliuk is a professional bellydancer from Kyiv, winner of competitions in Ukraine and Europe, “Orientalisimo World Cup Champion” 2021. She also won over a dozen of ONLINE competitions in JUST 2021. Tetiana absolutely adores drum solo style, and creates unique drum solo choreographies! Because of the war she currently stays in Germany, but she is open for online classes, individual choreographies, and festival collaborations.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How the war in Ukraine impacted Tetiana’s life
- Her decision to perform on stage despite the current situation
- The necessity of keep learning with different teachers
- Main nuances of online format of competitions
- Tetiana’s love to drum solo style

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Tetiana Tesliuk via Instagram, FB, and YouTube.

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning October 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Munique Neith is a Brazilian dancer of Arabic descent and one of the most prestigious master teachers in the world. Currently, she lives in Barcelona, Spain, and she is the first master owner of two Oriental Dance Schools in the country with more than 800 students and the biggest school in Europe exclusively for bellydancing. She participated as a dancer in the Netflix series The Crown in one of its 5th season episodes, taught Oriental Dance classes for Cirque du Soleil artists during their tour in Barcelona with the Saltimbanco Show, performed at the Palau de la Música Catalana, hired by TVE for the opening of the cinema awards. Munique Neith is also the organizer of the prestigious International Oriental Dance Festival “Egypt in Barcelona”, that join together every year the best teachers and dancers from five continents.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Marketing mindset for belly dancers 
- Nuances of festival organization
- Experience of shooting for a TV series
- Collaboration with Cirque du Soleil
- Navigating work-life balance

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Munique Neith via Instagram, FB, website, and YouTube.

Check out the next SharQui Instructor Academy beginning October 3rd. Apply at sharqui.com/teach

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Angella Kim is an internationally renowned and award-winning belly dancer from South Korea. She graduated from Dongguk University of Arts with a degree in theatre and first began her journey in Oriental dance in 2005. In 2008 Angella established her AFOD company in Beijing, China and began developing her teaching system, which is now used in over 24 provinces in China and more than 180 cities. From 2009-2012 Angella toured in Jillina's Bellydance Evolution company. She has also taught at the "Ahlan wa Sahlan" festival in Cairo, Egypt as well as Japan, Singapore, Argentina and many other countries.

In this episode you will learn about:

- What influenced the popularization of belly dance in Korea

- Why Angella moved to China

- Her teaching system 

- Difference in students mentality in China, Korea and Japan

- Navigating dance work in China through the pandemic times

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Angella Kim via Instagram, FB, and YouTube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

NEW episode with a selection of the best parts dedicated to the healing power of belly dance. You’ll hear from Anna Schkade-Siytangco, Aszmara, Amel Tafsout and Cassandra Shore.

Show Notes to this episode:

Full interviews with our guests:

Ep 135. Anna Schkade-Siytangco: Gaining Confidence & Overcoming Fears

Ep 159. Aszmara: Dance Gives Us Inner Strength

Ep 103. Amel Tafsout: The Healing Power of North African Culture

Ep 168. Cassandra Shore: Progressing Through Years of Dancing

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Mahaila El Helwa is a renowned Brazilian instructor, performer and choreographer of Oriental dance.  She is known for her unique style and precise technique. In addition to her work in Brazil, Mahaila has taught workshops and performed in many countries throughout the world. She improves her dance with great masters of oriental dance and travels constantly to Egypt to improve her dance.  In 2017, she opened the "Mahaila El Helwa Studio - Arab Oriental Dance" in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Today, she is a beloved master teacher of many students who are intrigued and inspired by her personality and dance individuality.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Belly dancing through different ages of your life

- The importance of conditioning your body aside from the dance activities

- Difficult career choices, and how Mahaila almost became a lawyer instead of belly dancer 

- Mahaila’s teaching approach

- Running online classes

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Mahaila El Helwa via Instagram, FB, YouTube, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Dr. Audrey Cottet is an academic researcher in the Physics department of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. She has over twenty years of expertise in theoretical physics, with a focus on condensed matter physics and quantum physics. Outside the lab, Audrey is a Middle Eastern dance and percussion student.

She has learned how to player finger cymbals with Hassan Abdel Khalek and Nicolas Derolin in Paris. This practice motivated her secondary research activity on the history of cymbal playing. She has recently written one article on finger cymbal played in the Roman Empire, in the journal “Early Music” published by the Oxford University Press. She also has a second article published in the Review CLARA (Classical Art and Archaeology) hosted by the University of Oslo.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Proper terminology: zills, sagats or cymbals

- The very first mentions of cymbals and finger cymbals in ancient history

- The process of writing a peer reviewed article

- The tradition of finger cymbals playing in the Roman Empire

- First known mentions of finger cymbals in Egyptian culture

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Dr. Audrey Cottet via Instagram. Two of her articles available here: Playing finger cymbals in the Roman Empire: an iconographic study, and Cymbals playing in a Roman mosaic from Mariamin in Syria

Also, check her performance at the upcoming show "Hommages" choregraphed by Ciya with her amateur dance troupe the “Ballet Egypt'Ciya”, with invited professional dancers (Yael Zarca, Gennaro Festa, Myrto Kaukias) and with a small finger cymbal solo by Audrey (July 3rd, in Montrouge near Paris).

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Prianca where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

Belly Dance Transformations

Before: I’m so used to being in the studio, and having a teacher whom I can see, so starting to dance at home as my studio was very challenging. It was hard to stay focus. I had very limited space at home. Also, not having a full-length mirror kinda discouraged me since I didn’t have an immediate feedback. 

Now: It took me 4-5 months of online learning to get the groove, but it got so much easier. I had to constantly remind myself that video recording was not about perfection, but just a tool instead of a mirror to see where I can improve. Benefits of video recording is that camera evokes a performance mood in you.

Before: The hardest part of training by yourself is coming up with a curriculum.

Now: That’s why I’m heavily relying on the Iana Dance Club for that. I’m using it to challenge myself, and to make sure that I’m getting a well-rounded training on a weekly basis.

'I feel that I will dance when I’m 100 years old, and I still will be able to learn something new, and still be excited about it.'

"Belly dance “took me” as I was, and gave me the tools to be more confident and brave, and to learn that I can move my body and dance without having to have started when I was one or two years old. You can start whenever you want because it feel like a form of self-expression." _Prianca

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Prianca’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Diana Gnatchenko is a professional oriental dancer from Ukraine recognized around the world. She is the winner of multiple international competitions, guest teacher and judge at the most prestigious events worldwide. Her dance tours took place in countries such as Ukraine, United States, Italy, China, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Korea, Chile, France, Malaysia, Sweden, Poland, Serbia, Brazil, Colombia and many other countries in the world.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How the war in Ukraine affected Diana’s life and dance activities

- Why choosing students who fit you as a teacher is as much important as for students to choose a teacher who fits them

- Diana’s process of creating choreographies

- Her teaching approach and what she aims for in her work with students

- What are the benefits of learning other dance styles for professional dance teachers

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Diana Gnatchenko via FB, YouTube and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Shani Brown where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

Belly Dance Transformations:

"A lot of the time it’s difficult to prioritize for ourselves, and to prioritize our dance because there are so many things that we have to do… But if we have assignments and goals to reach for the week/month, that really helps to prioritize our training."

"I think it’s so nice to record yourself right from the beginning of your dance journey, so that 1 month/ 2 months or even a year later you can look back and realize: “Omg, I have improved!”. Video recording is a wonderful tool."

"I think I’m mature enough to know that progress isn’t instant, but I know it will come. There is always room for growth, so we just keep going."

"Belly dance brings me that need to continue to challenge myself, to learn, to grow. Something I can’t find anywhere else."_Shani

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Shani’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Victoria Teel is an award winning belly dance performer and instructor. In 2010, she was chosen along with 24 other dancers to participate in the world’s first ever belly dance reality show, Project Belly Dance. She placed among the top six contestants, earning her spot in the Final 6 instructional DVD released in March 2011. Soon after Project Belly Dance, Victoria joined Miles Copeland's Bellydance Superstars in Japan for the tour of Bombay Bellywood. 

Victoria is also the creator of the Teel Fan Method, a dance technique using fans and fan veils incorporating influences from Asian dances. Today, Victoria is based in the USA and offers online classes. She currently tours the world teaching workshops and performing.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Participation at the reality TV show Project Belly Dance

- Experience of joining Belly Dance Superstars

- The story of falling in love with fan-veils

- Victoria’s approach to her own training

- The importance of learning with different teachers

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Victoria Teel via website, FB, YouTube and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Sandra Van Baaren where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

Belly Dance Transformations:

"What helped a lot in my training was video taping myself. Often I’d look in a mirror and think that I’ve gotten a move, but after seeing a video I would realize that I needed to do a lot more of work."

"Sometimes you will stop trying again just because learning process lost the fun quality of it. You need to overcome a frustration of not getting a movement right away."

"My current focus is getting more creative with my own dance."

"Also, I’ve added ballet classes along with belly dance training, and I like the difference it made in my body."

"Dance helps me to balance the type of work I do on a daily basis."

"Belly dance is so beautiful! It brings a lot of joy, creativity and magic into my world." _Sandra

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Sandra’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Born in Berlin, Germany, Beata Cifuentes started dancing at the age of six. Already as a child she attended her weekly ballet lessons with great persistence. Her decision to interrupt medical studies, as well as an intensive three-year course at Berlin’s Academy for Performing Arts, led her to discover oriental dance. She was fascinated by Arabic music when she heard the legendary singer Um Kalthoum – this was the start of a life-long passion for oriental dancing. After serious research, studies and travels to the Middle East, Beata founded the first-of-its-kind school for oriental dance in Berlin. She currently co-directs the Dance Academy Cifuentes in Beelitz, performs and teaches internationally, and is an inspiration to dancers world-wide.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Teaching mistakes Beata did in the beginning of her career

- Transition from ballet to the belly dance world

- Incorporating ballet class structure into oriental dance

- The love story of Beata and Horacio

- Crazy situations of collaborating with various composers on music CDs

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Beata Cifuentes via website, FB, YouTube and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Wendy where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

Belly Dance Transformations:

"I needed to exercise, but I couldn’t make myself going to gym on a regular basis. Dance on contrary is just something that is fun. Every time there is music on, I feel that I have to move."

"I’m naturally a very clumsy person, I’m usually covered in bruises because I keep bumping into things, so me being able to coordinate all these different movements together is a victory."

"I never thought I would be able to learn a choreography over just one month, because I have terrible memory. I’m so proud of myself now."

"When you learn a choreography, it’s nice to share it with the audience, but I’ve determined that it’s not something that I NEED in order to be happy."

"I’m enjoying just how I improve my movements, exploring the ability to learn things that I thought were too hard for me." _Wendy

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Wendy’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Warda is a professional national and international award-winning bellydancer. She has traveled to Egypt over thirty times to research and train and has won awards by top Egyptian professionals for her dancing. Warda is the director of the Shahrazad Dance Company , and has written ‘The Origins and History of Bellydance’, along with Egyptian Professor Dr. Hassan Khalil. She is a mentor and teacher of a number of prize winning dancers.

In this episode you will learn about:

-  Traveling lifestyle as a part of military community

- Bringing innovation to dance

- The origins of the belly dance art form

- What is the proper name of our dance style

- The importance of critical thinking

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Warda via website, FB, YouTube and Instagram. Her book ‘The Origins and History of Bellydance’ is available HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Lilia where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

"I’m battling perfectionism constantly."

"In my mind ‘professional’ means ‘perfect’ which is not true."

"I have several performances and competitions that I skipped because I though I wasn’t ready, that they would not be perfect. It’s a constant battle."

"Sometimes when you want it to be perfect, you do nothing, because you are afraid it won’t be perfect."

"I don’t even know what is ‘perfect’. That’s the irony of it."

"Now I’m trying to practice smarter rather than harder."

"Belly dance gives the freedom to express my feelings. It gives me storytelling techniques with the body." _Lilia

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Lilia’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

We often make grand plans but fail on showing up and performing them. Or sometimes we do show up but don't put 100% of our energy into the task. This relates to dance training too, especially if we are talking about practicing on your own. How to be more accountable and stop finding excuses of being too busy, or too tired, or simply postponing for later? 

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Tita where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

‘’I feel that I’m growing, and it’s wonderful to be 59 and still experience the growth in your body."

"I started doing belly dance to help with my cognition, to feel more feminine on my body. I’m learning to be not just to be a worker, but to have individuality and to express myself."

"My training is changing with my body. Some days I just sit and watch videos, or listen to the music and mark moves in my head."

"I’m happy if dance just belongs to me [without showing it to anyone else]. But I like sharing and bringing joy to people too."

"What keeps people away from even trying to attend the class is that fear of feeling lost."_ Lina Marie

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Lina’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Amar Lammar was born in Mexico City. Since a young age she showed interest in art, especially dance. At the age of six years old she began her studies of Polynesian dances followed by a short period of ballet together with Mexican folklore. At the age of 11 she got into Afro-Caribbean rhythms but finally discovered and pursued her studies of oriental dance at the age of 13. 

Her international career began in 2003 with her first contracts in India for the Sheraton hotel group. After this first successful contract, she expanded her career and performed in several countries including Bahrein, Syria, Lebanon, Tunis and the Netherlands. For 12 years she has resided in the UAE performing full time at some of the most prestigious hotels in Abu Dhabi and Dubai including Marriot, Millenium, Rotana, Burj Al Arab, Atlantis the Palm and Emirates Palace. Now based in South Africa, Amar continues dancing and improving. Her main goal is to teach Oriental Dance based on her experiences in the Middle East and the knowledge she acquired during all these years.

In this episode you will learn about:

-  Reasons why she quit daily shows in Dubai and moved to South Africa

- Connecting with dancers, client and students in a new country 

- Preparing classes for beginning students

- Teaching livestream classes vs prerecorded videos

- Motivation to practice without any performance goals

Show Notes to this episode:

Join me on livestream class this Thursday, May 12 at 3 pm Kyiv time to work on Turkish Romani dance technique. This workshop is part of the project Dance With Stars. You can contact Nataliya Goncharova to find out how you can participate. Find even more information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Follow Amar Lammar via website, FB, and Instagram.

Check out our previous episode with Amar Lammar here: Ep 18. Amar Lammar: Twelve Years of Performing Every Night in the Arab Emirates!

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Tita where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

Before:

- My body was stuck doing nothing my whole life. I had to learn to move every muscle, especially my hips.

- It’s difficult to follow the choreo with ‘rights’ and ‘lefts’.

- Finding my flow was very difficult. I’m good with capturing all accents in my mind, but my body isn’t, lol.

Now:

- Belly dance helped me to exercise consistently.

- It also inspired me to take care and move my body even more diving into other disciplines.

- My self-confidence improved. I found that I am beautiful.

‘These days I found a new way of enjoying dance. I’m not dancing for someone, but I’m dancing for myself.’

"Two girls started dancing because they saw my very first performance. That was so inspiring. Since then I think: Ok, I’m not perfect, but I CAN do it!"_ Tita

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Tita’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Semsemah has created a unique, innovative and modern belly dance style and became one of the most famous dancers of her generation. She knew how to develop a modern style while preserving the Egyptian soul. Artistic director of the Sesame Association, she regularly organizes events related to oriental dance (tours to Cairo, shows, training, festivals). She hosts the annual show "Bent El Balad" bringing together her students and renowned artists such as Aladin El Kholy, Gamal Seif, Hind, Salma, Hakim, Taly, Kareem Gad, Zomzom. Semsemah also co-organized the Eshtah ya Eshta oriental dance festival with the renowned oriental dancer Taly, bringing together artists from France and Egypt (Wael Mansour and Mohamed Kazafy). Today, SEMSEMAH is regularly invited to dance and teach internationally (Italy, Venezuela, Ukraine, Russia, Mexico, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Russia, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia and France).

In this episode you will learn about:

- Algerian culture and belly dance

- How Semsemah defines the term ‘professional dancer’

- Her learning process with Yousri Sharif

- Tips on how to develop individual style

- Teaching classes online vs in-person

Show Notes to this episode:

Check out Pedro’s photo book Ventre at www.pedrobonatto.com/ventre. Find even more information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Follow Semsemah via website, FB, YouTube and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Aleesa where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

‘’I used to think that belly dance was silly, but 20 years later belly dance is a huge part of my life.’’

‘’Dance provides a nice contrast [to my profession] where I can express my femininity, creativity. It also allows me to move, to connect with people all around the world.’’

During her 22 years of belly dance exploration, Aleesa has made a couple of breaks from dancing to question the authenticity of her love to dance, but every time she came back to it.

"For me belly dance is as much about community, as about dance and music itself.”_Aleesa

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Aleesa’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Nataša Kočar is a certified oriental dance teacher and choreographer, and the co-founder and head of the KUOD Bayani dance company,  She has a degree in geography and sociology from Ljubljana’s Faculty of Arts. Her dance education started at the age of 12 at one of Slovenia’s top dance schools, including 2 years of overall dance training and 4 years of jazz ballet).

At the beginning of the new millennium, Nataša discovered her love for oriental music. She has attended more than 200 workshops with different teachers from Egypt, Europe, and America. From 2004 onwards, Nataša has been teaching 7-9 classes per week and she has around 70 regular students each year. She organizes workshops and events and have passionately produced and co-produced 10 theatre dance shows (in Slovenia and abroad).

In this episode you will learn about:

- Developing a teaching career in dance

- Nataša’s passion for folklore styles

- Differences between teaching adults and children

- How Nataša came up with the idea to write a book

- The process of publishing the book.

Show Notes to this episode:

Join online event ‘Spring Will Come’ organized by Julia Farid in order to support Ukrainian dance teachers: https://tips4hips.com/andspingwillcome . Find even more information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Follow Nataša Kočar via website, FB, YouTube and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Dimitra where she shares her belly dance transformations with us:

Before: 

- Resisted to attend a class because of the fear of embarrassment in a group of unknown people.

- Didn’t know how to practice on her own. Had unrealistic expectations regarding how her dance should look like.

- ‘When we were learning new movement and I couldn’t do it right away, it was blocking me. I was not able to move at all.’

Now: 'With time I realized that it’s ok if I don’t get something right away. I must do those mistakes, and that’s how I will learn. Seeing the progress in my dance was the moment of feeling almost unstoppable.'’

"Belly dance makes me feel free and connected to the feminine flow. It became a big and integral part of my routine. I see it as a self-love ritual."_Dimitra

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Check Dimitra’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Leila was one of the most popular working dancers in Cairo for 13 years.  While in Egypt she performed for parties, dignitaries, and weddings in Egypt and throughout Europe and the Arabian Gulf. She also danced continuously for Nile cruises, in the best hotels and concerts on television.  Leila is also a well-known actress and model and is a recognizable personality throughout the Middle East being involved in hundreds of TV shows, music videos, TV commercials and films.  

Leila has produced some of the best-loved dance CDs today (the only dancer to utilize a "live sound" in her productions). She was the founder of Camp Negum, a yearly live music dance festival in Egypt for 8 years.  She has taught workshops around the world and after moving to the states in 2015, she continues to teach online and in person focusing on the connection between the music, culture and self expression behind the dance. Her writings about dance and culture are utilized by scholars and dancers around the world. 

In this episode you will learn about:

- Taking classes with Raqia Hassan

- Beginning of Leila’s career in Egypt

- Tough lessons she learnt in Egypt

- Dance career during pregnancy

- Leila’s approach to teaching, and her thoughts about competitions.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Follow Leila via FB, and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Gitza is a Mexican dancer, internationally renowned teacher, choreographer and artistic director, who started practicing Middle-Eastern dances in 2006. She is currently the director of the Gitza dance school, and the Raqs Sahira dance company. Her vision for belly dance is influenced by psychology and dance therapy. With these disciplines, she has developed tools for teaching dance in a creative and experimental way, always investigating personal experience as the main engine for creation and interpretation.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The concept of the dance movement therapy

- How the classes on dance movement therapy work

- Incorporating dance movement therapy into belly dance classes

- Common phycological patterns among belly dance students 

- Pregnancy experience as a belly dancer.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Follow Gitza via FB, Instagram, Youtube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 transformations with us:

‘’Dance helped me to overcome my body image and eating disorders. It taught me to love my body not for how it looks like, but for what it can do. It felt very liberating.’’

‘’I realized that I can’t compartmentalize. If I want to have emotions in dance, I have to have emotions in life.’’

‘’Many of us are afraid to express emotions because we are afraid that it will overtake us. But dance helped me to get in touch with my emotions.’’

‘’I became fascinated with the potential for this dance to heal for women with trauma.’’

"This dance saved my life in so many ways. It saved my health. It helped me to overcome my eating disorders. I helped me to see value in myself, not just as a dancer and artists, but also as a human being. It helped me to connect with the world. It helped me to become a more open person. It helped me to be in touch with my emotions, which allowed me to be supportive of others in their emotions."_Jacinda

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Jacinda’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website. Also, check her website and Instagram pages.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 transformations with us:

Before: I used to have lots of judgements about my body, and I used to be very insecure person.

I thought I could never dance because I had two left feet.

Now: I didn’t realize first that belly dance would boost my confidence.

Being ok with all my imperfections became easier.

It took away judgements and brought confidence in my body.

Gave me confidence that I CAN dance!

It made me feel sensual.

I see the difference in my mood when I don’t dance for week or two.

‘It’s my choice! Nobody tells me that I have to dance. But I’m feeling joy when I dance.’ _Sinda Sandra

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Pratima Nagaraj’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website. Also, check her website and Instagram about health and life coaching.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 split hand technique, which is a fast and elaborate Turkish drumming style. She also plays the mystical twelve- string King Kemenche Tarhu, a rare and exotic bowed instrument.⁣⁣ She has also performed in Egypt as a soloist with The Egyptian "King of Tabla" - Said El Artist, and his drumming orchestra in the great concert halls of Egypt. She has performed at the Lincoln Center, CRR concert hall in Istanbul, and in many festivals. In 2005, she was the recipient of the Meet the Composer grant. Raquy has appeared on Good Morning Egypt, Leila Kebira, O TV, the Culture Channel, Turkish Television, Arabs Got Talent, and has been interviewed on Al Jazeera.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Drummer as a lead musician or as an accompanist 

- Raquy’s drumming experience in Egypt

- Learning the Turkish style of drumming

- Her special notation system for drummers

- Tips for dance-music collaborations.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Raquy Danziger via FB, Instagram, Youtube and website. Check her Darbuka school HERE. Apply promo code DARBUKA15 for 15% off on any Raquy’s online courses.

Take a look at our intensive Dancing to Turkish 9s created in collaboration with Raquy HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 transformations with us:

Before: thought that belly dance was not for someone like her, felt very shy.

Now: dreaming to come back to Egypt, and this time to dance on stage!

Before: was afraid that she didn’t have time for such activity.

Now: successfully finds time pockets to practice on a daily basis, believes that when you have hobby that you like very much, you always find time to work on it.

‘It’s my choice! Nobody tells me that I have to dance. But I’m feeling joy when I dance.’ _Sinda Sandra

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Sinda Sandra’s community page at the Iana Dance Club website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 day. She holds a Master’s Degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University and a Master’s Degree in Performance Studies from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, both with a focus on intercultural dance and film. 

Tiffany’s cultural background, professional and academic experience make her an impact driven and effective non profit leader positioned to bring complex work into fruition through strategic partnerships and collaborations. Her projects have garnered support and awards across the world including a $100,000 Knight Arts Challenge award with a full matching grant from the Ware Foundation among numerous state, county, municipal and national foundation awards. 

In this episode you will learn about:

- Dancing My Mother’s Body initiative

- Havana Habibi festival and documentary film

- The healing power of belly dance

- Running the non-profit organization Hanan Arts

- Writing grants and raising money through fundraising and sponsorships.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Tiffany Madera and Hanan Arts via FB, Instagram, Youtube and website.

Save your spot at Iana’s free webinar How to Start Performing Solo, and Get Paid: www.ianadanceclub.com/event

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 suddenly you will stop being an artist. 

I honestly think that such belief is a very comforting excuse for many artists on not taking responsibility for ALL aspects of their work. It feels much safer to stay in the comfort zone of a dance studio, focusing only on the training element of your profession, and ignoring everything else. 

But you don’t have to choose between art and business. There IS a way on how to stay true to yourself and your art, AND make a decent living as a professional dancer.

Show Notes to this episode:

Save your spot at Iana’s free webinar How to Start Performing Solo, and Get Paid: www.ianadanceclub.com/event

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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, such as Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine, United States and Egypt and regularly performs in the most important Italian festivals. She has taught literature and foreign languages at her local high school for years and this has given her the opportunity to refine her teaching method and her empathy towards students all over the world. Cinzia has been the Italian champion twice, and she has been the winner of all the most important Italian competitions, winning also the IDO World Cup in the 2014 folklore section. Now she trains many famous Italian dancers, helping them with competitions and shows. Cinzia manages her academy, the Badia Operà Academy through which she organizes numerous events and performances of bellydance and oriental dance.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Teaching workshops vs regular ongoing classes

- Discipline among students

- Switching to online teaching 

- Introducing folklore to beginner students

- Helping students with their competition preparations.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Cinzia via FB, Instagram, Youtube and website.

Join our January DANCE CHALLENGE HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Belly Motions RAKettes Dance Company. Helen Blondel is the former Belly Dance Instructor of Florida International University recreation in Miami, and now resides in Orlando.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Charging appropriate fees for your dance shows

- Deciding if you are ready to enter the commercial dance industry

- How to get booked and prepare for your first paid show

- Social media, including TikTok, as a promo tool for getting local gigs

- How to get involved in TV projects and music videos.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Helen Blondel via FB, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok and website.

Join our January dance challenge HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Mentors & ‘Angel’ Mothers

Ep 151. Esmeralda Colabone: Living The Truth: Motherhood and Dance Career

Ep 40. Alla Kushnir: Not Only Luck Makes You Number 1

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 contract to dance on the Nile Pharaoh cruise ship allowing her to hand-select a band and troupe of dancers. In 2006, she joined the international dance company Bellydance Superstars, directed by Jillina Carlano, and began touring the world performing and teaching workshops highlighting her specialty of combining ballet with belly dance while wearing toe shoes. 

In 2019 Sabah relocated from Chicago to Los Angeles to become the Artistic Programs Manager for Bellydance Evolution.  She has been a contributing choreographer for Bellydance Evolution since 2012.  When BDE was commissioned to produce “Le Voyage de Scheherazade” a multi-national, multi-discipline collaboration between Moroccan, European and American Oriental and ballet dancers with the Orchestra Philharmonique de Maroc, Sabah was the choreographer for all the ballet routines. 

In this episode you will learn about:

- The joy of dancing as a part of a group vs solo performances

- Experience of exploring belly dance at an university environment

- Benefits of ballet training for belly dancers

- The story of creating a fusion belly dance piece with pointe shoes, and joining Belly Dance Superstars

- Sabah’s responsibilities as the Artistic Programs Manager for Bellydance Evolution.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Sabah via FB, Instagram and Bellydance Evolution website.

Gift Cards are now available at the Iana Dance Club. Find more info HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 discovery & empowerment, and she is the creator of the upcoming "The Oriental Café" Podcast.

Joana started her career in Egypt, where she performed and lived for 8 years, as well as worked with Mahmoud Reda, as his teaching and choreography assistant. Joana has been a constant presence – as an invited artist, choreographer & teacher – at major International Oriental dance festivals and she’s been an innovator in the field of Egyptian Dance, creating a bridge of connection between Egypt and the world.

In this episode you will learn about:

-   Differences between building your dance name and your brand

- How Joana has started her online platform

- The pillar content that helps grow her online community

- Egyptian dance and self-confidence 

- Sensuality vs sexuality

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Joana Saahirah via Instagram, YouTube, FB, and www.joanasaahirah.com.

Previous episode with Pedro: Ep 76. Joana Saahirah: Egyptian Dance As The Tool For Self-Knowledge And Empowerment.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 dance group The Blue Dot Ensemble.

In this episode you will learn about:

-  Differences between Arabic and Turkish style of drumming

- Clay drum with natural skin vs modern darbuka with plastic cover

- Why the idea of drum solo improvisation is so scary for many dancers

- What is the best way to approach a live improvisation performance

- Performing at the competition settings

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Pedro Bonatto on FB, Instagram, and YouTube, his website with useful tips for preparing for shoots, and his podcasts.

Previous episode with Pedro: Ep 112. Pedro Bonatto: Drummer, Photographer & Husband of a Belly Dancer

DANCE CHALLENGE with Iana: www.ianadanceclub.com/challenge

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 dance since 2011 and is passionate about creating environments where people can dance, connect, and build community. 

The Mizrahi Dance Archive's mission is to collect and organize the information we have of specific Jewish dances from MENA regions and to also bring these dances to life in fun and relevant ways to share with communities all over the world. The Mizrahi Dance Archive is an educational tool to showcase the diversity of the Jewish people and the deep connections between art, dance, and Judaism.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Following your heart and passion to dance

- Belly dance activities in Israel

- Jewish music for dancing

- Understanding the differences between Mizrahi and Sephardic communities 

- The influence of Jewish culture on dances in Morocco, Jemen, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Egypt

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Jackie Barzvi on FB, Instagram, and website. Also, visit the Mizrahi Dance Archive at www.mizrahidancearchive.com.

Mizrahi music mentioned in the podcast:

Sarit Hadad

Dudu Tassa & The Kuwaitis

Yemen Blues

Lala Tamar

DANCE CHALLENGE with Iana: www.ianadanceclub.com/challenge

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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, plus various dance forms, including jazz, classical ballet, and flamenco, while working with various influential choreographers and teachers. After moving to New York, the USA, in the 1980s, he started his own dance academy to educate dancers in what the world has come to adore as the Yousry Sharif oriental style. While preserving the spirit of traditions, he takes the dance to a contemporary level and beyond. To him, the dance is a life form. It evolves with time and environment, while never loses sight of its roots.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Beginning of Yousry’s career in Egypt

- Moving to the USA, and beginning classes there

- Teaching approach, and choreography interpretations 

- Music sensitivity

- Creating music and producing CDs

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Yousry Sharif on FB, and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes at the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 rewarded with grants, commissions, and awards. Cassandra also founded the Jawaahir Dance Company in 1989 as a way to move Middle Eastern dance "beyond the museum," and create original, theatrically-inspired choreographies that blends traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern forms.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The beginning of Cassandra’s belly dance journey, her first show, first class and first dance school

- How to figure out if you are ready to start performing professionally

- Amazing tips on how to deal with pre-show anxiety

- The challenges of relocating a dance studio to another area in the city

- Taking care of your body for a long-term dance career

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Cassandra Shore on FB, website, and her dance company Jawaahir.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Brice, Sharon was scouted to perform with the pioneering dance company Bellydance Superstars, created by music mogul and svengali Miles Copeland.  Sharon spent over five years on tour as Tribal director, soloist, and choreographer.  After leaving the tour to pursue new dreams, she was recruited by Jillina to dance as a principal and choreographer in the unique and critically acclaimed new touring production, Bellydance Evolution.  Sharon is in the rare position of being the only Tribal dancer to have been featured as Principal dancer in two of the world’s most distinct international touring belly dance companies.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Discipline, focus, neurodivergence and dance

- Switching from American Cabaret to Tribal fusion, and origins of the style

- Education basics for well-rounded Tribal fusion dancers

- Reasons why Sharon decided to retire from dancing

- Transitioning away from the dance career

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Sharon Kihara on Instagram, FB, and her jewelry page gifthorsegems.com .

Check out The Power of Imagination intensive on dealing with fears and performance energies at the Iana Dance Club HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Dance Club: The Power of Imagination.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 the world. She has taught all over the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Egypt, England, Poland, Japan, China, and Vietnam. She is also a regular teacher at Raqia Hassan’s Ahlan wa Sahlan Festival, which takes place every summer in the Mena House Hotel.

In addition to her dancing, Luna holds a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. She studied radical Islamist movements in the Arab world. She is fluent in Egyptian Arabic, Spanish, and English, and holds a B.A. in journalism and political science.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Life after Cairo

- Applying for a ‘regular’ job after 10 years of dance career

- Dealing with stigmas and stereotypes about the belly dance profession

- Performing to a diverse Arabic audience

- Learning by observing

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Luna of Cairo on Instagram, FB, and Youtube. Her blog "Kisses from Kairo".

Previous episode with Luna:

Ep 17. Luna of Cairo: Is Belly Dance Life in Cairo Always a "Fairy Tale"?

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 prize at the "African World" competition continuously for 5 years. He loved the idea of mixing oriental dance with skating, but eventually he took the direction of oriental dance, and started working in Cairo in famous hotels, ships and clubs. Tommy King designs his colorful and unique costumes, and his charisma and style make him one of the famous artists in the Egyptian and International festival scene.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Transitioning from professional skating career to full-time dancing

- Secrets of successful performances on stage

- How Tommy King prepares right before going on stage

- Being a male dancer in Egypt

- Teaching classes online

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Tommy King on Instagram, and FB. His intensive page is available here.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 constantly traveling and sharing her knowledge, passion and unique vision for belly dancing, she kept organizing the highly acclaimed CAIRO! Fest Budapest. Also, Mercedes is producing Middle-Eastern music specifically for oriental dancers since 2012: she has released five albums that gained wide international success among dancers.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Going thorough the experience of lockdowns

- Losing live audience shows, and how it impacts the dance

- Learning to embrace uncertainty 

- Cooking healthy meals out of laziness

- Hosting an international festival online

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Mercedes Nieto on Instagram, FB, and Youtube.

Previous episodes with Mercedes:

Ep 45. Mercedes Nieto: Social Media Traps

Ep 46. Mercedes Nieto: What Does It Take To Be a Touring Artist?

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 the music and interpreting emotions, while displaying an impeccable technique and creating a wide variety of choreographies. She teaches all Egyptian styles, from a soft and introverted Tarab to an energetic and catchy Shaabi. For her, dance classes are more than teaching an original choreography. She also strives to make her students understand the culture behind Oriental dance, and to convey the ‘soul’ of this dance. 

In this episode you will learn about:

- Developing a dance career at local gigs

- Yael’s first international workshops

- Dealing with self-criticism while watching your own performance videos

- How to find your individual style

- Teaching and adapting to an online space

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Yaël Zarca on Instagram, FB, YouTube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 conferences like True Spirit. She has graced concert halls, nightclubs, restaurants and stages all over the globe, including the SF Pride Women’s stage where she was presented a prize for her award-winning shimmies. 

In this episode you will learn about:

- Lessons that Miasia learned from her teachers and students

- How she got involved in the TV show Al Rakesa

- The most memorable moments of the show

- Getting ready and taping each episode of Al Rakesa

- Dance realizations and dreams after the show was over

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Miasia on Instagram, FB, YouTube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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 Reda Troupe, and with Madame Busi, principal dancer with the National Folkloric Company.

During her teaching career, Aegela has conducted classes for the deaf and hearing impaired, and devised a format for use in occupational therapy rehabilitation programs assisting women in regaining range of motion. Recently, she developed a dance program for women recovering from strokes. Aegela frequently lectures in major universities on the topics of Middle Eastern art and music. Speaking engagements have included Emory University School of Near Eastern Studies, Georgia State University, and Mercer University. Aegela is the recipient of the 2004 Stella Award for Lifetime Achievement in Middle Eastern Dance.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Combing business consulting in USA with a dance career in Egypt

- Receiving the Lifetime Performer’s license by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture

- Why Aegela left Egypt at the height of her success

- Meeting Mahmoud Reda

- Ten things she learned from the great master.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Aegela on Instagram, FB, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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. As a master teacher, her deep love for dance shines through to everyone she teaches, from beginners to professionals, leading them to find their own expressive passion in dance. In the 80’s and 90’s she was co-director of two dance companies: the award winning Middle Eastern dance company Oriental Images and the ground breaking SaZ Dance Theater, creating theme concert events, folkloric and innovative dance. Aszmara’s articles have appeared in The Gilded Serpent, Bhuz and Bennu magazines and her instructional DVD, ‘Belly Dance… The Secret Desire’, has received high recognition.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Musicality in dance, and letting go your thought process on stage 

- Dance as a healing and self-exploration tool 

- Exercises to develop your improvisation skills 

- What music formations are. 

- Why Aszmara never considered herself a Turkish style dancer.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Aszmara on Instagram, FB, and website..

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her teaching platform: the Iana Dance Club.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

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, Ahmed Adawia, Mohammad El Aizabi and Hassan Abou Saud. She then moved to London to work at The Omar Khayyam, the renowned club of Mona Said, where she worked with master percussionist, Khamis Henkesh. But the draw to work in Egypt was too great and she moved to Cairo after a year to follow her dream. She appeared for two years at The Auberge on the Sharia al Haram and at the Holiday Inn. The head of her orchestra was Sayed Henkesh, a well-known Egyptian musician. During those years Yasmin enrolled in the American University in Cairo Master's degree in Arabic and did research of her own on the Egyptian zar and other forms of Middle Eastern trance dancing. 

Yasmin moved back to Washington DC in the early 1990's and danced regularly at the Casablanca Restaurant in Alexandria, VA until 2001. She now teaches various classes for aspiring dancers at her own dance studio as well as online.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The belly dance scene in Europe in 70s and 80s

- Dancing in Egypt, and why Yasmin decided to come back to Europe

- Her research about zar and various trance dances

- Insights about the origins of the Ayoub rhythm

- The music copyright issues all dancers should be aware of.

Show Notes to this episode:

(Additional information provided by Yasmin Henkesh)

The notes for Hymn to Hathor, which has a lovely nay solo set to the ayoub rhythm:        

"Track 17: Ayoub

The Prophet Job

      The 2/4 rhythm dancers refer to as “ayoub” has only been called this for the past fifty years - since poet / composer Zakariya al-Hagawi used it for the sound track of Malhama Ayoub wa Nasa (The Epic of Job and [his wife] Nasa). This religious TV miniseries about the Prophet Job (starring the composer’s wife, singer Khadra Mohammed Khadar) aired on Egyptian television in the early 1960s. Al-Hagawi’s music became so popular that belly dancers asked for its rhythm by abbreviating the show’s name. Up until then it had simply been known as the malfouf (another 2/4 rhythm) associated with Ottoman music (see Turkey/Egypt booklet page 14) or the ecstatic rituals of Turkish Mevlevi sufis (or “whirling dervishes” - listen to track 1 Whirling Dervishes of Farouk Tekbelek’s CD, Whirling). 

     Despite current belly dance nomenclature and assumptions, this rhythm is not used during Egyptian-Sudanese zar ceremonies to call the Jinn (their songs are based on masmoudi, darg, maqsoum or African rhythms). It was, however, used for folkloric theatrical stage recreations of zars because of its dramatic, hypnotic properties and its association with the zikr, another form of Middle Eastern trance induction. The zikr, or ‘remembrance,’ is a sufi ritual based on the repetition, spoken or silent, of the names or epithets of God. The hadra, a form of zikr incorporating music, movement and specialized breathing patterns, is associated with ecstatic trance. Often done accompanied by a bendir (a large, resonant hand drum with two gut strings stretched across the inside, touching the skin head) and occasionally to music (the role of music and dance is controversial in Islam - many mullahs, Islamic priests, damn them), the exact rituals vary according to individual sufi orders, or tariqas. But often they include exhaling while bending over and inhaling while straightening up, as “Allah(hu)” is vocalized. Hence, traditionally, the ayoub rhythm is associated with God, not the Jinn. Nevertheless, it is ideal for inducing trance, which is why I included this exceptional piece for sacred dance."

A YouTube playlist for zar related videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYUtFJWB2Ui9W97PxNHsJa5qrSsDrT6rq

Find Yasmin Henkesh on Instagram, FB, website and Youtube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Sadie is an inspiration and icon to her students and fans around the world and serves to empower people through the captivating art of Oriental Dance (Bellydance). She has produced dozens of bestselling instructional videos. She has represented the art of Oriental Dance in front of millions of viewers on the hit show “America’s Got Talent”.

Sadie is the founder and director of the “Raqs Online” training program, which enriches students with a strong foundation in technique while keeping them engaged and connected to the dance’s culture and historical roots. She has launched a new clothing line of athletic dance wear and produces a variety of destination dance retreats around the world, taking her students on a deep journey and exploration of this incredible art form as well as their own inner selves.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Teaching online before and during the pandemic

- The evolution of Sadie’s teaching platform Raqs Online

- The process of content creation for online classes

- Dealing with frustration and artistic depression

- Sadie’s experience of working with coaches and mentors

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Sadie Marquardt on Instagram, FB, website and Youtube, as well as her online classes at Raqs Online.

Previous interview with Sadie:

Ep 39. Sadie Marquardt: Reclaiming Feminine Power

Ep 14. Sadie Marquardt: Before & After Social Media Hit

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Suhaila Salimpour grew up caught between two worlds: the strict, Shi’a Muslim household of her father who passed away when she was 10, and the free-spirited Hippie fantasyland of her mother, renowned belly dance innovator Jamila Salimpour. By the time she was 14, Suhaila was the sole breadwinner for herself and her mother, traveling across the United States on the weekends teaching her mother’s dance method and creating her own revolutionary approach to belly dance.  She also lived and worked as a professional entertainer in the Middle East, with residencies in some of the finest venues. She worked with musical ensembles of over 40 musicians, including Arab pop stars Ahmad Adawiya, Amr Diab, and Sabah.

Upon returning to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1990s, Suhaila returned to teaching regular dance classes and developing the first-ever certification program in Middle Eastern dance. Today, the Salimpour School has five satellites run by licensed instructors in the United States, Europe, and Egypt, as well as a thriving global community of thousands of students, including the new Suhaila Salimpour Institute of Online Education. In 2019, the Salimpour School began its residency at Mills College, where Suhaila is also an Adjunct Professor. She teaches Core Dimension™ and Embodied Movement in the Department of Dance and Theater.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Growing up as the daughter of a well-known belly dancer and part of a Muslim family 

- Living and performing in the Middle East 

- Going through dance depression and losing your artistic identity 

- Reasons why Suhaila started a certification program 

- The Salimpour method of teaching

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Suhaila Salimpour on Instagram, FB, YouTube and website. Information about her online school and institute is available here.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

A teacher, dancer, and choreographer of oriental dance, Dr.Mo Geddawi is a native of Cairo who has made his home in Berlin, Germany for the past twenty years. His beginnings in the formal study of dance began with the invitation to join a ballet school in the royal palace of Saida Sutaire, King Farouk’s cousin. Years later he met Mahmoud Reda, and in 1957 became a co-founder of the Reda Troupe. In 1964, the group was nationalized, and the same year Dr.Mo Geddawi decided to leave Egypt.

During his busy dance career, he has worked in many feature films and TV series in Europe and the Middle East, if not as a dancer or choreographer, then as an actor. His most memorable experiences include: “The Second Man”(1972) with Samia Gamal and Sabah; “Summer Vacation”(1963) with the Reda Troupe; “A Man From Alaska”(1972) with Douglas Mclaire; “His Divorce, Her Divorce”(TV series, England, 1972) with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; and “The Lawyer”(TV series, Germany, 1973). Dr. Mo Geddaw is also a doctor of tropical medicine. 

In this episode you will learn about:

- First meeting with Mahmoud Reda

- Years spent with the Reda’s Troupe

- The reasons and consequences of nationalization of the Reda’s Troupe

- Decision to leave Egypt

- Teaching dancers all around the world.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Dr.Mo Geddawi on Instagram, FB, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Born in the USA and trained by master teachers in New York City, Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey, Athena Najat has traveled the globe dancing. Athena’s dance background began in childhood with years of dedicated training in Classical Ballet and Modern Dance. She graduated with a Dance major from the famous Performing Arts High School Walnut Hill. Her education continued with special training at Laban Centre London and at New York University, from which she holds both a Bachelor (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Dance & Culture. She lived for nearly a decade in Athens, Greece, where she co-organizes a successful annual International Bellydance and music event, Habibi Tsiggana Festival. Athena is also a founding member of Kazafy Troupe Greece. Athena is currently based in Turkey. 

In this episode you will learn about:

- The influence of a professional dance education and ballet training on Athena’s belly dance journey

- The Belly dance scene in Greece

- Tsifteteli dance in Greece and Turkey

- Her Decision to move to Turkey

- Hiring a belly dancer to perform online at a private gig.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Athena Najat on Instagram, FB, website and Youtube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Hasna is the founder and admin of the Just Belly Dance website which currently provides event promotion, ticketing, and registration management tools. She is located in Atlanta, GA and performs at various public events as well as private venues. Hasna has dabbled in a few arenas of MENAT dance and has explored fusion dancing, but her passion lies in Egyptian-style dancing. Hasna is a member of Persica Dance Company, and Asmara Bellydance Initiative. Dance is her passion and inspiration in life. Outside of her dance life, Hasna is an IT Specialist providing Web solutions and maintenance services.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Hasna’s dance trips to Egypt

- The moment that changed her understanding and approach to dance

- The significance of Haflas

- Just Belly Dance website, and common mistakes in advertising posts

- Asmara Bellydance Initiative

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Hasna on Instagram, FB, website and Youtube. Websites: Just Belly Dance & Asmara Bellydance Initiative.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Some of the best moments from our previous episodes! Many of us struggle with continuing our daily training in the times of pandemic, finding motivation, and keeping the discipline. Let’s see how our guest stars approach their personal training and get some tips for ourselves. Today you will hear from Jasirah, Daliya, Soraia and Aziza. 

Show Notes to this episode:

Ep 19. Jasirah: How to Practice on Your Own. Tips & Tricks

Ep 56. Daliya: Improve Your Dance Every Day

Ep 128. Soraia Zaied: Never Give Up On Your Dreams!

Ep 130. Aziza: How to Be The Best Version of Your Dance Self

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Esmeralda Colabone has dedicated 20 years to dance. Originally from Brazil, she is one of the biggest names on the Arabic dance scene today! Esmeralda was the youngest dancer to join the cast of La Maison de L’Artiste in Lebanon. For 12 years she danced in the best hotels in North Africa and the Middle East. Those years made her truly unique and today she is a master teacher, soloist and choreographer in 32 countries!

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Esmeralda got interested in belly dance classes

- Becoming a mom

- Dealing with judgement and Internet shaming 

- The moment Esmeralda almost quit her dance career

- Finding true connection in the online world

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Esmeralda Colabone on Instagram, FB, website and Youtube.

Previous interview with Esmeralda: Ep 13. Esmeralda Colabone: Music as Your Guide & Mentor

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Sabriye Tekbilek grew up in an environment of Middle Eastern music and dance. She is the daughter of the renowned Turkish musician "Haci" Ahmet Tekbilek, and Lisa Djeylan, once an international bellydancer herself. While attending the University of California at Berkeley, Sabriye began taking classes with Suhaila Salimpour and quickly became a member of the Suhaila Dance Company and Bal Anat. It was while studying with both Suhaila and Jamila Salimpour that Sabriye was encouraged to begin teaching, awakening a passion for instruction. In 2005 Sabriye moved to the Middle East where she worked for seven years with Lebanese agent Toros Siranossian throughout the Gulf and North Africa. She also spent one year in Cairo working at the prestigious night club Haroun Al Rashid in the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel along side the legendary Dina.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Growing up in an artistic family 

- The meaning of the term ‘Arabesk music’ 

- Transitioning from a performance to a teaching career 

- The gap between the festival world and the belly dance scene in the Middle East 

- Adjusting to the lockdown

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Raksan on FB, Youtube, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Raksan is a professional dancer, choreographer and dance pedagogue with a 35 year-long career. Her charisma and virtuosity led her onto the biggest variety theatre stages in Germany and Switzerland as well as into the arena of Circus Roncalli. The approach she developed over three decades is inspired equally by the various dance traditions of the Near and Middle East and the modern dance, African dance, and ballet.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Search for artistic self-identification

- Motherhood and self-exploration

- Working as a dancer in the circus environment

- The story of Raksan’s stage name

- Bringing contemporary into oriental dance

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Raksan on FB, Youtube, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Ma*Shuqa is known for instructing dancers in the Art of Bellydance, which Ma*Shuqa does with mastery in her performances and coaching.  Ma*Shuqa began dancing in 1973 and immersed herself in the dance genre. Ma*Shuqa is world renown as the first performer with Isis Wings – creating and dancing with them 30 years ago.  She developed the Ma*Shuqa Method which provides dancers with a unique structure for creating their own signature performances and dancing with finger cymbals (sagaats) that capture the musicality of Middle Eastern music and presenting dance that captures the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide.

Carl Sermon is the premier photographer to the San Francisco Bay Area (CA, USA) Middle Eastern Dance community. He is known for images that capture the “Ya Habibi Golden Moments of Dance”. The key to his success is over 30 years of performance photography experience, knowledge of the music and the dance form, and the expertise to anticipate the best moment to photograph the most favorable image of the dancer.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Belly dance as a stress relief tool

- Navigating work relationships as a couple

- How Carl started his photography career when the official photographer didn’t show up for an event

- Ma*Shuqa’s teaching method with finger cymbals (sagaats)

- Going through the tough health times

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Ma*Shuqa on FB and website: www.MaShuqa.com. Find Carl Sermon’s website: www.CarlSermonPhotography.Zenfolio.com , and FB.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Badriyah is a professional oriental dancer, devoted mainly to Egyptian classical and folklore styles, modern fusion with oriental dance and the Golden Age of belly dance. She teaches regular classes at Shoonya Dance Centre in Ghent, Belgium, and travels around Europe to give workshops and lectures. Badriyah's dream is to build a real Bellydance Museum. As a start, she collects vintage bellydance items such as newspapers, magazines, postcards, lobby cards, vinyl records and press photos depicting bellydancers from 1700' to 1970'. Most of all, Badriyah treasures the ten years of performing with Bellydance Evolution (BDE). Also, she had created three educational programs, contributed as an editor to Orient Express magazine (Czech language), collected over 300 vintage bellydance items, and taught workshops and lecture worldwide.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Social pressure and stereotypes regarding different professions

- Definition of the Golden Era period

- Why Awalim dance style is not well-known these days

- The story of the Bellydance museum 

- Badriyah’s experience of dancing pregnant

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Badriyah on Instagram, FB, Youtube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Alex DeLora is a professional belly dancer from Ukraine. She is famous for her unique style and strong technique skills, which are well used in her drum solos. As a competitor she was the first runner up in International Eilat Festival 2012 in Israel. Now as a teacher she gives workshops worldwide: Korea, China, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, USA, Singapore, etc. She is the owner of Dance and Fitness space ‘House of Grace’ in Ukraine. Alex inspires more than 1 million people every day through the social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The nuances of a drum solo performance

- Tabla solo vs drum solo

- The process of creating online classes

- Mental blocks of doing first steps

- Is belly dance a good option for fitness activity

Show Notes to this episode:

Previous interview with Alex: Ep 21. Alex DeLora: Every Drum Solo Has Its Own Mood

Find Alex DeLora on Instagram, FB, Youtube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Iana!

Let’s talk about the structure of a 20-min belly dance program: how to survive as a performer, and how to keep it interesting for your audience.

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Business Course for Belly Dancers | Everything About Gigs: www.ianadance.com/business

Get a FREE Step-By-Step Guide here: www.ianadance.com/guide

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Aida Bogomolova is a world-famous oriental dance artist and an experienced teacher and choreographer. A style icon, Aida was invited to such countries as Russia, China, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Colombia, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, among others. She was born in Russia and currently lives in Italy.

Aida started dancing when she was 6 years-old. Different types of dance classes have helped her in the creation of her own unique style in Arabic dance, which is followed by many dancers around the world. Her style is a combination of softness and strength, elegance and emotionality, smoothness and clarity of technique at the same time. It is a symbiosis of traditional Arab dance with Aida‘s personal perception of music and form expressed in motion.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Aida started learning belly dance

- Self-criticism as a tool for growth

- Aida’s training process

- Funny stories from touring life, and performance tips

- Finding your own sources of inspiration

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Aida Bogomolova on Instagram, FB, Youtube and her website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Iana!

Let’s talk about common mistakes in the communication process with your potential clients!

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Business Course for Belly Dancers | Everything About Gigs: www.ianadance.com/business

Get a FREE Step-By-Step Guide here: www.ianadance.com/guide

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Tannaz is an inspiring artist, coach and choreographer. Inspired by Persian poems and music she works towards her goal of popularizing Iranian culture through movement and art. She shares the joy and deep connection to her soul with Persian Classical, as well as whirling dances. Tannaz explores both traditional and modern interpretations of the ancient art forms.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The role of Persian poetry in dance

- Realities of teaching dance in Iran

- Tannaz’s love to whirling dances

- Representation of Persian dance on social media

- Tannaz’s goals and artistic dreams

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Business Course for Belly Dancers | Everything About Gigs: www.ianadance.com/business

Get a FREE Step-By-Step Guide here: www.ianadance.com/guide

Find Tannaz on Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Iana!

Let’s talk about restaurant gigs: why to do and how to get into…

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Business Course for Belly Dancers | Everything About Gigs: www.ianadance.com/business

Get a FREE Step-By-Step Guide here: www.ianadance.com/guide

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Cherine is an international performing Oriental Dance Artist specializing in the classical style of dance, Raqs Sharqi, for over 20 years. She is known for her elegance, subtle & delicate style, precise technique & deep understanding of nuances of the dance. She knows the Arabic language and is familiar with Arab culture due to her origins. Cherine has a long-term experience of performing in Cairo with a live band. She was dancing at the prestigious Mena House Hotel for many years, and worked with Raqia Hassan, appearing on many of her instructional DVDs. At that time she was a star of “Ahlan wa Sahlan” festival as well. Thanks to her broad experience of dancing in different settings (big stage, restaurants, weddings, festivals), Cherine is an invaluable source of knowledge both for theater dancers and for performers who want to interact with a live Arabic audience.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Musicality in Oriental dance

- What is the essence of the Egyptian Style

- Cherine’s experience of living in Cairo

- Life after Cairo

- Different approaches to the dance lifestyle

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Business Course for Belly Dancers | Everything About Gigs: www.ianadance.com/business

Get a FREE Step-By-Step Guide here: www.ianadance.com/guide

Find Cherine on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Iana!

Let’s talk about the nature of our dance services, and the main reason why clients hire us. :)

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Business Course for Belly Dancers | Everything About Gigs: www.ianadance.com/business

Get a FREE Step-By-Step Guide here: www.ianadance.com/guide

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Iana!

Let’s talk about business mindset, shame around selling your art, and waiting for jobs and clients to appear from nowhere… :)

Show Notes to this episode:

Check Business Course for Belly Dancers | Everything About Gigs: www.ianadance.com/business

Get a FREE Step-By-Step Guide here: www.ianadance.com/guide

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Maris has been interested in oriental dance since 2005 when she started taking her first belly dance classes. In 2012 she started teaching regular classes in Estonia and later workshops in Europe and Egypt, where she started her daily shows (belly dance, folklore, international dance) in the summer of 2013 in Sharm el Sheikh with Vanessa Show Productions. In 2016 she worked a dance contract in Dubai’s famous Bab Al Shams hotel and after that she headed to Cairo where she resides to this day working in high class weddings, various events, prestigious discos and Nile cruise boats with her band. In Cairo she played parts in different series and danced in video clips, the latest and most famous ones being "Maltashet el 2loub" by Mostafa Shawki.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Overcoming shyness with belly dance

- Cultural differences between Estonia and Egypt

- Comparing dance shows in Sharm el Sheikh, Cairo and Dubai

- Maris’s daily dance practice

- How Maris adapts to the current lockdown situation

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Maris on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and her online classes at www.patreon.com/dancewithmaris.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Irina Akulenko is a New York City-based performer, teacher and choreographer, with a burning passion for arts of all genres. Since 2001, Irina explored both Egyptian Cabaret and American Tribal style belly dance, Odissi and Flamenco. She now enjoys fusing these art forms as well as everything in between. Irina completed successful tours around the world, teaching and performing in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Korea, Taiwan, Colombia, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, France, Iceland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She released three successful instructional DVDs with World Dance New York ("Tribal Fusion Workout", "Diamond Cut" and "Sculpted Blossom") and two instructional series of videos with the popular website “Howcast.com”. Additionally, her performances were featured in the “Fantasy Bellydance: Cult of Myth” DVD, “Fantasy Bellydance: Tarot” DVD and she could also be seen on Bellyqueen’s “Bellydance NYC: The Ultimate Fusion Experience” DVD. Irina is one of the principal dancers, instructors and choreographers with Bellyqueen Dance Theater. She is the choreographer and performer for the project "Bella Gaia" and an alumni member of Alchemy Dance Theater. While at home, she also directs her student troupe "Kiaroscuro Dance", focusing mainly on Classical Indian fusion and Tribal style dance.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Irina got introduced to belly dance

- Why she didn’t settle with practicing only traditional belly dance style

- Tips on how to combine your explorations in different dance genres

- What is tribal fusion and how it evolved within the last few decades

- Irina’s interest in political science and women’s studies

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Irina Akulenko on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Anna Schkade-Siytangco teaches women how to use the transforming power of movement to help them gain better health and build more self-confidence, while providing them with a way to express themselves in a profoundly beautiful way. She has over 15 years of diligent practice and study of Middle Eastern / North African / Near East dances with many world-renown performers and teachers. Anna has more than 14 years of performance experience from informal belly dance shows to professional theater productions… and everything in between. She was featured in 2 DVDs produced by Keti Sharif. With over 13 years of teaching dance and fitness at gyms, yoga and dance studios, Anna is a co-owner of her own studio – Oriental Phoenix Arts – together with her husband, Blue. She is a Certified Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) , a Certified Nutrition Specialist (ENW), and a Certified MMA Conditioning Coach.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How belly dance helped her overcome a speech impediment

- Dealing with stage fright

- Tips for anxiety management

- Insights into how Anna deals with the current pandemic situation as a dance teacher

- Running a studio in partnership with her husband

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Khadijah on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Khadijah is one of the most sought after instructors, performers and choreographers of Middle Eastern Dance and Folklore! Her upbringing in an artistic family prompted her to pursue studies in music and movement in various Arabic dance styles and beyond. She has been featured in BellyDance Magazine (California), BellyDance TV (California), Al Seha TV (Cairo), Univision (Colorado), The Denver Post (Colorado), TV appearances with HBO and more! Her unique and energetic style in combination with great athleticism and grace is deeply rooted in tradition, and it has made her amazing signature style popular worldwide. Khadijah currently resides in Denver, Colorado. She is a popular performer locally in many 5 star establishments such as Mataam Fez Moroccan restaurant, Phoenician Kabob Lebanese restaurant, Sahara’s, Lannie’s ClockTower , Palais Casablanca and more.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Dance styles of the Gulf region (beyond Khaleeji!!!!)

- Nuances and misconceptions around Khaleeji dance

- The meaning of the traditional outfit

- People’s attitude to belly dance in Saudi Arabia

- Islamophobia around the world and inside the belly dance community

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Khadijah on Facebook, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about Jillina’s initiative #2getherWeMoveLive visit jillina.eventbrite.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Since a young age, Rahel has been involved in artistic exploration through various forms of dance, rhythm and music. She found her calling in Raks Sharqi (Oriental/Egyptian Style) and Fusion Bellydance at the age of fifteen and has been passionate about it ever since, fully immersing herself in it.

Rahel is the choreographer and artistic director of bellydance troupe The Helwa Dancers, and she herself has danced with former bellydance troupe Banat Dallah directed by Narmaya, and Ninawa Eastern Magic Folkloric Dance Company run by internationally renowned dancers Moh Abu Ras and Moh Al Ratta. Her film credits include the star role in the award winning short film “Imago” by Drea Morin, as well a featured performance in an episode of the popular TV series “Hellcats”. Rahel was a featured performer in the high profile event Illuminate Yaletown in 2011, and had the privilege of having her choreography selected for the 2012 “Shimmy Mob”, the world’s largest bellydance flash mob featuring thousands of dancers all over the globe. She has choreographed solo performances for the talent portion of Miss Canada, Miss Hong Kong and Miss China International competitions, as well as Salome’s “Dance of the 7 Veils” in a 2013 production of the play by Oscar Wilde.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Finding femininity through belly dance

- Self-love vs self-acceptance

- Important entrepreneurial skills and tips for dancers (teachers & performers)

- Consulting for movies and choreographing for beauty pageants

- Freedom for being yourself

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Rahel on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about Jillina’s initiative #2getherWeMoveLive visit jillina.eventbrite.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Some of the best moments from our previous episodes! Every medal has two sides. Get inspiration from our incredible guests and their experience of dealing with physical and emotional load of a professional belly dance career. Today you will hear from Amar Lammar, Mercedes Nieto, Julia Farid and Idil.

Show Notes to this episode:

Ep 18. Amar Lammar: Twelve Years of Performing Every Night in the Arab Emirates!

Ep 46. Mercedes Nieto: What Does It Take To Be a Touring Artist?

Ep 52. Julia Farid: About Artistic Fulfillment, Individual Style and Teacher-Student Relationships

Ep 57. Idil: Misconceptions About Turkish Style & The Concept of Dance Movement Therapy

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about Jillina’s initiative #2getherWeMoveLive visit jillina.eventbrite.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Aubre Hill has been a professional dance artist for over twenty years including touring and assistant-directing large ensembles across the United States, Europe, China, Taiwan, and Japan. She has been on faculty at California State University, Los Angeles teaching credited courses in pilates, fitness, and dance for over 10 years. She owned and directed Movement Art Space, a dance and fitness studio in Los Angeles offering education for all ages and levels for three successful years. She can be seen as a featured artist in numerous films and videos as well as was on the bellydance hit sensation of FitTV with her “All Stars Workouts”.

Aubre has choreographed full dance theatrical productions including “The Nutcracker: a bellydance tale,” “Sketches of Arabia,” “Nights of Arabe,” and more. She is the artistic director and choreographer for the Lumina Dance Company (now in its 13th year), the Qabila Folkdance Company (a company focused solely on Arabic folk dance and celebrating its 7th year), and the Beyajja Dance Theatre (a Raqs Sharqi dance company with a focus on developing individual artistic expression).

In this episode you will learn about:

-Natural evolution and expansion of interests throughout your dance journey

- The importance of learning folklore, even if you are not planing to perform it anywhere

- Responsibility of artists, maturity of the audience, and attention to the content of performances and social media videos

- Challenges of exploring and teaching very different dance styles

- Transnational dance fusion

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Aubre Hill on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about Jillina’s initiative #2getherWeMoveLive visit jillina.eventbrite.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Aziza is one of the brightest, most in demand stars of bellydance in the world today. She is recognized across the globe for her unparalleled ability to express the unique synergy of movement and sound that is the hallmark of this ancient art form. An intuitive, concise and generous instructor, Aziza excels at inspiring dancers to reach the next level. A lifelong bellydance student herself, she continually seeks inspiration as she travels the world, discovering new and revisiting familiar movement forms, always presenting material that is fresh and exciting. In 2010 Aziza started Dreamcamp, a week-long intensive located in a beautiful renovated convent in the gorgeous Laurentians, north of Montreal. The success of Dreamcamp is measured by this high rate of returning dancers year after year! Also, Aziza has now opened her home studio to the world. Bellydance students around the globe can now continue their studies with her online.

In this episode you will learn about:

-Aziza’s fifteen-year experience of performing at private parties and restaurants

- Her first festival invitation from abroad, and how the initial ‘disaster’ got transformed into a huge success

- Her approach to teaching

- How to analyze your videos, and be your own coach

- Up and downsides of teaching classes online

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Aziza on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about Jillina’s initiative #2getherWeMoveLive visit jillina.eventbrite.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Fadima Jones began dancing as a child in a Turkish folk dance troupe. At the age of 9 she added jazz dance, hip hop, and Bollywood to her repertoire, although bellydance was always a part of her life since the childhood. After performing at countless stage shows at cultural events until she was 14, she started making choreographies. Her career took her on big international stages with big artists as a background dancer, including performing on German TV. As a belly dancer, she performed on Turkish TV programs on a regular basis, which led her to work as a choreographer and performer for several Turkish, Persian, and Afghan music videos. Fadima Jones is not only an internationally acclaimed artist, she is also an event organizer. Her journey brought her all around Europe, Turkey, India, and now all the way to USA. Throughout all these engagements she never stopped educating herself, as she believes in continuous growth.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How her mother didn’t approve any belly dance activities, but later became Fadima’s greatest supporter in this profession

- Why Fadima never teaches zills

- What elements are missing in our festival world, and dangerous traps we put ourselves in as a community

- Tips for successful local gigs, and how to protect yourself as a solo performer

- Cutting her hair short while maintaining an active gigs life

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Fadima Jones on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about Jillina’s initiative #2getherWeMoveLive visit jillina.eventbrite.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Soraia Zaied is an established star of Cairo's current belly dance scene. Her style is very Egyptian with a little Latin influence. Soraia is popular with Egyptians and loved by the international belly dance community. She has been active as a dancers at the upscale InterContinental Citystars hotel in Heliopolis, had the contract for years as the primary dancer at the Sheraton Hotel in Dokki and also made regular appearances at the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek, among many other prestigious venues in Cairo. Despite her very busy performing schedule, she is now making more time to teach her unique style through online workshops and masterclasses. She is an amazing dancer with a very strong technique, so don't miss the opportunity to hear her story of success!

In this episode you will learn about:

- The very beginning of Soraia’s career in Egypt

- Classical Egyptian style, fusion and tabla solo

- Typical structure of her show: choreo or improvisation?

- Getting ready for the show, and how often Soraia works on her own dance practice

- What is Mahraganat and its next stage of evolution

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Soraia Zaied on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Check her ONLINE MARTERCLASSES!

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about Jillina’s initiative #2getherWeMoveLive visit jillina.eventbrite.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Esmeralda Colabone!

If you ever hit a professional dance depression, or stopped feeling emotions from your dance, there is a solution. In this mini-episode Esmeralda shares her own experience of going through such a common stage in the career, and hopefully her story will help you to overcome it too!

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Find Valerick on Instagram, FB, website and Youtube. Full interview is available here: Ep 13. Esmeralda Colabone: Music as Your Guide & Mentor

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Estelle Zaghloul was born in Lebanon, lands of Cedars. She moved to Costa Rica with her whole family, whose members are all artists, and together she undertook an incredible career in Dances and Arab Arts from the age of 16. This is why though she retains her love for oriental music from her native country, her identity also embraces that of Costa Rica which she loves so, including its musical rhythms like salsa, merengue and cumbia. Her eclectic style mixes Egyptian influences to a concocted feminine Dabkeh, with a sprinkle of Greek and Turkish flavors, all powerfully tickling our senses. Estelle won in Hezzi Ya Nawaeem (season 1), which was first produced in 2007 for Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation - LBC, based on a concept created by Amelia Zidane and IMagic. It was The First World Belly Dance Championship in the region, and helped revive this lost forgotten art. The Jury on the show included Simon Asmar, Najwa Fouad, Zaza Hassan, and Nadra Assaf. Estelle is also a part of Costa Rica 2017 Women’s Empowerment Icons, and first belly dancer to perform at the National Theater of Costa Rica and Nicaragua with outstanding productions, among her many other achievements and contributions to the community.

In this episode you will learn about:

How dancing helped Estelle overcome depression after moving to a different country

Her experience at the TV competition Hezzi Ya Nawaeem, and how she decided to take her own path in life and dance

What was the turning point for Estelle to close her studio a few years ago, and entirely focus on self-exploration

The importance and essence of circular shapes

How you can bring the healing powers of dance into your life during tough quarantine times.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Estelle Zaghloul on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about Jillina’s initiative #2getherWeMoveLive visit jillina.eventbrite.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Artemis Mourat has been dancing, teaching and researching dance history in the United States and abroad for over 40 years. Artemis is of Greek and Turkish descent, and she has an M.A. in psychology, an M.S.W. in social work and has done postgraduate work in dance movement therapy. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Her research is used by Egyptian universities, the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Library for the Performing Arts in New York. She has lectured, taught and/or performed for Cornell University and Princeton University, National Public Radio (NPR), Voice of America. Artemis continues to collect antique pictures of women and dancers from North Africa and the Middle East and of the Roma throughout the world. Her collection is one of the largest in the United States and some illustrations have been used by the International Encyclopedia of Dance, the Smithsonian Institution, the largest Romany Museum in the world (in the Czech Republic), the Romany archives at the University of Texas collected by Ian Hancock, all the major Middle Eastern Dance publications and in several books.

Artemis is listed in the International Dance Council (CID) Who's Who of Dance. Her photograph can be found in the International Encyclopedia of Dance under the listing for "danse du ventre" (translates to "belly dance") which is produced by the Oxford University Press. She has won the "Ethnic Dancer of the Year Award" presented by the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED) and has won the "Most Popular Ethnic Dancer Award" from Zaghareet Magazine twice. Artemis has also won their "Lifetime Achievement Award."

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Artemis’s family didn’t appreciate her belly dance career at first

- Vintage belly dance and the evolution of American Cabaret style

- Lack of appreciation for Turkish Oriental, and Artemis’s mission of spreading awareness about it

- Dealing with emotional overburn as a dancer

- Funny stories from the point of view of a belly dancer’s husband.

Show Notes to this episode:

Check My Inner Dancer, online store for belly dancers: www.myinnerdancer.com.

Find Artemis Mourat on Facebook, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about BDE’s class donation for studios/teachers search for #2getherWeMove or write info@bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Natalie Becker is a world-know teacher, choreographer, judge, event organizer and costume designer, and she started her dance and artistic journey at the age of 5. She is a professional choreographer with multiple achievements in the genre of world dance (traditional dances from all around the world). In 2005 Natalie received a prestigious national award ‘’The Perfection’’ as a ‘’The Choreographer of the Year’’. Also, she has dozens of winning performances in the world of belly dance, both in Russia and internationally. Along with that she raised multiple international stars of the modern belly dance scene such as Simona Minisini, Anastasia Biserova, Ebru Becker and many others. Her dance ensemble ‘’Oasis Dance’’ has been successfully touring all around the world! Natalie is the president of the international charity ’Europe - Asia’, fundraising in support of belly dance development.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Natalie started her belly dance journey at the age of 29, and what her previous experience in dance was

- The most important quality to have for competition participants

- Natalie’s choreography and costume design process

- Why she didn’t let her daughter join dance competitions at first

- Overcoming sickness, saying goodbye to her huge festival, and navigating through COVID-19 times.

Show Notes to this episode:

Check My Inner Dancer, online store for belly dancers: www.myinnerdancer.com.

Find Natalie Becker on Facebook, and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about BDE’s class donation for studios/teachers search for #2getherWeMove or write info@bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Some of the best moments from our previous episodes! These quiet and uncertain times encourage all of us to question and rethink our lifestyle, goals and dance dreams. Get inspiration from our incredible guests and their life changing stories. Today you will hear from Luna of Cairo, Oscar Flores, Zaina Brown and Joana Saahirah.

Show Notes to this episode:

Ep 17. Luna of Cairo: Is Belly Dance Life in Cairo Always a "Fairy Tale"?

Ep 25. Oscar Flores: I Needed an Opportunity to Live My Dream

Ep 49. Zaina Brown: Travelling On Her Own Across the Middle East And Beyond

Ep 76. Joana Saahirah: Egyptian Dance As The Tool For Self-Knowledge And Empowerment

Check My Inner Dancer, online store for belly dancers: www.myinnerdancer.com.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about BDE’s class donation for studios/teachers search for #2getherWeMove or write info@bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Eyad Malaeb was born and lived in the Lebanese mountain village of Bayssour till he was 20 years of age. He grew up during the Lebanese war in the late 70s and had a very rough childhood. After moving to Beirut, he was discovered by the founder of one of the most famous Lebanese dance groups, RIMAH, and started to dance with them, appearing in many video clips, musicals and commercials and as a backup dancer for many stars in the Arab region. Along with being a full time dancer, he started teaching professional belly dancers from all over the world at La Maison de l’Artist agency, headed by Toros Siranosian. Later Eyad founded his own dance group and became the choreographer of many plays, video clips and tv programs. Now he is a master trainer in fitness belly dance at many gyms and he is a private coach for many Arab stars.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Eyad started working with Toros Siranosian coaching belly dancers to work in Dubai and across the Arab world

- His teaching secrets

- Nuances of listening to music

- Eyad’s influence on the modern Lebanese style

- Pros and cons of teaching online

Show Notes to this episode:

Check My Inner Dancer, online store for belly dancers: www.myinnerdancer.com.

Find Eyad Malaeb on Facebook, and Instagram.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about BDE’s class donation for studios/teachers search for #2getherWeMove or write info@bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Vadim Kolpakov is one of the most prominent and renowned Russian Roma 7-string guitarists in the world. He was a lead musician of the Moscow Roma (Gypsy) Theatre Romen, where he performed as a guitarist, composer, vocalist, dancer and dramatic actor. Vadim graduated from the Roma performing arts school Gilori and studied guitar with his uncle Alexander Kolpakov who served as the musical director of the Romen Gypsy Theatre for over a quarter of a century. At the age of 15, Vadim began work at the Romen Gypsy Theatre, where he worked for 8 years and was the leading guitarist for 7 years. In 2008, as a member of the Kolpakov Trio, Vadim went on the world tour "Sticky & Sweet" with Madonna. They performed in many European and South American countries, as well as in North America and Mexico, including venues such as Wembley stadium in London, Madison Square Garden in NYC and Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The history of the Russian Roma 7-string guitar

- Vadim’s approach to the term ‘Gypsy’ vs ‘Romani’

- Similar elements of the Romani dance and music across the world

- The use of skirt in Russian Romani female dance

- Touring with Madonna

Show Notes to this episode:

Check My Inner Dancer, online store for belly dancers: www.myinnerdancer.com.

Find Vadim Kolpakov on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

For more information about BDE’s class donation for studios/teachers search for #2getherWeMove or write info@bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Iana!

Let’s talk about dance improvisation, and a top secret of how to avoid panic attack while improvising for the audience. :)

Show Notes to this episode:

Check My Inner Dancer, online store for belly dancers: www.myinnerdancer.com.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Alex Marković holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He spent 17 months conducting ethnographic field work on Romani ethnic identity and musical performance in Vranje, Serbia, for his doctoral dissertation. His general research interests involve music, dance, and ritual in the Balkans, ethnic identity and nationalism, the anthropology of performance, and ethnomusicology. Currently, Alex is co-instructor and performer with the Greek dance group “Ellas,” and a guest instructor with the Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society of Chicago. He also offers public dance workshops and presentations on his research in dance and anthropology. He recently contributed a fascinating article to EEFC’s Forum Folkloristika: “Beat That Drum! Exploring the Politics and Performance among Roma Brass Musicians in Vranje, Serbia.”

In this episode you will learn about:

- What the Balkan region is

- Historical connections between the Ottoman Empire and Balkans

- Cultural practices vs national borders

- Dances of the Black sea

- The role of Romani culture in the Balkan region

Show Notes to this episode:

Check My Inner Dancer, online store for belly dancers: www.myinnerdancer.com.

Find Alex Marković on Facebook, or via email amarko2@uic.edu. Also, check videos kindly provided by Alex Marković to compliment this interview HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Rabia found her love of music and dance at a young age in Turkey where she started dancing, drumming, and performing at traditional celebrations and social gatherings. Growing up listening and dancing to the complex rhythms of Turkey’s beautiful Aegean region was to her benefit during her formal dance education. Her unique dancing and teaching style is rooted in Turkish culture and tradition. She is an internationally acclaimed performing artist, researcher, instructor, choreographer and specialized in 9/8 dances of Turkey. She believes and advocates for the healing power of music and dance in a person's physical, emotional and mental well being. She performs and teaches nationally and internationally. In addition to being a registered nurse, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in athletics and dance, a Master of Science in Nursing Education and studying for her Nurse Practitioner degree. She integrates her formal educational background into her dance instructions to benefit her students.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The concept of Haflas in the belly dance community vs Turkish tradition

- The tricky task of teaching 9/8 rhythm to a Western ear

- The variety of 9/8 rhythms in Turkey, including the richness of Karsilama regional styles

- Intricate nuances of Roman Havasi rhythm, and different ways to dance to them

- The Historical roots of Turkish belly dance

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Find Rabia on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their BDExperience program at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Valerick Molinary!

We are going though some challenging times right now. Many artists struggle because of their lost jobs, frustration and stress of uncertainty. And if most of us aren’t very excited about putting together the business side of their dance activities even during the calm times, then now it’s even more crucial to remember that self-promotion is a must have for any working dancer, and you should not resist it.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Find Valerick on Instagram, FB, and Youtube. Full interview is available here: Ep 11. Valerick Molinary: Different Ways to Develop Your Belly Dance Career

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Originally from Argentina, master teacher, artistic director and dancer Oscar Flores began his artistic career very early. His training is very varied, including ballet, flamenco, oriental dance, theater and musical studies. From 1995 till today, he has been working in the world of theater, dance and fashion. In 2001, he founded his first dance school, where he worked for 3 years before moving to Buenos Aires and continuing his studies with renown masters such as Amir Thaleb and Saida. In 2010, he founded his dance company where he worked until 2016, when he moved to China to become a part of the Bellydance China project. Over the years, he has worked in the most important international festivals in the world as a dancer, teacher and competition judge; he has also participated as a guest and performer in several television programs in Latin America, Mexico, USA, Canada, Europe, China, Egypt, Turkey.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Dealing with health issues, and navigating the stress of a busy artistic life

- How to refill joy and enthusiasm towards your art

- The importance of proper rest and play time

- What role social media plays in the life of a professional dancer today

- How COVID-19 is influencing Oscar’s life and the belly dance field in general

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Previous interview with Oscar Flores: Ep 25. Oscar Flores: I Needed an Opportunity to Live My Dream

Find Oscar Flores on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. His website: http://www.oscarbellydance.com.ar

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their BDExperience program at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Mohanned Hawaz is a dancer from Iraq currently living in Sweden. He has trained both ballet and Iraqi folklore since childhood and was a member of the Iraqi International Dance Company. Mohanned has played an excellent role in bringing Iraqi folkloric arts and dance to European and international audiences. He is determined to bring Iraqi style dances and culture to the international dance community and, more importantly, to preserve the work of the Iraqi National Troupe and its founders, Hannah Abdullah and Fouad Thanoon. The troupe Enkidu, an all-female, 12-person dance troupe, was founded by him in 2010 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Mohanned’s childhood dream of becoming a professional dancer

- Today’s reality of Iraqi dance cultures, and limited opportunities to study from the source

- Various rhythms of Iraqi dance styles

- Iraqi National Troupe: before and now

- Most common mistakes that we see at belly dance competitions

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Mohanned Hawaz on FB, and Instagram. Also, check videos kindly provided by Mohanned to compliment this interview HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their BDExperience program at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Iana!

Today the world is changing so rapidly. Let’s talk about the current events and their impact (immediate and in a long term) on belly dance industry.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Jessaiah Zure began bellydancing in 1997, studying primarily with Katarina Burda, and later with Jamila Salimpour. In 2004 she began her 10-year journey of living and studying on and off in Istanbul, where she studied Turkish Roman Dance primarily with Reyhan Tusuz. Jessaiah was Reyhan’s second ever “student”. As the years progressed, she met more people and danced and studied with many more dancers, including professionals, women in the kitchen, Anadolu Atesi dancers and more. The locals in Istanbul were amazed at Jessaiah’s natural familiarity with the music and dance. While she was there, Jessaiah was a featured dancer at many local events, weddings, shows, as well as written about in newspapers and asked to be in movies as a dancer.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Studying folklore as a part of belly dance classes

- How do we define ‘traditional’

- Jessaiah’s learning experience of Turkish Romani dance without knowing the language, and having an audience observing her at each class

- We all start as beginners

- The importance of individuality in dance.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Jessaiah Zure on FB, and Instagram. Also, check her Fb group The Rhythm & Belly Revival (International Dance Collective).

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their BDExperience program at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Pedro Bonatto is an internationally acclaimed photographer and drummer. Born in Brazil, Pedro works in fine art and fashion photography, with works published in Elle Arabia, Fashion Canada and a number of magazines and books. His fine art project, The Orientalist, features dancers and musicians in scenes inspired by Orientalist paintings, photographed in 6 countries in 3 continents. Pedro's unique style is applied to his belly dance photography, having photographed a number of stars including Aida Bogomolova, Khaled Mahmoud, Marta Korsun, Julia Farid and many others. Pedro is also a drummer focusing on Middle Eastern music and the leader of the world music and dance ensemble Blue Dot.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Pedro got involved in Arabic drumming, and how he started working with dancers

- What is the difference between playing for a dancer and accompanying a singer with a band

- Pedro’s most memorable shoot from the Orientalist series, in the ‘’ghost’’ city with a broken car, no Internet connection, and upcoming flight in a few hours

- Life of a belly dancer’s husband: behind-the-scene reality of glittering shows

- Some ideas on how to deal with partners who do not support your belly dance passion.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Pedro Bonatto on FB, Instagram, and YouTube, his website with useful tips for preparing for shoots, and his podcasts.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their BDEmpower program at www.BellydanceEvolution.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Some of the best moments from our previous episodes! Today we are talking about such an important topic as health: health and dance in general, and health as a dancer’s health specifically. Learn from Cassandra Fox, Jillina Carlano, Alla Kushnir and Aradia of Las Vegas.

Show Notes to this episode:

Ep 15. Cassandra Fox: Healthy Does Not Have a Face

Ep 31. Jillina Carlano: How Food Can Influence Your Dance

Ep 40. Alla Kushnir: Not Only Luck Makes You Number 1

Ep 101. Aradia of Las Vegas: How to Succeed as a Full-Time Performer

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Iana Dance Club page!

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their shows at www.BellydanceEvolution.com or audition for the cast at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

After extensive training in gymnastics and ballet, at age 19 Eva Cernik was first introduced to belly dance by Anahid Sofian in New York. Eva worked as an Oriental dancer in London, Paris, Istanbul, and Cairo, and in-troupe in Baghdad and Spain. She also traveled in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Morocco and 14 other countries. Returning to Egypt 26 times, Eva developed a friendship with families in Upper Egypt, and studied with Khairiya Maazin, and So'ad Maazin. She also returned to Turkey 11 times, to really grasp the very strong contrast of the Turkish and Romani styles to the Egyptian and American styles. In 2008, Eva was presented by Denver Lyric Opera Guild in a performance of Strauss' "Dance of the Seven Veils" from his opera "Salome”. She also spent 14 years fully immersed in Sufi dance practices.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How Eva got involved into belly dance thinking that it was an Armenian folk dance class

- Performing with injured knee

- Studying Ghawazi dances from Khariya Maazin

- Interviewing the legendary Samia Gamal

- Where did the misconception of using big skirts in Turkish Romani Dance come from.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Eva Cernik on FB, Instagram, and YouTube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Having performed in over 21 countries, Amaya was the first to introduce the passion of Flamenco with the sensuality of Arabic Dance through her interpretation of the song "Amayagueña", composed especially for her by top composer Ibrahim El Samahy. Her fusion work in the early 1990s sparked many dancers to follow on her path. She credits her mentor and dance partner, the late Roman Balladine, for opening many dance doors around the world for her (Europe, Australia, New Zealand…). Amaya ran away and joined the circus! Her circus work in Salome Traumtheater and Circus Conelli in Germany and Switzerland were milestones in her dance career. In 1978 she got 1st Place Winner of Egypt Dance Competition in Sheraton Hotel (Cairo), and later she received the Giza Award for her documentary, “Gypsy Fire, Part One” 1988. She also got the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, Santa Fe, 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award, National Isis Foundation, Dallas, and many other acknowledgements.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Different stages of Amaya’s career, and working together with a male dancer

- How to stop feeding negativity, and deal effectively with gossip and conflicts in your dance circle

- Common threads in personality of all successful dancers

- Amaya’s documentaries about the history of belly dance in the USA: why? how? who?

- Why Amaya truly deserves her title of Wise Woman.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Amaya on FB, Instagram, and YouTube. More information about her documentaries and retreat at her website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

After relocating from the UK to the USA, Sara Al-Hadithi got involved in the Middle-Eastern dance world and discovered an interest in Iraqi dance that has swept through the bellydance community. As an Iraqi, this area of performance was very surprising and personal to her, not just as a performer, but also as the daughter of one of Iraq's most well-known and respected vocalist and authority on Iraqi folklore. After partnering with dancer Uza of NYC, the collaboration of the Court of Morjana was born, the first English-language website dedicated to all subjects relating to Iraqi dance. Also, Sara has founded Autism Care Los Angeles (ACLA) to address the difficulty and frustration many families experience when seeking caregivers for family members living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

In this episode you will learn about:

- Being the daughter of a well-known artist, and experiencing resistance from society and family towards her own artistic dreams

- The female role in Iraqi culture and society, and why Sara was surprised to discover dancers interest in Iraqi dance

- Navigating life, motherhood, autism diagnosis and an artist’s path

- Finding support in the belly dance community

- Why Sara refused to actively teach dance classes, and how she found a way to contribute to dance education in the most authentic way for her

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Sara Al-Hadithi on FB, Instagram, and YouTube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

I’ll be honest: it was very tempting to title this episode as “From Egyptian Traditional Style to Burlesque Dancer”, but our conversation with Katalin Schäfer was much wider than just these two dancer styles on an incredible artistic arc that will definitely challenge your understanding of the art.

Katalin is an accomplished international performer, choreographer, instructor, and costume designer from Hungary. In 2004, together with three other master teachers, she established a dance company called Art of Orient, and soon after she established her own dance company with Arab boys and Hungarian girls. In the same year, she had come second at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan World Competition in Egypt, but later a meaningful artistic journey has begun that has effected her life on both professional and spiritual levels. Her wide range of interests has motivated her to create a very unique, personal style that she would call (if definition is necessary at all) Oriental Jazz.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Falling in love with Egyptian traditional raqs sharki and folklore, and later transitioning into fusion and burlesque dance

- The importance of feeling your body and hearing your soul’s calling

- How Katalin describes her own dance style

- Dealing with stigmas and judgements about being a belly dancer and a burlesque dancer

- Pregnancy and motherhood while being an active dancer

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Katalin Schäfer on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and website. Check her costume designer HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Julia Farid!

Such a valuable insight on how to use competition experience to your best interest, what are the traps, and what are the tools for your dance growth there.

Show Notes to this episode:

Full interview with Julia Farid: Ep 05. Julia Farid: Challenges of an International Dance Career

Julia’s upcoming event in June: Summer Beats.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Nabila is a worldwide known Oriental dancer, characterized by her appealing elegance and soulful music interpretation. As a member of Jillinas Bellydance Evolution Team Nabila has been involved in all three previous productions of Bellydance Evolution Theatre Shows in Europe (2010 – 2015), including the leading role of “Cheshire Cat” in May 2015 in Dornbirn, Austria. Her great ability to bring the emotionality of egyptain expression of the oriental dance on stage leads her to be one of the few of Randa Kamel choosen European guest dancers on the stage of the closing gala at Randa’s Raqs-of-Course Festival in Cairo.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Starting belly dance at the age of 32, and reaching professional success and recognition

- Nabila’s very first performance on the stage, and the nature of nervousness

- The importance of the strength training for belly dancers

- Benefits of complimentary yoga practice

- How to motivate your students to keep going even when their progress is painfully slow

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Amel Tafsout on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode!

January is typically a month of new classes for beginners students. Many struggles may appear in teacher-student relationships, that’s why in this mini-episode I’m featuring two topics:

- How to set up boundaries in your relationships with students, and

- How to structure your class if you have both intermediate and beginning students.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Submit your questions for ASKianaDANCE show at www.ianadance.com/ask

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Raised in Algeria, Amel Tafsout grew up around traditional healing practices of her native country. In the mid-1970s, Amel moved to Germany where she founded the Pan-Arab dance company called ‘Banat As Sahra’ (Daughters of the Sahara Desert), and in the late 80s Tafsout moved to London, U.K, where she performed at various dance and music festivals and created a new dance company called ‘The Tafsoutettes’. She was also active member of the Latin Jazz band ‘Chakchouka’, the North African music ensemble ‘Mambo Duniya’, the Arab-Turkish band ‘Noor Shimaal’ and later the North African music ensemble ‘Saladin’s Orchestra’ with her husband, drummer Salah-Dawson Miller. Currently living in the U.S.A., she is an in-demand dance artist and musician. With a research in dance anthropology and coming from a Sufi spiritual tradition, Amel combines traditional healing with sacred dance, with her learning experience in Sound healing and Zikr, breath work, whirling and trance.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Amel’s childhood in Algeria, and the contrast between home environment and French school 

- Orientalist’s stereotypes about the dancers of Maghreb 

- Differences between Amazigh (Berber), Maghreb and Arabic cultures 

- Healing powers embedded in the North African culture and traditions 

- Releasing emotional blocks through dance and sound

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Amel Tafsout on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Shahrzad!

A great reminder about the beautiful aspect of our belly dance profession! Exactly what you need to hear approaching the end of the year.

Show Notes to this episode:

Full interview with Shahrzad: Ep 03. Shahrzad: Inside Cairo Dance Life

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Aradia has performed as a soloist throughout the United States, Canada, Barbados, Egypt and Switzerland. She has danced at many of the top hotels, restaurants and clubs in Las Vegas, performed for Celine Dion's wedding, BlockBuster's premiere opening for "The Mummy", and Maxim Magazine's party in Las Vegas. She has appeared in several TV spots on Discovery, Bravo and the Travel Channel. Her love for Middle Eastern dance began at the age of 7 as a second generation belly dancer. Aradia is a sought after instructor and choreographer, and her professionalism and friendly personality makes her one of the most requested dancers in Las Vegas.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Being the daughter of a professional belly dancer

- Changes in the belly dance education and shows over the past 40 years 

- Differences between Egyptian, Turkish and Lebanese styles 

- Secrets of a successful and long-lasting performance career 

- The importance of thinking about retirement options in advance

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for your support via Iana Dance Club: www.ianadanceCLUB.com.

Follow Aradia of Las Vegas on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode!

Reflecting on our recent Instagram challenge, and sharing all behind-the-scene insights of what was going on. Thank you for being a part of our podcast community! Let’s celebrate our episode #100 together. :)

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Elmira Sarkisian is a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer from Ukraine. She is a respected judge at many dance competitions, and beloved mentor for her numerous students. Her Armenian charm, Ukrainian work ethic and Egyptian soul will definitely inspire you to keep moving on your belly dance journey.

In this episode you will learn about:

- What makes Elmira to be in so much demand as a choreographer

- Costume misfunctions may happen to anyone

- Listening to the music and all its nuances

- 2-min performances at the competitions

- What is the most important aspects in teaching belly dance

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Elmira Sarkisian on FB, Instagram, and YouTube

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002047977878

https://www.instagram.com/elmirasarkisian/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCylOFccshvlMZzkbtNYTnAw

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

David Abraham has exceptional charisma and overwhelming personality. He definitely knows how to captivate and dazzle the audience with his unique and bold style. David graduated from the Arabian Dance School (ADS) from Master Amir Thaleb in 2011, and since then he has managed to carve a prestigious and unblemished career with more than 20 gold medals in different competitions under his belt, and traveling all around the world giving workshops.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How David was traveling 24 hours by bus every month in order to take belly dance classes

- The importance of learning from other dancers

- What does it take to be a man in the belly dance industry

- Kids and their parents in belly dance

- How to build a successful international career

Show Notes to this episode:

Belly Dance Life Podcast CHALLENGE: www.ianadance.com/challenge

Follow David Abraham on FB, Instagram, and YouTube

www.instagram.com/david_abraham_bd/

www.facebook.com/DavidOriental

www.youtube.com/user/DavidOriental

Bellydance Evolution and information about their programs at www.JoinBDE.com.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode!

Let’s talk about success in belly dance. What does it really mean? Do you have a clear understanding what are your goals, and ultimate success in this industry? Tune in right now!

This is an excerpt from the webinar hosted by Joana Saahirah where I was a guest speaker. Find more information at Joana Saahirah´s World Webinar Series available at www.joanasaahirah.com.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Find more information at Joana Saahirah´s World Webinar Series available at www.joanasaahirah.com

Some of the best moments from our previous episodes! Today we are talking about such complex topic as social media, and its influence on belly dance world and individual careers. Learn from Sadie Marquardt, Cassandra Fox, Mercedes Nieto and Carmen Fragoso.

Show Notes to this episode:

Belly Dance Life Podcast CHALLENGE: http://www.ianadance.com/challenge

Ep 14. Sadie Marquardt: Before & After Social Media Hit: https://www.ianadance.com/bellydance-life/episode14

Ep 15. Cassandra Fox: Healthy Does Not Have a Face: https://www.ianadance.com/bellydance-life/episode15

Ep 45. Mercedes Nieto: Social Media Traps: https://www.ianadance.com/bellydance-life/episode45

Ep 81. Carmen Fragoso: Things Happen When You Are Ready For Them: https://www.ianadance.com/bellydance-life/episode81

Follow Iana on social media at @iana_dance

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program at http://bellydanceevolution.com , or audition for the cast at http://www.JoinBDE.com

Podcast: http://www.ianadance.com/podcast

Safia is an international belly dance instructor and performer from Argentina. She is know for her powerful performances and she is one of the most popular dancers of our time, and organizer of the Feidac Festival in Cordoba. Discover her story of how she started her belly dance journey at the age of 3, and what are her next dance dreams in this artistic field!

In this episode you will learn about:

- How popular belly dance is for kids in Argentina

- How Safia gets ready for her shows

- How to deal with a cold audience

- How to influence your students in the most thoughtful and empowering way

- How to make sure your festival grows year after year.

Show Notes to this episode:

Belly Dance Life Podcast CHALLENGE: www.ianadance.com/challenge

Follow Safia Diaz on FB, Instagram, and YouTube. Festivals: FeiDac Festival in Cordoba.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their shows at www.BellydanceEvolution.com or audition for the cast at www.JoinBDE.com.

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Mohamed Shahin is a world-renowned master instructor, performer and challenging choreographer of Egyptian Oriental & Folkloric Dance. A native of Cairo, Egypt, originally trained as a mechanical engineer, Shahin discovered his passion for Egyptian Dance at the young age of fifteen. Mohamed currently lives in New York City but has been touring internationally full-time since 2004. He is co-organizer, director & instructor of the Annual RAQS, OF COURSE Egyptian dance festival in Cairo - Egypt as well as organizer and owner of Annual NYCairo Raks Festival in New York City – USA. Shahin produced “Dance Like An Egyptian” instructional DVD series, that are great asset for those whom study Egyptian dance but are unable to attend Shahin’s workshops.

In this episode you will learn about:

- If foreign dancers can dance like Egyptians

- Why Egyptian teachers prefer to use term "oriental dance", and what meaning they put in it

- How to be innovative but respectful to the traditions

- Beledi, and all modern misconceptions around it

- The process of music creation, and sneak peek into Mohamed’s new upcoming CD!

Show Notes to this episode:

Belly Dance Life Podcast CHALLENGE: www.ianadance.com/challenge

Follow Mohamed Shahin on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and website. Festivals: Raqs Of Course, and NYCairo.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their shows at www.BellydanceEvolution.com or audition for the cast at www.JoinBDE.com.

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a mini-episode with Marta Korzun!

Listen to very useful suggestions from Marta Korzun on how to develop personality or individuality in your dance. Tune in right now!

Show Notes to this episode:

Full interview with Marta Korzun: Ep 01. Marta Korzun: About Competitions and Individual Style

Find Marta Korzun at Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Patreon support: www.patreon.com/ianadance

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Sharon is a French, Tunisian, and Algerian bellydancer living in the South of France. Her artistic influences are mainly Egyptian. In 2002, Sharon created her oriental dance school “Les danseuses du Sinai”. When teaching, she stresses on the importance of music interpretation and charisma. For more than 14 years, her talent and determination led her to perform and teach in many countries. She has also initiated many oriental dance events in the South of France, among them the Oriental Marathon Festival, which she organizes every year since 2012.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Finding your own voice in dance instead of copying someone else’s

- Constant unsatisfaction with your performance

- Students’ mentality in different countries

- What is the most important thing to teach your students

- How to push and develop your dance career

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Sharon Mesguich on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and website. Oriental Marathon Festival: website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their shows at www.BellydanceEvolution.com or audition for the cast at www.JoinBDE.com.

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Serkan Tutar is an international award winning Turkish bellydancer & teacher, “Male Bellydancer of the world 2008” and winner of “Brandon Oasis 2006”, and organizer of the Rakkas Istanbul International Oriental Dance Festival. Serkan currently lives in Belgium, where he is renown for his Middle Eastern dance instruction and performances. His teaching methods are clear and concise, delivered with kindness in a supportive environment. Students from across Belgium and around the world seek him out as a dance instructor and mentor.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Similarities between Turkish and Egyptian dance styles.

- Terminology nuances: ‘gypsy’, ‘Roman’, ‘belly dance’, ‘oriental’ and ‘raks sharki’

- Difference between dance festivals and dance events.

- How to check if you are ready to teach, and how to approach your teacher on this topic.

- Are style and personality the same thing?

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Serkan Tutar on FB, Instagram, YouTube, and website. Rakkas Istanbul International Oriental Dance Festival: website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their shows at www.BellydanceEvolution.com or audition for the cast at www.JoinBDE.com.

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Zomzom Mustapha is a dancer and choreographer specializing in Arabic Folklore (Egypt, Morocco and the Middle East in general). He was trained in modern jazz and later in theatre and dance in Casablanca, Morocco. This knowledge has made Zomzom Mustapha a famous artist and dance teacher, not only in France where he currently resides, but all around the world. Throughout his career, Mustapha has taught and performed at various international festivals in the United States, Morocco, Ukraine, Colombia, Kuwait, China, Russia, Lebanon, Argentina, Egypt, and other countries.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Different Moroccan dances and their connection to flamenco.

- Street shaabi and mahragan.

- Important differences between Al Rakessa and Al Rakassa.

- Reasons why belly dance got banned in one region of France.

- Terms ‘belly dance’ vs ‘oriental dance’.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Zomzom Mustapha on FB, Instagram, YouTube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Raïssa Leï is the founder and director of the Kif-Kif Bledi group. Originally from Morocco, she started her dance journey with modern jazz and hip-hop training, and all sorts of underground dance styles such as locking, popping and waacking. Today she is also known for her deep exploration of traditional dances of North Africa, experimental fusion between dance styles and active social work activities to help communities and spread awareness about important issues.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Links between Berber culture and Egyptian dances.

- Tips on how to be critical to historical resources and documents.

- What is the situation with Muslim culture in Europe.

- How rich and varied is the dance repertoire of Morocco and other North African countries (with a list of dance styles)

- Most common misinterpretations that we see on belly dance stage.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Raïssa Leï on FB, Instagram, YouTube and Kif-Kif Bledi website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Bundle and information about the Instagram challenge: thebellydancebundle.com & @thebellydancebundle .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

It’s a solo mini-episode!

Are you wondering how to boost self-discipline and motivation when practicing on your own? Or maybe you are looking for any accountability online groups to boost your dance training? In this mini-episode I’m sharing my two ASKianaDANCE editions where I address these questions!

Show Notes to this episode:

ASKianaDANCE: www.ianadance.com/ask

Patreon support: www.patreon.com/ianadance

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Are you a fan of online belly dance classes, or are you on the skeptical side? In either case, this episode will bring you so much positive energy and laugh that you will immediately fall in love with Tatyana Gavrilova and her online platform for dancers, Sola Dance. Tatyana has already produced over 200 videos of belly dance workshops, and in this conversation she takes us behind the screen of Sola Dance.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How the idea of Sola Dance appeared.

- What are the advantages and disadvantages of practicing belly dance online.

- What was the funniest moment of recording classes with teachers at Sola Dance.

- How online resources can help you develop your own unique style.

- If there are any differences in mentalities of Russian-speaking and English-speaking dancers.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Tatyana Gavrilova and Sola Dance on FB, Instagram, YouTube and website.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Bundle and information about the Instagram challenge: thebellydancebundle.com & @thebellydancebundle .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

This is one of the most honest and straightforward conversations of the podcast! Please welcome the absolutely amazing Mexican beauty based in the UAE, Tatiana Avila. After burning up Dubai's most prestigious nightclubs with her energy, charisma and super dance techniques, she is currently focusing on developing dance classes and workshops in Dubai. In this interview, Tatiana talks about her path from being a student to becoming a professional in-demand dancer, as well as differences between what we learn in dance schools, and what we see in real life of the belly dance entertainment industry.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Tatiana’s path as a student, her teachers, struggles and inspirations

- Our beloved “BellyPolice” :)

- The differences between dance in academic and entertainment worlds

- How folklore dabke is transformed in cabaret settings

- The structure of a typical belly dance show in Dubai

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Tatiana Avila on FB, Instagram and YouTube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Bundle and information about the Instagram challenge: thebellydancebundle.com & @thebellydancebundle .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

It’s a solo mini-episode!

Do you know how to dance just for yourself, or are you constantly in a marathon of preparing for some events and performances? In this mini-episode I’m sharing my recent breakthrough and realization of where I’d like my artistic path to go in the future.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

This is the most surprising belly dance story you’ve ever heard. Discover how Malema (Maria Aya) got introduced to belly dance at the age of 30, then started receiving requests for private classes from well-established professional dancers, and how one simple YouTube video recorded for pure fun brought her first international teaching gig. And this was just the first chapter of her dance story.

Today, after a harsh year of being diagnosed with lupus (an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the body's organs), surviving 14 heart attacks, 5 brain strokes, and fully recovering from these diseases, Malema is ready to start a new chapter. She is back to teaching classes, but she is also passionate about developing a dance therapy practice based on oriental movements, and using the vocabulary of belly dance to help women recover after sexual abuses and war traumas.

Malema (Maria Aya) is founder and co-organizer of MOSAIC Oriental Festival in Athens, founder & artistic director of “Hamsa”, International Center for Culture & Arts of East Med Countries, and creator of the "Hamsa International Oriental Knowledge Certificate". She is a leader and main choreographer of “Malema’s Banat” oriental inspired theatrical dance group, international multi-awarded choreographer, and a renowned teacher of oriental and folkloric dances.

Show Notes to this episode:

Follow Malema on FB. Her FB dance page, and Hamsa - Oriental Art House page. YouTube video that she mentioned in the interview is available here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY6hBS5YNRo

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Bundle and information about the Instagram challenge: thebellydancebundle.com & @thebellydancebundle .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Some of the best moments from our previous episodes! Today we are talking about such complex topic as musicality in belly dance. Learn from Esmeralda Colabone, Alida Lin, Sandra Kahloun and Kamilia. Aim for more!

Show Notes to this episode:

Ep 13. Esmeralda Colabone: Music as Your Guide & Mentor

Ep 37. Alida Lin: How to Control Your Music As a Dancer

Ep 47. Sandra: Rules Of Improvisation

Ep 62. Kamilia: Dreaming of a Big Supportive Community

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

I literally had goosebumps several times during this conversation: from months at an ICU and wheelchair recovery, to an active dance career, marathon running, and becoming a crossfit athlete! Are you ready for an incredible story from a phenomenal woman? Please welcome Katerina Shereen, who performed at the most glamorous events with such guests as Elton John, Sharon Stone and royal families who came to London every summer. Katerina became the special dancer for the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen of Brunei. The biggest benefit though was to work with amazing Arabic musicians who worked with Oum Kalthoum and Abdal Halim Hafez or played for legends such as Fifi Abdo and Nagua Fouad.

In this interview you will hear about:

- The scene of belly dance education: festivals vs intensives, and what goals each type of event serves,

- Tips on how to choose wisely which dance event to invest your money in

- Katerina’s story of a leg injury due to a doctor’s mistake, and her recovery path

- The importance and power of the mindset to never give up

- What skills you are missing to get a successful, joyful and long-term dance career

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Follow Katerina Shereen on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Carmen Fragoso is a Mexican choreographer & dance coach specialized in Belly dance, Khaleeji and Iraqi dancing, with a thriving career as a contract dancer based in Dubai. Listen to her incredible story on how she brought her main dance dream to life, and achieved the lifestyle that she wanted.

In this interview you will hear about:

- How facing dance frustrations and seeking more from life led to a complete change of lifestyle

- How Carmen got involved in Iraqi dancing

- How her 2-month vacation got transformed into a full-time job in Dubai

- What was the most surprising thing she discovered during the first year of working in the Middle East

- The importance of a dancer’s image on stage, and off stage

- How her dance videos became viral on social media, and what it brought to her life.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Follow Carmen Fragoso on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a solo episode!

Sharing my experience of being a judge at the Dance Weekend in Warsaw competition: from what goes in the judge’s head during evaluations, to most common mistakes that caught my attention from performance to performance.

Show Notes to this episode:

Download free tips for your 20-min belly dance program here: www.ianadance.com/podcast/tips

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Anjelica Scannura is a highly accomplished dancer, choreographer, actress, and comedian. She has performed and taught flamenco and belly dance all over the world, including the USA, Europe, Caribbean and Middle East.

Anjelica has been the recipient of many dance awards, including The Marty Award for Oustanding dance artist in 2018, Bellydancer of the Universe Winner 2013, Bellydancer of the Universe Hall of Fame Inductee 2014, Paula Citron Fresh Blood Award, Finalist at the Certamen de Coreografia de Danza Espanol y Flamenco in 2013, Eastern Canadian Irish Dance Champion 2006, among others. Anjelica is also the face of ZoomerMedia’s health and fitness channel, ONE Get Fit TV, where she has her own critically acclaimed dance-fitness show “Anjelica’s Dance Workout.”

In this interview you will hear about:

- Historical connection between flamenco and belly dance

- Tips for your fusion choreographies

- Insights into a gigs life and theatre shows of a solo dancer

- What’s similar and different between stand-up comedy and belly dance show

- Transitioning from one chapter of creative career to another

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Follow Anjelica Scannura on Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

I’m happy to feature Darya Ryzhkova, the winner of Cairo! Fest Budapest 2019!

Dariya is a professional dancer and teacher. Her awards include dance competitions in Russia, Spain, Kazahistan, France, Israel, Hungary and Greece. She is certified judge by the Russian Liga of Professional Belly Dancers, as well as teacher at Eshta studio, and director of her own dance school Baheya.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Follow Darya Ryzhkova via Instagram, FB, Youtube.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Drum rolls please! We have the fantastic Marta Korzun back on the Belly Dance Life Podcast!

Marta Korzun is internationally recognized as one of Europe’s leading performers and teachers of Oriental dance. She started her career in 2006 by taking part in many competitions in the Ukraine and abroad, including Cairo. She has been titled the Bellydance Champion of the World (2011), European Bellydancer (2011), and 2nd winner at “Nile Group Cairo" (2010), just to name a few. Marta is the artistic director of one the largest Schools of Oriental dance in Eastern Europe, “Tiara” and the ensemble “Tiara Stars”. She is recognized for her unique teaching method and clear and concise explanations, and regularly holds training workshops worldwide.

In this interview you will learn about:

- When are you ready to start teaching,

- How to help your students develop teaching skills, and how not to be afraid of their transition to the teaching world,

- What to do if your teacher doesn’t support your teaching dreams,

- How to get ready for your first class,

- The importance of business education for dancers, and tips on promoting your classes.

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Follow Marta Korzun via Instagram, FB, Youtube. Marta’s educational video for bellydance teachers and dancers is available HERE. Also, check a previous interview with Marta at Ep 01. Marta Korzun: About Competitions and Individual Style

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

This is one of those episodes that I have marked as "must listen again"!

Joana Saahirah is a world-renowned dancer, teacher and choreographer specialized in Egyptian Oriental and Folkloric dance, an actress and an author. After almost a decade of life and career in Egypt, presenting shows on a daily basis with her own orchestra, Joana has created a unique style of teaching, choreographing and performing that unites East and West. She has studied and worked as a choreography and teaching assistant with Mahmoud Reda, and studied with legends of Egyptian Oriental Dance, such as Shokry Mohamed, Souhair Zaki, Nagwa Fouad, Azza Sherif, and Mona el Said, just to name a few. She has also written and published two books: ”The Secrets of Egypt – Dance, Life & Beyond” and“Behind the Curtain”, among her other projects.

In this interview you will learn about:

- How Joana quit a promising acting career and became a belly dancer without even realizing it,

- Why did she leave Egypt at the peak of her performance success,

- What makes her think that Egyptian dance is a tool to reveal a person’s true dreams,

- How to have a bigger vision for your dance career,

- What is the balance between acting and being yourself on stage,

- AND SO MUCH MORE!

Show Notes to this episode:

Thank you for supporting the Belly Dance Life Podcast via our Patreon page!

Follow Joana Saahirah via Instagram, YouTube, FB, and www.joanasaahirah.com. Join Joana Saahirah´s World Newsletter, where you´ll receive news, inspirations, and gifts, and become a part of Egyptian Dance Revolution HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Historian and musician Dr. George Sawa is the author of multiple books. He has published over 50 articles on Arabic music in journals and encyclopedias, and is frequently invited to give lectures and concerts worldwide. In 2005, he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Egyptian Ministry of Culture for his research in Arabic music history. His CD, The Art of the Early Egyptian Qanun, Vol. 1, was nominated for a JUNO Award in World Music in 2009. His Egyptian Music Appreciation and Practice for Bellydancers has won international acclaim and is an invaluable companion to bellydancers all over the world, having been translated to multiple languages.

In this interview you will learn about:

- Similarities and differences between Western and Arabic music in 10th century and now,

- Different meanings of the term "tarab",

- Why popular interpretation of muwashahat dance is wrong from a historical point of view,

- What is maqam,

- How to interpret and dance to different instruments in songs.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Dr George Sawa on his website, YouTube, and FB. The video of Taheyya Carioca mentioned in the interview is available HERE.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Prof. Dr. Hassan Khalil lived in the time of the great oriental dancers like Naima Akeef, Samia Gamal, Tahiya Karioka, and even lived in the same neighbourhood with some of them. Later he also worked with Nagua Fuad and Suheir Zaki and many other famous dancers. He is a master teacher and choreographer for many of the most well known Oriental dancers all over the world. Khalil was the director of the Balloon Theatre, the general director of the Oum Kalsoum Theatre in Cairo, as well the general supervisor for folklore in the Ministry of Culture in Egypt. He is also the founder of the famous folk dance group, the National Ensemble of Egypt.

In this interview you will learn about:

- The nature and roots of dance itself,

- Differences between Pharaonic and folklore dances of Egypt,

- Influence of the Turkish Ottoman harems in oriental dance,

- Behind-the-scene stories of the Golden Era period,

- How the ancient history of this dance influence current belly dance trends

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Prof Dr Hassan Khalil on his website, Instagram, and FB. Video about life and work of Prof Dr Hassan Khalil is available here.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a MINI episode!

Short and sweet: today I’m sharing my key secret of growing an online audience, which doubled my Instagram in less than half a year.

Show Notes to this episode:

Download free tips for your 20-min belly dance program here: www.ianadance.com/podcast/tips

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Mario Kirlis is an Argentinian musician and composer that is known for his extensive work in Arabic Music. He has been a mentor for a number of South American musician and belly dancers to approach the Middle Eastern art, and he has inspired artists all across the world.

In this interview you will learn about:

- Mario Kirlis’s most memorable music-dance collaboration

- The story of creating “modern baladi'“, also known as “Mario Kirlis baladi”

- Most common mistakes dancers do in music interpretation

- Logistics of directing a music orchestra

- Why Arabic musicians never play a song the same way twice

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Mario Kirlis on his website, Instagram, YouTube, and FB.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a MINI episode!

This is a medley of ASKianaDANCE show where I answered to following questions:

How to check if you are ready to start teaching dance classes for beginners

What to do if your dance teacher doesn't really like when students start teaching

Can you relate to this issues? Listen right now to the new episode to find out my tips and suggestions!

Show Notes to this episode:

You can submit your own questions for ASKianaDANCE show at www.ianadance.com/ask

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Gigi Dilsah is a passionate dancer and teacher. She began her dance training early in ballet. As she grew up in a conservative family in Istanbul, she also spent a lot of time in the USA where she found freedom and opportunities to explore belly dance. In Istanbul she's known as Dilsah, and in the U.S. she's known as Gigi. Now, combining two names along with extensive training, she shares her knowledge of this dance form via private classes in Istanbul, as well as touring across the USA.

In this interview you will learn about:

- Belly dance as a part of daily Turkish life

- Common stereotypes about belly dance in Turkey

- The role Romani dance plays in the typical Turkish belly dance program

- Proper costume for Turkish Romani dance

- Artistic limitations of having a stage name

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Podcast Merch Collection (including the mug) HERE

Find Gigi Dilsah on Instagram, YouTube, and FB.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Some of the best moments from our previous episodes! Today we are talking about dance productions and shows on the big stage. Learn from Mr Ozgen, Jillina Carlano, Oscar Flores and Vanessa of Cairo. Dream big!

Show Notes to this episode:

Ep 12. Mr. Ozgen: Turkish Dance on a Big Stage

Ep 22. Jillina Carlano: Building Community Around the Globe

Ep 25. Oscar Flores: I Needed an Opportunity to Live My Dream

Ep 55. Vanessa of Cairo: Professionalism & Kindness as Keys to Success

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Matias Hazrum is a world known arabic percussionist, musician, teacher and composer. He was born in Argentina (Buenos Aires), but his origin comes from Syria. Matias is a high level professional not only in playing the drum, but also in playing keyboard and other instruments of arabic percussion such as mashar, daff, rek and others. He worked on stage with such great names in the bellydance world including Saida (Argentina), Amir Thaleb (Argentina), Virginia Mendes (USA), Jillina (USA), Amar Gamal (USA), Sharon Kihara (USA), Yana Tsehotskaya (Ukraine), Anna Borisova (Russia) and many more.

In this interview you will learn about:

- Dancer & drummer dynamics on stage: who follows whom?

- How to communicate your dance ideas to a drummer

- Finishing a drum solo improvisation in sync with a drummer

- The process of creating individual custom-order songs

Show Notes to this episode:

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Find Matias Hazrum on Instagram, YouTube, and FB, or contact via email matiashazrum23@gmail.com.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Inspiring and empowering woman all around the world, Oreet has developed her unique certified fitness program SharQui which is a beautiful blend of fitness workout and belly dance! Oreet has 20+ years of experience as a fitness and dance instructor. She has been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, and CNN to name a few and have the titles Bellydancer of the Year, Jewel of the Nile, Entertainer of the Year and Middle Eastern Dance Champion of North America.

In this interview you will learn about:

- The role of belly dance in the culture of Israel

- How Oreet dealt with the constant feeling of not fitting in

- Where the idea of belly dance fitness workout came from

- Differences between teaching a regular belly dance and fitness belly dance class

- How belly dance can serve as a cardio and strength workout

- The reaction of belly dance community on her fitness project

- Genius business tips on how to present and promote your dance class

Show Notes to this episode:

Tips for structuring your 20-min belly dance show: www.ianadance.com/podcast/tips .Belly Dance Life Podcast CHALLENGE: www.ianadance.com/challenge

Find Oreet on website, Instagram, YouTube, and FB. More resources: SharQui TV, and SharQui Instructor Certification.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

What a treat we have on today’s show! Welcome one of the most creative and successful couples in the belly dance industry, Aliah and Vladimir Kluchenkov! They are constantly travelling all around the world with Aliah being a professional bellydance performer, instructor, judge, and costume designer, and Vladimir being a videographer, photographer and graphics specialist. Also, they put together an international annual dance event “Dance Weekend in Warsaw with stars”.

In this interview you will discover:

- When to buy costumes at festivals, and how to choose the best outfit

- Tips on stage lights and event logistics for festival organizers

- The importance of having a professional photo and video portfolio

- The value of attending belly dance festivals

- A bunch of funny stories on how Aliah and Vladimir work and travel together as a couple!

Show Notes to this episode:

Belly Dance Life Podcast CHALLENGE: www.ianadance.com/challenge

Find Aliah on website, Instagram, YouTube, and FB. Find Vladimir Kluchenkov on website, Instagram, and FB. Information about Dance Weekend in Warsaw festival HERE.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

It’s a MINI episode with Iana!

Have you ever felt frustration trying to create a dance: “Oh, I don’t know what should I do with this music? How to even start putting a choreo together? This is too complicated, too scary, too stressful….”

Well, here are some of the tips I’m sharing in this new podcast episode:

- Listen to the song as many times as possible.

- Find out the translation of the lyrics.

- Start with improvising and listening to your body.

- Understand that your first draft won’t be perfect.

- Break down the structure of the song before you start.

- Study the work of other dancers.

- Don’t think only about movements. Think about the audience’s attention.

- Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

Want more? Listen right now to the new episode!

Show Notes to this episode:

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com . Use promo code PODCAST to get 10% off for your favorite items until May 30th, 2019.

Belly Dance Life Podcast CHALLENGE: www.ianadance.com/challenge

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Nathalie is known for her grace, fluidity and precision, as well as for her belly dance event, the Annual Miami Bellydance Convention! Nathalie was featured in many music videos and television shows such as Timberland’s Music Video (Indian Flute), R- Kelly’s Music video (Whine for me), MTV music Award 2005, Opening Act for the Cirque du Soleil “KA” in Las Vegas, Fox Sports awards, and many more. She has also performed for many celebrities like Shaquille O’Neil, Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan, Jason Taylor, Method man, and Alonzo Mourning. In the summer of 2008 she brought to South Florida the first Miami Bellydance Convention festival held at the Intercontinental Hotel, bringing performers and instructors from all around the world. More than 2,000 people have attended this event during the past 10 years.

In this interview we discussed such questions and topics:

- How the Miami Bellydance Convention was born.

- How Nathalie chooses dates for the event, and coordinates it with the busy schedules of invited artists.

- How much in advance does she start preparations for the event.

- Struggles of combining motherhood and festival organization.

- Visa procedures for artists and participants.

- How to deal with stress.

- Best advertising for your event.

- Nathalie’s advise to starting events.

Show Notes to this episode:

Belly Dance Life Podcast CHALLENGE: www.ianadance.com/challenge

Find Nathalie Hatab on website, Instagram, YouTube, and FB. Information about Annual Miami Bellydance Convention HERE.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Today we talk with Veronika Shulkevich, a young star of the belly dance world scene. At the age of 16 she is already a teacher at Ahlan Wa Sahlan (Egypt) and Cairo Mirage (Russia) festivals, the founder of Dance School VEROSHDANCE, a certified teacher of the League of Bellydance Masters of Russia, International Belly Dance Union, and International Association of Eastern Dance (IAED), as well as winner of multiple competitions including Ahlan Wa Sahlan, Cairo Mirage, Ah Ya Elbi, Yalla Yalla Festival, El Hana Festival, Cup of the World according to IDF, and many other awards.

In this interview we discussed such questions and topics:

- How Veronika got involved in belly dance world at the age of 5.

- What are the differences between teaching classes to kids and adults.

- Her experience at belly dance competitions.

- Combining active dance training with school.

- Teaching Skype classes and creating choreographies for other dancers.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Veronika Shulkevich on Instagram, YouTube, and FB.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Originally from Brazil, Kamilia had made a stunning career as a professional performer in Lebanon, Arab Emirates and Egypt. Today she is a teacher, artist’s producer and event organizer with a big dream of creating a supportive and welcoming community of dance professionals. Her passion for belly dance started at the age of 6, and since then that passion brought her to multiple stages across the Middle East and beyond. She was the youngest dancer at LBC TV, and had guidance of master teacher Caracalla, along with other amazing mentors. At some point in her career, Kamilia was performing with an orchestra of 45 musicians, singers and 6 dancers for her show, being featured at the top 5-star hotels in Cairo along with such stars as Lucy, Mona Said, Fifi, Dina, and Hendeya.

In this interview we discussed such questions and topics:

- How Kamilia got interested in belly dance.

- The beginning of her performance career in Lebanon.

- The importance of understanding Arabic soul in dance, and never stop studying.

- The concept of Arabic musicality, and her methodology of teaching foreign dancers.

- Main pillars of successful interpretation of the song.

- Being a producer, and mentoring other dancers on their career path.

- The story of her stage name.

- The Ishtar Congress in Abu Dhabi.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Kamilia on Instagram, and FB. Also, check the Ishtar Congress Fb page.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

What do you know about the historical figure of Little Egypt? Be ready to be shocked after listening to this episode, because Donna Carlton shares her extensive research on this topic, and unveils a lot of misinformation circulating on the Internet!

Donna Carlton established the International Dance Discovery in 1987, selling dance accoutrement. She began teaching group classes at Lynda Mitchell Yoga Studio in 1989. She published the “Middle Eastern Dance Video Sourcebook” annually from 1989-2005. In 1995, she published her book “Looking for Little Egypt” about the history and perceptions of Middle Eastern Dance in USA.

In this interview we discussed such questions and topics:

- How did Donna get involved in the research project about Little Egypt?

- What was significance of the 1893 Colombian Exposition in Chicago?

- Scandalous performances of Little Egypt.

- Was Little Egypt a real person?

- The origins of Hoochy Kootchy melody.

- Does Little Egypt have anything to do with original Middle-Eastern dancers?

- The origins of the term “belly dance” in English language.

- The influence of Little Egypt on the modern belly dance scene.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Donna Carlton on Instagram, FB, her website. Her book Looking for Little Egypt is available at lulu.com. Also check Donna’s Fb page All About Bellydance.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

In this episode we are featuring Egyptian master teacher Wael Mansour, who studied Egyptian dance and ballet at the National Academy of Folklore and Theatre, as well as worked with a number of companies, including the Elkawmeia and Hassan Hafifi Group.

In this interview we discussed such questions and topics:

- The importance of ballet training for belly dancers: what to do, what not to do, is there an age limit to start practicing ballet, and more.

- Different stages of his dance career, and why he left the Balloon theatre in Cairo.

- The process of music production: from an idea to the CD release.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Wael Mansour on Instagram and FB.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website .

My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Amir Thaleb on Instagram, FB, and website.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

Submit your question for ASKianaDANCE: www.ianadance.com/ask

Ep 11. Valerick Molinary: Different Ways to Develop Your Belly Dance Career

Ep 41. Maria Sokolova: From Accounting to a Belly Dance Career!

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Idil on Instagram, FB, and Youtube.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Daliya on Instagram, FB, and Youtube.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Vanessa of Cairo on Instagram, FB, Youtube, and website.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Margarita Darina on Instagram, FB, and Youtube.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Erhan Ay on Instagram, FB, and Youtube.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Julia on Instagram, FB, and Youtube. You can watch her famous performance inspired by Golden Era HERE.

Previous interview with Julia: Ep 05. Julia Farid: Challenges of an International Dance Career

My upcoming workshops at Sola Dance online studio on Feb 9th! Main website: http://class.soladance.com/en

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Tamalyn Dallal on FB and official website: www.tamalyndallal.com. Details about her books, CDs and documentaries (as well as purchasing info) is available HERE.

Other resources mentioned in the interview: Book “Before They Were Belly Dancers”, and Shira.net website.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

Participate in Iana’s current Giveaway on Instagram (@iana_dance) ! More details HERE.

Ep 09. Founders of Orientalisimo: Social Media as a Bridge Between Dancers & General Public

Ep 27. Meher Malik: Fusion, Confusion and Female Objectification

Ep 34. Brenda: Building Dance Career in Cairo Without a Manager

Ep 40. Alla Kushnir: Not Only Luck Makes You Number 1

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Zaina on FB and Instagram. Her book “Fire In The Belly: A Memoir of Falafel, Flings, and Shiny Things” is available on Amazon.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Soumaya MaRose on FB, YouTube and website.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

This episode is brought to you by My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com , a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by belly dance.

Find Sandra on Instagram, FB, and website.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

Online store My Inner Dancer: myinnerdancer.com. Use promo code LAUNCH10 to get 10% off on any orders until January 2nd 2019.

Previous episode with Mercedes Nieto: Social Media Traps.

Find Mercedes Nieto on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website. Cairo!Budapest festival: cairofestival.com.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Mercedes Nieto on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website. Cairo!Budapest festival: cairofestival.com.

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com

Show Notes to this episode:

Ep 07. Kateryna Siham: Dance Contracts in the Middle East

Ep 18. Amar Lammar: Twelve Years of Performing Every Night in the Arab Emirates!

Ep 34. Brenda: Building Dance Career in Cairo Without a Manager

Find Iana on Instagram, FB, Youtube, website

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Bellydance Evolution and information about their new program and casting: bellydanceevolution.com