MEET THE
SPEAKERS 2025

AMANDA ROSE

USA/Spain

Amanda Rose is an internationally acclaimed instructor and performer based in Barcelona, Spain with a passion for helping students feel connected to their bodies, and explore Middle Eastern dance styles. While she holds regular classes in Barcelona, she also travels internationally, inspiring dancers worldwide with her dynamic teaching style and captivating performances. Known for her technical precision, emotionally captivating performances, and insightful instruction, Amanda Rose’s approach to dance, art and pedagogy is greatly shaped by a background in sociology, 2 decades of experience with Middle Eastern dance, and a master’s degree in Dance Movement Therapy. She has received wide recognition for her online platform Amanda Rose Online, where she has been offering high-quality online instruction for over 10 years. Instruction includes online pre-recorded and live classes, coaching for competitions, and creative and artistic development, intensive long-distance training projects, personalized feedback, and exploratory movement. Amanda Rose also works as a Dance Movement Therapist, facilitating groups and individual sessions online and in-person.

ATHENA NAJAT

Greece/Turkiye/USA

Athena Najat is of Greek-American heritage and holds both Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Performance Studies (Dance Ethnology & Cultural Studies) from New York University. Her academic work has been presented at several Congresses of CID -Unesco, of which she has been a member for over 20 years. As a performer and instructor, Athena’s offerings are deeply rooted in her education in classical theatrical dance (ballet and modern dance), pedagogy, movement dynamics and stage craft, as well as her folk dance training in several disciplines including Greek, Egyptian, and some Turkish traditional dances. Athena has been awarded several First Place prizes in International Dance competitions in Europe and in Egypt and is now frequently invited to teach and judge in festivals and events around the globe. Athena performed on-contract in several Gulf countries, working with one of the most reputable entertainment agencies in the Middle East. (Lebanon, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain) and was resident dancer for top tourism stages in Istanbul. She currently shares her time between Southern Anatolia, Istanbul and her home in Athens, teaching and performing for special events. She is also an avid sailor, life lover, peace-seeker. 

AUBRE HILL

USA

Aubre Hill is an international dance artist, choreographer, educator, and producer based in Los Angeles, CA. She has toured the world through dance, been highlighted in numerous films and projects, and is instrumental in community building. The artistic director of the Qabila Project, she is a strong advocate for Arabic culture and building community through movement. Additionally she is the president of Dance For Palestine, a collective of dance artists for collective liberation. She’s a mover and shaker and an artist known for her deep respect for history while exploring the creative edges of what it is to be a dance artist in our global society. Over her career Aubre have been a part of various collaboratives to bring creativity, culture, and community together in new ways. Additionally, she has produced a wide range of events and performances in celebration of Middle Eastern Dance including monthly haflas, dance festivals, long running showcases, workshops, intensives, lectures, and more. Aubre earned her Master’s in Arts Management at Claremont Graduate University in 2022 with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusive practices for accessible arts and culture. Her teaching is known for her deep understanding of anatomy & kinesiology while embedding cultural context, history, and artistic expression for a rich educational and inclusive experience. When not teaching, Aubre can be found deep in research, creating new dances, playing with her three cats, hiking with her puppy, exploring the art of photography, and enjoying anything and everything with her amazing partner. www.aubr

EBONY

USA

Ebony has taught and performed in multiple cities throughout Asia, Canada, Europe, South America and the United States. She has toured internationally with the world famous Bellydance Superstars and Bellydance Evolution and has performed in and choreographed for Zoe Jake’s House of Tarot. She is most honored to be a guest instructor on Rachel Brice’s Datura Online, the leading website for belly dance instructional videos. Ebony has taught and presented at health and wellness events/centers Wanderlust, Lululemon, Daybreaker, Kripalu and Ecstatic Dance. She has performed onstage with Grammy nominated band Thievery Corporation, with electronic musician and performance artist Peaches, and with Turkish/Electronic fusion recording artist Oojami. She is the co creator of the Black Bellydance Bundle, a project that increases diversity and inclusivity in the bellydance community. Ebony’s playful spirit flavors both her performances and her approach to teaching belly dance since 2003. A combination of strong technique, musicality, and innovation are the foundations of her colorful dance presence. Ebony teaches and performs both traditional raqs sharqi and her own dynamic fusion belly dance style, which is fueled by her background in both oriental and urban dance genres.

JASIRAH

Poland

Professional dancer, international teacher and judge, organizer of Raks Glam Festival and Raks’N’Roll in Poland. For over 16 years she has taught bellydance and performed in over 40 countries. 10 years of experience in ballroom dancing gives her strong technical background that makes her style extraordinary,powerful and elegant. Recognized all over the world for her perfect Drum Solo technique, spectacular Double Assaya Saidi, fusions of oriental and ballroom dance and extraordinary teaching skills. Since 2014 a member of Bellydance Evolution, performed main roles in “Alice in Wonderland” during a 3 month tour in China and “Scheherazade 1001 Night” during the United States Tour. Built a strong online bellydance community all over the world giving regular Zoom workshops and providing detailed tutorials on Patreon. Owner of Jasirah Boutique brand producing training sets and props for bellydancers. Author and founder of the very first in the world notebook for bellydancer “My Inspirational Bellydance Journal”, producer of the very first cosmetics dedicated especially for bellydancers: “Gold Plated Skin” shimmering powder and “The Dancer” perfume.

JESSICA PRÉSTES

Brasil

Im graduated in History via PUCRS and i work with social education and romani dance world wide. My actual research is about the Kawliya people, their Arts and Social life.

LENKA BADRIYAH

Czechia/Belgium

Lenka Badriyah is a dancer from the Czech Republic, now teaching regularly in Belgium. She is known for her Golden Era Raqs Sharqi dances, recreations, and unique teaching. She has been a dance teacher for more than 15 years while constantly studying the dance form and performing in several dance troupes. Badriyah also performed for 10 years alongside Jillina in Bellydance Evolution, both as a lead dancer and troupe dancer, performing in more than 60 shows in Japan, Taiwan, Morocco, Australia, the United States and other countries. Badriyah is the organizer of the Kan Zaman festival and the Leylet Raqs festival. Badriyah is passionate about Raqs Sharqi and its history. She loves to study legendary Egyptian dancers, and perform so-called Golden Era Bellydance. Badriyah is a collector of vintage items depicting Golden Era legends. Her collection includes more than 400 items, such as postcards, vinyl records, posters, magazines, and very rare items such as signed photos of Samia Gamal, vinyl records with the voice of Badia Masabni, original photo print of Shafiqa El Koptiya, and a billboard with Samia Gamal. To share all this content with the dance community, Badriyah created an online museum on her website ( www.badriyahbellydance.com) and now she is renovating a space to build an actual Raqs Sharqi Museum in Belgium.

MAMDOUH ELKADY

Egypt

My career has led me to specialize increasingly in the management of complex multi-cultural projects and their staffs at local and international levels, Folk Music is my main field since 2000 when I started to join El Mastaba Center for Egyptian Folk Music team, since 2007 I became the executive manager of the center until the death of the founder Mr. Zakraia Ibrahim on Feb 2024. Manages a network of troupes from all over Egypt: “El-Wazery” troupe in Ismailiyya; El-Hinna” troupe in Suez in; “Rango” troupe in Cairo and Ismailia; “Bedouin Jerry Can Band”in the Sinai; Darawish Abul Gheit in Cairo and” NubaNour” in Cairo, Baramka, in Mataria Daqahlia (Delta) and promoted them with performances in Egypt. After the Death of Mr. Zakaria Ibrahim the founder of El Tanbura group, El Tanbura members nominated me to become his successor in directing the band in which I succeeded to participate with the group in Respect festival in Czech Republic last June 2024. On another level, I am a film maker and video editor: “The Siren” 2005” – Editor, “Capturing a vanishing spirit” – 2007 Editor, “South Trip” 2015 Director, “Shafika” 2019 Editor, “Zar in Egypt” 2023 – Co-director.

MANAR OTHMAN

Egypt

I’m a belly dance passionate and a “life transformer,” I help people work with their minds, let go of whatever is holding them back, and move forward.

MARTINA CANCIO

Brasil/United Arab Emirates

Martina Cancio is a professional dancer and bellydance teacher from Brazil based in Dubai and working abroad since 2005 with a vast experience in the entertainment industry in the Middle East. Started dance in 2001 and got recognition from the Brazilian government (DRT) as an Artist / Dancer in 2007. She is fully driven by art, working full time with performances, classes, research, organizing workshops, costuming & artistic productions. Curious about culture and body movements she is forever a student. Have performed in many countries such United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, India, Pakistan, Maldives, Portugal, Spain & Italy.

DR. MEG MORLEY

USA

Dr. Meg Morley is a professor of cultural anthropology who has been practicing belly dance/raqs sharqi for over 20 years, currently teaching in Boone, North Carolina. During her semi-nomadic life, she has studied and performed various belly dance styles in Santa Fe, New Mexico and the Washington D.C. area, amongst other places. Meg has a PhD in Anthropology from Indiana University and a master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Her doctoral research – culminating in one year of participant-observation in Cairo – analyzes the changing belly dance industry in Egypt, including the rise of social media and foreign dancers, and has been funded by the Fulbright US Student Program and the American Association of University Women.

MERCEDES NIETO

Hungary

I’m Mercedes Nieto, I live in Budapest. I’m Hungarian with Spanish ancestors. Raqs sharki (bellydance) was love at first listen to me. We’ve met when I was 16, although music and dance were always part of my life. I have journalism and philology masters degree, I’m fascinated by words and language, but maybe even more by feelings that words can’t describe, yet dance and movement can. Raqs sharki is a beautiful, powerful and alive art form with strong roots in its culture but also an incredibly organic and contemporary art form of self expression. I have been inspired by Egyptian artists and people, and their way of life. Being engaged with raqs sharki not only helped me to learn about other cultures and people, becoming more empathetic, but also to learn about myself and grow as a person. I love to witness how it brings people together from all walks of life. What I enjoy the most about dance is the flow it creates and requires. A space for losing myself yet finding myself on a deeper level, where there is system but also chaos, a world of untold stories and feelings waiting to be processed and expressed. It’s so powerful and vulnerable. My favorite thing is teaching and creating. I direct a bellydance school in Budapest – the Nimfeum – for over twenty years. I produce Egyptian music for raqs sharki enthusiasts, I organize CAIRO! Fest Budapest that brings people together from all over the world for the past 15 years. I’m also lucky enough touring the world the past decade to teach and perform, and feel grateful for the meaningful connections made along the way.

MINDA MAE

USA

Hailing from Minneapolis, this boundless beauty is the first wheelchair-using burlesque and belly dance performer in Minnesota. A fierce advocate for persons with disabilities, she works tirelessly to spread awareness and champions for change at every opportunity. She is the founder of the DisabiliTease Festival, a multi-day festival that showcases performers with disabilities in the areas of burlesque, cirque, cabaret, and drag from around the world. She is also the founder of the DisabiliTease Academy, the first virtual school specifically geared towards performers with disabilities and their allies.

NADA AL BASHA

Egypt/Italy

Raqs Dancer Teacher and Coreographer. Art director of Meya Meya Raqs Festival in Livorno (Tuscany/Italy)- Deep Egyptian and Arab traditional dance lover – Dance history researcher – Committed to social issues and activist

NISAA (Heather D. Ward)

USA

Nisaa (Heather D. Ward) is a Middle Eastern dance instructor, performer, and researcher based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Nisaa has been conducting pioneering research into the history and development of Egyptian belly dance. 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. Her latest book, Raqs in the City: The Belly Dance Landscape of Cairo, explores the historical interconnection between dance, dancers, and the city of Cairo and was released in 2024. Through excellent instruction, outstanding performances, and original research, Nisaa presents Middle Eastern dance as a living, dynamic folk art and a window into the rich heritage of the peoples and cultures of the Middle East. Learn more about Nisaa at www.bellydancewithnisaa.com.

NOHA ROUSHDY

Egypt

I’m a social anthropologist who works on issues of social class, gender and national belonging in contemporary Egypt. I am the author of Embodiment and Meaning in al-Raqs al-Baladi (Cairo Papers in the Social Sciences). The book is an ethnographic and historical account of Egypt’s dance culture that explores the connections and disconnections between women’s professional and non-professional everyday dancing through a broader examination of gender and culture in Egypt’s modernization project.

REDA HENKESH

Egypt

Reda Henkesh is recognized worldwide as a master of the Egyptian tabla. Hailing from Muhammad Ali Street, long recognized as the musical heart of Cairo, Reda carries on his family’s famous and respected musical legacy. Reda has worked with some of the legends of Arabic music and dance, including singers Ahmad Adaweya, Muhammad al-Helou, and Wadi al-Safi, and dancers Nagwa Fouad, Mona al-Said, and Shoo Shoo Amin. Currently, Reda is the lead tabla player for international superstar Muhammad Mounir. Reda is a true musical treasure, embodying generations of traditional musical knowledge, and bringing a lifetime of musical experience to every performance.

SADIE

USA

Sadie’s unique style, knowledge, experience and relatable nature has made her one of the most sought after artists in her field. With a background in sports and athletics and her continued education, Sadie has a depth of understanding in dance that shines in her classes and on the stage! Coming up in the early 2000’s, true to GenX, Sadie has one foot firmly planted in tradition and another in the ever-evolving trends of her industry. She has shared her talent with dancers in over 55 countries. She was featured on America’s Got Talent and is the most viewed Bellydancer on YouTube with hundreds of millions of views. Teaching is Sadie’s passion, as one of the most prolific belly dancers of all time, producing over 20 instructional DVD’s, reaching over a million students worldwide. She now runs the biggest online school for Raqs Sharqi www.RaqsOnline.com. Sadie is also a farmer, currently pursuing her master’s in psychology and is a devoted loving mother to her 13 year old son!

SAMANTHA KARIM

USA

Hey! So nice to meet you! I LOVE dancing. It’s been a part of my life since I was a little girl. And now I get to share my love of dance with the world. I believe that you have everything you need within you to get where you want to go. I’m a no BS kind of person, down-to-earth with a soft ooey gooey center of love and kindness. I love nature, reading, napping, loving my family, and laughing hard until drool comes out my mouth. Other fun details about my dance journey: I have been teaching belly dance for over 18 years. I am known internationally on social media for my simple step-by-step methodology, which allows others to learn from me easily and with retention. I won awards in 2013 and 2016 for my competition pieces. I’ve been featured on TLC’s Four Weddings (super fun to dance for TV!) I make funny faces when I dance. 😉

SARAH SAFI HARB

Lebanon/The Netherlands

Sarah Safi Harb, originally from Lebanon, founded The Dance Movement in 2010 and has since been offering Bellydance classes, workshops & private classes in The Netherlands & Online. Struggling with her mental health for the most part of her life she has used her love for Raqs Sharki as a tool to navigate through difficult times, and it is exactly those tools that have helped her through the hardest times that she now loves to share with you, hoping it can bring you relief, balance and even self love & pleasure! Sarah integrates her Lebanese background, knowledge of Yoga and holistic dance practices in her classes. Sarah’s vision is that every person has their own way of movement and dancing, she encourages people to find their own style and express their uniqueness. As it doesn’t matter how you dance, but how you feel and what you express while dancing!

SETSUNA (SERENITY WISE)

New Zealand / USA

Serenity (Setsuna Dance) is a dancer and dance researcher that has practiced Raqs sharqi for over 20 years. She teaches, performs, and studies regularly, and is committed to presenting her art to the best of her ability. Serenity also holds an MA in Community Dance and is currently a PhD candidate in dance studies, focused on dance and social sustainability. You can find her on instagram or facebook at setsunadance

SHAHRZAD

USA/Egypt

Shahrzad is a professional dance instructor and performer specializing in Raqs Sharqi and traditional and social dance styles from around North Africa and the Middle East. To supplement her 20+ years of dance training Shahrzad also holds several fitness certifications including becoming a PMA certified Pilates instructor in 2013. She started her dance training at the age of 11 and began her professional dance career in her late teens working as a teacher and performer on the East Coast of the US. She began to get international recognition and bookings after several of her performance videos went viral online and she was hired to film a series of instructional DVDs by an international company. In 2015 Shahrzad moved to Egypt to live and work full time and has since enjoyed a successful career as a performer appearing in top performance venues as well as film and media. During covid she started her business’ Shahrzad Studios’ which includes an online dance school, private dance and music programs in Cairo, and tours of Egypt. She currently splits her time between traveling to teaching dance workshops around the world, running her business from her home in Cairo, and performing and teaching at special events around Egypt.

SHEYLA

Czech republic

Sheyla devoted her dance path in connecting and educating the community in her homeland, the Czech Republic. She is one of the pioneers in bringing Egyptian folklore to the knowledge of dancers and teachers in the country, and abroad. Falling in love with Egypt in 2004 brought her to oriental dance and soon Egyptian folklore studies. Her teachers were also a legends such as Kharia Mazin, Mahmoud Reda, Nesma, Mohamed Shellaby, Fifi el Saed, Kamal Naim, Sahra Saeeda and many more. Thanks to her work and research she could be part of cultural projects organized by EU, Ministry of Interior and Center for foreigners with aim to educate youth about cultural differences, doing lectures and exhibitions for public and activities for foreigners. Sheyla founded and directed an international festival called Tales of Sahara for 8 years with aim to create a safe space for dancers to connect, create together, perform and learn.

Sheyla performed and taught classes in many countries such as India, South Africa, Greece, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Korea etc. She founded a folklore group Al Fayyum Dancers with whom she got honoured by many awards, Awaleem Performing Arts group with whom she focused on vintage or golden era dance style. Currently she is working with group Aphrodisia Dance Company on cabaret and public shows.

Sheyla is continuously awarded not always with prizes but with passionate students and audience she love to perform for.

SHRUTI NARAYANAN

India

Shruti Narayanan is the Director of Samai Oriental Dance Company and is an internationally-acclaimed performing artist, choreographer, certified Egyptian folklore teacher and instructor from Bengaluru, India. She has been performing and teaching bellydance for over a decade and began her dance journey at the tender age of 4 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. For the first 16 years of her life, Shruti was raised in the Middle East and was exposed to a host of Indian performing arts by her parents, as a means of keeping her connected to her culture and roots in a foreign country. While in Jeddah, Shruti was rigorously trained in Bharatnatyam (Kalakshetra) under her Guru, Pushpa Suresh for over a decade and completed her Arangetram (Graduation and/Or Professional Debut) at the age of 15. It is this structured practice and disciplined outlook from her classes as a Bharatnatyam disciple, that have now seeped into her personal bellydance practices and is central to her ideology of Oriental dance education at her school, Samai Oriental Dance Company, founded in 2019. Shruti has a keen interest in the socio-political, cultural and historical aspects of Oriental, North African and Middle Eastern dances and spends a great deal of time working on historical reconstructions of dances from the early 1900s. She is also known for her choreographies and dances inspired by the Golden and Transition Eras in Egypt and her dances inspired by Reda technique. She is currently the only certified practitioner for Muwashahat in India and holds an IDTA associate title for Reda technique, certifications in Egyptian folklore, the Drumzy Foundation Programme Level 1 by Hossam and Serena Ramzy and the prestigious Journey Through Egypt certifications, 1 to 3 by Sahra C. Kent.

SIGRID VAN ROODE

The Netherlands

Sigrid is a jewellery historian, specialising in jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia. She has a PhD in jewellery and ritual, and she studies jewellery as a historic source to learn more about its people. Sigrid loves how jewellery has the power to share the stories of its previous owners. It shares so much about their hopes and fears, dreams and wishes, but also about financial hardships and windfalls, cultural continuity and change. It is heritage in its own right. Sigrid is the author of several books on jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia. She teaches classes and workshops, has a range of online courses available on her platform Bedouin Silver, provides consultancy to museums and is the director of the Qilada Foundation. 

SILVIA BRAZZOLI

Italy

Pro Dancer, Dance instructor, Dreamer, Painter, Yoga Teacher, Pizza Lover.

Silvia Brazzoli is renowned for her graceful and elegant style, backed by a solid technique and effective teaching methods, Silvia now shares her talent on the international stage, touching hearts in Europe, Africa, America, and Asia.

Nestled in her home country, Italy, Silvia oversees her dance school and directs her very own dance company, the Silvia Raqs Group. She’s also the driving force behind the dance event “Oasi Giornata di Danza” (Oasis Dance Day).

For Silvia, the journey of a dancer is an unending exploration, she’s constantly delving into various dance styles, shaping and moulding her very own, unique style along the way.

SIOBHAN CAMILLE

New Zealand / Netherlands

Siobhan is a multi-award winning raqs sharqi (“belly dance”) artist, and the founder of Greenstone Dance Arts. Her love of music is equaled only by her love of movement, making belly dance her perfect match. Her joyful movement and 1000-watt smile captivate audiences across the globe. Siobhan Camille’s precise movement and playful style have been winning her dance accolades since 2014, most notably a 3rd Place and Judge’s Award for Excellence in Presence in the Professional category at the Hamilton International Belly Dance Competition in 2020. In 2021, her hard work earned her the amazing opportunity of joining the cast of Bellydance Evolution’s performance of The Wizard Of Oz in Copenhagen as part of the Oriental ensemble.⁠ Siobhan Camille has also been producing dance events since 2019, hosting workshop and show events featuring renowned dancers and musicians such as Badriyah, Aziza of Montreal, Amanda Rose, Rachid Alexander, Chudney, Danielle Hutton, and Issam Houshan. Siobhan Camille has an extensive background in exercise science with postgraduate level degrees in Exercise Prescription and Rehabilitation Science. She takes a particular interest in the safety, strength, and performance of dancers, and conducted the first-ever formal research on injury incidence in belly dancers. She draws on this background to emphasise precise dance technique and teaches her students how to find and activate muscles to create clear movement.⁠

ZARA DANCE

Egypt

Zara Dance is a much loved international belly dancer based in the Cairo, Egypt. She performs and various Caberets and 5 star hotels and is a well known dancer on the Cairo scene. She is a dynamic dancer who is half Egyptian and half English and always pulls on her mixed heritage when teaching Egyptian bellydance giving her a unique way of passing on and translating the deep cultural background of the dance,