WELCOME TO DUBAI BELLYDANCE FEST

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.

Julia Farid - a professional oriental dance artist, instructor and choreographer from Ukraine. Organizer of Isadora Cup Festival, "Dream & Dance" Intensive Course, founder of Tips4hips online platform.

 

Julia Farid is known for her elegant and feminine way of dancing as well as for introducing her unique vision of Golden Era dance.

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By virtue of her excellent teachings skills, deep knowledge of oriental dance and bright performances Julia Farid has become an internationally renowned artist and has been invited to teach to more than 30 countries. Annually she gives workshops and performs at 20−30 bellydance events worldwide.

Assala Ibrahim was born and raised in Basra, Iraq. After graduating from university in Baghdad, she worked as a teacher in a secondary school. However, she eventually left Iraq to pursue her dream of dedicating herself fully to oriental dance, with a primary focus on Iraqi dance. Through years of further education, fieldwork, and an incredible passion and talent for dance, she has become one of the most sought-after international teachers and a true ambassador for Iraqi dance.

 

Assala researches and develops dances unique to Iraq, including Raqs el Kawliya (Iraqi Romani Dance), Raqs el Hachaa (Daggers Dance), and southern Iraqi dances such as Khashaba, Basrawi, Hewa or Lewa (a southern dance with African roots), Choobi, and trance and dervish dances. She has cultivated a clear and distinctive understanding of the cultural backgrounds and techniques of these dance styles, as well as their differences and similarities. Additionally, she has created a bodywork concept for Iraqi dance that simplifies the learning process for students.

 

As a teacher, Assala is exceptionally generous, sharing her knowledge with love, respect, and patience. Her teaching style leaves students with a newfound appreciation for Iraqi dance as a rich and deeply rooted cultural heritage of Mesopotamia.

 

Her secret to success? ‘I fill my life with dance, and my dance with life.