The Artists of Raqs

Wow ! ... I guess there's nothing more to say while browsing through the list of mega stars and world wide respected masters. Most of them need no introduction, all of them will honor us with their presence with only one purpose in mind: make your experience both unforgettable and meaningful.

	Soraya Zayed (Egypt - Brazil)
	From Brazilian origin, Soraya’s Cairo new mega star ! After a tremendous success in Brazil, Soraya settled in Cairo in 2001 and pursued her work mastering the modern Cairo style. For the past years, Soraya has been teaching in the "Ahlan wa Sahlan" festival and gain international respect. Soraya successfully introduced some samba steps all the while preserving a typical Egyptian style. Her dance is unique, energetic and very expressive...
	Farida Fahmy (Egypt)
	Farida Fahmy is an icon and one of the greatest teachers in the world of Oriental dance. Attending only one class with her is like experiencing the whole history of Oriental dance. She danced as the first dancer in the Reda company between 1959 and 1980. She was awarded the order in Art and Sciences by the King of Jordan, by the President Nasser of Egypt, and by the President of Tunisia.
	Amir Thaleb (Syria - Argentina)
	Amir Taleb was born in Argentina, a descendant of Arabs in the list of the principal and best Bellydance teachers and dancers in the world, recognized by masters in the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, Canada and the United States. Due to this broad recognition and admiration, Amir is constantly teaching seminars and performing in countries all over the world. He is a nimble and handsome dancer, with a feline style and sensual charisma, hard not to be noticed. His audience, even the most skeptical ones, is attracted by his sensitive magic. His very personal way of dancing is based on autochthonic roots but of contemporary vanguard style. He is admired by his colleagues and celebrated by specialized columnists. He is the author of the book "The Hidden Language of The Vintage Belly Dance" published in Spanish, English and Italian languages. He is the director and teacher of the Arabian Dance School, with a large amount of students from throughout Argentina and abroad. He is the creator and director of the Arabian Dance Company, Oriental Ballet Company.
	Tamalyn Dallal (USA)
	Tamalyn Dallal has taught and performed in 38 countries. In 1990, she started the non profit arts organization "Mid Eastern Dance Exchange" in Miami Beach, through which she mentored thousands of dancers around the world. She previously authored three books, They Told Me I Couldn't, about living and dancing in Colombia in the 1980's, and the instructional book Belly Dancing for Fitness. In September, 2005, Ms. Dallal moved to Seattle, Washington, and began her latest endeavor, "40 Days and 1001 Nights", in which she lived in five Muslim countries for 40 days each (Indonesia, Egypt, Zanzibar, Jordan, and China's western most province, the predominately Muslim Xinjiang Autonomous Region. 40 Days and 1001 Nights became a book, documentary film, music cd (by Africa's oldest orchestra, the 103 year old Ikhwani Safaa Musical Club of Zanzibar), and dance concert, all produced by Ms. Dallal. 10 percent of the proceeds from this project go to the "1001 Nights Fund" to help people in the countries she visited and beyond.
	Kazafy (Egypt)
	Mohamed Kazafy has been dancing with the world famous Reda troupe of Egypt for 20 years. After initially training with the troupe’s founder, Mahmoud Reda & its legendary principle female dancer, Farida Fahmy, he went on to perform with the Reda troupe in dozens of countries worldwide. Mohamed Kazafy remains one of their principal soloists. He is Mahmoud Reda and Farida Fahmy’s assistant and has been traveling the world to teach and perform in events and festivals.
	Yasmina Of Cairo (Egypt)
	The cairote press calls Yasmina the "Rose of Cairo". She has been living there for 15 years and teaches dancers from over the world in her own dancestudio close to the Pyramids. She has danced in the most famous hotels of Cairo, and travelled the whole world. Yasmina also produced "Journey of desire", a great documentary film about the dancers in Cairo.
	Leyla Jouvana & Roland (Germany)
	After Yugoslavian folklore en jazz, Leyla Jouvana finally discovers her passion for Oriental dancing. She undertakes several study trips to Egypt and takes intensive classes with renown professors. The public appreciates her for her solo performances on the German and foreign stages; her video productions have become a reference and she’s regularly requested by the German press and television. (RTL, ZDF, mdr, WDR etc). Leyla, her husband Roland and her troop regularly travel through Europe.
	Salwa (Belgium)
	Salwa worked for 8 years as engineer in the aeronautic industry before deciding to dedicate her life to Oriental dance and organizing public events. Currently, she dances, teaches and choreographies exclusively Oriental dance and its fusions. Part of the famous "Cirque du Soleil" dance troop and invited to perform with the Bellydances Superstars during their European tour. Salwa has been dancing and creating, for the joy of Belgian and international audiences, for over a decade.
	Ariellah (USA)
	Ariellah extensively studied classical ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance of London for twelve years, beginning at age three. Ariellah's style reflects and infuses her personal interpretation of Middle Eastern belly dance, with a modern, dark flavour, that is uniquely her own. She is widely known for her strong stage presence and unrivaled technique. She has become a renown international instructor and performer. She is an icon in the fusion belly dance community and has been featured in several different magazines, books, radio shows, and articles all over the world.
	Ozgen (Turkey / Great Britain)
	His reputation as a male belly dancer & teacher has taken him across the World. In Istanbul, he joined the cast of Night of the Sultans combining contemporary dance, ballet & oriental dance. Ozgen taught for several years at the Tolgahan Dance School in Istanbul & is now based in London, teaching and performing Turkish Oriental & Romani (Gypsy) dance internationally
	Miriam Peretz (Israel - USA)
	Miriam Peretz is an internationally acclaimed performing artist and dance instructor. She was a principle dancer with Inbal Ethnic Dance Theater in Tel Aviv, Israel, and is now assistant artistic director and principle dancer for Ballet Afsaneh with whom she has been a member since 1998. Miriam's love of dance has led her on an extraordinary life long journey that has taken her throughout the Middle East and to her original birthplace, Israel. These cultural exchanges have inspired her to use the arts as a bridge to create respect, love and unity among people of different backgrounds and spiritual traditions. Miriam specializes in dances from the Silk Road (Persia and Central Asia), Middle-East, North Africa, Roma "Gypsy" trail, and Sacred Dance/Dance Midrash.
	Saada Tribal Group (Spain)
	Anisah created the first School and Spanish Company specializing in Tribal Bellydance "Saada Tribal Group" whose style has been combined with other disciplines and oriental philosophies such as Yoga, Hinduism and Martial Arts.As the first company of Tribal Dance in Spain, they have studied with great teachers of tribal dance, giving to this dance a more powerful and dynamic touch. Inside her more personalized fusion dance, two styles stand out: the first is very spiritual, hypnotic and ethnic (Ritual Tribal); the second has a more gypsy character, of great scenic force (Tribal zingaro):based on ATS and the Spanish flamenco.
	Maya Sapera (Belgium)
	Maya Sapera is not just a dancer, but is someone who is living the culture. She was 5 years old when she started with Oriental dancing and 6 when she first performed Indian Temple Dance on stage. On her sixteenth birthday she began to teach. The same year she became Dancer-Laureate of the Best Belgian Dance Solo contest and did her “Arangetram” (Indian equivalent of graduate work in Indian Bharata Natyam Temple Dance). Since then she has succeeded as a dancer, choreographer and teacher at home and abroad. She has even had the honor of being successfully received in countries such as India, Morocco and Egypt. While in Egypt she was asked by Hassan Ibrahim, one of the choreographers of the National Ballet of Cairo, to participate in their group work (2000-2001). Since 2002 Maya has worked with Indian musicians such as Mahabub Khan. She danced for Alain Platel and Sidi Larbi Charkaoui in Belgium.
	Lolie (France)
	Lolie was introduced to Oriental Dance in 1996. Since then, she never stopped; to deepen her work and to serve her art. Since 2000, Lolie teaches oriental dance in Paris. She participated to 3 international contests of oriental dance, and won all of them: the " Raks Sharqi Contest " in Berlin, category of professional dancers, the "Maratona d’Oriente" contest, in Torino, and, of course, the Raqs Golden Awards, in Brussels (Belgium). Lolie performed in numerous prestigious shows and international events, and has made several appearances on French TV shows.
	Serkan (Turkey - Belgium)
	Serkan Tutar fell in love with Bellydance while being only 10 and living in Saudi Arabia. Back in turkey, Serkan dedicated himself to Egyptian and Turkish style and gave his first performance at 17. His shows are a big success, first in Turkey and in Germany, and little by little, all around Europe. During the year 2000, Serkan settle in Belgium and becomes a founding member of the male international troop « Sultans of Raqs ». Winner of the « Brandon Oasis » in 2006, and « Male Bellydancer of the World » in 2008. Serkan had the opportunity of working with some of bellydance’s biggest names such as Nesrin Topkapi, Aziza, Jillina, Khaled Mahmoud and many more.
	Yumma Mudra - Myriam Szabo (Belgium)
	A soloist dancer of the Russian Ballet Irina Grjebina at the age of 12, Myriam Szabo has studied the disciplines of the body intensively all along her artistic career: world dances, martial arts, yoga and qi gong. She has been participating in several study and meditation retreats (both individually and in group) on a regular basis since 1981. After having worked in France and Portugal as a character dance soloist, a model, a cultural festival producer and as an actress, she created the Danza Duende project which proposes to dance one’s life as a means of awakening one’s natural goodness each day. Myriam has been giving seminars in different European countries since 1991. In 2005 she decided to set her main residence in Brussels, where she was invited by Christine Delmotte to dance as a soloist in Molière’s play “Les Fourberies de Scapin” in 2007. She will also be performing in the play “Sur les traces de Siddharta” by Thich Nat Hahn and directed by Christine Delmotte which will premier this year at the Martyrs’ Theatre.
	Sarah Chebaro (Belgium)
	Sarah Chebaro is particularly famous for her energetic and motivated approach. This Lebanese character is quite refreshing and a real trendsetter. She likes to play with Oriental dance and created her very own style where creativity and originality are essential. Her class program in the Antwerp Ell Circo D'Ell Fuego includes modern belly dance breakbeats as well as choreographies on gypsy music. Nowadays, she's mainly performing with the live bands "Ambrassband", "Dame Jeanne" and "De Takken" as a dancer and drum player.
	Artemisia (Belgium)
	Artemisia is a successful international teacher and performer, and director of dance school (e)motion in Belgium. Audiences and students around the globe especially appreciate her magic with the silk veil, her ability to portray both drama and humor on stage and her encouraging teaching style.
	Kobie Fossey (Belgium)
	Kobie Fossey is a makeup artist specialized in beauty makeup for models and stage artists. She graduated "art Academy" of Antwerp in 2002, mastering picture, movie, television, mode and theatre, body paint and special effects makeup techniques. Today, working for MAKE UP FOR EVER, a leader in the professional makeup field based in Paris. Kobie was recently chosen to be incharge of makeup in the Tony&Guy Belgium Awards. Kobie has been teaching since 2006.
	Oranit Kagan (Israël)
	Oranit Kagan, residing in the Middle East, creates an exciting line of classical and contemporary belly dancing clothing. She has established herself as a top designer, creating outfits for the leading belly dancers, schools and shops. In her workshops, Oranit teaches tips & tricks for all people to inspire them to make their own unique outfits and accessories.
	Nejib (Belgium)
	Nejib is a Belgian percussionist of Tunisian origins. He is a passionate of Oriental rhythms and masters traditional instruments such as riqq(tar), darbouka, bender and duff. He is particularly remarkable when he plays for superstar dancers like Horacio and Beata, Yousri Sharif, Salwa, Hasna and even Jilina on the occasion of her latest representation in Brussels. He founded two bands which regularly tour in Belgium: Nour El Chark and Narram Zikrayet.

The Raqs artistic team chose carefully in order to offer a little something for everyone. At the end of the journey you will be asked to let us know who captured your attention the most and you absolutely want to see again in the next edition of the International Raqs Congress.