zamira
Dancer • percussionist • teacher

I am a firm believer in the saying: "To live is to dance, to dance is to live." The word "dance" comes from the Sanskrit tanha, meaning "joy of life," while the Arabic raks and the Turkish rakkase both derive from the Assyrian rakadu, meaning "to celebrate."

I first became interested in "The Dance" in the early 90s when I learned to play the doumbek, an hourglass-shaped Middle Eastern drum (depicted at left). I loved the music so much that I decided to study the dancing that often accompanied it. I would like to thank two of my teachers in particular who had an influence on my dance style and philosophy: Sahra, the internationally-acclaimed Egyptian Cabaret performer, for her exquisite physical and personal grace; and Aziza Sa'id for her meticulously-taught classes and mesmerizing dance technique. I especially enjoy teaching beginning belly dance classes and will occasionally teach a series of beginner classes, a weekend workshop or private lessons whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I feel that dancing not only connects us to each other and our communities, but it can be a way to communicate with the Divine as well. Anthropologists and historians attribute the origins of dance to religious rituals which were our first attempts to contact and influence divine aspects. I am fascinated with the trance dances of the Sufis and Mongolian shamans, and also with the zarik, a Middle Eastern women's dance rite.

There is no culture on Earth, primitive or civilized, that does not participate in some form of dance. I believe that dance is truly a "universal language."

We are gods in the body of god, truth and love our destinies. Go then
and make of the world something beautiful, set up a light in the darkness.

~From "Hymn to Hathor," Awakening Osiris, by Normandi Ellis

 

L: Audience participation at a local restaurant ~ R: incorporating Hindu mudras into a performance.

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