Rakkasah - Middle Eastern Folk Festival and Fantasy Bazaar

Aneena
Aneena has been dancing for 30+ years and teaching workshops all across the US for 25+ years. Aneena owns Aneena's Silk Veils, selling 3yd., circular silk veils with the special rolled edge for easier handling. And she has 10+ videos and DVDs on the market including her specialties: Double Veil, Single Veil, Props, and Arms & Hands.

Web: Dancers of the Desert Phone: 415-892-2027

Carmine T. Guida
New York City-based mulitinstrumentalist Carmine T. Guida is a familiar face at Middle Eastern dance and music events throughout the country. A dancers' musician, Carmine is appreciated as an enthusiastic, adaptable, and creative accompanist on both doumbek and oud; he plays weekly for belly dancers with several New York City ensembles.

Email: carmine@carmine.com Web: www.Carmine.com Phone: 212-725-9635

Dondi

At 12 Dondi began her study of Middle Eastern Dance. In 1991 she was chosen to dance for Omar Sharif's 60th birthday. Dondi has been in hundreds of theatre, film, television and music videos. In 1997 she booked her first dance tour of the Middle East and since then she has danced in Dubai, Turkey, India, Tunisia, Lebanon, Africa, Greece, Egypt, Jordon, Iceland, Spain, Africa and all over Europe. She is often requested to dance for celebrities and has danced for Amr Diab an Egyptian pop idol. In 2000 Dondi won "Belly Dancer of the Universe" and 2002 "Wiggles of the West" with her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe as a Belly Dancer, which she performed throughout Spain and Europe as a member of the Belly Dance Super Stars. Dondi teaches Lebanese, Egyptian, Turkish and Folkloric styles of Belly Dance around the world.

Email: dondi@dondibellydancer.com Web: www.dondibellydance.com

Fahtiem

Fahtiem has performed throughout the United States, including engagements on cruise ships and performances on cable and network TV. Her love and commitment to the dance is evident in her efforts to motivate each dancer to their individual best. It has been said that "Fahtiem truly has a master's touch. The simplest movement is presented with incredible focused energy. The quality of Fahtiem's movements is what we all strive for." Her style is soulful and dynamic. Her movement expressive and clear. On stage her ability to reach and entertain an audience with warmth and humor is delightfully apparent. As a teacher Fahtiem conveys not only solid form and technique, but the subtle nuance that makes this dance magical.
Email: fahtiem@fahtiem.com Web: www.Fahtiem.com Phone: 626-810-9470

Fatima Al Wahid
Fatima is a prominent Middle Eastern Dance instructor, sponsor and vendor. Born In Africa, Fatima has always had the dance in her heart, being introduced to the dance by her father's native home, the Sudan. After over 20 years in the medical field, Fatima retired and decided to teach, travel and vend. She planted her feet in Sacramento and opened Fatima's Bazaar & Cultural Dance Studio. Fatima travels the world teaching and vending, and manages to spread heartfelt feeling for the dance wherever she goes.

Email: fatima@fatimasbazaar.com Web: www.FatimasBazaar.com Phone: 916-482-3568

Jim Boz
Jim Boz is an award winning Middle Eastern dancer and choreographer based in San Diego, CA who performs and teaches nationally. His workshops are characterized by a wealth of information, carefully organized and presented in a supportive environment. As a male performer of Middle Eastern Dance and Raks Sharki, Jim Boz is known for his strong presence coupled with masculine grace. As a Teacher, Jim Boz creates a warm and supportive environment, characterized by joy, information, celebration and fun. His concepts are presented in a playful manner, including his "Almost But Not Quite Infamous Euclidean Geometry for Belly Dancers", a conceptual approach to isolations and articulations that has benefited dancers from coast to coast since 2000.

Email: contact@jimboz.com Web: www.jimboz.com Phone: 1-888-4-JIMBOZ

Leila Haddad
Paris (France) based, choreographer, dancer and teacher in Oriental dances, (sharqi, baladi, saidi etc...) and in North African dances (Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco), teaches and performs all over the world in theaters, works on the rehabilitation and recognition of this art form. Classes are given in english, italian, arabic or french.

Email: hadleila@noos.fr Web: www.LeilaHaddad.com Phone: 011-33-1-43-56-61-64

Latifa
Latifa is a popular performer and instructor in the Baltimore-Washington area, specializing in oriental and folkloric dances of the Arab World. She uses a combination of her training with Ibrahim Farrah and her academic research (Master's in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, certificate from American University of Cairo) to provide students with proper technique, cultural/historical context, and effective expression and stage presence. Unsolicited student comment: "...you are skilled at creating an environment where people feel safe trying something that's so foreign to them. The tone that you set with your light-hearted humor and patience with your students is just what we need!"

Eail: latifa@bintbeled.com Web: www.bintbeled.com Phone: 323-931-6781

Michelle De Vine
Having grown up in the belly dance community as an appreciative observer, dancer, instructor and promoter, gives her a unique perspective on belly dance as an art, outlet and industry. Having had (and continuing) to study the many faucets of belly dance, combining this training with person visualization and life experience allows her to bring to life her version of this dancing art form. Originally from teh SF Bay area she is currently residing in NJ where she teaches weekly classes and directs Spring Caravan, she also travels instructing workshops and performing with her troupe Mahalat.

Email: michelledevine@att.net Web: www.MichelleDevine.org Phone: 908-996-0269

Naheda
Ludwigsstadt, Germany.Master instructor and choreographer for oriental dance... international award winner and event producer, Naheda does it all. Naheda has been active for many years teaching workshops and performing internationally. Naheda has a tremendous amount of knowledge and is a wonderful communicator of the dance. Her tremendous creativity inspires her students to find the special and exceptional in themselves.

Email: info@naheda.de Web:www.naheda.de

Natica Angilly

Natica is Artistic Director as well as choreographer and a dancer for the Poetic Dance Theatre. She studied with Hanya Hol and other legendary figures in dance. Using artistry and movement inspired by ancient cultures, as well as contemporary innovations, she has created dance of visual and verbal unity. Natica has made her mark in national dance history as having the only company founded solely for "trance translations" of poetry, using as music the cadence and rhythm of voice.

In the world setting, where in many countries, poetry, dance, and music have never been separated, she combines pageantry, costuming, unique props, and multimedia effects -- and extends poetry's role in the life of American culture.

Email: richardaei@aol.com Web: www.DancingPoetry.org Phone: 510-235-0361

Oreet

Oreet, creator of SharQui —The bellydance workout™, is an award winning performer and a sought after choreographer and teacher. Her dance specialty is Modern Egyptian which is a contemporary and innovative twist on the traditional Egyptian style. It fuses modern dance, ballet and her Yemenite/Israeli roots to create her high energy bellydance style. As a performer and teacher Oreet combines passion, grace, athleticism and hip precision in order to give a refined performance. Along with teaching, Oreet certifies dancers and fitness professionals in the SharQui™ method nationally. She recently received the title Bellydancer of the Year 2007 and also holds the titles Entertainer of the Year 2006, Jewel of the Nile 2006, Bellydance Diva 2005 and is the reigning Middle Eastern Dance Champion of North America.

Web: www.sharqui.com

Suzanna Del Vecchio
Bio Coming

Email: suzanna@suzannadelvecchio.com Web: www.suzannadelvecchio.com

Saqra
Saqra from Seattle is a 30 year veteran of oriental dance, an internationally sponsored master instructor and award-winning performer. She has over 14 instructional DVDs, teacher's aides, and is director of severaldance troupes, plus produces CDs and sheet music and plays keyboard with RaqsBand. She was voted Zaghareet Magazine's "Best Kept Secret" of '05...something she is hoping to change! Visit her web site for tips, articles, a free book of dancer names and more.

Email: saqra@saqra.net Web: www.Saqra.net Phone: 253-813-8580

Shukriya
Instructor and Performer of belly dance for over 35 years. Shukriya has taught in the Untied States as well as Europe. She is renowned for her cymbal and sword work. She is also the director and creator of the Rakkasah Festivals.

Email: rakkasah@comcast.net Web: www.rakkasah.com Phone: 510-724-0214

Suhaila Salimpour
Suhaila Salimpour is the world's most sought-after performer, teacher, and choreographer of belly dance. A second-generation belly dancer, Suhaila has developed a format combining her heritage with classical dance training. After being the first Belly Dancer featured by Arab American Television, Suhaila toured the Middle East and Europe. She returned to the US to open her school - offering the first Certification program available in Belly Dance. Suhaila Productions creates instructional and performance DVDs for all dance levels, CDs for percussion artists and printed dance manuals. Suhaila has orchestrated Middle Eastern dance musicals and is director of both the Suhaila Dance Company and Bal Anat.

Email: suhaila@therealsuhaila.com Web: www.TheRealSuhaila.com Phone: 510-527-2400

Willow
Sharing her emotive, innovative and elegant performances, Willow is recognized as Hawai‘i’s premier dance artist. For the past 14 years, Willow has focused on Middle Eastern dance and is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i, with a degree in Dance and a minor in music. In demand as an instructor, she travels annually to teach, study and perform. She presents a disciplined and impassioned understanding of movement while emphasizing the musical and cultural context of the art. Willow has performed and taught in Germany, Switzerland, Greece and Egypt. She appears on such DVDs as PE-KO Hollywood Music’s performance series, including The Exotic Art of Belly Dance (2006) and IAMED’S Belly Dance Reloaded (2004).

Email: willowchang@hotmail.com Web: WillowChang.com