lebanese simon
Lebanese Simon was born and raised in northern Lebanon. With a natural passion for cultural arts, he found himself drawn closer to dance. Simon has traveled internationally to teach, perform and share his passion for this art form. His style of Lebanese Folk Dabke is described as strong, captivating, and deeply heartfelt. Through raks Sharki dance, his first love, Simon reveals his personal creative approach and his passion. In workshops simon focuses on cultural importance, drilling combinations, technique and music components. Most importantly, he focuses on executing the moves yet staying emotionally connected to the melody and the story line. His versatility in dance has brought him
very close to the heart of a wide range of audience and followers around the world.
Since 2010, Simon has served as artistic director and manager for the Al Awtar Zaffa folklore group based in Houston, Texas. Settled in Houston, Simon organizes yearly cultural tours to Egypt and Lebanon; attend his workshops to learn more.
very close to the heart of a wide range of audience and followers around the world.
Since 2010, Simon has served as artistic director and manager for the Al Awtar Zaffa folklore group based in Houston, Texas. Settled in Houston, Simon organizes yearly cultural tours to Egypt and Lebanon; attend his workshops to learn more.
Amel Tafsout
Born in Algeria, Amel Tafsout dances with memory in her bones and rhythm in her breath. A cultural bridge between North Africa and the Western world, Amel weaves dance, scholarship, and storytelling into a single tapestry of transformation. Her presence is magnetic, her knowledge profound, her spirit unwavering. Fluent in five languages, she lectures, teaches, performs, and researches across continents. A published author and poet, her writings on dance, culture, and the women of the Maghreb appear in both academic and popular publications.
Internationally celebrated as one of the foremost artists and scholars of North African Maghreb dance, her work transcends movement; it becomes poetry, resistance, and remembrance. Amel carries the lineage of her ancestors with reverence. Every step she takes is an offering, every gesture, a story reborn. Her art is a living archive of women’s strength, a song of survival and grace. Through her, tradition breathes anew.
Internationally celebrated as one of the foremost artists and scholars of North African Maghreb dance, her work transcends movement; it becomes poetry, resistance, and remembrance. Amel carries the lineage of her ancestors with reverence. Every step she takes is an offering, every gesture, a story reborn. Her art is a living archive of women’s strength, a song of survival and grace. Through her, tradition breathes anew.
Kaira
Kaira is a bellydancer based in Northern California known for dynamic artistry, musicality, and a deep respect for the diverse roots of bellydance. A life-long student of movement, she has also trained in ballet, contemporary, ballroom, color guard, and other Western dance styles, alongside extensive study of Middle Eastern folkloric forms. She is an alumna of Jillina’s Bellydance Evolution and Amanda Rose’s Belly Lab, and she has studied with master instructors including Mohamed Ghareb, Zara of Cairo, Sara Al-Hadithi, Arielle of Cairo, Aziza Williams, and Aubre Hill.
She performs regularly at venues throughout the Bay Area and Sacramento, where her audience engagement and sense of humor shine alongside her technical skills. In addition to her performance work, she is a dedicated competitor who has finaled in several prestigious events before ultimately taking first place at Belly Dancer USA.
She performs regularly at venues throughout the Bay Area and Sacramento, where her audience engagement and sense of humor shine alongside her technical skills. In addition to her performance work, she is a dedicated competitor who has finaled in several prestigious events before ultimately taking first place at Belly Dancer USA.
thorn trinity
Thorn has been immersed in multiple styles of dance since her teenage years and is a lifelong devotee of all things dance. In 2019, she became a certified Datura Style®️ instructor after completing four years of intensive study under the mentorship of Rachel Brice in the 8 Elements™️ Programs. Thorn is now the Datura style instructor at Northwest Bellydance Academy, and a member of their professional ensemble, performing regionally throughout the Northwest and Canada. In 2025, she had back-to-back first place wins in the Fusion Professional categories at both Belly Dancer USA and The Wild Rose Competition. She looks forward to returning as a judge and gala performer at both these prestigious events.
adrianne
Adrianne is a dynamic and well-known dance artist based in Los Angeles, California, known for her fun, high-energy performances and magnetic stage presence. Adrianne has captivated audiences with her expressive musicality, and joyful spirit. Her viral online dance tutorials and popular workshops have made her a favorite among dancers seeking to unlock their creativity and build lasting confidence on stage.
Deeply committed to the art of raqs sharqi, Adrianne has traveled to Egypt to study the dance and culture firsthand, bringing authenticity and depth to her performances and teachings. She is especially passionate about Egyptian folkloric styles such as Saidi and continues to share her knowledge through workshops across the U.S.
Adrianne is also known as the assistant producer of the acclaimed Fez Documentary and one half of the Baladi Babes, a duo that produced four celebrated online dance shows during the pandemic--Remembering Reda, Visions of Vintage, All the Rage, and Fabulous Folklore—highlighting MENATH talent from around the globe. In 2018, she was honored with the prestigious title of Belly Dancer of the Year.
Deeply committed to the art of raqs sharqi, Adrianne has traveled to Egypt to study the dance and culture firsthand, bringing authenticity and depth to her performances and teachings. She is especially passionate about Egyptian folkloric styles such as Saidi and continues to share her knowledge through workshops across the U.S.
Adrianne is also known as the assistant producer of the acclaimed Fez Documentary and one half of the Baladi Babes, a duo that produced four celebrated online dance shows during the pandemic--Remembering Reda, Visions of Vintage, All the Rage, and Fabulous Folklore—highlighting MENATH talent from around the globe. In 2018, she was honored with the prestigious title of Belly Dancer of the Year.
summer wang
Summer Wang — with a heart full of love for dance, she is a dancer, teacher, choreographer & producer. Founder of Summer Flower Oriental Dance Academy, she is celebrated for diverse belly dance styles,
especially her Chinese fusion. She welcomes you to join her love for dance, and blossom along side her.
FB: Summer Wang
INS: summerwang.seattle
WeChat: Summerwang16
Website: summerflowerbellydance.com
especially her Chinese fusion. She welcomes you to join her love for dance, and blossom along side her.
FB: Summer Wang
INS: summerwang.seattle
WeChat: Summerwang16
Website: summerflowerbellydance.com
Roxy
Roxy is the founder of Oriental Bliss Productions, based in Seattle. She loves Oriental and Middle Eastern dance, performing arts, and cultural education. Roxy was crowned Miss Belly Dancer USA in 2015. Also, she earned the title of Universal & Specialty Prop Champion at the Belly Dancer of the Universe competition that same year. She hosts local and international stars for workshops and performances in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, sharing music and dance at community events and theater shows. New to the qanun, Roxy enriches performances with soulful, traditional melodies.
For more information about Roxy’s music and dance future events, check out orientalblissproductions.com.
IG: @roxybellydancer, @orientalbliss
For more information about Roxy’s music and dance future events, check out orientalblissproductions.com.
IG: @roxybellydancer, @orientalbliss
JEWELS
Jewels is an award winning dancer living in Portland, Oregon. Performer, teacher, coach, choreographer and competition judge, she has been performing and creating dance art for over 20 years. She loves the community that the dance brings! Jewels hosts the Portland, Oregon Bellydance Community page on Facebook, and produces a monthly belly dance show with the band The Occidental Tourists on the third Sunday of the month at the Mississippi Pizza/Atlantis Lounge. She has performed and competed in troupes and as a soloist in Oregon, Washington, Texas and California. Past awards include 2014 Belly Dancer USA Goddess and 2010 Jewel of the Sierra Professional Dancer.
Laura Ayllón
Producer. Director. Performer. Instructor. Laura Ayllón has danced since childhood, focusing on bellydance for the last 15+ years. Known for her graceful lines and soulful performances, she has a background in Ballet, Modern and Flamenco. Originally from California, Laura spent years living in the San Francisco Bay Area working as a bellydancer as well as studying intensely with a number of amazing teachers. While she loves to move to music of all kinds, there is a special place in her heart for Classical Arabic music.
Gabriella
Gabriella is a professional belly dance artist based in Salem, Oregon. She took her first belly dance class just over a decade ago and fell in love immediately. Her enthusiasm to learn raqs sharqi was deepened by her connection to SWANA music as a musician herself. She started studying music at the young age of six, learning to play piano, violin, guitar and various other string instruments as well as training vocally. Gabriella’s musical background has made her known for her unique musicality and advanced finger cymbal work.
Gabriella’s love and passion for this art form has opened up many doors over the years from competitions, teaching, performing and gigging, to choreographing and directing performance troupes that has made this dance her professional career. Years of dancing in Rose Empire’s Professional Cabaret Troupe, Eternal Sands, as well as teaching a belly dance class of her own has furthered Gabriella to become the Co-choreographer and Co-director at Rose Empire Dance as of 2021.
Over the course of her career, Gabriella has been crowned multiple awards including International Ambassador of Bellydance 2019 and most recently, Wild Rose Pro 2025. She was cast as the lead roles of the “Tin Man” and the “Caterpillar” in Jillina’s BDExperience productions of, The Wizard of Oz in 2023 and Alice in Wonderland in 2026.
Gabriella’s love and passion for this art form has opened up many doors over the years from competitions, teaching, performing and gigging, to choreographing and directing performance troupes that has made this dance her professional career. Years of dancing in Rose Empire’s Professional Cabaret Troupe, Eternal Sands, as well as teaching a belly dance class of her own has furthered Gabriella to become the Co-choreographer and Co-director at Rose Empire Dance as of 2021.
Over the course of her career, Gabriella has been crowned multiple awards including International Ambassador of Bellydance 2019 and most recently, Wild Rose Pro 2025. She was cast as the lead roles of the “Tin Man” and the “Caterpillar” in Jillina’s BDExperience productions of, The Wizard of Oz in 2023 and Alice in Wonderland in 2026.
sabine
"Sabine has been studying and performing middle eastern dance for over three decades. A northwest-based dancer, she owned a dance studio in Eugene for 12 years, served on the board of directors for the Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene for 16 years, collaborated with other dancers and musicians to produce special events and performances, and directed multiple dance performance troupes. Sabine is a believer in the “never stop learning” school of thought, so throughout her dance career she’s continued to seek out classes, workshops, and intensives in many forms of dance, from classic Egyptian and Lebanese cabaret, to Arabic and North African folkdance, to Bollywood and Kalbeliya dance styles from India, to fusion dance styles. Sabine’s best love is Raks al Sayf-- the sword dance--and she’s developed her own dramatic style of single and double sword, blending the isolations and balancing of Middle Eastern Dance styles with martial arts and theatrical presentation to create memorable performances. She has traveled to teach and perform sword dance intensives around the US and internationally, collaborating with other dancers to share her love of dance. "
nadira
Nadira is an accomplished performer, instructor, and choreographer, receiving multiple dance titles, instructor awards, and has traveled the world performing and instructing. She teaches this dance through muscle awareness and strengthening the core, while at the same time incorporating a wide dance background, sparkle and fun! She is currently holding both in person and online classes. For more information on Nadira, please visit www.nadira.com & Instagram: NadiraSeattle
Regina Anne
Regina Anne is a celebrated belly dance artist and educator with over 25 years of dedicated performance and teaching experience. She began her belly dance journey in Arcata, California, where her passion for the art form was first ignited. Specializing in ethereal contemporary fusion belly dance, she has captivated audiences with her signature style that weaves together fluid movement, artistic expression, and a transcendent quality that is uniquely her own. As a teacher, she has inspired countless students to discover the beauty and discipline of belly dance, passing on her passion and expertise to future dancers. Regina Anne is thrilled to return to Belly Dancer USA as a judge, bringing her wealth of experience and deep love of the art to celebrate the talented performers gracing the stage.
cira
Cira is based here in Salem, Oregon. Sharing her artistry and expertise with students locally through instructing, producing shows, teaching workshops and choreographing fun pieces with her group Desert Moon Dancers for the last 35 years. She enjoys teaching and sharing her love for the dance throughout the Willamette Valley and other regions of the state.
mychelle crown
Mychelle Crown is a multi-award winning Bellydance Performer and Instructor, and owner of Thrive Movement Arts Studios in Sacramento, CA. Mychelle is director of the award-winning Crown Jewels Dance Company, and producer of the hugely popular Capital City Raqs Music & Dance Festival in Sacramento. And look out for the inaugural Golden State Raqs Competition, coming September 2026. Learn more at mychellebellydance.com & “Mychelle Crown” across social media.
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