Directory
Dancers
The professional people layer of Raqs Atlas — performers, instructors, choreographers, schools and the legends who shaped the art form.
153 profiles · showing 49–72
Choreographers
Portland · United States
Heather “Henna” Louise
Heather Louise, also known in dance circles as Henna, has built a career shaped by extensive experience with Middle Eastern music and dance across several countries. After years of belly-dance training she relocated to Asia and became active in Tokyo's…
Dancer · Colombia
Horacio Cifuentes
Horacio Cifuentes began dancing at five and pursued extensive professional training in flamenco and classical ballet. He eventually became a soloist with the San Francisco Ballet, performing in numerous classical and modern works. After discovering Oriental…
Dancer · Ukraine
Iana Komarnytska
Iana Komarnytska is a Ukrainian-born professional dancer, educator and media creator whose career developed substantially in Canada. She completed formal dance studies at York University and spent several years working as a full-time performer in Toronto. Her…
Legend · United States
Ibrahim “Bobby” Farrah
Ibrahim “Bobby” Farrah was one of the most influential figures in the development of Middle Eastern dance in the United States. Based in New York City, he became known not only as a performer but also as a choreographer, master teacher and serious researcher…
Dancer · Brazil
Igor Kischka
Igor Kischka is a Brazilian dancer and choreographer who has specialised in Arab and Oriental dance since 2011. He developed an international career through performances, workshops and festival appearances in more than thirty countries. His teaching places…
Legend · United States
Jamila Salimpour
Jamila Salimpour was one of the most important figures in the development of belly dance in the United States. She began teaching in 1949 and created a structured vocabulary for movements that influenced generations of American dancers. In 1968 she founded…
Dancer · Poland
Jasirah
Jasirah began belly dance in 2008 after approximately a decade of previous ballroom-dance experience. She developed rapidly into a professional performer and teacher and began appearing at events outside Poland. Over her career she has worked in more than…
Belgrade · Serbia
Jelena Leila
Leila is one of the most internationally recognised dancers and instructors representing Serbia. She has been involved in oriental dance for more than two decades and also has experience in ballet, ballroom dancing, and Serbian folklore. She has performed and…
Los Angeles · United States
Jillina Carlano
Jillina Carlano built an international reputation as a performer and choreographer before becoming one of the most visible directors in modern belly dance. She served for years as artistic director and principal choreographer for the Bellydance Superstars…
Dancer · Portugal
Joana Saahirah
Joana Saahirah is a Portuguese Oriental dancer who spent nearly a decade living and working professionally in Egypt. During her Cairo career she performed regularly with her own orchestra and experienced the demands of the Egyptian professional entertainment…
Dancer · Ukraine
Julia Farid
Julia Farid is a Ukrainian dancer, choreographer and educator who has built an extensive international career. She founded the Isadora Dance Academy and became the organiser of major events including the Isadora Cup and Dream & Dance. Julia is particularly…
Buenos Aires · Argentina
Julieta Maffia
Julieta Maffia is an Argentinian fusion dancer whose work developed within the country's large and technically sophisticated belly-dance community. Unlike many Argentine artists focused primarily on Egyptian-style Raqs Sharqi, Julieta became strongly…
New York City and San Francisco · United States
Kaeshi Chai
Kaeshi Chai is a multidisciplinary dancer, teacher, choreographer, producer and designer. She co-founded Bellyqueen, a professional dance company and school that became internationally recognised for theatrical world-fusion performance. Chai also co-founded…
San Francisco Bay Area · United States
Kami Liddle
Kami Liddle trained in ballet, tap, jazz, modern and hip-hop before returning to belly dance as a young adult. She explored American Cabaret and improvisational belly dance before developing a contemporary fusion vocabulary. In 2005 she joined Bellydance…
Dancer · Brazil
Kamilia
Kamilia is a Brazilian-born Oriental dancer whose career has unfolded largely within professional Middle Eastern entertainment markets. She began dance at a very young age and later received training connected with the renowned Caracalla dance environment in…
Dancer · France
Kaouther Ben Amor
Kaouther Ben Amor is a French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer with a long international career in Oriental dance. Her work combines Raqs Sharqi with a theatrical sensibility shaped by her North African cultural background and extensive performance…
Paris · Egypt
Kareem Gad
Kareem Gad is an Egyptian dancer, choreographer and musician whose professional work spans both Egyptian theatrical traditions and contemporary international education. His background includes singing, music, percussion, poetry, acting and dance, giving him…
San Juan · Puerto Rico
Karlos Khalil
Karlos Khalil is a Puerto Rican belly dancer, choreographer, actor, director, playwright and producer whose career bridges oriental dance and theatre. Active in bellydance since the early 2000s, he began with training in ballet and modern dance before making…
Dancer · Hungary
Katalin Schäfer
Katalin Schäfer began her broader dance education with classical ballet in the late 1980s and specialised increasingly in Oriental dance from 2000. In 2004 she became part of the award-winning Art of Orient company alongside several important Hungarian…
Dancer · Ukraine
Kateryna Siham
Kateryna Siham is a Ukrainian professional dancer whose career has included major competition achievements and long-term work in Middle Eastern entertainment markets. She gained international recognition after winning a world championship title in Oriental…
Dancer · Australia
Keti Sharif
Keti Sharif began belly dance at seventeen and later moved her professional life increasingly toward Egypt. She spent approximately two decades living between Cairo and the Red Sea and performed professionally with live Egyptian music. During those years she…
London · Egypt
Khaled Mahmoud
Khaled Mahmoud is an Egyptian dancer and teacher from Cairo who built a major part of his international career in the United Kingdom. His training encompasses Raqs Sharqi as well as Egyptian folkloric material. He became highly respected on the European…
Dancer · Ukraine
Kira Lebedeva
Kira Lebedeva began her Tribal Fusion journey around 2010 and developed into one of Ukraine's best-known artists in the genre. Her training combines detailed muscular control with yoga and other physical disciplines. She built an international career through…
Dancer · Azerbaijan
Laman Hendricks
Laman Hendricks was born and raised within the cultural environments of Azerbaijan and Türkiye and began movement training through acrobatic gymnastics and regional folk dance. She later studied at the Baku Choreography Academy and developed a professional…