Professional Development

Certifications
  • Group Fitness certification from National Association for Fitness Certification - in progress
  • CPR certification from American Heart Association - Since 2015
  • Women's self-defense instructor certification from RAD Systems, Inc. - Since 2013
Intensive Workshops Completed (a recent sample)
  • Khalida's Ballet for Belly Dancers - October 2021 - A series on applying ballet moves in a Middle Eastern context.
  • Sahira's Zill Challenge 2021 - September 2021 - A 10-day challenge on finger cymbal skills.
  • April Rose's Cohesion Class: Technique & Percussion - May 2021 - A series on putting percussion together with technique.
  • Amanda Rose's A Study in Shaabi - May 2021 - A series focused on shaabi-style dance.
  • Mahin's Golden-Era Style Combos - April 2020 - A set of workshops focused on Fifi Abdo, Samia Gamal, and Tahia Carioca
  • Mahin's Thrills with Zills - Fall 2019 - A series of intensive workshops over eight weeks focused on use of finger cymbals with several different Middle Eastern rhythms. 
  • Sahira's Drum Solo Technique & Combos - August 2019 - A series of drills on drum solo technique.
  • Iana Komarnytska's Turkish Roma - April 2019 - A series of 5 workshops on Turkish Roma-style dance.
  • Amanda Rose's Dynamic Drum Solo - January 2019 - A series of workshops on drum solo technique and execution.
  • Naia's Dancing with Fan Veils - November 2018 - A workshop on use of fan veil props in belly dance.
  • Shimmy Con, Bloomington IN - July 2018 - Three-day intensive focused on several styles and techniques of Middle Eastern dance.
  • Shimmy Con, Bloomington IN - July 2017 - Three-day intensive focused on several styles and techniques of Middle Eastern dance.
  • Liz Strong's Turkish Romany Dance & Devi Mamak's Tribal-Fusion Styling - November 2016 - Part of 1001 Nights Middle Eastern Dance Workshops (Mecca Dance Studio, Lexington KY)
  • Shahira's Ibrahim Farrah-Style Staging & Combinations - October 2016 - Part of Raq the Bluegrass Middle Eastern Dance Workshops (Arabesque Studio, Lexington KY)
Lectures Attended (a recent sample)
  • On Farid al Atrache by George Sawa - July 2021 - A lecture highlighting Farid al Atrache's influence on Middle Eastern dance and music.
  • Talking Belly Dance by Ainsley Hawthorn - June 2021 - A lecture highlighting belly dance tradition and culture.
  • Traditional Arts of Egypt by Keti Sharif - Spring 2021 - A lecture highlighting the traditional folk arts (music, art, dance) of Egypt.
  • Chasing the Phantom: Discovering & Uncovering the Soul of Raqs Sharqi by Morocco - September 2020 - A lecture highlighting the history of Egyptian-style belly dance.
  • Salomania by Dawn Devine - August 2020 - A lecture highlighting depictions of Salome in history and art and this influence on belly dance.
  • Dances of Egypt: Us Dancing for Us & Us Dancing for Them by Sahra Kent - Summer 2020 - A series of lectures highlighting Egyptian dance in different contexts.
  • Folk Dances of the Arabian Peninsula by Kay Hardy Campbell - April 2020 - A lecture highlighting the folk dances of a select portion of the Middle East.
  • Goal Setting by Sahira - December 2019 - A lecture focused on setting attainable dance goals.
  • Egyptian Shaabi Culture by Leila Farid - November 2019 - A lecture highlighting the shaabi dance form and its cultural context.
  • Finger Cymbals: Lost Art or Living Legacy? by Dawn Devine - October 2019 - A lecture focused on the history of finger cymbal use in Middle Eastern dance.
  • Getting Inside Egyptian Music by George Sawa - September 2019 - A lecture highlighting the structure and application of Egyptian music.
  • Practical Anatomy by Mahin - July 2019 - A lecture focused on anatomy for dancers.
  • Belly Dance Rhythms by Iana Komarnytska - June 2019 - A series of lectures focused on common Middle Eastern dance rhythms and how to dance to them.
  • Let's Talk Folklore by Morocco - September 2018 - A lecture focused on the history of folkloric dances in Egypt.