Saphira

Saphira has been teaching dance for more than two decades and has been a professional oriental dance artist, teacher and choreographer since 1996. As a performer, her vibrant Egyptian inspired styling and natural interpretation of oriental music capture audiences by portraying classical oriental raqs sharqi ("belly dance") movement through precision, strength, and grace. She has been a featured soloist for international vocalists and performs regularly in theatres, festivals and private functions. As a teacher, she teaches proper body alignment and articulated technique, and encourages students to identify their unique voice within the dance. Saphira has earned the reputation of supporting students through their belly dance journey. Saphira celebrates that each dancer may come to class with a unique goal, whether one seeks to master technique, achieve fitness goals, improve one's self-image and body awareness, escape from the daily stress of life, explore feminine movement or simply have fun.
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Faten Salama

Faten Salama has delighted the International Belly Dance community for two decades. Her classes, focusing on all aspects of classical Egyptian oriental dance continue into the century with an extra bonus for American belly dancers. Faten began dancing at 11 years of age when she was selected to attend the first-ever national folk troupe of Egypt dance school for children and was one of the first dancers selected for Egypt’s National Folk Troupe.

While dancing full time and performing for entertaining heads of state, ambassadors, and royalty across the globe, she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in French Literature. With her husband, Shawki Naim, the top soloist in Egypt and the National Troupe choreographer, they created their own troupe, which traveled and performed around the world, which continues to serve as the National Folkloric Troupe of Egypt. Faten's classical Egyptian style captures the essence of all we admire in the Egyptian Danse Orientale. In the tradition of our own grandparents and ancestors, she captures the rich treasures of the old world to enrich the culture of her new American home. Her dance is vibrant with deep, soulful emotion and the precision rhythm that are at the heart of this art form. Faten adds to this her very own quintessential feminine grace and passionate love and joy of the dance. In addition to her classes at Saffron Dance, Faten teaches in Manassas and frequently travels worldwide to teach workshops.
For more information on Faten and her schedule, please visit
 www.fatensalema.info

Yasmina

Yasmina is a leading dancer and performer of both Middle Eastern and Indian dance.
Over the years she has choreographed and performed for the Embassies of Kuwait and Qatar and has entertained such guests as First Lady Laura Bush, Head of Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace, Colin and Alma Powell, former British Ambassador Christopher Meyers, and former Saudi Ambassador Prince Turki bin Faisal.

She has also performed for the Embassies of Egypt, Russia, Singapore, Australia, and at the Yemeni Ambassador's residence. In New Delhi, India she performed solo along with the Egyptian National Folk Dance Troupe for a festival celebrating relations between India and Egypt. She performed and taught at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore for their "Orientalism in America" exhibit. She also performs educational programs for W.P.A.S. in local schools and performs with the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center.

Yasmina was profiled in a Washington Post's Weekend section article on Belly Dance in April 2001. She has performed with the I.D.E.A. Festival of Indian Dance and danced with Afghani singer, Noor Woodjouatt (www.noorw.com), interpreting ghazals in Farsi. She has performed for Afghan television, Iranian Rang-a-Rang television, Syracuse University, State Department, and for the celebration of Pacific Heritage Month in Prince Georges County.

Her Millennium Stage program, Gul-e-Bakawali, which featured Arabic, Persian, and Indian dance, can be viewed at www.kennedy-center.org. Look under Millennium Stage under archives for September 15, 2006. Yasmina plays the role of Bakawali. On September 27th, 2006, she was the featured dancer in Mary Apick's acclaimed play about Middle Eastern women, "Beneath the Veil", at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater and again in San Francisco's Palace Theater September, 2007. On November 22, 2007, she danced with Broto Roy for his Millennium Stage program of classical Indian music. Her most recent choreographic project was Imagination Stage's production of "Jungle Book" in Bethesda, Maryland in the fall of 2007. She also holds a Masters Degree in Dance from American University.

Asharah

Asharah is a nationally known and respected fusion belly dance artist. Her performances reflect her love of strong technique, mechanical movement, and powerful expression. While focusing primarily on tribal style bellydance because of the artistic freedom it offers, she has experience in all forms of bellydance, including Turkish Rom and Egyptian oriental. She is featured on the groundbreaking DVD Gothic Bellydance: The Darker Side of Fusion and has also performed with one of Washington DC's first gothic world-fusion belly dance troupes, Martiya Possession, at events and clubs around the area. She has traveled regionally and nationally to offer sold out workshops. In the DC metropolitan area, Asharah is also a faculty member at Joy of Motion Dance Center in Washington, DC. For more information on Asharah, please visit www.asharah.com

Kostana

Kostana specializes in Turkish Romani dance and Classical Oriental Egyptian Belly Dance. She performs regularly in the DC metro area and has graced the stages of regional and national venues including the Ode to Peace Festival, the World Culture Open, & the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage & the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC. She has worked with world renown musicians including with Souhail Kaspar and John Bilezikjian, Issam Houshan of the Bellydance Superstars, the SK Near East Ensemble, Selim Sesler, Group Nazar, the Casablanca band, the Folktours Ensemble and the Balkan Brothers.

Her dance education has been supported by some of the top instructors in the U.S. and counts among her biggest influences in Turkish style: Artemis Mourat, Eva Cernik, Anahid Sofian, & Rhea of Greece. She has also studied Romani dance with Tayyar Akdeniz, Nursel Mojca, & Reyhan Tuzsuz. Her most significant influences in Egyptian, Lebanese & American cabaret styles include Faten Salama, Piper Hunt, & Lotus Niraja. She has also supplemented her dance training with workshops by Nourhan Sharif, Samara, Cassandra and other Master teachers. Kostana credits her husband, Sidqi, and the legendary Souhail Kaspar for giving her a strong foundation in both Turkish and Arabic rhythms and music. She also serves as the Creative Director of the World Music Folk Life Center, www.wmfolklife.org.

Jennifer

Jennifer a respected tribal dancer in the Washington DC metropolitan area known and respected for her fluid movement, intricate technique and for bringing an infectious excitement about the dance to both audiences and students.

Since 1996, Jennifer has concentrated her study of belly dance primarily from American Tribal Style belly dance creator Carolena Nericcio, and became Fat Chance Belly Dance General Skills certified in June 2006. She has also studied American Tribal Style belly dance with Jill Parker and Suhaila Salimpour's format from Asharah. Although Jennifer's fundamental passion always remains with pure American Tribal Style belly dance as she continues her study with Carolena, she also enjoys widening her technical knowledge of how her body can develop to create striking and unique belly dance movement.

Jennifer is the Co-founder of two dance troupes, Sammati, for pure ATS format and Benat Baharat for experimental belly dance. She is also an active board member of DC’s community tribal belly dance collective, DCTribal.

In addition to her belly dance background, Jennifer has trained and performed classical dance forms such as ballet, jazz, modern and point throughout her life, and in the last several years has established her acclaim in the popular 1930's form of swing dance - lindy hop. During the day, Jennifer is a socially responsible investment advisor.

Nica

Nica has loved dance all her life! She followed her dreams of dancing with a BA degree in Dance from American University in Washington DC whereupon she enjoyed a long career as a professional Modern, Traditional Balinese and Flamenco Dancer. Although based in New York City, she has also spent extensive time living in various parts of the world learning the dances, music and cultures of Hawaii, Italy, China, Bali, Vietnam, Spain, and Morocco. During this time, she was honoured to have worked and performed internationally with such renowned choreographers/performers such as Mark Morris, David Rousseve, Dame Alicia Diaz, Dewi Aryani, and Placido Domingo.

Mesmerized by the music and dance of the Middle East, Nica immediately fell in love with the art form and continues to study belly dance extensively. She is thrilled to have studied with Tamra El Henna, Ansuya, Bozenka, Faten Salama, Yasmina, Rachel Brookmire, and Elysa. Nica thanks Saphira for being one of her first teachers! Nica’s teaching style emphasizes body awareness through alignment, muscle balance and strength as well as musicality and ease of movement. Inspired by her yearly trips to Morocco, Nica bought a doumbek (drum) and studies with Brad “Sidqi” Sidwell, Souhail Kaspar, and Issam Houshan of the Bellydance Superstars. Nica is so happy to share this beautiful dance form to bring to you beauty, grace and empowerment through movement and rhythm.

Nica is founder and director of Circle of World Arts, a non-profit using the arts as means of peace building and also teaches Yoga and Pilates throughout the DC area. More info may be found at www.circleofworldarts.org and www.verynica.com.

Andrea

Andrea has enjoyed dancing her entire life and has been a dedicated artist of Oriental dance since 2000. She began her initial work with Autumn Leah Ward and continued her more advanced technique, movement and teacher training with Saphira and Rachel Brookmire. With an extensive background in karate, jazz, salsa and ballroom dancing, she brings a keen awareness of body alignment and core strength to her teaching. She has participated in comprehensive workshops with Jillina, Amar Gamal, Rachel Brice, Ansuya, Nourhan Sharif, Karim Nagi and Yousry Sharif. Andrea has performed as a soloist as well as in numerous ensemble pieces in venues including Rakkasah East, the American University Greenberg Theater, The Jack Guidone Theater and Casablanca of Old Town Alexandria.

Katrina

Katrina has been inspired by all forms of dance since her childhood. She became enchanted with Middle Eastern music in college and finally found her home in Oriental Dance in 2003. She is particularly drawn to this artistic movement form because of its the graceful and powerful movements and the joy it brings to everyone it touches. Katrina has studied intensively for years with Saphira, Rachel Kay Brookmire and Elysa. She has also performed extensively as a company member of Sahara Dance’s Raqs Caravan East. She participates in ongoing workshops with world renowned instructors such as Yousry Sharif, Nourhan Sharif, Jillina, Bozenka, Amar Gamal and Karim Nagi. Drawing on many years in competitive dance, collegiate cheerleading, and intense yoga training, Katrina brings a focus on alignment, precision and intention to her teaching. Katrina hopes to bring her excitement about the dance to her students. During the day, Katrina works to protect our environment through increased use of clean energy.

Catarina

Catarina is noted for her fiery and energetic dance style, which expresses the joy she finds in Middle Eastern music and dance. Before devoting herself to raqs sharqi, Catarina focused on Western dance styles, developing a foundation in ballet, modern and jazz technique. As a teenager and young adult, Catarina choreographed and performed extensively in the modern and jazz styles. While attending Yale College, she co-directed the performance group DanceWorks and produced, directed, choreographed and performed in a number of their shows. While attending Harvard Law School, Catarina continued to choreograph and perform with the Mainly Jazz Dance Ensemble. At the same time, Catarina pursued a nine-year study of Shotokan Karate, ultimately earning a black belt, and has used the balance, discipline and control of karate training to enhance her dance technique and performance. Catarina’s longstanding admiration for the beauty and grace of raqs sharqi ultimately drew her to study the dance intensively. Catarina was one of the founding members of the award-winning dance company Raqs Sahara, and choreographed and performed with the company for several years. Since 2002, Catarina has shared her love of raqs sharqi with her students through teaching classes at all levels. 

GUEST TEACHERS

Nadirah Nasreen

Nadirah has been bringing her knowledge of Egyptian, Lebanese, and Turkish Oriental and students in the Washington DC metropolitan for more than a decade. Her love for oriental music and the rhythms started during her childhood where she lived in Athens, Greece and experienced the powerful sounds of Greek and Middle Eastern music.

She is a favorite among audiences for her charming stage personality and mastery of integrating props including cane, sword balancing and candles. A nationally featured dancer at restaurants and workshop events, her Zill and Phrasing workshop has attracted new students and master performers alike. She has performed with the Belly Dance Superstars during their tour in Baltimore and is featured at Arabian Nights shows at the Colony South. In 2002, both Nadirah, as a soloist and her troupe received the Grand Champion at the East Coast Belly Dance Classic.