Gala Performances
Ryerson Theatre
April 21st, 2007

Admission price included in Conference Package.
Tickets: $35 per evening for those not registered with the conference.

Featured Artists

Randa Kamel
Sahra Saeeda • Amir Thaleb • Shareen El Safy • Angelika Nemeth • Tamalyn Dallal
Arabesque Dance Company • Bellyqueen • Martine Werotte • Sashar Zarif • Rahma Haddad
Yasmina Ramzy • Sashar Zarif Dance Theatre • Troupe Sharkiss

In 1990, she founded the Mid Eastern Dance Exchange in Miami Beach, where she spent fourteen years training dancers and producing a myriad of events ranging from theatre shows to outdoor festivals. Many of the top names in Oriental dance studied with Tamalyn Dallal including Bellydance Superstars Amar Gamal, Bozenka and Yasmine.

On top of being a renouned dancer, she is also the author of two books: They Told Me I Couldn't, about her adventures as a travelling Bellydancer in Colombia, and Belly Dancing For Fitness, a step-by-step guide to teaching and learning Bellydance.

She has written two feature-length screenplays, and produced two videos on Bellydance technique.

Tamalyn Dallal has danced for Madonna, Robert De Niro, Sean Connery, members of the Saudi Arabian royal families, King Abdullah of Jordan (when he was a prince), and Francisco Flores, president of El Salvador. She was also one of the dancers featured on the first Bellydance Superstars CD and DVD.

Impassioned with Middle Eastern culture from an early age, she sees Bellydance as the ultimate feminine expression, embracing every woman's unique beauty.

Having Bellydanced since 1976, and taught this art in many parts of the world, she has a wealth of experience travelling in North Africa, the Middle East, India, and Eastern Europe to further explore Bellydance and related dance forms.

Bellyqueen Dance Theater, directed by Kaeshi Chai, and co-founded by Amar Gamal, encompasses bellydancing in it's traditional Raks Sharki, as well as Middle-Eastern dance blended with popping, hip-hop, modern, jazz, ballet, gypsy, flamenco, Chinese and Afro-Haitian.

Bellyqueen was the first established bellydance company asked to perform in Las Vegas at Aladdin's Desert Passage for an extended contract.

In 2003, Kaeshi and Amar joined the Bellydance Superstars and Desert Roses. Since then, they have performed at Lollapalooza, the World Peace Awards in Bali, toured extensively through the US, Europe, Canada, Asia and made numerous television appearances. In 2004, they released their first instructional DVD, Bellydance Jam to the public.

It is Amar and Kaeshi's hope that bellydance will some day be a universally appreciated artform that is shared with audiences of all backgrounds, genders and ages.

Bellyqueen believes in the equality of all races. They hope that one day, all cultures can live free from discrimination, and in peace with one another, regardless of skin colour. Another Bellyqueen goal is to help educate people about the benefits of Bellydance and it's healing powers, particularly for body image, self esteem and expression.

Inspired by a strong artistic family background, Sashar Zarif is a multi- disciplinary Artist.

He received his formal academic training in performing arts at Azerbaijan conservatory of Music and Dance where he was awarded the honorary title of “Artist for People of Azerbaijan.”

He continues his Fine Arts studies at York University, where he is currently a course director for a third-year and a second-year course titled Introduction to World Dance Practices.

Among his varied studies in dance are the Indian Classical Dance of Bharatanatyam, Uzbek, Tadjeek, and Persian dance.

He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Canadian Joshgoon Academy of Azerbaijani Dance, and Sashar Zarif Dance Theatre since 1993.

Sashar served as Director of Fine Arts of the Azeri Cultural Association of Ontario (1994-1998), where he taught classical and folkloric Azeri dance to various age groups.

It was there that he began his choreographic work, which has been both performed and taught in workshops by he and his company throughout North America , Europe and Azerbaijan.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, the first-born grandchild of early Lebanese immigrants, Rahma spent her formative years immersed in an Arabic-speaking milieu, enjoying the food, music and dance.

Rahma has a Bachelor of Physical Education with a background in modern dance, Afro-jazz, folk dance and gymnastics.

Since following her heart into ‘Raks Araby’ (bellydance) she has appreciated and learned from the diverse styles of many talented performers and teachers, but was most inspired in the late '70s and early '80s by Badawia, a passionate Jordanian-born dancer from Portland, Oregon.

A performer and teacher of Bellydance since 1975, she has an impressive record of film and T.V. appearances, articles and reviews, both nationally and internationally.

She has been a guest performer in such places as Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Cairo, Egypt, Sao Paulo and Bello Horizonte, Brazil, and received a Canada Council Grant to teach and perform in Australia and Hong Kong.

As a teacher, her renowned ability to break down dance into easily learnable form stems from both her training as a teacher and her genuine desire for her students to learn.

As a performer, the sensual and joyful expression of spirit that is embodied in her personal style is dependent on her intense connection with, and spontaneous response to the music.

Yasmina Ramzy is the founder and artistic director of Arabesque Academy, Canada's largest Bellydance school and the critically acclaimed Arabesque Dance Company & Orchestra featuring 17 dance artists and eight musicians.

At age 14, Yasmina began studies into ancient Egyptian mysticism and the worship of Isis, which eventually led her to the art of Bellydance.

She received her key training from leading artists in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.

Since 1981, Yasmina has been teaching, performing and choreographing Middle Eastern dance worldwide while 
mentoring many dance artists.

Her artistic vision has been awarded several times by the Toronto Arts council, Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts and she has received rave reviews in national and international media for her innovative choreography, including her most recent show, Asala, documenting a grand variety of folkloric dance from across the Middle East.

Her workshops are renouned for promoting the power of the female spirit and her ability to convey the essence of Arabic music and dance.

Under the moniker of Arabesque, Yasmina has created six performance DVDs, eight instructional DVDs and six CDs featuring original acoustic music.

They are all dynamic and their common goal is to achieve the highest possible artistic and technical level as a group.

The troupe presents different characters of Egyptian style, from Raks Sharki to Beledi, Shaabi, and Oriental Fantasy.

Troupe Sharkiss has participated in different cultural events, such as Gala Just for Laughs, Festival MontrÈalais de la Danse, and private parties.

Troupe Sharkiss, was founded in Montreal by Martine WÈrotte in 2005.

The members of the troupe, are dancers trained by Martine at Studio Sharqui, and were chosen for their dedication , passion and talent.

Each one of them has in his or her portfolio, different artistic training besides just Bellydance alone, such as Modern Dance, Ballet, Jazz, Folklore, or Figure Skating.